[00:00:01]
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND[CALL TO ORDER]
CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AT SIX 6:00 PM AND I'LL START WITH ROLL CALL.UM, SO YOU KNOW, PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENCE WHEN I CALL IN YOUR NAME.
AND I'M GOING TO CALL BASED ON THE ORDER AND THE AGENDA.
SO THIS IS CHAIR HAR, I'M HERE.
COMMISSIONER HAMPEL IS NOT HERE.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER HILLER HERE.
PER USUAL TONIGHT'S MEETING WILL BE HYBRID ALLOWING FOR VIRTUAL QUORUM AS LONG AS THE COMMISSIONER SERVING AS CHAIRS PRESENT IN THE CHAMBERS.
UM, AS SUCH WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS HERE, PRESIDENT CHAMBER AND ATTENDANCE VIRTUALLY.
SIMILARLY, SPEAKERS CAN PRESENT FROM THE CHAMBERS OR PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY, UM, VIRTUAL COMMISSIONERS.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND IN YOUR SIGN-IN SHEET TO OUR STAFF LIAISON PER THE CLERK'S GUIDELINES AND ALSO PLEASE REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR GREEN YET OR RED OR YELLOW VOTING ITEMS, UM, WHEN WE NEED THEM AS WELL.
IF AT ANY POINT IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE NOT ACKNOWLEDGING YOU, JUST UNMUTE YOURSELF AND UM, SAY SOMETHING AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE YOU.
BUT, UH, VICE CHAIR WOODS WILL BE HELPING ME THROUGH THAT AS WELL.
SO JUST TO START OFF, UM, WE ARE GONNA BE GOING THROUGH PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FIRST AND WE HAVE MS. BROWN WHO'S GONNA BE HELPING US THROUGH, UH, TESTIMONY TODAY.
CHAIR, THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
AGENDA.SO THE FIRST ITEM IS, UH, THE APPROVAL OF OUR MEETING MINUTES.
THESE ARE OUR MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR APRIL 22ND MEETING.
UM, WE'LL LOOP THEM INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA UNLESS THERE ARE COMMISSIONERS WHO WANT ANYTHING CHANGED ON THEM.
IF YOU DO, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
NOT SEEING ANYTHING, WE'RE GONNA ROLL THEM INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA THAT TAKES US TO
[Consent Agenda]
OUR PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS. SO OUR FIRST ACTIVITY, AS ALWAYS TODAY, IS TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.ITEMS THAT ARE CONSENT, APPROVAL, DISAPPROVAL, POSTPONEMENTS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS OR NON-DISCUSSION ITEMS. UM, SEC.
UH, VICE CHAIR WOODS WILL READ THE PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA AND IDENTIFY THOSE THAT ARE CONSENT, POSTPONEMENT AND NON-DISCUSSION.
AS ALWAYS, COMMISSIONERS, ONCE WE'RE DONE WITH THIS, YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST CONSENT ITEMS WE PULL FOR DISCUSSION AND MAKE ANY REMARKS.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU VICE CHAIR.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 20 25 2 5 1 OAK HILL APARTMENTS DISTRICT EIGHT.
ITEM THREE IS A REZONING C 14 20 25 8 OAK HILL APARTMENTS DISTRICT EIGHT.
ITEM FOUR IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA 20 25 9 SH WAVERLY NORTH DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 27TH.
ITEM FIVE IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 20 25 3 4 SH WAVERLY NORTH DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 27TH.
ITEM SIX IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2024 DASH 0 0 2 0 1 62 0 1 CROW LANE DISTRICT TWO.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 27TH.
ITEM SEVEN IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 68 6 2 1 CROW LANE DISTRICT TWO.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 27TH.
ITEM EIGHT IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2024 DASH 0 0 1 8 0 2 68 17 AND 69 0 1 NORTH LAMAR DISTRICT FOUR.
ITEM NINE IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 5 2 68 17 AND 69 0 1 NORTH LAMAR DISTRICT FOUR.
ITEM 10 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2025 DASH 0 0 4 4 1700 SOUTH CONGRESS DISTRICT NINE.
ITEM 11 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2025 DASH 0 0 4 2 9 1 1 7 NORTHGATE REZONE DISTRICT FOUR.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 27TH.
ITEM 12 IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 6 3 1700 SOUTH LAMAR DISTRICT NINE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT UNTIL JUNE 24TH.
ITEM 13 IS A REZONING C EIGHT 14 DASH 28 6 5 1 EAST RIVERSIDE PUTT AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, DISTRICT NINE.
ITEM 14 IS A REZONING C EIGHT 14 DASH ZERO SIX DASH 0 1 0 9 0.03 LAKESHORE PUTT AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE, DISTRICT THREE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 27TH.
[00:05:01]
IS AN LDC AMENDMENT C 20 DASH 2025 DASH 0 0 1 AMENDMENTS TO THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR REGULATING PLAN DISTRICT THREE.THIS ITEM IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 27TH.
ITEM 16 IS A DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS SP DASH 2023 DASH 0 4 9 4 C 7 0 1 WEST SIXTH STREET.
ITEM 17 IS A DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS SP DASH 2024 DASH 0 2 3 8 C 3 0 5 WEST MLK HOME TWO.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM 18 IS A CUP AND EV VARIANCE SP DASH 2022 DASH 1 3 6 8 D WILLIAMSON CREEK INTERCEPTOR DISTRICT TWO.
ITEM 19 IS IMAGINE AUSTIN, IMAGINE AUSTIN PCFY 25 DASH 26 CIP.
ITEM 20 IS A PLAN AMENDMENT NPI DASH 20 25 0 9 0 2 UNO UPDATE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM 21 IS A REZONING C 20 DASH 2024 DASH UNO UPDATE.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.
AND FINALLY, ITEM 22 IS AN LDC AMENDMENT, C 20 DASH 2024 DASH ZERO UNO AMENDMENT.
THIS ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, COMMISSIONERS WILL TURN TO Y'ALL AND SEE IF, IF THERE'S ANY COMMISSIONER WHO NEEDS TO RECUSE OR ABSTAIN THEMSELVES FROM ANY ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, NOT SEEING ANY I'LL UM, CONTINUE.
MS. BROWN, I BELIEVE WE HAVE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON SOME OF THE CONSENT ITEMS. YES.
WE HAVE THE APPLICANT SPEAKING ON ITEMS TWO AND THREE.
MONTY JAMES, MONTY, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
AND MS. BROWN, CAN YOU ALSO STATE THE ITEM THAT WE'RE AT SO WE CAN GO THROUGH RECORDING PLEASE? YES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER WE'RE GONNA BE TRANSITIONING TO SPEAKER SPEAKING OPPOSITION.
OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION IS LEE ZIEGLER WHO IS TUNING IN VIRTUALLY.
LEE, PLEASE GO AND PUSH STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
THIS IS ZIGLER OAK HILL NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING CONTACTING CHAIR AND UM, ARE MY SLIDES UP? YES THEY ARE, MA'AM.
WOULD YOU GO TO SLIDE ONE? DRAINAGE IS OUR BIGGEST CONCERN AT 55 26 WEST HIGHWAY TWO 90 AND CONTAINMENT OF THE CREEK APPEARS TO NEED ADDITIONAL FOCUS IN THIS DEVELOPMENT, WHICH FRONTS WEST HIGHWAY TWO 90.
THE REQUEST IS TO REQUIRE AN ONSITE DETENTION POND BY NOT PERMITTING FEE IN LIEU EVEN WITH DV 90.
THIS ALONG WITH REVIEW OF PREVIOUSLY UNMONITORED POLLUTION IN THE AREA, AN EVALUATION OF APPARENT FILLED ACCUMULATION FROM UP UPSTREAM TAKE PRECEDENT.
THE NEED FOR REDUCED COMMERCIAL ON THE GROUND FLOOR IS NOT CLEAR.
A PRESENT REQUEST TO RETAIN COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS INCLUDES NO LENCE TO ALLOW DECIBEL INCREASE INCLUDING MECHANICAL NOISE AND TO REQUIRE RESTRICTED OUTDOOR LIGHTING IMPORTANT AT THIS PROPERTY.
EVEN IF DB 90 IS GRANTED, GIVEN THAT THIS WILL BE THE FIRST AND TALLEST BUILDING IN THE AREA WITH NO TRIGGERING PROPERTY AT THIS TIME, MAINTAINING THESE COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS WILL ALLOW SURROUNDING PROPERTIES A BETTER POSITION FOR IMPROVED DEVELOPMENT DESIGN TO ENHANCE THE COMPACT AND CONNECTED GOALS.
THE APPLICATION DESCRIBES 15% IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHICH ASSUMES ABOUT 2.16 ACRES ON HIGHWAY TWO 90.
ROUGHLY THREE FIFTHS OF THE LOT IS IN THE FLOODPLAIN OF GAINES CREEK WITHIN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE OF BARTON CREEK.
EVEN SO, THE PROPERTY SEEMS ADEQUATE TO SUPPORT A FIVE STORY BUILDING IN A PARKING LOT AS REQUESTED BUT NOT PRESUMED.
THE CURRENT USES INCLUDE AUTO SERVICE AND U-HAUL RENTAL.
THIS SEEMS TO CHALLENGE THE EXISTING CONDITIONAL OVERLAY.
THE YBC TRAIL IS NOT YET FEASIBLE TO BUILD AND THERE IS NO ACCESSIBLE PRIVATE TRAIL.
IT WOULD REQUIRE A PRIVATE PROPERTY EASEMENT THROUGH THE U-SHAPED 45 ACRE REAR PROPERTY, WHICH IS ALSO ZONED MIXED USE.
CONVENIENCE AND PRACTICE REQUIRES A CAR TO REACH THE MOPAC INTERSECTION AND CAP METRO TRANSIT REMAINS IMPRACTICAL DUE TO LIMITED SCOPE OF TRAVEL AND TIME CONSUMPTION.
THE MAP INDICATES RELATIVELY REDUCED
[00:10:01]
BUS ACCESS ALONG HIGHWAY TWO 90 AND OAK HILL.SLIDE SEVEN, PLEASE ACCEPTED STORM WATER DRAINAGE IN POLLUTION ARE THE BIGGEST PREVENTABLE CONCERNS AT THIS TIME.
GAINES CREEK MAP HERE BRINGS SIGNIFICANT FLOODING RISK DUE TO ITS POSITION AS A CRUCIAL DRAINAGE BASIN FOR O TILL IN THE CRUX OF WATER.
QUALITY, QUALITY DESPITE SO MUCH LAND ABOVE HAVING BEEN GRANDFATHERED WITH POLLUTION EXEMPTION.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE OAK ACRES JUST ABOVE THIS PROPERTY REQUIRED HOME BUYOUTS AND FLOODING FROM DEVELOPMENT ELSEWHERE.
COMPENSATORY PLANS TO IMPROVE DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE ARE JUST NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED.
PROPER MANAGEMENT OF STORMWATER FLOWS IS ESSENTIAL TO ENSURE RESIDENTIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY GOING FORWARD.
CLEARLY OVERFLOW FROM WILLIAMSON CREEK TO GAINES CREEK WILL INCREASE OVER TIME.
IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO APPLY CODE TO KNOW THAT THE SAME FLOODING WILL HAPPEN BELOW IF NOT CALCULATED FOR INCREASED FLOW AND CHANGING PARAMETERS.
ALSO, IT'S IMPORTANT TO CALCULATE FLOW FROM PROPERTIES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TWO 90 FROM JOE TANNER TO MONTEREY OAKS, WHICH DRAIN ACROSS TWO 90 TO THE TEXAS STATE OWNED RETENTION POND.
THIS IS ANOTHER REASON THIS SITE SHOULD CONTAIN AND DELAY STORM ORDER FLOW INTO GAINS CREEK BY HAVING AN ONSITE RETENTION DETENTION POND.
THE LOCAL DOWNSTREAM WIDENED CREEK FORMATION BELOW IS EXACERBATING THE PROBLEM.
WE ASK FOR AN UPDATED DETAILED PARCEL REEVALUATION COMPARING FLOOD MAPS WITH CHANGING TOPOGRAPHY AND OVERFLOW AND HOPE THAT PLANNING COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER THE QUESTION AN AREA DRAINAGE AND CREEK CONTAINMENT REVIEW BY WATERSHED RELATIVE TO THIS CASE AND ESPECIALLY A DETAILED PARCEL CREEK BORDER REEVALUATION TO BENEFIT DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE.
PLEASE ADD TO THIS CONCERN FOR SCOPE FORMATION, UH, FROM RECENT UPSTREAM DEVELOPMENT SLIDE 13 AND A LACK OF NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING DRAINAGE AND SEWAGE PIPES, WHICH BRINGS SCRUTINY TO ANY EXCEPTIONS FOR DRAINAGE.
UNDER DB 90 WATER POLLUTION FROM HEAVY AUTO USAGE IN THE AREA ONSITE SEPTIC TANKS, VARI TOXINS ALSO SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
THE ENTIRE AREA BETWEEN HIGHWAY TWO 90 AND GAINES CREEK SHOULD BE SCRUTINIZED FOR CONTAMINATION SOURCES.
GENERAL DOWNSTREAM PLANNING, EXCUSE ME, WILL HELP.
WE'RE AT TIME AND PROTECT WATER QUALITY.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIELLE BUCKLEY, WHO WILL BE TUNING IN VIRTUALLY AS WELL.
DANIELLE, GO ON AND PUSH STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
WE'LL BE GOING ON TO ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE.
OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER WHO WILL BE SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION IS PAMELA BELL, WHO IS TUNING IN VIRTUALLY.
PAMELA, PLEASE PUSH STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
THIS IS PAMELA BELL WITH THE NORTH UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, I'M SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S PLANNED FOR 37 10 CEDAR.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE REQUESTED A POSTPONEMENT UNTIL MAY 27TH.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
THANK YOU SPEAKER, WE'RE NOT GOING TO ITEM SIX AND SEVEN.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS APPLICANT SPEAKING IN FAVOR, CATHERINE NICELY.
CATHERINE, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
HI, I AM CATHERINE KNIGHTLY WITH MECAL OF STEWART AND WILLIAMS. I WON'T BE SPEAKING TODAY SINCE THE ITEM IS GONNA BE POSTPONED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
NOW I'LL BE SWITCHING OVER TO SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS GEORGIE MORRELL.
GEORGIE, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
HELLO? UM, I'LL RETURN AT THE POSTPONEMENT AS WELL, BUT I GUESS I'LL SAY THIS SINCE I'M HERE.
JUST TO CLARIFY, SO SINCE THIS IS
[00:15:01]
A A DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT, YOU CAN SORT OF, UH, SPEAK TO THE POSTPONEMENT ASPECT OF IT AND MS. BROWN, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND SINCE THIS DISCUSSION, POSTPONEMENT WE'LL BE TAKING UP TESTIMONY AT THE TIME.THIS NO, SORRY, THIS IS NOT OKAY.
UM, IT'S MY STRONG OPINION THAT THE ACRE IS NOT A SAFE PLACE FOR ANIMALS AND SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED REZONING AS AN ANIMAL BOARDING FACILITY.
UH, I WISH DESPERATELY THAT I HAD TAKEN A MORE CRITICAL EYE TO THIS PLACE AND THE PEOPLE WHO RUN IT BEFORE LEAVING MY DOG THERE WHO DIED AS A RESULT, I BELIEVE THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR RUNNING THE ESTABLISHMENT HAVE LIED TO ME AND DISPLACED BLAME, UM, TO DISPLACE BLAME AND COVER UP MISTREATMENT.
THEY'RE INDIFFERENT AND DEFENSIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ANIMALS WELLBEING AS UH, IS ALSO REPRESENTED IN THEIR ATTITUDE TOWARDS ZONING COMPLIANCE.
I TRUSTED THEM TO KEEP OUR FAMILY MEMBERS SAFE.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S MY STRONG OPINION THAT THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS NOT ONE THAT SHOULD BE ZONED TO BOARD OR HOST ANIMALS AND SHOULD BE WATCHED CLOSELY AND PENALIZED FOR CONTINUING ANY ACTIVITY THAT VIOLATES CURRENT ZONING.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES YIDA.
JAMES, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, OUR FAMILY DOG WENDY WENT MISSING FROM 6 2 0 1 CROW LANE THE ACRE AND WAS ULTIMATELY FOUND DEAD IN JULY OF LAST YEAR.
I BELIEVE THEIR LACK OF ETHICAL STANDARDS LED TO THE DEATH OF OUR FAMILY DOG.
AS SUCH, I BELIEVE REZONING THE PROPERTY FURTHER, ENDANGERS THE PET SUPPORTED THERE AND FURTHER DISRUPTS NEARBY COMMUNITIES.
I URGE YOU TO DENY THE ZONING, UH, REQUEST BETWEEN JANUARY, 2023 AND JULY, 2024.
SEVEN DIFFERENT LAND USE VIOLATIONS.
COMPLAINTS WERE FILED, INCLUDING MY OWN AND WERE ALL INITIALLY CLOSED WITHOUT PROPER INVESTIGATION.
IT TOOK THE PROMPTING OF COUNCILWOMAN VANESSA FUENTES TO REOPEN THE COMPLAINTS IN WHICH THE VIOLATIONS WERE FOUND.
AFTER THE SEVEN INITIAL VISITS FROM THE INSPECTOR, A CODE VIOLATION WAS FINALLY ISSUED.
DESPITE THE OWNER'S LONG-TERM KNOWLEDGE OF THEIR OWN NON-COMPLIANCE, LIKE CUTTING CORNERS AROUND ZONING COMPLIANCES UNTIL A CODE VIOLATION WAS ISSUED.
THIS BUSINESS HAS SIMILARLY DEMONSTRATED A WILLINGNESS TO CUT CORNERS TO THE DETRIMENT OF ANIMAL SAFETY.
AS FOR OUR DOG, WENDY, UH, I'LL KEEP THIS SHORT.
HERE ARE THE MOST RELEVANT POINTS WE DROPPED OFF WENDY ON JULY 3RD.
ON JULY 6TH, THEY NOTIFIED US SHE WENT MISSING.
LATER WE FOUND OUT THAT SHE WAS CITED ON JULY 5TH.
UM, THAT'S THE DAY BEFORE THEY, THEY TOLD US AT THE APARTMENT COMPLEX, UM, ACROSS THE STREET, MEANING THERE WAS AN 18 HOUR WINDOW IN WHICH SHE WAS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR BEFORE THE OWNERS REALIZED THAT SHE WAS MISSING AND PROCEEDED TO CONTACT US.
UH, WE SPENT EVERY DAY LOOKING FOR HER OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, PUTTING UP FLYERS, CREATING SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, CHECKING SHELTERS, FOLLOWING EVERY LEAD WE COULD ON JULY 17TH, UH, SHE WAS FOUND BY A STRANGER DECEASED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.
UM, IT'S DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE HOW AWFUL THOSE 11 DAYS WERE, BUT I WOULDN'T WISH THEM ON ANYONE AND THAT'S WHAT I FEAR WILL HAPPEN AGAIN IF THIS PROPERTY IS REZONED.
THANK YOU SPEAKER FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS VICTORIA WELLBORN.
VICTORIA, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
I AM A CONCERNED CITIZEN WHO HAS FOLLOWED THE BUSINESS PRACTICES OF THE ACRE AND IT'S RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY AND I URGE YOU TO DENY THE ZONING REQUEST AND ANY SUBSEQUENT ZONING REQUESTS.
THIS, THERE IS EVIDENCE THAT THE USE OF THIS LAND IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO THE SAVE OPERATIONS OF AN OVERNIGHT ANIMAL BOARDING FACILITY FOR BOTH PATRON ANIMALS AND THE RESIDENTS OF THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD.
UNDER THE SEC SECOND BASIS OF RECOMMENDATIONS SET FORTH IN THE ZONING CHANGES, REVIEW SHEET IS STATED THAT ZONING CHANGES SHOULD PROMOTE COMPATIBILITY WITH ADJACENT AND NEARBY USES.
THE LAND USE OF A BOARDING FACILITY IN THIS LOCATION DOES NOT SERVE THE NEEDS OR COMPATIBILITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD DUE IN PART TO MULTIPLE CASES OF ESCAPE DOGS RUNNING LOOSE INTO A VERY URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
I'LL NOT SPECULATE WHY ANIMALS ARE NOT PROPERLY CONTAINED ON THIS PROPERTY, BUT GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THE ACRES INEPTITUDE GRANTING THE ZONING CHANGE WILL INEVITABLY INCREASE ENDANGERMENT OF ANIMALS HOUSED HERE AND WILL NEGATIVELY AFFECT NEARBY RESIDENTS.
THANK YOU SPEAKER FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO GO CIRCLE BACK TO ITEMS TWO AND THREE.
DANIELLE BUCKLEY IS ON VIRTUALLY DANIELLE IS SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
[00:20:01]
HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN.UM, I AM A MEMBER OF BOTH THE OAK HILL ASSOCIATION OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND THE OAK HILL, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING CONTACT TEAM.
UM, SO THE VIEWS I'M REPRESENTING ARE FROM A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, IF YOU GO TO THE SECOND SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THE CONCERNS ARE, UM, IN LINE WITH WHAT WE
MA'AM, CAN I ASK YOU TO PREVIOUSLY, MA'AM, I'M SO SORRY, CAN I ASK YOU TO PAUSE FOR A SECOND? WE'RE JUST PULLING UP YOUR, UH, SLIDES.
CAN WE GO TO SLIDE NUMBER TWO? UH, WE'LL PAUSE YOUR TIME.
AND YOU'RE READY TO GO? THANK YOU.
UM, ON NUMBER TWO YOU CAN SEE CONCERN HAVE TO DO NUMBER OF HOUSING, THE UNITS THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE OAK HILL AREA, THE LIMITED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND THE CONTINUED ROAD CONGESTION AND CONSTRUCTION.
UM, ON SLIDE THREE YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S ACTUALLY A MAP OF THE AREA, UM, AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT THAT YELLOW STAR WHERE THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS.
IT'S WITHIN A HALF A MILE OF 1800 UNITS ARE THAT ALREADY EXIST.
UM, AND WITHIN A MILE OF OVER 4,500 UNITS IN THAT AREA, THERE ARE ALREADY OVER 13,000 UNITS IN OAK HILL AND MORE THAN 7,000 OF THOSE HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED OR BUILT, UH, JUST SINCE 2016 WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT CAP METRO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, UM, OR ROAD IMPROVEMENTS IN THE AREA.
UM, SLIDE FOUR JUST SHOWS AN OVERVIEW.
IT'S A KEY TO THOSE APARTMENTS IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, UM, IN THE YEARS AND THE NUMBER OF UNITS.
SLIDE FIVE SHOWS, UM, THE MAIN BUS LINE FOR OAK HILL IS THE 1 71 FLYER.
UM, AND TO ACCESS THIS, UH, TENANTS WOULD HAVE TO WALK ALMOST A MILE ALONG TWO 90.
THEY WOULD HAVE TO CROSS TWO 90 IN ORDER TO GO TOWARDS DOWNTOWN OR UT TO GO TO WORK OR FOR RECREATION.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO MORNING PICKUPS AND ONE AFTERNOON DROP OFF.
ON SLIDE SIX, YOU'LL SEE THE THREE 15 HAS A SLIGHTLY BETTER, UM, ROUTE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY TAKE THEM TO A SHOPPING CENTER, BUT AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO WALK ACROSS TWO 90 WITH DANGEROUS TRAFFIC.
AND ON SLIDE SEVEN YOU CAN SEE THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA THAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH AND ALL OF THE CONGESTION THAT THEY'RE DEALING WITH.
UM, THE CURRENT CONSTRUCTION AT OLD FREDERICKSBURG IS WHAT'S SHOWN, BUT THIS IS INDICATIVE OF THE AREA AND ADDING ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, WELL OTHER DEVELOPMENTS ARE ALREADY APPROVED AND MORE CONSTRUCTION IS GOING ON, IS JUST GOING TO FURTHER BOTTLENECK TWO 90.
UM, SO MY LAST SLIDE IS JUST THAT NEIGHBORS FEEL LIKE MORE U MORE MULTIFAMILY UNITS ARE NOT THE ANSWER AT THIS TIME.
THE CURRENT ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND THE COMING CONSTRUCTION OF ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENTS IS JUST MAKING THE PROBLEM WORSE AND WORSE AND UNTIL THESE ROAD AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION UPDATES HAPPEN, WE CAN'T JUST KEEP ADDING MORE APARTMENTS, UM, IN A SPOT BY SPOT ZONING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU SPEAKER FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO ITEMS EIGHT AND NINE.
THE APPLICANT TO MARY DAVIS IS TO MARY DAVIS.
YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
I'M TAMARIA DAVIS FROM THE JOIN GROUP HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
I WON'T PRESENT BUT I WILL, UM, BE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
OKAY, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS LIAM BOJO.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OKAY, OUR NEXT ITEM IS NUMBER 10, THE APPLICANT, UM, RICHARD SU.
RICHARD, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES APPLICANTS IF YOU WISH TO WAIVE, YOU CAN JUST WAVE YOUR HANDS.
WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE YOU COME UP ALL THE WAY UP.
HE WAIVES HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
UM, WE HAVE THE APPLICANT, MICHELLE HOUSEMAN.
MICHELLE, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS CHAIR.
I'M MICHELLE HOUSEMAN WITH LAND USE SOLUTIONS REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT AND I DO HAVE ONE, UM, CORRECTION TO THE REQUEST.
I'M MET WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OF ZILKER AND IT'S ACTUALLY A JOINT POSTPONEMENT REQUEST OF THE APPLICANT AND THE ZILKER NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AS I UM, IN INDICATED IN MY LETTER AND BACKUP AND I HAD MET WITH UH, JU ZER DICKEY WHO IS THE, UH, VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE OF ZONING
[00:25:01]
FOR ZILKER.AND I WROTE THE LETTER ON BEHALF OF BOTH OF US.
SO I JUST WANTED TO RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT IT WAS NOTED.
IT'S A JOINT POSTPONEMENT AND I'M HERE AND AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS THE APPLICANT FOR ITEM NUMBER 13.
OKAY, SO OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS THE APPLICANT FOR ITEMS 14 AND 15.
RICHARD SU, YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
AND OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS THE APPLICANT FRY OF 16.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS PHILLIP WILEY.
PHILLIP, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
OH, IT SEEMS LIKE MR. WILEY'S WAIVING HIS RIGHT AS WELL.
OKAY, SO OUR NEXT ITEM IS FOR NUMBER 17.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS RON THROWER.
RON, YOU'LL HAVE AND ALSO THREE MINUTES DISCUSSION.
THIS IS A DISCUSSION POST MOMENT, SO MR. THROWER WILL CALL YOU BACK ONCE WE'RE DONE WITH A CONSENT AGENDA.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UM, BEFORE WE PROCEED, I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE TWO THINGS.
ONE IS I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE CHAIR COHEN, UH, FROM THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIR FOR BEING HERE.
UM, AND ONE WE'RE VOTING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I JUST WANT TO NOTE THAT FOR ITEM NUMBER 12, WE WILL BE LISTING IT AS A JOINT NEIGHBORHOOD AND APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT.
THANK YOU MS. HAUSMAN FOR CORRECTING US ON THAT.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, THE NEXT ITEM IS TO SEE IF ANYBODY WISHES TO PULL ANY ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION OR OTHERWISE HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
COMMISSIONER MAXWELL? UM, YES, I DID JUST WANNA NOTE, UM, I APPRECIATE THE JOINT POSTPONEMENT ON ITEM THAT'S, UH, 12 AND I DID WANNA NOTE FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE THAT THERE IS GOING TO ACTUALLY BE A COMMUNITY MEETING ON THAT PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT ON MAY 20TH IN THE ZILKER AREA.
SO PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO GET MORE DETAILS.
COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? YEAH, I'VE GOT A COMMENT ON ITEM SIX AND SEVEN.
I KNOW THIS IS UP FOR POSTPONEMENT, UH, AND I KNOW THERE'S, UM, SOME, UM, CONCERNS, UH, ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR CASE AS WELL.
UH, I WANTED TO SAY THAT, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE REQUEST IS FOR A VE VERY NARROW, UH, CONDITIONAL OVERLAY, UH, THAT ONLY ALLOWS FOR PET SERVICES.
AND SO IDEALLY IF WE DISCUSS THIS NEXT TIME, I WOULD LOVE TO, UH, SEE THAT BE BROADENED A LITTLE BIT FOR A COUPLE REASONS.
ONE IS IF EVENTUALLY IF WE END UP CHANGING THE ZONING FOR THIS PROPERTY, IF EVENTUALLY GETS BOUGHT OUT OR, YOU KNOW, USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE, UH, SOME OTHER OWNERS, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS AGAIN TO CHANGE THE ZONING.
AND THEN SECONDLY, I THINK IT SETS A POSITIVE PRECEDENCE ALSO TO HAVE ZONING THAT ALLOWS FOR OTHER COMMERCIAL USES LIKE RESTAURANTS.
UM, COMMISSIONER BRE RAMIREZ, I WAS JUST GONNA, UH, CALL ON YOU.
I KNOW YOU HAD AN AMENDMENT, UM, FOR I NUMBER 19.
SO COMMISSIONER, UH, COMMISSIONER BRA RAMIREZ IS GONNA READ IT IN.
IT HAS ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED WITH STAFF AND STAFF IS OKAY WITH IT.
IF THERE'S NO CONCERN FROM COMMISSIONERS, WE'LL JUST ADD IT TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
COMMISSIONER BRA RAMIREZ, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
YOU MIGHT HAVE TO READ, YOU MIGHT FIND IT FASTER THAN I CAN.
IN THE MEANWHILE, I'LL ASK ARE THERE OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO HAD ANYTHING THAT THEY WISH TO SPEAK TO ON THE CONSENT AGENDA OR PULL AN ITEM IF NECESSARY? I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING.
SO, UM, THE BULLET IS ABOUT, UM, TRANSPORTATION AND HAVING A COMPACT AND CONNECTED NETWORK AND THE BULLET INCLUDES A LINE INVESTMENTS WITH UPDATED BICYCLE PLAN, UPDATED, UM, URBAN TRAILS PLAN, SIDEWALK CROSSINGS AND SHARED STREETS PLAN, BUT ALSO INCLUDES TRANS ENHANCEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT AND THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL CITYWIDE SUMMARY REPORT.
JUST ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE ARE THESE TWO, UM, PIECES OF WORK THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT HAVE DONE RECENTLY THAT ALSO CONTRIBUTE TO THE A SMP AND COMPACT AND CONNECTED.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO ADDING IT TO THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PART FOR OUR CIP MEMO? OKAY.
NOT SEEING ANY, NOT SEEING ANY, UM, REQUESTS FOR QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING ELSE AS WELL.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVE OUR CONSENT AGENDA, INCLUDING THOSE NOTED CHANGES? I HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, UM, AND SECOND BY VICE CHAIR WOODS.
[00:30:02]
I'M GONNA LIST THAT AS, UH, PASSED.COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ, OH, YOU JUST DISAPPEARED.
YOU ARE ON THE DICE AND YOU'RE, UH, VOTING IN FAVOR AS WELL.
[17. Downtown SP-2024-0238C - 305 W. MLK – Home2 ]
OUR FIRST DISCUSSION, POSTPONEMENT CASE.UM, AND WE'LL HAVE STAFF COME UP FIRST AND THEN WE'LL CONTINUE FROM THERE.
STAFF FOR ITEM NUMBER 17, WE'LL GO THROUGH STAFF PRESENTATION FIRST AND THEN HEAR FROM, ACTUALLY I'M SO SORRY MR. LINN, I'M REMEMBERING I'M GOING OFF OF OUR SCRIPT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT REMINDER, MS. BROWN.
WE'LL GO WITH THOSE, ASKING FOR A POSTPONEMENT REQUEST FIRST AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THOSE, UH, SPEAKING AGAINST POSTPONED.
OKAY, SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS THE APPLICANT, RON THOR.
RON, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
WE'RE GONNA GO IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SO WE'LL HAVE FOLKS ASKING FOR THE POSTPONEMENT FIRST AND THEN, UH, FOLKS AGAINST THE POSTPONEMENT, WHICH WOULD BE MR. THOR.
UM, THEN THAT IS THE PRIMARY SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS JOHN HILDRETH.
JOHN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES CHAIR COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS, UH, JOHN HILDRETH.
I'M A 32 YEAR, UH, OWNER OF, UH, CAMBRIDGE TOWER AND REPRESENTING THE CAMBRIDGE TOWER, UH, COUNCIL OF OWNERS HERE THIS EVENING.
AND ASKING FOR THE POSTPONEMENT.
THE POSTPONEMENT IS BECAUSE OF OUR CONCERNS PRIMARILY RELATED TO INGRESS AND EGRESS.
THE DOCUMENTS THAT ARE IN YOUR PACKET AND IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY AND THE APPLICANT HAVE NOT FULLY ADDRESSED, UH, THE CON SPECIFIC CONCERNS THAT WE THINK ARE A THREAT TO SAFETY AND UTILITY TOWARDS VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS, UH, CYCLIST, UM, AND, UH, ADJACENT, UH, UH, PROPERTIES.
SO WE'RE REQUESTING A POSTPONEMENT UNTIL JUNE THE 10TH IN ORDER TO ENSURE WE CAN, UH, CONTINUE OUR VERY POSITIVE COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE APPLICANT AND THE CITY TO SEE IF THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AND HOW, IF NOT, HOW WE MIGHT, UH, ACQUIRE IT.
WE THINK IT IS CENTRAL TO THE ISSUE OF WHETHER ADDED DENSITY IS APPROPRIATE FOR THAT LOCATION.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO THE APPLICANT RON THROWER.
RON, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES CHAIR PLANNING COMMISSIONERS RON THROW REPRESENTING THE LANDOWNER OF THE PROPERTY.
IT IS OUR DESIRE TO MOVE FORWARD TONIGHT WITH THE HEARING.
UH, WE WILL CERTAINLY OPEN UP MORE COMMUNICATIONS WITH CAMBRIDGE TO FURTHER DISCUSS THEIR NEEDS AND HOPE TO, UH, HAVE A, A FACILITATED MEETING THAT WOULD INVOLVE THE TRANSPORTATION STAFF WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE RELEVANT TO THE ACTUAL ASK.
THAT'S, THAT IS, UH, BEFORE YOU TONIGHT AS PART OF THE CASE.
UH, AGAIN, WE WOULD LIKE FOR THIS CASE TO MOVE FORWARD TONIGHT, UH, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE THE COMMUNICATION WITH CAMBRIDGE TOWER.
OKAY, WE HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKERS WHO ARE SIGNED UP IN FAVOR.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRIS MCCOMB.
CHRIS, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
CHRIS IS NOT IN ATTENDANCE, HE'S NOT IN ATTENDANCE, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
MR. WILEY IS WAIVING HIS RIGHT TO SPEAK AS WELL.
OKAY, CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES, UM, THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MS. BROWN.
SO REMINDER AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS A REQUEST BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO POSTPONEMENT TO JUNE 10TH.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH.
SO JUST A REMINDER, FOLKS, WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON IS REALLY JUST THE POSTPONEMENT OR NOT.
IF WE VOTE, UM, DO NOT POSTPONE IT TO THAT DATE.
IT ESSENTIALLY, UH, GETS DISCUSSED TONIGHT OR OTHERWISE WE GET TO POSTPONE IT TO DATE CERTAIN, WHICH AT THIS POINT THE REQUEST IS JUNE 10TH.
WE'LL START WITH, UM, SEEING IF COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ANY OF OUR SPEAKERS OR STAFF.
I'M JUST CURIOUS AS A ITEM I POSTED BEFORE BY ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY.
CAN YOU REPEAT YOUR QUESTION? COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.
CAN YOU JUST REMIND ME, HAS THIS ITEM BEEN POSTPONED BEFORE BY ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY? I BELIEVE IT
[00:35:01]
IS NOT.THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST POSTPONEMENT REQUEST.
OTHER CONCERNS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER WOODS? I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT, WHICH IS WHETHER THERE ARE ANY, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT RELATIVE RELATED TO THE POSTPONEMENT AND THE TIMING OF THIS CASE? NOT SPECIFIC, UH, TO THIS PARTICULAR CASE AND THE TIME NECESSARY.
UM, THERE IS, I MEAN, IF THERE'S GONNA BE A POSTPONE REQUEST BY THIS COMMISSION, I WOULD ASK FOR IT TO BE AS SHORT, SHORT AS POSSIBLE.
UM, WE DO WANNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT.
THIS PROJECT IS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR A WHILE AND WE'RE READY TO GET IT GOING.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'LL JUST FOLLOW UP THEN.
IF WE WERE TO POSTPONE THIS TWO WEEKS, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WOULD HAVE TIME TO PROVIDE THE, THE TOWER WITH KIND OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING DURING THAT TIME? THEIR CONCERNS ARE LARGELY ABOUT TRAFFIC, RIGHT.
AND THE PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT.
AND I THINK THAT IF WE'RE, I'M TRYING NOT TO GET INTO THE MERITS OF THE CASE, BUT I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT THE PROJECT IS A FAR BETTER PROJECT THAN WHAT IS EXISTS ON THE PROPERTY TODAY.
THAT WE'RE HELPING THE PEDESTRIAN, THAT WE'RE HELPING THE BICYCLIST, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY HELPING THE, UH, MOTORISTS, WE'RE NOT, WE, WE HAVE NO PARKING ON SITE.
UM, SO I, I BELIEVE THAT A LAR, A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR CONCERNS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO I THINK WE'RE, UH, LIKE TERTIARY TO THE CONVERSATION, BUT WE'LL BE GLAD TO BE INVOLVED WITH THOSE CONVERSATIONS MOVING FORWARD.
ARE THERE COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? IF NOT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.
I'D LOOK TO MOVE THIS TO MAY 27TH, POSTPONED UNTIL MAY 27TH.
DO I HAVE A SECOND ON THAT? UH, COMMISSIONER RAMIREZ IS SECONDING.
UM, DO YOU WISH TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION COMMISSIONER ANDERSON? I DO NOT.
UM, I, I KNOW THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST CELEBRATED THEIR 60TH BIRTHDAY AND I, I THINK WE ALL KNOW HOW THIS WORKS, THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THIS MIGHT BE A MORE OF A SITE PLAN ISSUE, I THINK THEY JUST WANNA HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.
IT'S TWO WEEKS AND I, I HEAR THE APPLICANT BEING WILLING TO DISCUSS A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THAT HOPEFULLY KEEPS EVERYBODY ON TRACK.
WE CAN HEAR THIS IN TWO WEEKS.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, ANY COMMISSIONERS WISHING TO SPEAK AGAINST THE MOTION OR FOR THE MOTION? UH, JUST SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE MOTION.
IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THAT'S HANDLED IN THE SITE PLAN PROCESS, BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE THE COMMUNITY OF DEVELOPER HAVING A CONVERSATION ON THIS.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WISHING TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST? SO WE HAVE A MOTION IN FRONT OF US BY COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER BARR RAMIREZ TO POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER 17 TO MAY 27TH.
UM, THOSE AGAINST THOSE ABSTAINING.
UM, COMMISSIONER HILLER, ARE YOU AGAINST OR ABSTAINING? I'M SORRY.
I WENT THROUGH THAT TO, AGAINST, OKAY.
COMMISSIONER HILLER IS AGAINST THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
THAT MOTION PASSES WITH NINE COMMISSIONERS IN FAVOR.
COMMISSIONER HITLER AGAINST YOU, POSTPONE THIS ITEM TO MAY 27TH.
[Items 20 - 22]
TO OUR DISCUSSION ITEM FOR THE NIGHT, WHICH IS THE, UH, UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLY UPDATE STAFF HAS PREVIOUSLY GIVEN A PRESENTATION, BUT I WOULD ASK STAFF TO COME UP AND SHARE IF THERE'S ANY CHANGES OR ANYTHING ELSE THEY WANT TO ALERT THE COMMISSIONERS TO.THIS IS PAUL BOOKS REPRESENTING THE, UH, PLANNING DEPARTMENT TONIGHT.
UM, THERE IS A, UH, VERSION TWO OF THE ORDINANCE WHICH WAS POSTED, BUT NO, UH, SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES FROM THE LAST MEETING OR THE BRIEFING THAT WE GAVE BEFORE.
UM, WE DO HAVE A SHORTENED PRESENTATION WE CAN GIVE OR WE DON'T, WE CAN GO STRAIGHT TO THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'LL GO BY A REGULAR PROCESS AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND SAY WE WON'T TAKE THE PRESENTATION UNLESS THERE'S A COMMISSIONER WHO WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THE PRESENTATION.
AND MS. BROWN, YOU CAN GUIDE US THROUGH PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS A PRIMARY SPEAKER FOR ITEM 20.
MARIO, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
[00:40:04]
HELLO ONE AND ALL.MY NAME IS MARIO EZ AND, UH, GOOD AFTERNOON PLANNING COMMISSION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
MY NAME IS MARLON BEEZ AND I'M A PROUD STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
I'M ALSO RESIDENT OF, UH, DISTRICT NINE.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY AND FOR THE WORK YOU'VE DONE SO FAR TO MAKE AUSTIN A MORE LIVABLE INCLUSIVE CITY.
I'M HERE TODAY TO VOICE MY STRONG SUPPORT FOR EXPANDING THE UNIVERSITY, A NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY UNO TO INCLUDE MORE OF THE NORTH CAMPUS AND OUTER WEST CAMPUS, AND TO INCREASE HEIGHT ALLOWANCES THAN TRANSIT CORE TO 600 FEET AND IN THE INNER WEST BETWEEN THE 304 20 FEET.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT A ZONING DECISION, IT'S A DECISION ABOUT WHO GETS TO LIVE IN THE CITY AND WHO GETS PUSHED OUT.
IT'S A DECISION THAT DIRECTLY IN AFFECTS WILL THAT STUDENTS LIKE ME, THOSE WHO DON'T COME FOR MONEY, CAN STAY IN AUSTIN LONG ENOUGH TO GIVE SOMETHING BACK.
I'VE LIVED NEAR CAMPUS AND IT'S MADE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
I CAN SHOW UP FOR MY COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT'S ORGANIZED WITH MY PEERS, PREPARING FOR LAW SCHOOL OR BEEKEEPING WITH A UTB.
I MEAN, LIVING NEARBY DOESN'T MEAN I DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ATTENDING A NIGHT CLASS OR CATCHING LAST BUS.
IT MEANS I CAN BE A STUDENT, A NEIGHBOR, AND AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE CITY.
BUT JUST BEYOND UNO'S, CURRENT BOUNDARIES RENT SPIKE, THE FEW UNITS AVAILABLE ARE OFTEN TAKEN BY FULL GROUP SPLITTING LEASES, WHICH LOGS OUT STUDENTS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO RENT AN ENTIRE HOUSE.
STUDENTS ARE BEING PRICED OUT OF NOT JUST HOUSING, BUT OF OPPORTUNITY OF THE FULL COLLEGE EXPERIENCE AND OF THE CHANCE TO BUILD A FUTURE HERE.
THAT'S WHAT THE BEES HAVE TAUGHT ME.
A HIVE ONLY THRIVES WHEN EVERY BEE HAS A PLACE.
YOU CAN'T BUILD A COLONY WITHOUT MAKING ROOM FOR NEW WORKERS.
AND AUSTIN IS NO DIFFERENT WITHOUT SPACE OR NEW STUDENTS, WITHOUT POLICIES THAT WELCOME NEW RESIDENTS.
THE WHOLE SYSTEM STARTS TO BREAK DOWN.
THE CITY LOSES ITS ENERGY, ITS CULTURE, ITS FUTURE.
EXPANDING UNO INTO MORE OF NORTH CAMPUS AND OUTER WEST CAMPUS HELPS PREVENT THAT.
IT ALLOWS FOR MORE BEDROOM LEASES, ADDS THE KIND OF HOUSING SUPPLY STUDENTS NEED, AND IT DOES IT ALL WITHOUT ERASING THE HISTORIC WALKABLE FEEL THAT MAKES THESE NEIGHBORHOODS SPECIAL, WE CAN HAVE BOTH AFFORDABILITY AND LIVABILITY DENSITY AND DIGNITY.
BECAUSE THIS EXPANSION IS MORE THAN JUST BUILDINGS.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE FUTURE LAWYERS, TEACHERS AND ARTISTS, PEOPLE LIKE ME AREN'T FORCED TO LEAVE BEFORE THEY EVEN GET A CHANCE TO BEGIN.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY REMAINS OPEN TO NEW ENERGY, NEW VOICES, AND NEW DREAMS. SO I HAVE HOPE AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU EXPAND TO KNOW BOLDLY AND MEANINGFULLY, PRIORITIZE AFFORDABILITY, PRIORITIZE ACCESSIBILITY, PRIORITIZE STUDENTS AND HELP US KEEP AUSTIN AS CITY WHERE PEOPLE LIKE ME CAN STAY AND THRIVE IN A PLACE YOU ALREADY CALL HOME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS EDWIN BATISTA.
EDWIN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
YOU'LL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND RECEIVE YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NICOLE NETHERTON.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AND CHAIR.
MY NAME IS NICOLE NETHERTON AND I'M THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR PEAS PARK CONSERVANCY.
THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY WAS ENACTED IN 2004 AND IT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN PROMOTING DENSITY IN THE WEST CAMPUS AREA.
BUT THE UNO ORDINANCE CONTAINED A SIGNIFICANT OMISSION THAT WE NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO CORRECT SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO ACCESS AND CARE FOR PARKS AND GREEN SPACE.
ANYONE WHO LIVES IN WEST CAMPUS KNOWS THAT THE 84 ACRES OF PEASE DISTRICT PARK ARE THE PRIMARY RECREATIONAL GREEN SPACE FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
PEASE IS SERVING AS THE BACKYARD FOR WEST CAMPUS.
PEASE PARK'S PROXIMITY TO THE DENSEST CENSUS TRACKS IN THE STATE SHOWS INCREASED USE AT A RATE HIGHER THAN AT ANY PREVIOUS TIME IN ITS 150 YEAR HISTORY.
IN 2024, DATA FROM PLACER AI INDICATE THAT PEACE PARK HAD AN ESTIMATED VISITATION OF 200 240 1000 PEOPLE.
MORE THAN 227,000 OF THOSE VISITORS CAME TO KINGSBURY COMMONS, WHERE PEACE PARK CONSERVANCY FOCUSES MUCH OF ITS IMPORTANT WORK.
7 8 7 0 5 IS THE ORIGIN ZIP CODE FOR THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF VISITORS TO PEACE PARK EVERY YEAR.
BY FAR THE MOST INTENSE DEVELOPMENT IN UNO IS WITHIN LESS THAN ONE MILE OF PEACE PARK.
THE PARK WELCOMES TENS OF THOUSANDS OF UNO RESIDENTS ANNUALLY AND PROVIDES A HEALTHY NATURAL OUTLET FOR RECREATION, EXERCISE, STRESS RELEASE, ESSENTIAL PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS FOR A LARGE AND GROWING PART OF AUSTIN'S POPULATION, THE UNO AMENDMENT SHOULD INCLUDE MORE SUPPORT FOR GREEN SPACE GENERALLY, AND PEACE PARK SPECIFICALLY, FEES IN LIEU OF PARKLAND CANNOT BE USED TO OPERATE OR MAINTAIN PARKS.
AND THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS ARE CLEAR.
THE INCREASED VISITATION FROM INCREASED DENSITY IN WEST CAMPUS
[00:45:01]
CREATES MORE IMPACT FOR PEACE PARK, WHICH CREATES INCREASED NEEDS FOR OM SUPPORT.STEWARDING PEACE PARK CARRIES A BIG COST AND UNO SHOULD HELP BEAR IT.
WE REQUEST A MOTION FOR FURTHER DIRECTION FOR STAFF TO PROVIDE A DENSITY BASED MECHANISM FOR PARK SUPPORT.
PEACE PARK PROVIDES RELIEF FROM URBAN LIFE, WHICH IS A GOAL OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S STRATEGIC PLAN AND A BENEFIT WELL ALIGNED WITH THE GOALS OF UNO.
PPC SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO INCREASE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES, BUT UNDERSCORES THE FUNDING PRESSURES AND O AND M NEEDS OF A DISTRICT PARK THAT IS ALREADY DOING SO MUCH TO SERVE ITS NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITY.
NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO SUPPORT PEACE PARK AS WEST CAMPUS BECOMES EVEN MORE DENSELY POPULATED.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADAM STEVENS, WHO WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
ADAM, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
OKAY, I'M GOING ON TO NEXT SPEAKER KASKA, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
WHICH ONE? I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE.
UH, MY NAME IS DASH KASKA AND I'M A MUSIC EDUCATION STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
UM, AND HAVING SPENT SO MUCH TIME THIS YEAR, UH, AT THE LEGISLATURE, OPPOSING BAD LEGISLATION, I'M VERY HAPPY TO BE, UH, SUPPORTING SOMETHING TODAY.
UH, AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE UNO EXPANSION.
UM, TRUST WHAT YOU LEARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL ECONOMICS 1 0 1, THE PRICE SYSTEM IS REAL.
AN INCREASE IN SUPPLY KEEPS PRICES DOWN AND IT IS THE ONLY WAY TO FULFILL INCREASING DEMAND.
EXPANDING UNO AND INCREASING THE HIGH ALLOWANCES IS CRITICAL FOR MAKING NORTH CAMPUS AND MORE OF THE OUTER CAMPUS ACCESSIBLE AND AFFORDABLE FOR STUDENTS.
AND HAVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF A CON, CONTINUING TO ATTRACT MORE OF OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OUR FIRST CLASS.
BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO TEXAS LAST YEAR, I WAS A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA IN BERKELEY.
IT IS THE PRIME EXAMPLE OF A SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY COMPLETELY HAMPERED BY ANTI-GROWTH POLICIES.
UC, BERKELEY HAS HAD TO HALT AN EXPANSION OF ITS STUDENT BODY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T BUILD MORE UNIVERSITY HOUSING AND THERE ARE VIRTUALLY NO ALLOWANCES IN THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY FOR HIGH RISES.
IN ORDER TO JUST HOUSE ENOUGH FRESHMEN, THEY HAVE TO SQUEEZE THREE TO FOUR STUDENTS IN DORM ROOMS DESIGNED FOR TWO PEOPLE.
THEY BASICALLY PACKED STUDENTS LIKE ME IN LIKE SARDINES WITH BUNK BEDS IN ROOMS DESIGNED JUST FOR TWO PEOPLE.
THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF THE HOUSING CRISIS THERE.
UM, THE LACK OF HOUSING HAS CAUSED A SEVERE BRAIN DRAIN IN BERKELEY.
AND IF WE DON'T WANT CALIFORNIA, IF WE DON'T WANT TO CALIFORNIA OR TEXAS PRO-GROWTH AND PROABUNDANCE POLICY, LIKE THIS IS CRUCIAL.
I LIVE IN AN APARTMENT ONE BLOCK AWAY FROM CAMPUS AND IT IS THANKS TO THE ORIGINAL 2004 UNO PROVISION THAT I'M ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE THERE.
UM, NOW FINALLY, WHILE I THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THE UNO PROPOSAL, THERE ARE A COUPLE THINGS THAT I THINK SHOULD ALSO BE INCLUDED.
UM, I BELIEVE THAT SECTIONS OF THE TRANSIT CORE AND INNER WEST SHOULD INCLUDE REQUIREMENTS FOR FIRST FLOOR RETAIL IN THESE HIGH AREAS.
UM, ALTHOUGH I DON'T HAVE ANY STUDIES TO GIVE YOU, I'M NOT A HUGE EXPERT IN THIS.
I HAVE READ THAT HAVING RETAIL AREAS, UH, REQUIREMENTS IN FIRST FLOORS IN THESE PLACES REDUCES CRIME RATES.
UM, ALSO I BELIEVE THAT HAVING THESE REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE RETAIL AREAS WILL MAKE IT SO THAT STUDENTS NO LONGER HAVE TO DRIVE TO THESE AREAS.
UH, I WANTED TO SPEAK IN STRONG SUPPORT OF, UH, THE UNO AMENDMENTS.
FIRSTLY, I WANTED TO THANK STAFF AND THIS COMMISSION'S TIME, UM, AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE TO ALLOW FOR MORE HOUSING WITHIN WEST CAMPUS.
UH, I TOOK A LOOK AT SOME OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, I THINK IT'S GENERALLY AGREEABLE, ESPECIALLY EXPANDING THE, UH, ONE OF THE SUBJECT SUBDISTRICTS TO ALLOW FOR UP TO 450 FEET.
UM, THOUGH I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SORT OF IF THIS NEW, UH, SORT OF BOUNDARY PROPOSAL ALLOWS FOR, UM, THE SAME HOUSING CAPACITY THAT THE SNAP ROW, UH, PROPOSAL ALLOWED FOR, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BEFORE MOVING FORWARD WITH SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I ALSO WANTED TO STILL, UH, AS OTHERS HAVE MENTIONED HERE, UH, ADVOCATE FOR EXPANDING THE BOUNDARY TO NORTH CAMPUS.
UM, THIS IS THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY, NOT THE WEST CAMPUS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
AND I THINK FOR AS LONG AS I LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I'VE LIVED THERE FOR ALMOST SIX YEARS.
UH, I THINK NORTH CAMPUS, THE HOUSING STOCK THERE HAS REMAINED STAGNANT, UH, FOR THOSE SIX YEARS.
AND I'LL SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ANECDOTALLY HERE.
WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY, UH, I, I WAS AN ENGINEERING STUDENT FOR ONE YEAR.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE UNIVERSITY, UH, THE ENGINEERING BUILDINGS ARE CONCENTRATED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CAMPUS.
[00:50:01]
SOME OF THE COLLEAGUES, SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AT THE TIME THAT WISH THAT THEY COULD HAVE LIVED CLOSER TO SORT OF THE BUILDINGS ON THE NORTH SIDE OF CAMPUS.UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE HAVE ALL THIS DENSITY WITHIN WEST CAMPUS, BUT YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE SHOULDN'T BE CONCENTRATING EVERYTHING IN WEST CAMPUS.
I THINK WE CAN SUSTAINABLY, UH, SORT OF GROW, UH, THE STUDENT POPULATION TO NORTH CAMPUS, ESPECIALLY FOR STUDENTS THAT, UH, WOULD PREFER TO LIVE IN NORTH CAMPUS TO ACCESS SOME OF THE BUILDINGS ON THAT SIDE OF CAMPUS.
UM, WE HAVE ADAM STEVENS ONLINE.
ADAM GOING PUSH STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
I LIVE IN, UM, WEST CAMPUS AND I'M CO-CHAIR OF KPAC, WHICH IS THE CITY CONTACT TEAM FOR THE PLANNING AREA, WHICH ENCOMPASSES A UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
AND OUR PLANNING TEAM IS, UM, THE ORIGINAL AUTHORS OF THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY, UM, BACK IN THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED IN 2004.
AND WE, IT WAS A COLLABORATION AMONGST ALL, ALL STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, AND THE STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDE, UM, RESIDENT CURRENT RESIDENTS, STUDENTS, FUTURE RESIDENTS AND DEVELOPERS, UH, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS AND GROUP RESIDENTIAL ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES, AND CO-OPS.
UM, OUR ORGANIZATION CURRENTLY HAS REVIEWED THE PROPOSALS AND WE'RE IN STRONG SUPPORT OF THE, UM, STAFF MAP OF THE EXPANSION.
UH, WE FEEL THAT IT, UM, MAKES SENSE AND IT FOLLOWS THE, OR THE LOGIC OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN, WHICH WAS CAREFULLY CRAFTED WITH THE ORIGINAL, UM, THE ORIGINAL, UM, VERSION OF, OF OF THE, YOU KNOW, OVERLAY AS WELL AS THE UPDATES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE SINCE WITH OUR SUPPORT.
AND, UM, WE ALSO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE, UM, STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE HEIGHT MAPS ON THE OUTER WEST CAMPUS AREA.
UH, THEY VERY CAREFULLY, UM, WERE DRAWN IN A WAY TO SUPPORT THE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DO SURROUND THE CORE OF WEST CAMPUS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FMI ELLA KSI, WHO IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY FMI, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS OLAI AND I AM A LONGHORN AND I AM THE NEW COALITION DIRECTOR FOR THE UNIVERSITY TENANTS UNION.
AND I WANNA SAY WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO SEE SOME OF THE AMAZING UPDATES THAT ARE BEING MADE TO UNO.
UH, AND I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT, PARTICULARLY I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE PRE-LEASING LIMIT.
UM, IN MY FRESHMAN YEAR, I SIGNED WITH AN APARTMENT THAT DIDN'T HAVE A WINDOW IN MY ROOM AND I FOUND OUT BEFORE I MOVED IN, LIKE A WEEK BEFORE I MOVED IN.
AND LUCKILY I GOT MOVED TO ANOTHER ROOM BECAUSE I WAS BEGGING MANAGEMENT.
BUT NOT AS MANY STUDENTS GET THAT LUCKY.
UH, AND THOSE STUDENTS CONTINUE TO LEAVE WITH LOW CIRCULATION AND THEIR MENTAL HEALTH GOING DOWN THE DRAIN AND IT AFFECTS THE WAY THAT THEY ARE ACTIVE IN SCHOOL.
THESE TYPES OF EXPLOITATIONS ARE PARTLY DUE TO THE ABILITY OF APARTMENTS TO LEASE FAR IN ADVANCE.
SO WHILE THE SUGGESTED LIMITS ARE AMAZING, ON AN AMAZING STEP TO PROTECTING STUDENTS, THE UNION SUGGESTS THAT THEY BE A BAN ON LOOPHOLES, UH, THAT LONG LANDLORDS CAN USE SUCH AS WAITING LISTS AND FIND ON DELAYED RENEWAL.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SUGGEST, UH, LIMITING THE TIME PERIOD FOR RENEWALS TO SIX MONTHS AND NEW LEASES TO FIVE MONTHS.
UH, THE LACK OF THESE PROTECTIONS FOR STUDENTS HAS REALLY AFFECTED HOW STUDENTS LIVE AND HOW STUDENTS LEARN.
AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE CONSIDERATIONS TO BE MADE FOR ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS ON LANDLORDS AND THE WAY THEY ADMINISTER PRE-LEASING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANTHONY WHITING.
ANTHONY, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
UH, IS SYDNEY FULLER WHO IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY SYDNEY GO ON, PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED THEIR COMMENTS.
OKAY, WE'RE GOING CHAIR, WE'RE GOING GO AHEAD AND SWITCH TO THE SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER, OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS LESLIE TAYLOR, WHO'S RECEIVING THREE MINUTES OF DONATING TIME FROM JET? IS JET HERE? OKAY, WELL LESLIE, YOU'LL HAVE EIGHT MINUTES.
[00:55:01]
2003.I HAVE WATCHED THE GROWTH HAPPEN IN THIS CITY OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES.
WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED, I LEASED A ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT ON PEASE ROAD, JUST A BLOCK AWAY FROM PEASE MANSION.
THAT MANSION IS NOW OWNED BY JOE JIA, THE CALIFORNIA TRANSPLANT AND FOUNDER OF AIRBNB.
OVER THE PAST 22 YEARS, I'VE LIVED ALL OVER CENTRAL AUSTIN FROM A SIX UNIT RED BRICK BUILDING ON PEASE ROAD TO A CRAFTSMAN HOME ON BAYLOR STREET TO A HISTORIC ART DECO BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN ON COLORADO TO A HIGH RISE ON RAINY STREET.
AND NOW AN 85-YEAR-OLD TWO BEDROOM CONDO AND A TRIPLEX IN WEST CAMPUS.
MY HUSBAND AND I OWN THIS LITTLE CONDO LOVINGLY.
IT WAS, UM, IT BELONGED TO AN ARTIST, A PHOTOGRAPHER, AND IT USED TO COMPRISE OF A DARK ROOM WHERE PHOTOGRAPHY WAS MADE.
UM, TONIGHT I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF UNA, THE ORIGINAL WEST UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS DEEPLY ROOTED, ALREADY DENSE AND WALKABLE.
OUR COMMUNITY IS A TAPESTRY OF CULTURES, INCOMES, AND HISTORIES.
WE OFFER SOME OF THE MOST NATURALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN CENTRAL AUSTIN.
I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I'M IN REAL ESTATE.
THESE CONDOS, YOU'RE LOOKING AT SELL FOR $200,000.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE ELSE YOU CAN FIND THAT.
IN CENTRAL AUSTIN, WITHIN EARSHOT OF MY DOOR WHERE I LIVE, WE HAVE HOUSEHOLDS WITH GRADE SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN, CURRENT AND RETIRED UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES, BUSINESS OWNERS WHO ACTIVELY HIRE UT INTERNS AND PAY THEM FOR THEIR INTERNSHIPS AND HIRE UT GRADUATES.
WE HAVE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS, WE HAVE PROFESSIONALS.
I WISH THE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE SPEAKING A MINUTE AGO WANTING ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WERE STILL HERE BECAUSE MY COMMUNITY IS FILLED WITH ARTISTS, FILMMAKERS, ENGINEERS, AND DOCTORS.
A LOT OF THEM WERE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE TEACHING AT UT AND COULDN'T AFFORD TO LIVE ELSEWHERE IN AUSTIN AND ARE NOW LIVING IN WEST CAMPUS BECAUSE IT'S WHERE WE CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE.
WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE STUDENTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT FOUNDED THE ALAMO DRAFT HOUSE THAT LIVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC AUSTIN BRANDS LIVING, UM, ON MY STREET FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE TWO SOBER HOUSES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE ADULTS ARE GETTING A SECOND CHANCE AT LIFE AND ARE TRYING TO GO THROUGH A 12 STEP REHABILITATION PROGRAM.
WE ARE VERY ACCEPTING OF THE DIVERSITY IN WEST CAMPUS.
WE ALSO LIVE AMONGST FOXES AND OWLS.
I APPRECIATE THE PEACE PARK REPRESENTATIVE THAT WAS HERE.
A LOT OF THE OWLS FROM PEACE PARK COME AND THEY LIVE IN AMONGST OUR TREES.
MY NIGHTLY WALKS, I'M WALKING UNDERNEATH OWLS HOOTING AT MYSELF AND MY DOG.
SO OUR COMMUNITY, YOU CAN, SORRY.
YOU CAN DO THE NEXT SLIDE AND THE NEXT SLIDE.
THESE ARE HOMES WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS MY NEIGHBOR NAB AND HIS WIFE WHOSE FACULTY AT UT.
UM, ERNESTO CRAIG, WHO IS AN ARCHITECT, BUILT THIS BEAUTIFUL LITTLE HOME IN OUR HOME, IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH HIS CHILDREN.
THIS IS WHERE OWLS AND FOXES LIVE.
ON MY NIGHTLY WALKS WE HAVE FOXES THAT COME OUT OF THE BACKYARDS OF SOME OF THE HOMES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE A AVAIL, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH UNA.
THIS IS THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
AND THIS IS THE PERIMETERS OF OUR CURRENT NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE WHAT WE CONSIDER UNA, UH, OLD WEST AUSTIN UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO YOU GUYS, THE OPPOSITION IS NOT REALLY OPPOSITION.
I WAS ONLY GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE, UH, OPPOSITION OR IN AGREEMENT.
UM, WE ARE IN SUPPORT OF THE PLANNING COMMUNITIES, UM, EXPANSION OF THIS PART OF UNO.
THIS IS THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.
AND TO POINT OUT, THIS IS THE CASWELL, UH, TENNIS CENTER AT THE CORNER OF UM, LAMAR AND 24TH.
RIGHT THERE, IT'S CITY OWNED LAND.
SO IF THE GOAL IS TO CREATE WALKABILITY, THIS DOES NOT HELP.
I DON'T THINK THAT THE CITY'S GONNA REZONE THE CASAL TENNIS LOFTS ANYTIME SOON.
WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION TO INCREASE HEIGHTS AT THIS CORNER.
HOWEVER WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE HEIGHTS TO BE CAPPED.
CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? WE REALIZE THAT THE EXPANSION IS OUTSIDE
[01:00:01]
OF EO AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND ALLOWING THIS EXPANSION.BUT WE HAVE TWO REQUIREMENTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR.
AND THE FIRST ONE IS THAT THE HEIGHTS BE CAPPED BEFORE YOU'RE ENTERING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY WANNA, WE WANT TO REQUIRE THAT A CAP, UH, BUILDING HEIGHT ALONG 24TH STREET BETWEEN LEON AND THE CASWELL CENTER BE CONSIDERED.
AND THIS IS THE GATEWAY TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
A HEIGHT CAP HERE ALIGNS WITH EO AND AVOIDS SPECULATIVE OVERREACH.
IT MAINTAINS A HUMAN SCALE, ESPECIALLY NEXT TO THE EXISTING SINGLE STORY HOME.
IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
AND SO WE'RE CURIOUS IF YOU WERE TO BUILD A BUILDING HERE, WHAT INCENTIVES ARE THERE FOR THIS SCHOOL TO KEEP THEIR, THEIR SCHOOL IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD? IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO US.
THE SECOND REQUIREMENT THAT WE WOULD LIKE IS NOT JUST A SUGGESTION THAT THE DEVELOPMENT HAVE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL, BUT THAT IT BE ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED IF WE ARE TO DEVELOP THIS PARCEL OF LAND AND TO BUILD A SERVICES FIRST WALKABLE COMMUNITY THAT BENEFITS STUDENTS AND RESIDENTS.
WE NEED PORCHES, CORNER CAFES, STOREFRONTS, WINDOWS AND PUBLIC LIFE.
SO IF WE DO AGREE, WHICH WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE EXPANSION THAT THIS BUILDING HAVE GROUND FLOOR, COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT IS REQUIRED AND NOT JUST SUGGESTED WE UNDERSTAND THE GREEN BUILDING OPTIONS AND THE CURRENT PLAN, BUT NOTHING OFFSETS CARBON MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN A COMPLETE COMMUNITY WHERE STUDENTS CAN LIVE CAR FREE.
ELIMINATING THE OPT OUT FOR GROUND FLOOR RETAIL IS ESSENTIAL.
AND THIRDLY, WE SUPPORT THIS EXPANSION WITH THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT OUR COMMUNITY FIRMLY OPPOSES ANY FURTHER UNO EXPANSION DEEPER INTO UNA.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT THIS POSITION BE ACKNOWLEDGED ON THE RECORD.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE, INCLUSIVE SCALE SENSITIVE GROWTH AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THE CITY TO PROTECT WHAT'S ALREADY WORKING.
NOW, SOME OF THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS EXPANSION HAS FOCUSED ON SIDEWALK CONNECTIVITY.
BUT AGAIN, THE STRETCH BETWEEN 24TH IS CITY OWNED LAND, THE CASWELL TENNIS CENTER.
SO AGAIN, WHO BENEFITS FROM FULL UP ZONING? DEVELOPERS MIGHT, BUT IT WOULD COME AT THE COST OF THE VERY RESIDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY PROVIDING AFFORDABILITY WITHOUT SUBSIDY.
CAN YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE? WHERE THEY'RE PROPOSING TO BUILD IN THE ENTRANCE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S ALSO THIS EXISTING HERITAGE LIVE OAK TREE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION ABOUT THIS TREE AND THE DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
IN THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS IS THE SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE PROPERTY AS WELL.
SO WE WANT CONSIDERATION FOR THE HEIGHT NEXT TO THIS HOME.
ALSO, THESE ARE ALL THE AVAILABLE LEASES CURRENTLY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND CURRENTLY 632 AVAILABLE LEASES IN UT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CARRIE LEAGUE.
CARRIE, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MURIEL WRIGHT.
MURIEL, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PERLA HOPKINS.
I AM AN EIGHT YEAR TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENT AND I'M ALSO A UT PARENT.
AND, UM, ALSO A A, A SPOUSE OF A UT, UM, EMPLOYEE, AND I AM EXPRESSING TO YOU TODAY MY CONCERNS, UM, ACTUALLY OPPOSING THE APPROVAL OF, UM, THE UNO PROJECT FOR NOW BECAUSE WE WANT, UM, AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL ADDRESS MEANINGFUL SAFETY MEASURES IN THE CODE.
UM, I ALSO, UM, VOLUNTEER FOR A WONDERFUL PARENT AND STUDENT ORGANIZATION, A NONPROFIT SAFE HORNS, WHICH FOCUSES ON STUDENT SAFETY.
AND MY EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IS IN PRE-K THROUGH 12TH, BUT ALSO IN HIGHER ED.
SO I AM A STUDENT ADVOCATE ALWAYS.
I HAVE, UM, A FRESHMAN STUDENT, WELL NOW SHE'S GOING INTO SOPHOMORE YEAR THAT LIVES IN WEST CAMPUS.
AND I CANNOT TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF SAFETY CONCERNS, NOT JUST DEALING WITH THE HOUSING SITUATION, BUT ALSO WITH THE,
[01:05:01]
UM, CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.SO WE HOPE THAT YOUR AMENDMENTS WILL INCLUDE SAFETY, THAT ADDRESSES, UM, LIGHTING, UH, THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, UM, ALL OF THE EXTRA AGENCIES THAT WE, WE NEED TO BE WORKING WITH IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING YEARLY INSPECTIONS AND CONTINUED SAFETY MEASURES.
WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF REPORTS, UM, COMING OUTTA THE BUS SYSTEM, SO ALIGNED WITH CAB METRO INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, DEFLECTING, UM, AND POINTING FINGERS AS TO, OH, THAT'S THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE MEANINGFUL SAFETY MEASURES ARE ADDRESSED WITHIN THE CODE SO THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED.
UM, I LOVE ALL THE STUDENTS THAT SPOKE HERE ON BEHALF OF THE PROJECT BECAUSE IT SAFETY IS A CONCERN FOR ALL OF US.
I ALSO HAVE, UM, MY OWN PERSONAL CHILDREN, MY STUDENTS THAT LIVE IN NORTH CAMPUS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANGIE BAKER, WHO WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
ANGIE, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH THEIR COMMENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER.
RICHARD, CAN I SPEAK? YES, YOU CAN, MA'AM.
UM, I'M A PARENT OF A UT STUDENT LIVING IN WEST CAMPUS, AND I AM SPEAKING FIRMLY AGAINST THE UNO EXPANSION AS WRITTEN BECAUSE IT COMPLETELY OVERLOOKS PUBLIC SAFETY.
THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT FOR BASIC SAFETY DESIGN STANDARDS LIKE, UM, CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVI ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, OR C CP TED, WHICH HELPS PREVENT CRIME THROUGH LIGHTING VISIBILITY AND SECURE BUILDING ACCESS.
THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES TODAY THAT, THAT THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY AND WHICH WILL ONLY GET WORSE.
THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE IN AN AREA WITH THOUSANDS OF YOUNG STUDENTS, MANY WITH WHOM ARE FAR FROM HOME AND VERY VULNERABLE.
WEST CAMPUS ALREADY STRUGGLES WITH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ISSUES, SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ISSUES WHERE ELEVATORS DON'T WORK, ELEVATORS DROP FLOORS, AND HAVE SEEN THIS FIRSTHAND THAT IS NOT ADDRESSED.
TRESPASSING AND JUST FAILURES.
WE CANNOT RESPONSIBLY APPROVE MORE HIGH RISES WITHOUT ENSURING REGULAR SAFETY INSPECTIONS AND CODIFIED SAFETY PRACTICES.
WE SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT NOT AT THE COST OF SAFETY WHERE STUDENTS, UM, CAN GET, GET INJURED, HURT OR WORSE.
SO YOU DO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS EXPANSION UNTIL SAFETY IS INCLUDED IN THE CODE UPDATE.
PARENTS DESERVE TO KNOW THAT THEIR CHILDREN, CHILDREN ARE SAFE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RICHARD SUTTLE.
RICHARD, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM.
UH, COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANNA MENTION QUICKLY, IF THERE IS NO OBJECTION, I WOULD LOVE TO TAKE TESTIMONY FOR ITEM 20 21, 22 TOGETHER, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE UP DISCUSSION, ACTION QUESTIONS AND EVERYTHING AT THE SAME TIME ON ALL THREE ITEMS AS WELL.
IS THERE ANY CONCERN WITH DOING IT THAT WAY? IF NOT, MS. BROWN, YOU CAN CONTINUE WITH THE GOING THROUGH IT.
AND IF YOU COULD CALL UP, LET'S SAY, TWO OR THREE PEOPLE AT A TIME SO FOLKS CAN ALSO WALK UP, UH, IF YOU'RE CALLED NEXT.
SO OUR, OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS CHRISTIAN SHAPEY, AND THEN ALSO CALLING, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND ALSO CALLING UP THE NEXT TWO PEOPLE, MARIO PEREZ AND PHILIP WILEY ADD.
I'LL GET THE, I'LL GET TO THIS IN A LITTLE BIT.
UH, FIRST I WANT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE UNO EXPANSION AS A WHOLE.
UH, I THINK THAT THE UNIT EXPANSION DOES A LOT, IT DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH.
IT SHOULD GO BOTH, UH, MORE OUTWARDS AND I, I THINK THAT, UH, WE SHOULD HAVE A MORE MODERATED, UH, TRANSITION ZONE.
SO WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS FROM FOUR 20 FEET, UH, I THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE A TRANSITION ZONE TO THE, UH, THE 90 FEET AREA.
THAT'S, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I AM VERY INTERESTED IN.
UH, YEAH, SO I, I, I THINK, UH, I'LL, I'LL JUST GET TO THE PRESENTATION THAT I HAD, WHICH WAS TO ALLOW SMALL LOCK SINGLE STAIR IN UNO.
SO RIGHT NOW, UM, WE JUST LEGALIZED FIVE STORY SINGLE STAIR BUILDINGS IN CODE.
UM, BUT CAN WE BUILD THEM AND LIKE, WHERE CAN WE BUILD THEM IF WE CAN? UH, CURRENTLY CITYWIDE MINIMUM LOT SIZE
[01:10:01]
FOR MULTI-FAMILIES, 8,000 SQUARE FEET, UH, STAFF REMOVED A SMALL PROVISION ALLOWING 2,500 SQUARE FOOT MINIMUM LOT SIZE IN UNO.UH, THIS IS PROBABLY AN OVERSIGHT.
UH, I, I, I DON'T, UH, THINK THAT THIS IS, UH, ANY BAD INTENTION AT ALL.
PROBABLY JUST, UH, FORGOT IN THE, UH, EXPANSION.
UH, SO WE NEED TO LOWER MINIMUM LOT SIZE IN UNO TO ALLOW FOR, UH, THIS SMALL LOT SINGLE STAIR.
SO THIS IS A BUILDING IN SEATTLE, 2,400 SQUARE FOOT LOT, VERY SMALL LOT 13 UNITS.
VERY BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, AND IT FITS INTO THE SCALE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD PRETTY WELL.
UH, THIS ONE'S 3,600 SQUARE FEET.
UH, THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT, UH, LARGER UNITS.
SO THIS, UH, ALLOWS FOR, UH, FAMILY SIZED APARTMENTS EVEN ON A 3,600 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
UH, THIS ONE IS ANOTHER 3,600 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
UH, ANOTHER VERY BEAUTIFUL BUILDING IN, IN MY OPINION.
UM, AND THEN THIS ONE, THE SKINNY BOY IS, UH, 2,600 SQUARE FOOT LOT, AND IT IS 17 UNITS.
UH, SO THESE ARE A LOT OF, UH, VERY PRETTY BUILDINGS IN MY OPINION.
THEY FIT VERY WELL INTO THE SCALE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, ALL WE NEED FOR THAT TO HAPPEN IS TO LOWER THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
UH, I HAVE, UH, THIS, THIS HOUSE THAT, UH, HAS BEEN RENTED BY STUDENTS FOR, UH, I WANNA SAY GREATER PART OF A COUPLE OF DECADES.
I I ONLY CAME INTO OWNERSHIP OF THIS, UH, LAST YEAR.
UH, AND THIS IS THE SURROUNDING, UH, ENVIRONMENT.
UH, THIS IS A CONCEPT RENDERING, UH, 39 60 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
ALL OF THE LOTS THAT YOU SAW BEFORE THIS WERE SMALLER THAN THIS.
UH, THIS IS FIVE STORY WITH A LOFT STYLE, SINGLE STAIR EGRESS, UH, 15 UNITS AS RENDERED.
UH, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD, UH, IT'S NO BIG MONEY, IT'S JUST ME AND, UH, A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS.
UH, I, I'M LOOKING TO BUILD THIS BECAUSE I LIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD UNTIL FOUR YEARS AGO, UH, IN ONE OF THE NATURAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN, UH, NORTH UNIVERSITY.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT'S VERY SPECIAL TO, UH, AND VERY CLOSE TO MY HEART.
SO, UH, I, I GENUINELY WANT TO BUILD, UH, SOMETHING THAT STUDENTS CAN, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, IN THE RENDERING, THE CONCEPT RENDERING THAT THERE'S, UH, AN ABUNDANCE OF NATURAL LIGHT, ESPECIALLY, UH, AROUND THE BEDROOMS. UH, SO I ASK YOU TO ALLOW SMALL LOTS, SINGLE STAIR IN UNO.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIO PEREZ.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE CALLING UP THE NEXT SPEAKERS, DASH KASKA AND STEVEN MCNALLY, UM, WHO WILL BE VIRTUAL, BUT JUST BE, BE READY.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND THE 600 FOOT LIMIT TO LAMAR ALONG MLK, WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT.
UM, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING UNDER CONSIDERATION AT THE MOMENT, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE.
I'D LIKE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY, MY LIFE EXPERIENCE.
I DID NOT HAVE THE PLEASURE OF GOING TO UT.
I STARTED AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE THEY HAVE 80,000 STUDENTS AND IT'S ABOUT 50% BIGGER CAMPUS, 50% BIGGER STUDENT BODY THAN UT, AND PEOPLE WALK TO SCHOOL IN THE DESERT, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE SUCH A THING.
I THEN WENT TO, UH, THAT WAS FUN, BUT IT WASN'T GONNA WORK.
AND I WENT TO A MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY FOR SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THAT.
THEY HAVE 2100 ACRES ABOUT THE SAME SIZE STUDENT BODY AS UT 2100 ACRES, FIVE TIMES AS BIG AS UT.
WE DIDN'T HAVE HOVERCRAFT TAKING US TO THE CLASSROOM.
I LIKE TO, IT'S 99 DEGREES OUT, BUT 18, 19, 20 YEAR OLDS CAN WALK.
THERE IS, THERE IS NO WAY WE ARE GONNA GET TO 50 50 BY 2040 UNLESS WE START DOING THE RESPONSIBLE THING AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO LIVE NEAR TRANSIT AND LIVE NEAR THEIR JOBS.
AND I AM REALLY SORRY FOR THE PEOPLE THAT, IT'S HARD TO HEAR THIS FROM, BECAUSE I LIVE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MLK, AND MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW CAME INTO A HOUSE, MY HOUSE THAT LOOKS LIKE THE ONES YOU SAW IN THE PICTURE HERE.
[01:15:01]
SHE SAID, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.AND I SAID, WHAT? AND SHE SAID THIS, NO, IT DOESN'T.
THANK, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
GOING ONTO OUR NEXT SPEAKER AND KASKA, AND THEN AGAIN, STEVEN, YOU'LL BE NEXT.
WELL, UM, TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS STEVEN MCNALLY, WHO IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
STEVEN, GO AHEAD AND PUSH STAR SIX, PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE TRANSITIONING TO SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION.
OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION IS LESLIE TAYLOR, WHO IS RECEIVING THREE MINUTES TO DONATE TIME FROM N NRA PATEL.
DONATE MY TIME FOR MY HUSBAND WHO IS ACTUALLY HERE TO, OKAY, MA'AM, YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE YOUR TIME.
CAN YOU PLEASE COME UP SO JUST SO WE CAN HAVE IT ON THE RECORD AS WELL? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'M GONNA DONATE MY TIME TO MY HUSBAND, WHO IS ADJUNCT LECTURER AT UT AND OWNS A DESIGN FIRM HERE IN AUSTIN AND HIRES UT STUDENTS.
HE'S SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AS WELL.
SIR, IF YOU WANNA STATE YOUR NAME.
CAN YOU PAUSE FOR A SECOND, STAFF OR IS MR. BUTLER SIGNED UP? UM, NO, HE'S NOT.
SO SIR, OUR RULE, WE CAN, WE ONLY HAVE FOLKS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP SO YOUR WIFE CAN SPEAK.
I'M SORRY, BUT YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
BUT, UH, WE WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ASK QUESTIONS OF YOU.
EVERYONE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD GAVE ME THEIR TIME, AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE A WHOLE LOT ELSE TO SAY OTHER THAN, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS, UH, FROM THE MOTHER ABOUT STUDENTS LIVING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
I HAVE ON MULTIPLE TIMES WATCHED YOUNG WOMEN THAT ATTEND UT, UM, WALKING OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AT NIGHT.
I'VE CALLED POLICE SEVERAL TIMES WHEN CARS HAVE BEEN DRIVING THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT THEIR HEADLIGHTS ON STALKING YOUNG WOMEN.
I'VE GONE HOME TO MY HOUSE TO GET OUR ONLY CAR PARK IT WHERE THESE CARS SIT AND STALK YOUNG WOMEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO I UNDERSTAND VERY MUCH THAT THERE IS A, UM, A THREAT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WE DO LIVE ON, BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE STUDENTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ARE IN BETTER CONDITION WITH THE FAMILIES THAT DO LIVE THERE.
WITH MY HUSBAND WHO'S A TEACHER AT UT WITH, UH, NAB'S WIFE, WHO'S FACULTY AT UT, WE WALK THESE STREETS EVERY NIGHT AND WE DO KEEP AN EYE ON THE STUDENTS THAT ATTEND UT AND LIVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I DON'T REALLY HAVE MUCH ELSE TO SAY OTHER THAN WHAT I HAVE ALREADY SAID.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME IN OUR OPPOSITION TO THE UNO EXPANSION.
AGAIN, I'LL REITERATE THAT WE'RE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE COMMISSION ON EXPANDING THE, UH, ZONING IN THE ENTRANCE TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
HOWEVER, WE WOULD LIKE FOR IT TO BE ON RECORD THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE FURTHER EXPANSION ALL THE WAY TO THE MLK LAMAR POCKET OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHERE AGAIN, FACULTY, STUDENTS, ARTISTS, PEOPLE LIVE AND PROVIDE COMMUNITY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RICHARD SUTTLE.
RICHARD, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS THE, IS THE PRIMARY SPEAKER IN FAVOR, WHO IS WHICH, WHO IS PETER'S STOCKMAN.
PETER WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR MARKS.
HI, DID YOU CALL ME FOR FARRAH METZKER? UM, WE'LL COME BACK TO PETER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GRANT GILKER, UM, WHO IS SPEAKING IN FAVOR AND RECEIVING THREE MINUTES OF DONATE TIME FROM RYAN CROWLEY.
RYAN, ARE YOU HERE? OKAY, YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES.
I SPOKE TO Y'ALL LAST TIME ON THE POSTPONEMENT AND WE, UM, PRESENTED TO YOU THIS DOCUMENT.
UM, OH, WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN UPDATED DOCUMENT FROM THE FLASH DRIVE.
UH, THIS TIME THAT I DROPPED OFF.
I HAVE SOME HARD COPIES AS WELL.
SINCE THEN, WE'VE CONTINUED TO ADD TO OUR COALITION, EXPANDING IT FROM
[01:20:01]
400 STUDENTS TO 150 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS FROM THE INTER COOPERATIVE COUNCIL, AS WELL AS WHEATFIELD CO-OP.SO THESE ARE THE THREE LARGEST COOPERATIVES IN AUSTIN, UM, THAT ARE REPRESENTING A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS AND IN HUGE FAVOR OF THE EXPANSION.
UM, AND I'LL GET Y'ALL THE UPDATED DOCUMENT, UM, LATER IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN THRILLED TO SEE THE WAY THAT WE HAVE INCORPORATED SOME OF OUR ACTS SINCE THAT, UM, FIRST MEETING, UH, AMENDMENT NUMBER SEVEN AND 10 HAVE INCORPORATED OUR GROCERY STORE DEFINITION CHANGES WILL, WHICH ACTUALLY WILL ALLOW US TO START THE REAL PLANNING ON A SMALL FORMAT GROCERY STORE WITH WHEATSVILLE, WITH 200 UNITS OF A POTENTIAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING ABOVE, UH, ABOVE THAT, UM, THAT, HOW THAT, UH, UH, FOOD OPPORTUNITY.
THIS IS NOW SUPPORTED BY THE FOOD SECURITY AGENCY OF UC, UT THE WEST CAMPUS COLLECTIVE, AS WELL AS THE FREE FRIDGE, WHICH ARE THE THREE LARGEST FREE FOOD PROVIDERS OF WEST CAMPUS, UM, OF WHICH THAT WE ALSO HOST.
UH, SO WE STRONGLY SUPPORT SEVEN IN 10, UH, THE AMENDMENT SEVEN AND 10, AS WELL AS THE DEFINITION CHANGE THAT INCLUDES WHOLE AND PERISHABLE FOODS FOR THE RETAIL TO, UH, EXCLUDE SOME OF THE CONVENIENCE STORE OPTIONS FROM THAT, UM, WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE UNIVERSITY TENANTS UNION, WHICH WE HOST, UM, WITH THEIR, THEIR LEASE TIME SIGN TIMELINE LIMITING.
WE BELIEVE THAT THE, UM, UH, AMENDMENT ONE, UH, DOES NOT GO FAR ENOUGH IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY CLOSING THE LOOPHOLES.
IT'S NOT JUST A TENANT RIGHTS ISSUE.
IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE IN A FAIR MARKETPLACE BECAUSE WE CAN'T SET OUR RATES UNTIL WE KNOW FOOD INFLATION COSTS, AS WELL AS THE MFI AFFORDABLE DATA FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
SO IN ORDER TO COMPETE, UH, AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS, THE LARGEST AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDER IN WEST CAMPUS, WE ARE THRILLED TO SEE THAT AMENDMENT 14 INCLUDED NOW FIVE ADDITIONAL CO-OPING, UH, PROPERTIES WITHIN THE HEIGHT INCREASE.
THIS WILL ALLOW US TO HOPEFULLY EXPAND OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING OFFERING EXPONENTIALLY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, AND WE THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, THANKS TO SOME, UH, OF STAFF MEMBERS AS WELL AS COMMISSIONERS.
WE NOW HAVE DSD, UH, LIAISONS, WHICH WILL HELP TO CONTINUE THE STUDENT STAFFING, UH, THE STUDENT ADVOCACY WORK THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING.
WE ALSO WOULD LOVE A HOUSING DEVELOPMENT, UH, AND HOUSING DEPARTMENT LIAISON SO THAT WE CAN REALLY HAVE A LOT MORE TRANSPARENCY WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRUST FUND.
UH, THE UNO FEE AND LU TRUST FUND, IT'S INCREDIBLY ESSENTIAL.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR, OUR, EXCUSE ME, ON OUR, OUR FIFTH, UH, SUGGESTION WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING TO ACCESS TO AND TRANSPARENCY OF THE TRUST FUND, BOTH THE 180 MEMBER AFFORDABLE HOUSING COOPERATIVE COMMUNITY, UH, THE SUPER CO-OP, AS WELL AS RUTH SCHULTZ THAT ICC HAS DEVELOPED, UH, WHICH HOSTS 40 MEMBERS, BOTH HEAVILY RELIED ON FUNDING FROM THE TRUST FUND FOR BOTH OF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.
THERE'S NO POTENTIAL FUTURE DEVELOPMENT IN WEST CAMPUS THAT IS COOPERATIVE THAT WILL NOT RELY ON THE TRUST FUND, BUT IT IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT FOR US TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE CAN ASK FOR, HOW MUCH IS AVAILABLE AND HOW TO ACCESS IT, WHICH REALLY INHIBITS OUR PLANNING OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS KNOWING WHEN WE START TO TALK TO FINANCIERS, HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY LIKE MAXIMIZE THE GREATEST NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE BEDS IN WEST CAMPUS.
SECONDLY, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE SORT OF OUR, UM, OUR BIGGEST, UH, REQUEST THAT PROBABLY WON'T BE INCLUDED IN UNO, BUT WE WANT TO GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED, UM, ON EXPLORING A COOPERATIVE LOW INTEREST LOAN OFFERING FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
MANY OF OUR PRIVATE FINANCING OPTIONS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE BEGUN CANCELING COOPERATIVE MORTGAGE PRODUCTS, MAKING OUR PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENT AND RENOVATION PIPELINES JUST SIMPLY INFEASIBLE.
WE WOULD BENEFIT GREATLY FROM A SIMILAR PROGRAM TO THE FORMER, UH, DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENTS COLLEGE HOUSING LOAN PROGRAM, WHICH OFFERED COMPETITIVE MORTGAGE RATES AT 3% INTEREST OVER UP TO 40 YEARS.
THIS IS HOW COLLEGE HOUSE HAS BUILT THE ICONIC 21ST STREET COOPERATIVE, WHICH STANDS AS THE ARCHITECTURAL GYM OF WEST CAMPUS, AND PROVIDES A HUNDRED UNITS OF AFFORDABLE STUDENT COOPERATIVE HOUSING FOR THE LAST 55 YEARS.
THIS DEBT POSITIVE PROPOSAL WOULD EVENTUALLY ALLOW CO-OPS TO DOUBLE AT LEAST OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DENSITY IN WEST CAMPUS OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, UM, NOT NECESSARILY DIRECTLY RELATED TO UNO, BUT WE WANT TO GET THE, UH, CONVERSATION STARTED ON THIS, UH, POTENTIALLY VERY EXCITING DEVELOPMENT.
I CAME TO UT AND I, I'VE LIVED IN THE UNO OVERLAY FOR FOUR YEARS NOW.
I GRADUATED FOUR DAYS AGO, AND UM, FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS I LIVED IN, UH, UNIVERSITY OWNED UNO DEVELOPMENT.
I LIVED IN PRIVATELY OWNED UNIVERSITY DEVELOP OR PRIVATELY OWNED DEVELOPMENT IN UNO.
I CAME TO THIS UNIVERSITY TO NOT ACQUIRE DEBT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE.
AND I HAD TO ACQUIRE DEBT NOT FOR MY EDUCATION, BUT FOR MY HOUSING IN ORDER TO LIVE THERE.
UM, WHEN I DISCOVERED CO-OPING, IT CHANGED MY LIFE.
IT TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE AN ADVOCATE, HOW TO CARE FOR MY COMMUNITY, HOW TO LET A COMMUNITY CARE FOR ME, AND IT'S WHAT MADE ME FALL IN LOVE WITH AUSTIN AND IT'S WHY I'M STAYING.
UM, SO CO-OPS HAVE A REALLY ESSENTIAL ROLE WITH OUR 700 UP TO 800 UNITS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT
[01:25:01]
HAS HAD A RESILIENT 60 YEAR HISTORY.BUT WE NEED OUR HELP FROM OUR CITY AND FROM OUR ALLIES LIKE Y'ALL IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUDENTS HERE TODAY DURING SUMMER WHEN MANY ADULTS WILL TELL US THAT NO ONE IS USING THIS AND NO ONE IS FULFILLING THESE, THESE BEAUTIFUL, UH, COMMUNITY IN WEST CAMPUS.
AND I HOPE THAT IT'S PRETTY EVIDENT TODAY, UM, FROM THEIR FACES, HOW COMMITTED THEY ARE, EVEN WHEN SCHOOL IS OFF CYCLE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT TODAY.
WE'RE WE ARE GOING TO BE CIRCLING BACK TO PETER STOCKMAN WHO IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
AND ALSO FOR THOSE ON DECK, UM, WE HAVE DANIEL MILLER, STEWART HIRSCH, AND KATE.
THANK YOU, UH, PLANNING COMMISSIONERS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS PETER STOCKMAN AND I'M A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.
I AM HERE TO STRONGLY SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO EXPAND UNO BOO NO BOUNDARIES.
HOWEVER, I DON'T THINK THE PROPOSAL GOES FAR ENOUGH TO ADEQUATELY SERVE ALL UT STUDENTS AND TO TRULY CREATE AFFORDABLE STUDENT HOUSING IN WEST CAMPUS AND AROUND UT, THE UNO UNO EXPANSION SHOULD INCLUDE PARTS OF NORTH CAMPUS AND FURTHER OUTER WEST CAMPUS, AND SHOULD INCREASE THE HEIGHT ALLOWANCES IN THE TRANSIT CORE DISTRICT TO 600 FEET AND IN THE INNER WEST DISTRICT BETWEEN 300 AND 420 FEET, EXPANDING UNO AND INCREASING THE HEIGHT ALLOWANCE IS, IS CRITICAL FOR MAKING NORTH CAMPUS AND MORE OF OUTER WEST CAMPUS, MORE AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS WHILE STILL PRESERVING THE HISTORIC AND WALKABLE CHARACTER THAT MAKES THE NEIGHBORHOODS SO SPECIAL.
CITY COUNCIL, CITY COUNCIL MAYOR KIRK WA WATSON AND THIS PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE ALREADY MADE INCREDIBLE PROGRESS TOWARDS MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH HOME ONE, HOME TWO AND SINGLE STARE THE SINGLE STARE INITIATIVES.
SO I WILL, I HOPE THEY'LL CONTINUE TO BREAK BARRIERS OR BARRIERS OF PROGRESS IN TERMS OF HOUSING ABILITY FOR STUDENTS.
UH, AS FAR AS I GO, I HAVE LIVED ON CAMPUS AND I'M PLANNING ON LIVING IN WEST CAMPUS THIS UPCOMING SEMESTER.
LIVING ON CAMPUS AND NEAR CAMPUS HAS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN MY ABILITY TO SUCCEED AS A STUDENT.
LIVING NEAR CAMPUS MEANS I CAN WALK OR BIKE TO CLASS WITHOUT A LONG COMMUTE, STAY INVOLVED IN CAMPUS LIFE, AND FOCUS MORE ON MY EDUCATION RATHER THAN WORRYING ABOUT COMMUTE TIMES AND TAKING BUSES AND OTHER TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION.
RIGHT NOW, IT HOUSING JUST BEYOND THE UNO LIMITS IS BECOMING HARDER AND HARDER AND HARDER FOR STUDENTS TO AFFORD.
RENTS ARE RISING FAST AND THE FEW UNITS AVAILABLE ARE OFTEN RENTED BY ENTIRE GROUPS LOCKING OUT STUDENTS WHO NEED THE RENT BY BEDROOM.
IN ADDITION, THE STRICTER ZONING REGULATIONS IN THESE AREAS MEANS IT'S DIFFICULT FOR DEVELOPERS TO BUILD PROFITABLE, AFFORDABLE STUDENT HOUSING, THUS, THE EXISTING UNITS ARE QUITE OLD AND OFTEN IN BAD CONDITION.
EXPANDING UNO TO NORTH CAMPUS AND TO MORE OF OUTER WEST CAMPUS WOULD HELP FIX THIS AS OUR, AS OUR MAYOR HAS ALWAYS SAID ABOUT HOME ONE AND HOME TWO.
AUSTIN'S HOUSING CRISIS HAS A SIMPLE ANSWER.
IT'S SUPPLY AND DEMAND, AND AN EXPANSION OF UNO WOULD ALLOW MORE UNITS WHERE STUDENTS ARE ALREADY RENTING TO BE LEASED BY THE BEDROOM.
SOMETHING THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR STUDENTS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO RENT A WHOLE HOUSE OR UNIT ON THEIR OWN.
AT THE SAME TIME, THE PROPOSED HEIGHT LIMITS FOR NORTH CAMPUS AND OUTER WEST CAMPUS WOULD BE MUCH LOWER.
THEY WOULD BE 120 FEET, SO THEY WOULD BE MUCH LOWER THAN THE OTHER AREAS OF WEST CA.
UH, THE AREAS OF WEST CAMPUS CLOSEST TO UT, THEREFORE, PRESERVING THE NEIGHBORHOODY SEAL THAT LONGTIME RESIDENTS CARE ABOUT IN, UH, OUTER WEST CAMPUS AND IN NORTH CAMPUS, SO WE CAN HAVE BOTH AFFORDABILITY AND LIVABILITY EXPANDING UNO IS THE CHANCE TO BUILD A STRONGER, MORE INCLUSIVE FUTURE FOR THE UT COMMUNITY AND FOR AUSTIN AS A WHOLE.
IT WILL PROTECT NORTH CAMPUS AND OUTER WEST CAMPUS FROM UNCONTROLLED HIGH COST REDEVELOPMENT.
BY PUTTING CLEAR STUDENT FRIENDLY STANDARDS IN PLACE, IT WILL CREATE NEW, AFFORDABLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO LIVE NEAR THE UNIVERSITY WHERE THEY CAN, UH, THRIVE AND SUCCEED ACADEMICALLY AND PERSONALLY.
IT WILL KEEP NORTH CAMPUS AND OUTER WEST CAMPUS WALKABLE, VIBRANT, AND LIVABLE FOR EVERYONE.
I RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT, FOR YOU TO SUPPORT A MEANINGFUL UNO EXPANSION INTO NORTH CAMPUS AND MORE AREAS OF THE OUTER WEST CAMPUS WITH AFFORDABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, AND COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY CHARACTER AT ITS HEART.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UH, AND FOR SUPPORTING STUDENTS LIKE ME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIEL MILLER, AND YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
[01:30:01]
THANK YOU.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS STUART HIRSCH.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES, AND THEN ON DECK IS CAITLIN COBB, MARIO PEREZ, AND LIAM SUAREZ, CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
MY NAME IS STUART HARRY HIRSCH, OR STU FROM DISTRICT TWO, AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ON THESE CODE AMENDMENTS.
I'M A PROUD, ORIGINAL STAKEHOLDER OF THE 2004 UNO ORDINANCE WHEN WE GOT 15 YEARS OF AFFORDABILITY WHEN NO NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN WAS REQUIRING THAT, STILL DON'T.
WE GOT 40 YEARS OF AFFORDABILITY A COUPLE YEARS LATER WHEN WE SHOWED THE ECONOMICS WORKED.
AND, AND 40 YEARS OF AFFORDABILITY MEANS THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE PEOPLE TO LIVE CLOSER TO CAMPUS THAN OTHERWISE.
I DIDN'T PLAN TO COME HERE TO TALK ABOUT PARKING MAXIMUMS, BUT SINCE I'M PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE IN THE ROOM WHO REMEMBERS WHEN WE ADOPTED THOSE STUPIDLY IN THE EIGHTIES DURING THE SAVINGS AND LOAN CRISIS AND LENDERS JUST DISINVESTED IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN BECAUSE WE DID TWO STUPID THINGS IN THE EIGHTIES.
WELL, WE DID A LOT OF STUPID THINGS, BUT TWO IN SPECIFIC, WE CREATED PARKING MAXIMUMS AND WE'VE REQUIRED ALL NEW HIGH RISES IN DOWNTOWN TO HAVE HELI HELIPADS ON TOP OF THEM.
AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE KIND OF HIGH WHEN YOU PUT A HELIPAD ON TOP OF A HIGH RISE.
SO I'M ASKING YOU TO DO WHAT THE STAKEHOLDERS ASK YOU TO DO TONIGHT.
REMEMBER THAT, UH, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, UH, PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR A LOT OF US.
I'M CELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF MY MASTER'S DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY, AND I'M HOPING YOU'LL GIVE THIS, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
A WELL DESERVED IM CODE IMPROVEMENT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KAITLYN KAO.
AND ON DECK WE HAVE MARIO PEREZ, LIAM SUAREZ, AND DASH KOSKA.
HELLO, UH, MY NAME IS CAITLYN KA, AND I'M A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ABOUT TO GO INTO MY SENIOR YEAR.
UM, YEAH, I AM A HUGE, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, LIKE FAN OF UNO AND ALL THE LIKE, AFFORDABILITY THAT'S BROUGHT TO, UH, MY HOME WEST CAMPUS IN THE PAST THREE YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED HERE.
UH, AND I'M LIKE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE TALKS ABOUT EXPANDING IT TO NORTH CAMPUS AND BEYOND.
UM, AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE MAKING THE WEST CAMPUS, UH, AREA LARGER.
UM, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT LIKE FOR THE AFFORDABLE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS IN AUSTIN, UM, IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S LIKE REALLY HIGH ON THE PRIORITY LIST OF LIKE, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING A LIBERAL COMMUNITY, UH, SO THAT PEOPLE WANNA STAY IN AUSTIN, LIKE ALL THE STUDENTS THAT GO TO UT.
UM, AND SO A REALLY GREAT SOLUTION FOR THAT WOULD BE TO EXPAND UNO.
UM, I HAVE SOME TALKING POINTS HERE, UH, BUT I ACTUALLY, UM, I THINK I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT LIKE WHY IT'S IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR NORTH CAMPUS.
UM, A LOT OF YOUNG PROFESSIONALS DON'T WANNA LIVE IN THE WEST CAMPUS AREA BECAUSE OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE COLLEGE CAMPUS LIFESTYLE, A LOT OF GRADUATE STUDENTS, BUT A LOT OF, LIKE, THE NORTH CAMPUS AREA IS A LOT MORE CHILL, A LOT MORE LIKE CULTURALLY VIBRANT AND INTERESTING, AND I THINK PROVIDES A DIFFERENT LIVING STYLE, UH, FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE SEEKING, SEEKING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A YOUNGER LIFESTYLE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT IF WE EXPANDED THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES TO, UH, INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, MORE DENSE OPTIONS, UH, DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, MULTI-USE BUILDINGS IN THE NORTH CAMPUS AREA, IT WOULD ATTRACT A LOT OF YOUNG PROFESSIONALS TO LIVE CLOSER TO DOWNTOWN.
UH, IT WOULD MAKE THE, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT A LOT MORE VIBRANT, UH, AND INTERESTING.
UM, AND THAT'S HONESTLY SOMETHING I'M LIKE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO.
UM, AND I THINK, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING AS A STUDENT, I THINK THAT A LOT MORE STUDENTS WILL, YOU KNOW, TAKE INTEREST IN LIKE, OH, I WANNA DO MY GRADUATE PROGRAM HERE AT UT STAYING IN AUSTIN, UH, BECAUSE I ENJOY THE CULTURE AROUND THE AREA.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARIO PEREZ.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LIAM SUAREZ.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DASH KASKA.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BERNADETTE JOHNSON.
AND ON DECK IS APRIL BROWN, SOPHIA FERNANDEZ AND MICHAEL WRIGHT.
HELLO, UH, I'M BERNADETTE JOHNSON.
I'M A RESIDENT AT THE TAOS HOUSING COOPERATIVE IN WEST CAMPUS, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I'M IN FAVOR OF THE STAFF'S PROPOSAL FOR UPDATING UNO WITH THE AMENDMENT SUGGESTED BY COLLEGE HOUSES, TENANTS UNION,
[01:35:01]
AND AURA.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS APRIL BROWN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SOPHIA FERNANDEZ.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES ON DECK IS MICHAEL WRIGHT, PETER BRENTON, BRETTON, AND ZACHARY FADI.
HELLO, MY NAME IS SOPHIA FERNANDEZ AND I AM A CURRENT STAFF MEMBER IN, UH, OF COLLEGE HOUSES AND A RECENT GRADUATE AS OF, UH, LAST WEEK FROM UT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE, THE UNO, UH, PROGRAM AND HOW BENEFICIAL IT HAS BEEN TO ME PERSONALLY, BOTH AS A STAFF MEMBER OF COLLEGE HOUSES AND AS A FORMER STUDENT.
UM, UNO IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUILDING THAT I LIVED IN FOR THE MAJORITY OF MY TIME AS A UT STUDENT, THE SUPER CO-OP.
IT PROVIDED ME WITH A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWED ME TO FOCUS ON MY STUDIES AND NOT WORRY ABOUT HOUSING INSECURITY AND FOOD INSECURITY.
THE AMENDMENTS PROPOSED TODAY, UH, AS WELL AS THE, YOU KNOW, EXPANSION WILL GREATLY, UM, INCREASE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR STUDENTS TO LIVE IN WEST CAMPUS IN A S IN A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS THEM TO FOCUS ON THEIR STUDIES, ON THEIR, UH, YOU KNOW, SEARCHES FOR JOBS IN THE FUTURE, AS WELL AS THE THINGS THAT THEY LIKE TO DO WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, AS A LEASING CONSULTANT, THAT'S WHAT I DO NOW FOR, UM, COLLEGE HOUSES.
I HEAR EVERY DAY, UH, ABOUT THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF STUDENTS IN, UH, APARTMENT, UH, BUILDINGS WHERE THEY FEEL THEY HAVE NO SUPPORT FROM THEIR MANAGEMENT, THEY HAVE NO SUPPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND NO SUPPORT FROM THEIR COMMUNITY.
THE UNO EXPANSION WILL ALLOW FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO FEEL MORE SUPPORTED BY THEIR, UM, BY THEIR LIVING SITUATION AND ALLOW FOR MEM, UH, FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE MORE ACCESS TO THE FOOD THAT WILL KEEP THEM, UH, UH, UH, THERE'S BETTER ACCESS TO FRESH FOOD, UM, KEEP THEM AWAY FROM PREDATORY LEASING PRACTICES AND ALLOW THEM TO, UM, INVEST IN THEIR COMMUNITY AS, UH, UH, MEMBERS WHO, UH, JUST AS, AS MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, IN AN AREA WHERE RENTS CAN BE AS HIGH AS $2,000 A MONTH FOR A SINGLE BEDROOM, CO-OPS PROVIDE IN, UH, UH, A SPACE FOR THEM TO LIVE.
AND UNO WILL GREATLY SUPPORT, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF CO-OPS IN THIS AREA.
OKAY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO APRIL BROWN.
AND ON DECK, MICHAEL WRIGHT, PETER BRETTON, AND ZACHARY FADI.
I'M APRIL BROWN HERE ON BEHALF OF HESTIA SOTO, AUSTIN, LP.
FIRST I WANTED TO THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS AS WELL AS THE STAFF, THE STUDENTS AND THEIR ADVOCATES FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT IN TO UPDATE THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
I ALSO CALLED UNO HOME FOR THREE YEARS DURING MY TIME AT UT, AND I CAN SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE STRESS, UH, THAT YOU EXPERIENCED AS A TEENAGER RACING TO SIGN A LEASE A YEAR AHEAD OF TIME, SIGHT UNSEEN, UM, HOPING FOR THE BEST AND HAVING YOUR FRIENDS NOT MAKE THE SAME CUT IN TERMS OF THE MAKING IT INTO THE SHORT SUPPLY CHAIN THAT WE HAD AND BEING FORCED TO LIVE OUT IN FAR WEST WITHOUT A CAR OR RIVERSIDE.
UM, AT BEST, THIS IS IMPORTANT WORK AND UNO, AS YOU HAVE HEARD TONIGHT OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND HAVE SEEN YOURSELVES.
AND THE DATA IS A MAJOR SUCCESS STORY FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER SUPPORT FOR THE CREATION OF THE TRANSITION ZONE THAT'S BEING OFFERED AS AN AMENDMENT TONIGHT.
I THINK IT GETS US CLOSER TO SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY, UH, THAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT THE LAND USE OUTCOMES THAT WE ENVISION FOR THIS PART OF THE CITY.
I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE EXACTLY WHERE EACH BOUNDARY LINE SHOULD GO.
UM, BUT AS WE'VE LOOKED AT THE LATEST MAPS, WE BELIEVE THAT IT MAKES SENSE FOR THE INNER WEST CAMPUS DISTRICT TO EXTEND SLIGHTLY MORE TO THE WEST TO INCLUDE BOTH SIDES OF SOLE STREET OVER TO SAN PEDRO.
FOR CONTEXT, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT DROP OFF ON THE WEST SIDE OF SAN PEDRO, WHICH YOU CAN SEE FROM LAMAR IF YOU'VE DRIVEN UP AND DOWN THAT.
AND IT MAKES IT UNFEASIBLE FOR TALLER DEVELOPMENT.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT STREET IS A MORE NATURAL SUBDISTRICT BOUNDARY LINE THAN SOLE STREET.
WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS UPDATE TO UNO IS ITERATIVE.
SO WE ASK THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION WOULD CONTINUE TO TRACK SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SUBDISTRICT BOUNDARIES GOING FORWARD.
AND WE KNOW THIS WILL BE A VERY NUANCED PART OF Y'ALL'S DISCUSSION TONIGHT.
UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK ON THIS.
IT IS A HEAVY LIFT AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL WRIGHT.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES ON DECK.
JUST WANTED TO THANK THE COMMISSION FOR THEIR TIME TODAY AND THEIR SPENDING THE EVENING WITH US.
UH, MY NAME IS MICHAEL WRIGHT.
I AM A MEMBER OF HALTED COOPERATIVE, WHICH IS A PART OF SUPER CO-OP, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 1905 NEWI STREET, WHICH IS IN THE CURRENT UNO BOUNDARY DISTRICT.
SUPER CO-OP WAS BUILT LARGELY IN 2008 BY FUNDS ACCESSED THROUGH UNO'S, UM, ROBUST LOW
[01:40:01]
INTEREST LOAN PROGRAM, SPECIFICALLY CARVED OUT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.AND WE AS A DEMOCRATIC COOPERATIVE OPENED AND NAVIGATED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SUPER CO-OP AND THE THREE, UH, CO-OPS THAT EXIST WITHIN THE SUPER CO-OP BUILDING IN 2008 DURING A FINANCIAL CRISIS.
AND I BELIEVE I'M TOUCHING ON MORE AGENDA ITEM 22 HERE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT IT'S CALLED.
BUT I BELIEVE WE SHOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE MORE ROBUST RELATIONSHIPS WITH CO-OPS, SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO UNO EXPANSION.
AND WE SHOULD SPECIFICALLY HAVE LIA LIAISONS IN PLACE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE NEEDS OF CO-OPS AMONGST UNO, UM, POLICY MAKERS AND WITH CITY PLANNING COMMISSIONS IN GENERAL, BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, STUDENT HOUSING IS VERY UNAFFORDABLE IN WEST CAMPUS.
I, ALTHOUGH I AM NOT A STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, I AM A STUDENT AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE, I STILL FEEL THESE DEVELOPMENTS ARE VERY ADVANTAGEOUS TO EVEN COMMUNITY, UH, COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS AS I AM STILL ABLE TO LIVE IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING STUDENT, UH, STUDENT HOUSING UNITS AS A STUDENT AT ANOTHER SCHOOL.
AND I BELIEVE THESE, ALL THESE PROPOSALS ARE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS THAN WHAT WE ARE INIT THAN WHAT WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE RIGHT NOW, JUST WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF UT.
AND WE SHOULD INCLUDE AND BROADEN THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TO EXTEND BEYOND UT STUDENTS AND JUST MORE AFFORDABILITY FOR EVERYONE WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE UT ECOSYSTEM.
SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO SAY AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PETER BRITTON.
UH, NUMBER ONE, AS A FORMER RESIDENT AND BOARD MEMBER OF COLLEGE HOUSES, I'M VERY EXCITED THAT THEY ARE ENGAGED, RESPECTED, AND LISTENED TO IN THIS CONVERSATION.
THEY'RE A REALLY KEY STAKEHOLDER.
I'M EXCITED TO ALSO SEE MY FRIENDS HERE TONIGHT.
SO I WANTED TO EXPRESS ALSO MY THANKS TO Y'ALL ON THE COMMISSION FOR THE WORKING GROUP, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE UP TONIGHT.
AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE D NINE OFFICE.
THEY HAVE BEEN AMAZING LEADERS THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
I ALSO WANNA HARP A LITTLE BIT ON THE 365 CONVERSATION.
SO I, I THINK WE NEED TO THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE DEEPLY ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO ARTIFICIALLY RESTRICT DENSITY IN THESE NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING CAMPUS WITHOUT A SMALL DELTA BETWEEN YEAR LONG RESIDENTS AND SCHOOL YEAR ONLY RESIDENTS, WHY WOULD WE ASSUME THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET MORE GROCERY STORES, FOR EXAMPLE, OR LARGER GROCERY STORES UNLESS WE FIGURE OUT HOW TO DIG UP 40 ACRES AND MOVE IT AWAY? RIGHT.
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS GOING TO BE MOSTLY DESIRABLE TO STUDENTS, ALWAYS, RIGHT? AND IF WE CAN'T BUILD ENOUGH HOUSING TO ALLOW FOR NON-STUDENTS AND LONG-TERM RESIDENTS TO ACTUALLY LIVE THERE, IT'S HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A, UH, COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE THAT SUPPORTS REALLY KEY AMENITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS VIBRANT, THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE, AND THAT MORE PEOPLE THAN JUST STUDENTS CAN LIVE HERE.
FAMILIES, RIGHT? LAND COSTS WAY TOO MUCH.
I HESITATE TO BE, YOU KNOW, DEFINITIVE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE WILL EVER BE ANOTHER AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOME IN WEST CAMPUS EVER.
WE NEED TO BUILD MORE HOUSES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY ACCESS THAT.
AND I THINK TO DO THAT, REALLY WE NEED TO FURTHER EXPAND UNO BOUNDARIES, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A GREAT PLACE MAKING OPPORTUNITY, UH, MORE AFFORDABLE UNITS AND A MORE VIBRANT, SUSTAINABLE AND ATTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ZACHARY FADI.
UH, HOW ARE Y'ALL? MY NAME IS ZACH FADI.
I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE LIVE ABOUT TWO MILES NORTH OF UNO, ALONG THE 8 0 1, AND I'M PRESIDENT OF AURA.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE UPDATES TO UNO AND THE MANY GREAT RECOMMENDATIONS BRING BROCK FORWARD TODAY BY PLANNING COMMISSIONERS WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT UNDER THE CURRENT PLAN, WE ARE STILL LEAVING OUT A LARGE NUMBER OF MULTI-FAMILY UNITS THAT ARE PRIMARILY OCCUPIED BY STUDENTS TO THE WEST AND IMMEDIATE NORTH OF UT.
UH, I AM GREATLY IN FAVOR OF THE EXPANSION OF THE 450 FOOT INNER WEST AREA, UH, WESTWARD AND OF THE TRANSITION ZONE HOVER.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE LOWERING THE ALLOWED HEIGHTS, JUST BLOCKS OF WHERE WE WILL SOON HAVE RUNNING LIGHT RAIL AND A CAR FREE DRAG.
WE ARE CREATING THIS AMAZING PUBLIC SPACE, AND I THINK WE SHOULD BE ALLOWING AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE TO BENEFIT.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THE MOST HOUSING AND GREATEST AFFORDABILITY WILL BE ACHIEVED NOT BY 600 FOOT TOWERS, BUT BY ALLOWING MID-RISE DEVELOPMENT THROUGHOUT NORTH AND WEST CAMPUS.
UH, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE OF THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS, THIS WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL COUNCIL DIRECTION, WHICH I HOPE COMES, IT DOES SEEM LIKE SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THIS PROCESS, WHICH GIVES LARGE AMOUNT OF DISCRETIONARY POWER TO STAFF WHEN THEY CHOOSE WHO TO NOTIFY TAKING AWAY POWER, WHICH I FEEL SHOULD PRIMARILY RESIDE WITH CITY COUNCIL.
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I UNDERSTAND THAT NOTIFICATION COMES WITH A COST AND AGREE THAT AFFECTED AREAS SHOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO LEARN ABOUT, UH, CHANGES OF POTENTIAL CHANGES AFFECTING THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.I'M NOT SURE HOW TO BEST TO BALANCE THIS, BUT I HOPE IT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS COMMISSION CAN LOOK INTO.
I ALSO WANNA SUPPORT, UH, LOWERING THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE.
UH, UNO HAS ALWAYS BEEN A LEADER ON GREAT WALK BALL.
URBANISM TO THE CITY, LED THE WAY ON REMOVING PARKING MINIMUMS AND IT CAN PAVE THE WAY FOR MISSING MIDDLE SINGLE STAIR HOUSING TYPES.
UM, I THANK YOU TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE DISTRICT NINE OFFICE FOR PUTTING SO MUCH WORK INTO TO IMPROVING THE UNO UPDATE.
WE'LL NOW BE SWITCHING TO OUR SPEAKER'S OPPOSITION.
THE PRIMARY SPEAKER AND OPPOSITION IS MICHAEL MCCONE, WHO IS RECEIVING THREE MINUTES TO DONATING TIME FROM JEFF SCHINDLER.
JEFF, ARE YOU HERE? THANK YOU, MICHAEL, YOU'LL HAVE EIGHT MINUTES.
IT'S KIND OF BEEN AN INTERESTING TIME FOR ME TONIGHT AS I'VE BEEN HERE A WHILE AND ALL THIS STUFF ABOUT UNO AND CREATION AND THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED AND EVERYBODY HAPPY ABOUT IT.
HEARING FROM COLLEGE HOUSE, I WAS A DIRECTOR OF COLLEGE HOUSE IN 1970S AND THE SUCCESS THERE AND THE CONTINUED SUCCESS HAS BEEN VERY INSPIRING AND SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT.
WE'RE HERE AS THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERS WHO HAD DEVELOPED THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY CONCEPT IN THE PROCESS OF THE COMBINED CENTRAL AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
THAT PLAN WAS A PLAN TO BRING THE STUDENTS BACK TO THE CAMPUS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE 1999 UNIVERSITY MASTER PLAN.
IT HAS BEEN A VERY SUCCESSFUL THING, BUT I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE, YOU KNOW, UT RURAL, THE SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE, AND DARRYL ROYAL WAS THE PRESIDENT, OR WAS THE COACH.
HE ALMOST WAS THE PRESIDENT, REALLY
AND THE THING ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERS IS WE'RE THE GROUP THAT TRIES TO GET EVERYBODY TOGETHER.
WE WERE STARTED BY THE SAVE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOODS ORGANIZATION, COMBINED WITH THE UT, THE GUADALUPE MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION AND THE WEST CAMPUS MINISTRIES.
THAT GROUP CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD, THE UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERS, WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY DEVELOPED THE WHAT'S NOW KNOWN AS THE UNIVERSITY STREETSCAPE, WHICH WAS A PROCESS OF CREATING THE STREETS THAT ARE SAFE.
WE CALLED IT SAFETY THROUGH DESIGN.
IT'S NOW CALLED, UH, THE SAFETY THROUGH CRIME PREVENTION FOR THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, WHICH THE FOLKS AT THE SAFE HOS ARE PUSHING AS A ELEMENT OF THE NEW PLAN THAT WE NEED TO INCORPORATE.
ONE OF THE, YOU NEED TO THINK ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY AREA IS THIS KIND OF RESTRICTIONS THAT IT HAS EVERY FOUR YEARS.
WE USE 25% OF OUR RESIDENTS AND EVERY FOUR YEARS WE HAVE 25% NEW RESIDENTS.
SO THERE'S CONSTANT CHANGE OF RESIDENTS WHEN DEVELOPING.
IN THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERS WENT TO THE EXPERTS AND SAID, HOW DOES IT WORK? WHAT CAN YOU BUILD? WE KNOW THAT THERE'S, THE HISTORY OF IT IS THAT IT WAS AN ADD-ON TO THE WALLER CREEK, UH, TO THE WALLER PLAN.
WE HAVE A MISHMASH OF 10 FOOT WIDE STREETS TO 90 FOOT WIDE STREETS.
NONE OF THEM THAT REALLY CONNECT AND GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH, THEY'RE OFFSET.
AND THESE PRESENT VERY DIFFICULT DEVELOPMENT PROCESSES.
THE GEOLOGY IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE IT IS FRACTURED LIMESTONE.
YOU DIG DOWN TWO LAYERS AND YOU'RE IN WATER.
AND NOW WE HAVE TO BUILD VERY EXPENSIVE DETENTION SYSTEMS AND RETENTION SYSTEMS FOR OUR BUILDINGS.
SO THOSE ARE THE ACTUAL CONSTRAINTS ON THE PROPERTY AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF THE, AND LAYOUT OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WITHOUT THIS GRID, THERE'S A LACK OF WAYS TO REALLY MOVE PEOPLE AROUND.
SO WE HAVE DEVELOPED AREAS OF THE STREETSCAPE AND WITH
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THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE A WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN WORKING ON THE PLAN THAT THE STAFF HAS PRESENTED, WE HAVE WENT TO OUR EXPERTS WHO HAVE COME BACK AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CO THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE HAS A BIG DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN 420 FEET AND ANYTHING TALLER AND THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BRAKING OF THAT PLANE IS SO MUCH THAT WE WILL NOT GET AFFORDABILITY.WE WILL JUST NOT BE ABLE TO GET ANY BILL FINANCING.
SO THE FINANCING SITUATION IS, AND THE BUILDABILITY IS WHAT NEEDS TO DRIVE THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROCESS.
WHEN WE GO TO TALK ABOUT THE, UM, AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE AREA EXPANSIONS BEYOND THE NOTIFICATION AREA, AS IT IS A PART OF THE KPAC PLAN, WE FEEL THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND STAFF SHOULD GO AND WORK DIRECTLY WITH THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE ALREADY TESTIFIED HERE TONIGHT, THAT THEY HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE EXPANSION.
I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE HOUSING.
THE COROLLARY IS YOU WANT CHEAP HOUSING, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REDUCE THE HOUSING COSTS FROM 2004 TO NOW BY $200 OR MORE AS YOUR STAFF HAS REPORTED.
SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'VE BUILT MORE AND WE KEEP BUILDING MORE.
WE HAVE A FULL PRESENTATION TONIGHT OF ANOTHER SET OF SPEAKERS THAT WILL TALK ABOUT ALL OF THE PROVISIONS THAT WE SEE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS REALLY LIKE SO THAT YOU WILL KNOW WHAT IS LEFT.
BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 78, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS BUILT IN THE WEST CAMPUS IN THE LAST 20 YEARS.
THE UAP EX, UH, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T AGREE WITH THE, FOR.
WE HAVE A HEIGHT MAP THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED BASED UPON THE ORIGINAL UNO MAP.
WE HAVE A GOING UP, WE KEEP THE GUADALUPE STREET AVAILABLE AT 90 FEET TO 130 FEET, WHICH IS A WALKUP HEIGHT THAT MATCHES THE UNIVERSITY'S HEIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, WHICH THEY, AS OUR PARTNER HAVE INDICATED TO US, THEY DO NOT WANT TO GET VERY TALL, ESPECIALLY NOT 600 FEET, BUT, AND WE HAVE THOSE SMALL PARCELS THAT TO BE REDEVELOPED.
AS ANOTHER SPEAKER HAS TOLD YOU, WE NEED TO BUILD IN AND RE RETAIN THE 25 FOOT LOT MINIMUM WIDTH AND THE 2,500 SQUARE FOOT MINIMUM FOR THE LOCK.
OUR GOAL AT UAP IS COMPATIBLE WITH WHAT THE STAFF AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION HAVE RECOMMENDED.
IT'S JUST THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THE TWEAKS TO THE HEIGHT, THE DISTRICT AREAS.
WE'D HAVE ANOTHER STEP BOUND AREA AS WE GET BACK FROM FOUR 20, STEPPING DOWN TO 300, THEN TO ONE 50 OR ONE 30.
SO THIS CREATES WHAT WE CALL A LIVABLE HEIGHT AREA.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE OUTER WEST CAMPUS, WHAT WE'RE FINDING IS THAT THOSE PROJECTS, AS THEY AGE OUT, WILL BE AVAILABLE TO CREATE THE HOUSING THAT WE NEED FOR THE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT WANT TO LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE HAVE AN EXAMPLE ALREADY OF ONE BUILDING THAT IS NOT PURPOSE-BUILT STUDENT HOUSING.
MOST OF THE UNO IS STUPID PURPOSE-BUILT STUDENT HOUSING.
SO WE WOULD URGE YOU TO LOOK AT OUR PLAN, AGREE WITH IT WHERE YOU CAN, AND MAKE A BETTER NEIGHBORHOOD FOR ALL OF US TO MAKE THE FUTURE WHAT WE NEED TO BE AS A HUMAN SPECIES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROWENA DASH, WHO IS RECEIVING THREE MINUTES AND DONATING TIME FROM ESTEBAN RA.
ARE YOU HERE? HERE? AND PAUL CATTO, ARE YOU HERE? THANK YOU.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
UH, MY NAME IS ROWENA DASH AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEIL COCHRANE HOUSE MUSEUM.
WE'RE IN 1856 HISTORIC SITE, ONE OF AUSTIN'S OLDEST RESIDENCES AND STEWARDS OF THE ONLY INTACT AND ACCESSIBLE SLAVE DWELLING LEFT IN THE ORIGINAL AUSTIN TOWN SITE.
AS SUCH, WE ARE THE BEST PLACE IN AUSTIN TO GAIN A BROAD UNDERSTANDING OF OUR CITY'S PAST AND HOW THAT PAST CONNECTS TO THE PRESENT.
WE ALSO ANCHOR A CORNER OF THE WESTERN EDGE
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OF WEST CAMPUS AND OUR COMMUNITY SPACE FOR OUR WEST CAMPUS NEIGHBORS, AS WELL AS FOR AUSTINITES FROM ACROSS OUR CITY.FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE WELCOMED OVER 10,000 VISITORS TO THE MUSEUM.
EACH YEAR WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE ECONOMIC FATALITY OF THE CITY BY PROMOTING TOURISM, HERITAGE, TOURISTS STAY LONGER AND SPEND MORE THAN OTHER TOURISTS.
WE ALSO OPEN OUR DOORS TO CREATIVE TALENT.
I'VE LOVED HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT ARTISTS TODAY, UM, BOTH PERFORMING AND VISUAL ARTISTS THROUGH ROTATING EXHIBITIONS, CONCERTS, AND A POPULAR QUARTERLY STORYTELLING PROGRAM.
WE ALSO SERVE AUSTIN THROUGH FREE COMMUNITY DAYS THAT WELCOME THOUSANDS OF VISITORS FROM EVERY DISTRICT OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
AND WE ARE THE LAST PIECE OF GREEN SPACE BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND PEA PARK.
AFTER WE INSTALLED A LOW FENCE AROUND THE PROPERTY SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE IMMEDIATELY BECAME A HAVEN FOR DOG WALKERS WHO APPRECIATE OUR ENCLOSED SPACE.
WE PROBABLY SEE 50 DOGS IN THEIR HUMANS EVERY DAY.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE WITH YOU VERY BRIEFLY THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE WEST CAMPUS AREA AND TO TALK ABOUT HOW THAT AREA HAS WORKED WITHIN UNO AND THE IMPACT FUTURE PLANNING WOULD HAVE ON THOSE RESOURCES.
TO THAT END, YOU SEE A MAP THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE HISTORIC RESOURCES WITHIN BOTH THE EXISTING UNO BORDERS AND IN SURROUNDING AREAS OF WEST CAMPUS.
BASED ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S 2021 HISTORIC BUILDING SURVEY REPORT WHERE YOU SEE A BLUE PEN AND UNFORTUNATELY I HAD TO SHRINK THIS DOWN SO THEY'RE KIND OF ON TOP OF ONE ANOTHER.
UH, BUT WHERE YOU SEE A BLUE PEN, YOU'RE SEEING A PROPERTY THAT CURRENTLY HAS LANDMARK STATUS.
THERE ARE 25 LANDMARK PROPERTIES IN WEST CAMPUS.
THE YELLOW PENS REPRESENT THE OVER 200 PROPERTIES THE CITY CONSIDERS TO BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WHICH DO NOT HAVE HISTORIC STATUS.
THIS MAP TELLS US THAT GUADALUPE STREET CURRENTLY IS ALMOST ENTIRELY CONTRIBUTING THE STREET, THE STREET SCAPE SHOULD BE PRESERVED.
AND I ASK THAT YOU FOLLOW THE UAPS RECOMMENDATION FOR A LOWER HEIGHT ALLOWANCE ALONG GUADALUPE WEST CAMPUS.
AS CURRENTLY CONSTITUTED AND AS ESTABLISHED VIA UNO 20 YEARS AGO, HAS THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF SERVING THE UT STUDENT COMMUNITY.
THE EROSION OF THE CHARACTER OF THE UNIVERSITY, WHICH WOULD BE INEVITABLE WITH THE LOSS OF CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURES ALONG THE DRAG WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO UT TO WEST CAMPUS AND FRANKLY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
THE MAP ALSO TELLS US THAT SIGNIFICANT HISTORIC RESOURCES REMAIN WITHIN THE EXISTING UNO BOUNDARIES.
THOSE HISTORIC RESOURCES SHOULD BE RETAINED AS LANDMARKS TO THE HISTORY OF THE AREA, AND ITS MANY ERAS OF GROWTH THAT CREATE VARIETY IN THE STREETSCAPE AND PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THE COMMUNITY THAT ADD VALUE TO THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS IS ALSO TRUE OF THE GREEK ORGANIZATIONS WHO CALL WEST CAMPUS HOME THE GREEK SOCIETIES.
AND UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE STILL IN THE UNO PRESENTATION OR MINE, BUT WE DO HAVE A SLIDE OF THE GREEK PROPERTIES.
UM, ANYWAY, THE GREEK SOCIETIES ARE A PART OF THE HISTORY OF WEST CAMPUS.
OUR AN AMENITY USED BY MANY OF THE RESIDENTS OF WEST CAMPUS AND ARE A PART OF THE FABRIC OF LIFE AT UT.
THEY ALREADY STRUGGLE UNDER THE BURDEN OF HIGH PROPERTY VALUES DUE TO THE DENSITY THAT SURROUNDS THEM, AND THEY SHOULD BE PROTECTED FOR THE IMPORTANT ROLE THEY PLAY WITHIN THE LIVES OF MANY UT STUDENTS.
AND INDEED, WEST CAMPUS RESIDENCE.
FINALLY, THE NORTHWEST AND SOUTHWEST QUADRANTS OF THE MAPS REMAIN ALMOST ENTIRELY CONTRIBUTING AND SHOULD BE PRESERVED AS CURRENTLY PLANNED.
YOU'RE SEEING THAT AT THE TOP OF THE SCREEN AND THEN DOWN INTO THE LEFT.
AND THAT DOWNWARD LEFT AREA WAS, UH, IS, IS WHAT LESLIE TAYLOR WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER TONIGHT.
UM, YEAH, THESE ARE THE GREEK, UH, STRUCTURES.
IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF, UM, THE DEGREE TO WHICH THEY'RE SPREAD OUT ACROSS THE WEST CAMPUS AREA.
UM, THE AREAS, UH, AT THE NORTH AND NORTHERN END AND SOUTHWEST END ADD VALUE TO THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY A VARIETY OF WAYS.
AS LESLIE SAID EARLIER, THEY ADD LOWER COST HOUSING STOCK TO THE AREA.
I HEAR YOU'VE HEARD MULTIPLE VIEWS ON THIS AND I REALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU ALL GO OUT AND FIND THE INFORMATION TO CLARIFY WHETHER THIS IS IN FACT TRUE.
BUT I DO BELIEVE IT TO BE TRUE THAT THAT SOUTHWESTERN END IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS IT STANDS TODAY.
UM, THEY BRING MULTI-GENERATIONAL RESIDENTS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE NEED MORE MULTI-GENERATIONAL RESIDENTS, NOT FEWER TO THRIVE AS A COMMUNITY.
FROM OUR FRONT PORCH PERCH ON SAN GABRIEL AT 23RD STREET, WE SEE THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF WEST CAMPUS AS CURRENTLY CONSTITUTED.
THE SIDEWALKS ARE ACTIVATED WHEN SCHOOL IS IN SESSION.
STUDENTS MOVE UP AND DOWN SAN GABRIEL AS WELL AS 23RD STREET ALL DAY AND INTO THE NIGHT.
AND THERE ARE SO MANY STUDENTS.
UNO HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS IN BRINGING STUDENTS BACK IN, WALKING DISTANCE OF UT.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO WATCH THE TRAFFIC PILE UP ON SAN GABRIEL AT 23RD STREET AS WELL AS ELSEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE STRUGGLE WITH LARGE EVENTS AT THE NCHM AND STATION.
OUR FACILITY MANAGER IN THE PARKING LOT TO PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS FOR OFFSITE PARKING SINCE IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO PARK ANYWHERE IN THE AREA AND WE WATCH BUSINESSES COME AND
[02:00:01]
GO UNABLE TO TURN A PROFIT BECAUSE OUR NEIGHBORS LEAVE FOR LONG STRETCHES OF TIME.VAGRANCY ISSUES CREATE CHALLENGES.
THE COST OF LEASING IS HIGH AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO ATTRACT BUSINESS FROM OUTSIDE THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE OF PARKING CONCERNS.
THE PROGRAM HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON WEST CAMPUS AND ON THE UT STUDENT EXPERIENCE.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF UNO HEIGHT ALLOWANCES AS WELL AS THE CREEP FURTHER INTO WEST CAMPUS.
SPECIFICALLY, WE ASK THAT THE GUADALUPE DISTRICT RETAIN LOWER HEIGHT ALLOWANCES.
UM, AND FINALLY THERE'LL BE A SETBACK ALONG SAN GABRIEL TO PROTECT THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE WEST.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATHY NORMAN, WHO IS RECEIVING TWO MINUTES OF DON TIME FROM STEPHANIE MORRIS.
STEPHANIE, ARE YOU HERE? THANK YOU.
KATHY, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
THANK YOU FOR HEARING US TODAY.
UM, SLIDE WITH THE RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION.
SO THE FIRST, UH, THING THAT I WANNA SHOW EVERYONE IS ON THE SLIDE THAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE SCREEN.
UM, THE LITTLE BUBBLES REPRESENT AND THE BLUE STUFF REPRESENTS PROPERTY OWNED OR USED BY RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT IS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT
UM, THERE ARE, UH, WHEN I DID MY LITTLE RESEARCH, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED OVER 20 DIFFERENT, UH, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS FROM SMALL MINISTRIES HOUSED IN, UM, EITHER, UH, RENTED PROPERTY OR IN, UH, A SMALL, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, HISTORIC HOME TO ST.
AUSTIN'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, WHICH HAS, UH, SERVES FOUR OVER 4,000 FAMILIES IN THE AUSTIN AREA AND THEIR SCHOOL, SEVERAL HUNDRED STUDENTS FROM THREE YEARS OLD TO EIGHTH GRADE, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, WE HAVE QUITE A NUMBER OF LARGE CHURCHES IN WEST CAMPUS THAT MAY HAVE STARTED AS PRIMARILY STUDENT MINISTRIES A HUNDRED YEARS AGO.
SOME OF THEM AND SOME OF THEIR SANCTUARIES OR CHAPELS OR A HUNDRED YEARS OLD AND HAVE, UH, ARE REGISTERED IN THE NATIONAL, UH, REGISTRY OF HISTORIC PLACES.
BUT THEY'RE NOW MULTI-GENERATIONAL.
THEY OWN SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY AND THEY'RE PART OF THE STABILITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SOME CHURCHES AND RELIGIOUS OR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ENTERED INTO LONG-TERM GROUND LEASE ARRANGEMENTS WITH COMMERCIAL HIGH DENSITY, HIGH RISE, UM, DEVELOPMENTS.
AUSTIN RECENTLY, UH, ENTERED INTO A COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT WHERE, UH, THE UNION AT SAN ANTONIO IS THERE, BUT ALSO THEIR CHURCH SCHOOL AND THEIR CHURCH AND THEIR PARISH OFFICES ARE PART OF ONE DEVELOPMENT.
UNIVERSITY BAPTIST CHURCH, UM, ENTERED INTO A LONG-TERM GROUND LEASE WITH THE DEVELOPERS OF CALLAWAY HOUSE AND THEIR PARKING IS IN THAT STRUCTURE.
AND YOU WILL FIND MULTIPLE OTHER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE, UM, MADE THOSE KINDS OF ARRANGEMENTS.
THERE ARE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVEN'T MADE THOSE KINDS OF ARRANGEMENTS THAT OWN SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY OR UNLIKE A TO LEAVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE THING ABOUT THESE, MOST OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS IS THEY ARE DESTINATIONS.
THEY ARE NOT SIMPLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHURCH FOR WEST CAMPUS.
AND PEOPLE DO COME TO THEM AND THEY BRING THEIR CARS.
AND, UM, I WORK AT THE CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY.
WE'RE AT 22ND GUADALUPE SINCE 1980.
AND, UH, WE THOUGHT WE'D HAVE PLENTY OF PARKING AND WE KIND OF DON'T REALLY HAVE PLENTY OF PARKING AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, RE REMOVED, I THINK PARKING MINIMUMS IN WEST CAMPUS.
AND, UM, PEOPLE PROPERTIES HAVE BUILT THESE BIG HIGH RISE DEVELOPMENTS HAVE BUILT TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY THINK THEY NEED FOR PARKING.
AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANNA OVERBUILD, BUT A PARKING MAXIMUM REQUIREMENT WILL PROBABLY MEAN, MAY MEAN THAT YOU WON'T SEE THAT FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS PROPERTY, UH, COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT WHERE THEY HAVE SHARED PARKING AND WE ENABLE MORE PARK, MORE, UM, HOUSING ON THOSE PROPERTIES PROBABLY.
UH, SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR, UH, MEASURE.
AND I THINK PROBABLY WE NEED SOME MORE TRAFFIC STUDY IN THE AREA, JUST IN ISSUES DELIVERY AND PARKING AND ACCESS, AND TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY SPECIFIC THINGS WE'RE DOING ABOUT SIDEWALKS AND SO FORTH, UH, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FULL PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AT PEAK TIMES DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO I'M ADVOCATING FOR PARKING AND IF WE COULD SEE THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, THE CO-OPS HAVE ALREADY
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TALKED.THIS IS A LITTLE BUBBLE MAP SHOWING LOCATIONS OF SOME OF THE HOU, I BELIEVE ALL THE HOUSING CO-OPS IN WEST CAMPUS.
UM, TWO MAIN ASSOCIATIONS OF CO-OPS AND THEN INDEPENDENT WHITEHALL CO-OP.
AND IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR STUDENTS, CO-OP HOUSING IS THE MOST DEEPLY AFFORDABLE SOLUTION THAT'S BEEN THERE AS A STABLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR A LONG TIME.
DECADES AND DECADES CO-OPS HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE.
SOME OF THESE CO-OPS, NOT THE BIG SUPER CO-OP, BUT SOME OF THE OTHER CO-OPS DO NEED, YOU KNOW, TO BE REDEVELOPED.
THEY, THEY NEED, UM, THEY NEED TO DO SOME UPGRADING, BUT THEY, WE WOULD SUPPORT JUST BECAUSE OF WE NEED DIVERSITY OF HOUSING AND WEST CAMPUS AND THEY'RE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THAT DIVERSITY.
AND ANYTHING THAT SUPPORTS THEIR VIABILITY WOULD BE VERY WELCOME.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS GRANT ZUCKER, WHO IS RECEIVING TWO MINUTES DOING TIME FROM CHRISTOPHER KENNEDY.
CHRISTOPHER, ARE YOU HERE? THANK YOU.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF UAP UNIVERSITY, UH, AREA PARTNERS.
I'M A MEMBER OF A STUDENT HOUSING FOCUSED DEVELOPER HERE IN AUSTIN, WHO HAS BEEN BUILDING UNO PROJECTS IN WEST CAMPUS FOR AS LONG AS UNO HAS EXISTED.
UH, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC BECAUSE OF THE OVERWHELMING SUCCESS OF UNO, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO THE GOALS OF INCREASING DENSITY AND FOSTERING AFFORDABILITY IN WEST CAMPUS.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WHAT HAPPENS IN THE UNO AMENDMENT CONTINUES TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO ACHIEVE THOSE SAME GOALS.
UM, FROM 2017 UNTIL PRESENT DAY 2025, EVERY SINGLE YEAR HAS HAD A MINIMUM OF ONE UNO PROJECT DELIVER, UM, FOR OVER 10 YEARS NOW, WEST CAMPUS HAS NOT BEEN WITHOUT AN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF AN UNO PROJECT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, IN SHOWING UP HERE AND PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION, IT'S OUR HOPE THAT WE CAN HELP WEST CAMPUS HAVE JUST AS MUCH SUCCESS IN THE YEARS TO COME AS IT HAS, UH, IN THE PAST THROUGH THIS CODE AMENDMENT.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE ON THE SLIDE, UM, AN OVERVIEW OF CAMPUS, THE WEST CAMPUS NEIGHBORHOOD, AND OF NORTH CAMPUS.
UH, THERE ARE ROUGHLY 35,000 BEDS IN WEST CAMPUS, 3,100 OF WHICH ARE PURPOSE-BUILT STUDENT HOUSING.
UH, THERE'S ROUGHLY AROUND ANOTHER 9,000 BEDS OF ON CAMPUS HOUSING PROVIDED BY UT.
AND THEN THERE ARE ANOTHER ROUGHLY 4,000 BEDS LOCATED IN NORTH CAMPUS.
UH, THIS SLIDE SHOWS JUST FROM THE BOUNDARIES OF MLK NORTH TO 24TH STREET AND FROM SAN ANTONIO WEST TO RIO GRANDE.
UH, JUST HOW DENSE THAT SECTION OF INNER WEST CAMPUS HAS BECOME.
THERE ARE 25 HIGH DENSITY, MOSTLY HIGH-RISE PROJECTS JUST IN THAT FOUR BLOCK NORTH SOUTH AREA AND THREE BLOCK EAST TO WEST AREA.
UM, THE, UH, THE POINT OF SHOWING THIS IS JUST TO SHOW HOW FEW REAL DEVELOPABLE SITES ARE LEFT WITHIN THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES OF WHAT ARE INNER WEST CAMPUS, AND THAT THE CODE AMENDMENT NEEDS TO REALLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IF THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP AND CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ALL OF THESE DEVELOPABLE LOTS THAT STILL EXIST.
UM, CAREFUL CONSIDERATIONS NEED TO BE TAKEN TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE AREN'T RESTRICTIONS GIVEN HOW FEW OF THEM ARE LEFT.
A LOT OF THEM AREN'T YOUR, YOU KNOW, FULL ACRE CORNER, LOTS REMAINING.
IT'S A, YOU KNOW, 18,000 SQUARE FOOT LOT THAT BUTTS UP AGAINST A BUILDING.
AND THERE ARE THINGS IN THE CURRENT UNO AMENDMENT, SUCH AS THE BUILDING SEPARATION, UH, REQUIREMENT THAT MAKES A LOT OF WHAT IS LEFT TO BE DEVELOPED, UH, EXTREMELY CHALLENGING.
UM, THIS SLIDE AND THE, UH, THE SLIDE AFTERWARDS JUST SHOW A FULL LIST OF ALL UNO PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT TO DATE, UM, ALONG WITH A MORE DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF ALL OF THE, UH, HOUSING THAT IS AVAILABLE VERSUS THE UNDERGRADUATE POPULATION AT UT.
UH, TO BE ABUNDANTLY CLEAR, OUR GOAL IS FOR THE UNO AMENDMENT TO BE WORKED THROUGH COLLABORATIVELY WITH, UH, UAP TO ENSURE THE SAME GOALS THAT THE INITIAL,
[02:10:01]
UM, OR THE, THE CURRENT FROM 2018 UNO AMENDMENT HAS FOSTERED.UH, IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS, AND IT'S THE HOPE OF THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND OF, UH, UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERS THAT THE AMENDMENT THAT, UH, COMES THROUGH AS WORKED THROUGH COLLABORATIVELY TO MAKE SURE THE SAME SUCCESS FROM 2018.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FARRA METZKER, WHO IS JOINING US ONLINE FARRA.
PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, AND ON DECK IS PERLA HOPKINS AND MICHAEL ISA.
UM, YOU CAN PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS FARRAH METZGER.
I'M A LONG TIME AUSTIN RESIDENT, A UT ALUMNA, A UT STAFF MEMBER, A UT PARENT AND VICE PRESIDENT OF SAFE HORNS, A NONPROFIT FOCUSED ON STUDENT SAFETY ON AND AROUND CAMPUS.
I'M SPEAKING AGAINST ITEM 2222 AS IT STANDS BECAUSE THIS MAJOR CODE CHANGE INCLUDES NO MEANINGFUL SAFETY MEASURES, NO SEPTA STANDARDS, WHICH USE DESIGN STRATEGIES LIKE LIGHTING, VISIBILITY, AND SECURE ACCESS TO HELP PREVENT CRIME.
THERE ARE ALSO NO REQUIREMENTS FOR REGULAR INSPECTIONS OR BASIC SECURITY FEATURES.
WEST CAMPUS IS HOME TO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS.
YET THIS PROPOSAL ADDS SIGNIFICANT DENSITY WITHOUT CONSIDERING HOW IT AFFECTS WALKABILITY, LIGHTING, OR EMERGENCY ACCESS.
A PLAN OF THIS SCALE DESERVES THOUGHTFUL SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS TO MATCH ITS AMBITION.
SAFE HORN SUPPORTS AFFORDABILITY AND GROWTH, BUT SAFETY CANNOT BE OPTIONAL.
WE URGE YOU TO DELAY APPROVAL UNTIL PUBLIC SAFETY IS MEANINGFULLY ADDRESSED IN THE CODE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND TO ALL THE STUDENTS THAT SPOKE EARLIER TONIGHT.
I SAY, LET'S NOT FORGET THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE STUDENT SAFETY BY INTEGRATING PROVEN STRATEGIES THAT PROTECT ALL WHO LIVE, WORK, AND STUDY IN NORTH AND WEST CAMPUS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PERLA HOPKINS.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES, AND ON DECK IS MICHAEL ISSA AND REBECCA LANGSTON, VIRTUALLY.
GOOD EVENING AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS.
I AM FOR GROWTH AND AFFORDABILITY.
UH, THE POSITIVES OF THE UNO UPDATE ARE, OF COURSE, FOR THE MULTI-USE LOTS AND THE DWELLINGS.
I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH, AND THE MULTIPLE PARENT GROUPS THAT I AM IN THE HIGH DEMAND FOR CO-OPS IN PARTICULAR, AND THAT IS BECAUSE OF THE HIGH, UM, COST AND RENT FOR OUR STUDENTS.
UH, WAMPUS, FOR EXAMPLE, WEST CAMPUS HOUSES NEARLY 25,000 UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS STUDENTS.
THAT'S QUITE A BIG, UM, NUMBER.
AND MY STUDENT IN PARTICULAR, THE ONE THAT DOES LIVE IN WAMPA, UM, PAYS $1,500 A MONTH TO LIVE THERE IN A ROOM WITH NO WINDOW.
IT SHOULDN'T TAKE STUDENTS, UM, WELLBEING AND, UM, SAFETY CONCERNS TO HAVE TO ASK, UM, AUSTIN AND FOR ORDINANCES THAT, UM, HAVE DEVELOPERS THINK THINGS THROUGH AND, UM, CONSIDER THE STUDENTS' SAFETY AND WELLBEING, UM, IN ASKING, YOU KNOW, FOR THESE HIGH RISES TO INCLUDE WINDOWS IN THE UNITS FOR, FOR STUDENTS, UM, IT, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE A FIRE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE HAVE TO CONSIDER A LOT BEFORE WE GO TO THE APPROVAL PROCESS.
UM, ALSO THE $1,500 RENT AND WAMPA DOES NOT INCLUDE A PARKING, UM, SPACE, SO, UM, PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION ARE ALSO SAFETY CONCERNS.
UM, JUST LAST WEEK I WAS AT THE CO-OP ON GUADALUPE NEAR 24TH, AND I STOPPED TO TELL A WAMPA, UM, AMBASSADOR.
SO THOSE ARE ONE OF THE WONDERFUL PROGRAMS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UM, TRAVIS COUNTY LEADERSHIP HAVE COME UP WITH REGARDING SAFETY IN WEST CAMPUS.
AND, UM, THAT OFFICER WENT ON TO DESCRIBE TO ME HOW SOMETIMES THEY HAVE HAD, UM, OBJECTS THROWN AT THEM BY SOME OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LOITER ABOUT, UM, IN THE WEST CAMPUS CORRIDOR.
UM, I SAW PICTURES OF SOME OF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, VIOLENCE AND, UM, ALSO IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE CHURCHES ARE, UM, FEEDING INDIVIDUALS, UM, LIKE AT THE KAVA PARKING LOT, BUT IT'S NOT KAVA FOOD.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR SAFETY MAYBE, UM, INDIVIDUALS FED AT THE ARC.
[02:15:01]
Y'ALL.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL ISA.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, UH, I BELIEVE MR. SAYS HERE, COMMISSIONER, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
UM, I'M A LONG, I'VE, I'VE BEEN AROUND WEST CAMPUS SINCE, SINCE THE EARLY EIGHTIES AS A STUDENT AT UT, AND THEN AS A REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL AND OWNER OF SOME PROPERTIES, UNO, UNO WAS DEFINITELY, UH, A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND IT HAS BENEFIT THE STUDENT BODY, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY BY PROVIDING HOUSING CLOSE TO CAMPUS.
UH, THE, UH, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT, UH, HAS A LOT OF GOOD THINGS IN IT.
UM, I DO THINK THAT IT IS, UH, IT IS DEFINITELY DUE, UH, FOR UPDATES.
HOWEVER, UH, THERE ARE, THERE ARE SEVERAL RESTRICTIONS THAT I THINK STAFF SHOULD REALLY, UH, RECONSIDER SUCH AS, UH, STEP, STEP BACK FROM TOWER AND, UH, SETBACKS AND STEP BACKS AND, AND SOME OF THE AFFORDABILITY COMPONENTS, THE PARKING, UM, THE GROUND PARKING, UH, COMPONENT AND REQUIREMENT.
AND JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT IF, IF IT'S TOO EXP BECOMES TOO EXPENSIVE TO BUILD, UH, THEY'RE JUST NOT GONNA BUILD IT.
IN TALKING WITH SOME, SOME OF THE, UH, MAJOR DEVELOPERS THAT HAVE DONE WORK IN THE AREA, UH, THEY ARE LIKELY IF, IF IT GETS TOO EXPENSIVE, RESTRICTIVE, THAT JUST WON'T DO IT, AND THAT WILL, THAT WILL JUST, UH, DERAIL THE GOALS AND, UH, THAT THAT CITY STAFF WANT, WANT TO ACHIEVE.
UM, SO I THINK, UH, PERHAPS SOME LONGER DISCUSSIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS, UH, DEVELOPERS WOULD, WOULD BENEFIT THE GOALS THAT CITY STAFF WANT TO GET TO, ULTIMATELY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS REBECCA LANGSTON JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
REBECCA, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAURA VEGA, WHO IS ALSO JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
MY NAME IS LAURA VEGA, AND I'M A PARENT OF TWO UT STUDENTS, ONE RECENT GRADUATE, THE OTHER ONE ON HIS WAY THERE, UM, WHO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY IN WEST CAMPUS.
UH, TONIGHT I'M SPEAKING AGAINST THE UNO EXPANSION AS WRITTEN UNTIL ALL MULTI-HOUSING PROPERTIES, FIVE UNITS OR MORE ARE REQUIRED TO UNDERGO EVALUATIONS EVERY THREE YEARS TO ENSURE PROPERTIES MEET BASELINE SECURITY AND QUALITY STANDARDS.
TRAFFIC STUDIES ARE DONE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE C-P-T-E-D CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN LANGUAGE IS ADDED TO CODE BECAUSE SAFETY NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY, NOT EVEN FOR CONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT.
C-P-T-E-D REQUIREMENTS FOR BASIC SAFETY DESIGN STANDARDS INCLUDE LIGHTING, VISIBILITY AND SECURE BUILDING ACCESS.
I BELIEVE NO BUILDER OR DEVELOPER WILL CHOOSE TO MAINTAIN THESE SAFETY STANDARDS UNLESS IT IS IN THE REQUIRED CODE.
UNO IS FOCUSED ON PUTTING HEADS AND BEDS, BUT THEY'RE NOT LOOKING OUT FOR THE SAFETY AND BEST INTEREST OF THE HEADS OR THE BEDS AS WRITTEN.
I'M SURE YOU KNOW, WEST CAMPUS ALREADY STRUGGLES WITH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT ISSUES, TRESPASSING, ASSAULT, BROKEN ELEVATORS AND GATES, AND SECURE ACCESS DOORS THAT NO LONGER STAY SECURED.
THE AREA CURRENTLY EXPERIENCES PERSISTENT RECURRING CRIME DISORDER AND INADEQUATE MAINTENANCE.
A GROUP I SUPPORT CALLED SAFE HORNS HAS ACTIVELY WORKED TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS, BUT WE CAN'T SUSTAINABLY MAN MANAGE AN EXPANDED PUBLIC PLAZA WITHOUT CITY INTERVENTION.
IT'S LIKE ASKING SOMEONE TO EMPTY THE OCEAN WITH A BUCKET, OVERWHELMING, AND QUITE FRANKLY, IMPOSSIBLE.
WE CANNOT RESPONSIBLY APPROVE MORE HIGH RISES WITHOUT REGULAR SAFETY INSPECTIONS AND CODIFIED SAFETY PRACTICES.
I SUPPORT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT NOT AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR KIDS AND OUR NEIGHBORS.
PLEASE HELP ENSURE WEST CAMPUS IS A SECURE, WELL-MANAGED AND WELCOMING NEIGHBORHOOD BY PRIORITIZING OVERSIGHT AND STANDARDIZED PRACTICES TO ENSURE RESIDENTS SAFETY AND IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN SHAPING POLICIES THAT PRIORITIZE SAFETY AND RESPONSIBLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
OKAY? PLEASE DO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS EXPANSION UNTIL SAFETY IS INCLUDED IN THE CODE.
UM, OUR NEXT SPEAKER, UM, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND BRING HIM UP, IS JOHN SYA
[02:20:01]
SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER 20 IN FAVOR.UM, I'M SPEAKING IN FAVOR OF ALL OF 'EM.
I LIVE AND WORK IN WEST CAMPUS.
I PLAY IN WEST CAMPUS, AND I WORK IN WEST CAMPUS.
SORRY, CAN YOU PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME ON THE RECORD? OH, YES.
UM, I AM A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT NINE.
YES, I LIVE, STUDY, PLAY AND WORK IN WEST CAMPUS.
IS IT, IT IS ALREADY A COMPLETE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT WE CAN'T HESITATE.
WE HAVE TO GO FURTHER AND WE HAVE TO BUILD MORE HOUSING WITH MORE HOUSING COME LOWER PRICES, UH, IN THE TRANSIT CORE AREA, BUT THE LIGHT RAIL'S GONNA PASS THERE.
WHY ARE WE GOING TO HAVE VERY SMALL APARTMENTS RIGHT NEXT TO LIGHT RAIL? DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
UH, RENTS BY UNIT, I UNDERSTAND THAT'S IN THE NEW, UH, MEN IN THE NEW VERSION OF IT THAT WILL BRING IN MORE ACTUAL ADULTS INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WILL HAVE MORE SECURITY BY HAVING, YOU KNOW, NOT YEAR BY YEAR RESIDENTS.
WE'D HAVE ACTUAL FAMILIES LIVING THERE.
UM, YEAH, ME PERSONALLY, I CAME FROM WORK THAT'S WAS A BIT LATE.
UM, LET'S HAVE MORE OF THIS, LET'S HAVE MORE, UH, WORKPLACES THAT ARE NOT, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THINGS, JUST PLACES TO WORK.
UM, AND LET'S BE HONEST, WEST CAMPUS IS NEAR DOWNTOWN.
LIKE IT'S NOT JUST A SELF COMPOSED THING, IT IS PART OF AUSTIN.
AT A CERTAIN POINT, IT WILL HAVE TO HAVE MORE HIGH RISES, AND THAT IS OKAY.
SO PLEASE, Y'ALL, LET'S JUST DO THIS.
LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND DO THE, OH, NO THING AND NOT HAVE TO DO THIS AGAIN NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER OR THE YEAR AFTER, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO ENOUGH OF IT RIGHT NOW.
PLEASE, AS A STUDENT, I THINK IT'S THE BEST THING WE CAN DO FOR AUSTIN AND FOR THE UNIVERSITY AND FOR US AND FOR ME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, CHAIR.
UM, SINCE THAT IS THE END OF OUR PUBLIC TESTIMONY, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING THEN? THIS WOULD BE FOR ITEM 2021 AND 22.
I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER AMIT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER POWELL.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, THAT MOTION PASSES.
THAT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH COMMISSIONER HANEY OFF THE TAES WITH EVERYBODY ELSE IN FAVOR.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, THIS TAKES US TO OUR, UM, Q AND A PER OUR REGULAR RULES.
WE, UM, DO NOT, SINCE WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH THE Q AND A, WE WOULD NOT REGULARLY GO THROUGH ANOTHER ROUND OF Q AND A, BUT I AM OPEN TO CONSIDERING LET'S SAY FIVE QUESTIONS AND FIVE MINUTES.
AND IF WE NEED MORE, WE CAN GO THERE.
BUT I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMEBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE JUMP INTO ACTION, THEY CAN DO THAT.
ANY COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER WOODS, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF, WHICH IS, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY BEDROOMS ON AVERAGE THERE ARE PER UNIT IN UNO, CHER, IF YOU HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS, DO YOU WANNA START WITH THOSE AND MAYBE GIVE STAFF A LITTLE BIT OF TIME? IT SEEMS LIKE THEY MIGHT BE SEARCHING FOR THE DATA.
THIS IS, THIS IS REALLY MY MAIN QUESTION.
MY OTHER QUESTIONS KIND OF GO FROM THERE.
SO WE'LL GIVE STAFF YOU TO DO THAT.
UM, WE, WE HAVE DATA, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE EXACT BEDROOM PER UNIT, BUT WE CAN TRY TO FIGURE OUT REALLY QUICKLY.
DO YOU, I MEAN, DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF WHETHER IT'S MORE THAN TWO BEDROOMS PER UNIT? YES.
APPROXIMATELY THREE AND A HALF? YEAH, APPROXIMATELY THREE AND A HALF.
IS THAT, ARE YOU, IS THAT ACCURATE? SORRY, I DIDN'T HEAR WHERE THAT CAME FROM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YEAH, THOSE BACK HERE.
IT'S AROUND THREE AND HALF TOTAL.
I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK YOU TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE SO THE FOLKS ONLINE CAN SEE AND WE CAN HAVE IT ON RECORD.
UH, AND STAFF, YOU CAN JUMP IN WHENEVER YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION AS WELL.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE, AND I DON'T HAVE ON MY SCREEN EXACTLY THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF BEDS PER UNIT, BUT WE DO HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF THE UNIT MIX FROM VARIOUS SOURCES.
SO FROM THE, UH, AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER TWO BEDS WAS, UM, ABOUT 25%.
UM, LOOKING AT SITE PLAN DATA OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, OVER TWO BEDS WAS
[02:25:01]
CLOSER TO 40%.SO NEWER UNO, DBUO PROJECT OR, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS ARE CLOSER TO BEING ABOVE THAT, BUT THE AVERAGE IS SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN.
AND SIR, DO YOU WANNA PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION? YEAH.
OF THE 31,000 TRACKED, UH, PURPOSE-BUILT STUDENT HOUSING BEDS, IT'S APPROXIMATELY THREE AND A HALF BEDROOMS PER UNIT.
YOU HAVE ANYWHERE FROM STUDIOS TO SIX BEDROOMS. UM, AND THE INFORMATION THAT, UH, WAS JUST REFERENCED SOUNDS APPROXIMATELY RIGHT, AND, UH, IT'S ABOUT THREE AND A HALF BEDS PER UNIT.
SO WHEN YOU SAY PURPOSE-BUILT STUDENT HOUSING, DOES THAT INCLUDE CO-OPS AND SOME OF THE OTHER HOUSING TYPES THAT ARE WITHIN UNO, UH, PURPOSE? UH, WITHIN UNO, YES.
THAT, THAT INCLUDES, UH, ALL UNO PROJECTS.
THAT'S MY ONLY QUESTION, SIR, COULD YOU JUST STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD? THANK YOU.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? UM, COMMISSIONER AMED AND I, WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
UH, SO I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
UH, I WANTED TO KNOW, UM, WITH THE, UH, AFFORDABILITY OPTIONS FOR DEVELOPERS IN U UH, IN UNO, UH, THAT ARE PER UNIT AND, UH, AND OWNERSHIP, THE OWNERSHIP OPTION AND THE PER UNIT OPTION AS OPPOSED TO THE PER BEDROOM OPTION, UH, DO WE HAVE A SENSE FOR HOW ATTRACTIVE THOSE ARE FOR, UH, DEVELOPERS TO PICK? BECAUSE I THINK HAVING MORE CONSTRUCTION THAT IS, THAT HAS THAT, UH, OWNERSHIP AND PER UNIT AFFORDABILITY, UH, UM, OPTION THERE WILL BE IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO GET MORE 365 RESIDENTS OVER TO, UH, WEST CAMPUS.
SO, UH, OWNERSHIP IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER TO CALIBRATE BECAUSE THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO UNO OWNERSHIP PROJECTS.
UM, HOWEVER, THE RENTAL LIMITS, OR SORRY, THE RENTAL BY THE UNIT AND OWNERSHIP BY THE UNIT WAS CALIBRATED, UH, TO BE EQUAL TO THE EQUIVALENT FOR BEDROOM.
SO THAT IS WHY YOU SEE A DIFFERENT PERCENTAGE REQUIRED IF YOU'RE DOING BEDROOM VERSUS UNIT.
DO WE, DID WE TALK TO ANY DEVELOPERS TO GET A SENSE FOR WHETHER OR NOT SOME OF THEM MIGHT SELECT THE BUY UNIT RENTAL OR THE OWNERSHIP OPTION POTENTIALLY, UH, TO GET SOME, UH, DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE BY OWNERSHIP IN THE FUTURE? UH, WE WORK WITH OUR CONSULTANTS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS OR, UH, NO.
IT LOOKS LIKE THERE MAY BE SOME COMMENTS THERE.
I'M NOT, MR. MC, IF YOU WANNA ADD DO THAT.
THERE ARE ALREADY A PURPOSE-BUILT STUDENT.
THE GALILEO AT ON SAN GABRIEL HAS CONVERTED TO, UH, CONDOS.
THE TEXAN TOWER ADJACENT TO IT.
IT FOLLOWS THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S GUIDELINES FOR SALES, UH, THE AFFORDABLE UNITS THAT ARE IN THOSE UNITS.
AND ONE OF THOSE PROJECTS THE OWNER HAS HELD.
UH, YOU'VE GOTTA REALIZE THAT THOSE PROJECTS ARE TIMING OUT OF THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT, WHICH WAS 15 YEARS UP UNTIL 2017.
SO THE PROJECTS WERE BUILT FROM 25 2005 TO 2017, UH, ARE EVERY YEAR.
SOME OF THEM ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO MEET THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT AS DESIRED BY THE CITY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE MARKET RATE HAS KEPT THE RATES DOWN SO THAT THE UNITS REMAIN AFFORDABLE EVEN THEN.
UM, COMMISSIONER AHMAD, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER FOLLOW UPS? UH, NOT AT THIS TIME.
UM, YES, I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE AFFORDABILITY ISSUES THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
AND I KNOW THAT SOME OF THAT WILL BE HANDLED UNDER CHAPTER FOUR 18, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE SEEN THE UPDATED, UM, LANGUAGE FOR THAT.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHEN WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT'LL LOOK LIKE SPECIFICALLY? UH, SO WHEN YOU SAY AFFORDABILITY, SORRY, THE RENTAL PROTECTIONS AND SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL, UH, YES.
YEAH, THE CODE, UH, LANGUAGE IS, UH, IN BACKUP.
UM, IT'S ONE OF THE ATTACHMENTS FOR CHAPTER FOUR.
THE FOUR 18 DRAFT ORDINANCE IS, IS IN THERE.
AND THEN I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT HAD COME UP REPEATEDLY WAS HOW WE COULD ENSURE THAT WITH SOME OF THESE PROJECTS FALL POTENTIALLY FALLING UNDER DBE E TODD, INSTEAD OF POTENTIALLY UNO, HOW THE CHAPTER FOUR 18 REQUIREMENTS WOULD BE ALIGNED, UH, IN TERMS OF ENSURING THAT STUDENTS HAD PROTECTIONS UNDER BOTH TYPES OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENTS, NOT JUST UNDER UNO, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
[02:30:01]
ORDINANCE CURRENTLY FOUR 18, UH, CREATES A NEW REFERENCE FOR DB UNO.SO IT WOULD NOT APPLY, UH, NECESSARILY TO DBE TODD.
UM, YOU CAN MAKE A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND HOW FOUR 18, UM, IS FORMATTED OR THE DRAFT ORDINANCE IS FORMATTED.
WELL, JUST I GUESS TO FOLLOW THAT SAME TRAIN OF THOUGHT, IF WE, UM, WANTED STUDENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAD PROTECTIONS UNDER BOTH THE E UH, DVE TODD BUILDINGS IN AND AROUND UNO AS WELL AS IN THE NEW UNO BUILDINGS, WE WOULD NEED TO CHANGE THAT LANGUAGE IN FOUR 18, CORRECT? YEAH.
FOR NEW REQUIREMENTS, UH, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AMENDED TO APPLY TO ANY OTHER DENSITY BONUS.
I GUESS THAT REFERENCES, AS YOU KNOW, THAT PART OF FOUR 18.
AND, AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, IS THERE A CONCERN THAT DBE TODD PROJECTS WOULD NOT HAVE THOSE PROTECTIONS AND THEREFORE STUDENTS WHO ARE LIVING IN THOSE BUILDINGS WOULD BE SUBJECT TO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING TODAY IN UNO? IS THAT A CONCERN THAT IS SHARED BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT? UH, YEAH.
I MEAN, SOME OF THE CONCERNS ARE, YOU KNOW, OR SOME OF THE PROVISIONS IN FOUR 18 ARE SOME THAT STAFF WOULD RECOMMEND CITYWIDE REALLY, UM, ORENS BONUSES THAT HAVE FOUR 18 APPLYING.
AND THEN I, I THINK TONIGHT WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERNS REGARDING SAFETY AND SORT OF MAINTENANCE ISSUES IN AND AROUND THE UNO AREA.
OBVIOUSLY THOSE ARE, SOME OF THOSE ISSUES WE UNDERSTAND ARE MORE CODE COMPLIANCE AND WHATNOT, AND SOME OF THEM ARE NOT NECESSARILY THINGS WE WOULD WANT TO INCLUDE IN AN UNO ORDINANCE.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT PLEASE? YEAH, SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE UNO ORDINANCE IS REALLY ZONING AND LAND USE.
UM, AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, SOME OF THOSE ARE MORE RELATED TO CODE COMPLIANCE.
THE PROGRAM DOES INCLUDE SOME OF, UH, KIND OF THE DESIGN FOR SAFETY, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, ENHANCED STREET SCAPING, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, OCCUPANT SPACE BEING PART OF THE FRONTAGE, SO THERE'S MORE EYES ON THE STREET, UH, STREET LIGHTING BEING REQUIRED AS PART OF THAT, UH, STREET FURNISHING.
SO SOME OF THE, UM, SAFETY CONCERNS ARE BEING ADDRESSED THROUGH WHAT CAN BE DONE IN ZONING.
UH, BUT AS YOU MENTIONED, SOME OF THE OTHER ONES ARE REALLY MORE ABOUT CODE COMPLIANCE, UM, AND KIND OF BUILDING CODE.
THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS, CHAIR.
COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER LAN? DID I, NO.
DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, COMMISSIONER POWELL.
SO WE HEARD A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS TONIGHT, ALSO GOT REACHED OUT TO BY A FEW COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT THE MINIMUM LAW AREA PROVISION, UM, SAYING THAT IT'S CURRENTLY IN UNO, UH, BUT WAS NOT IN THIS SPECIFIC DRAFT.
DID I MISS IT IN THE DRAFT OR, UH, COULD YOU GIVE A BIT MORE CONTEXT ON THAT? UH, IT WAS MEANT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT, SO WE'RE AMENABLE TO THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I, UM, YOU KNOW, CIRCULATE THROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, OF AN AMENDMENT TO RE-ADD THAT BACK IN.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU CONFIRMING THAT.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON? OKAY.
UM, JUST LAYING IT OUT FOR FOLKS SO THAT WE CAN, JUST A REMINDER ON HOW WE GO THROUGH THE CODE ITEMS. JUST IN TERMS OF PROCESS, IF I CAN WALK FOLKS THROUGH.
SO OUR FIRST, UM, ACTION WILL OF COURSE BE, UH, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD WITH A BASE MOTION.
AND THE BASE MOTION WOULD LIKE TO BE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
WE WOULD START THERE AND THEN WE GO THROUGH OUR AMENDMENT PROCESS.
JUST A REMINDER FOR OUR AMENDMENT PROCESS, UH, WE HAD PRE SHARED AMENDMENTS THAT WERE CREATED BY, UH, SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER, THE WAY TO DO THAT IS WE'LL GO THROUGH ALL OF THOSE.
THOSE ARE POSTED IN BACKUP AND ARE ALSO AT THIS POINT ONLINE.
WE WILL GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM.
AND IF ANYBODY WISHES TO PULL ANY OF THOSE FOR DISCUSSION, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND DO THAT.
IF YOU HAVE A SIMILAR MOTION IN MIND, YOU WILL NEED TO PULL THE ITEM BECAUSE WE CANNOT APPROVE AN AMENDMENT AND HAVE ANOTHER AMENDMENT THAT WOULD BE SIMILAR IN NATURE.
SO IF THERE'S AN AMENDMENT THAT YOU HAVE THAT MATCHES WITH WHAT YOU SEE ON SCREEN OR IN YOUR NOTES, GO AHEAD AND PULL THAT.
WE'LL GO TO THE CONSENT ONES FIRST.
AFTER THAT, WE GO TO EACH OF THE ONES THAT ARE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION ONE BY ONE.
AND THEN WE GO TO A, A ROUND OF INDIVIDUAL AMENDMENTS FOR THOSE THAT HAD NOT BEEN SHARED IN ADVANCE.
AND WE'LL GO ESSENTIALLY BY THE ORDER THAT I HAVE.
THAT IS WHERE OUR REGULAR, UM, RULES LEAVE US.
IF THERE IS A NEED OR WANT, UH, TO DO MORE ROUNDS OF INDIVIDUAL AMENDMENTS, WE CAN CONSIDER THAT AS WELL, AS LONG AS WE HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY THAT VOTES IN FAVOR.
ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GET STARTED? OKAY, IN THAT CASE, DO I HAVE A BASE MOTION, WHICH WOULD BE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ITEMS 2021 AND 22? I HAVE A MOTION.
MOTION STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR ITEMS 2021 AND 22.
AND I SEE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
JUST GONNA MAKE A NOTE OF THAT BEFORE I FORGET IT.
AS WE GET TO THE END,
THANK YOU STAFF FOR PULLING THIS UP.
[02:35:01]
REMINDER, THESE AMENDMENTS HAVE ALSO, UH, THEY'RE POSTED TO THE BACKUP.THESE SHOULD BE THE V TWO AMENDMENTS.
UM, AND SINCE THESE WERE POSTED YESTERDAY, WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS OF FOLKS WHO WANTED MORE DETAIL ON THE MAP.
SO YOU'LL SEE IN THE LATEST VERSION, WHICH IS THE V TWO, POST-IT TO BACKUP AND WAS SHARED WITH COMMISSIONERS TODAY.
IT INCLUDES, UH, LARGER VERSIONS OF THE MAP SO FOLKS CAN SORT OF FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED IN GOING THROUGH THESE.
ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO POLL ANY, UM, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
UM, AND I SHOULD BE CLEAR, WE WORKED ON THESE AMENDMENTS WITH COMMISSIONER WOODS, MAXWELL, MYSELF, ANDERSON, UH, COMMISSIONER AHMED AND COMMISSIONER PER RAMIREZ.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK ON THESE.
I SHOULD, UH, HAVE MENTIONED THESE ARE THE REFERENCES TO 14, BUT OUR AMENDMENTS, THESE ARE GENERAL AMENDMENTS ONLY ARE TO THE UNU ORDINANCE ONLY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE POSTED TO TAKE ACTION ON, NOT FOUR 18.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS A GENERAL AMENDMENT REGARDING PRELEASING LIMITATIONS.
I HAVE AN AMENDMENT RELATED TO THIS, SO I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND PULL THIS.
UM, NUMBER TWO IS, UM, ON CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN OR CITED.
THIS IS A GENERAL AMENDMENT TO REQUIRE WALKWAY AND COMMON AREA LIGHTING BEEP HOLES OR DOOR VIEWERS AND DEADBOLT LOCKS ON EACH DWELLING UNIT DOOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN CITED STANDARDS.
I WOULD LIKE TO PULL THAT ONE PLEASE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER LATIN.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND PULL THAT.
UM, AND COMMISSIONERS ONLINE WE CAN SEE YOU, BUT YOU ARE SMALLER, SO YOU MIGHT NEED TO SPEAK UP.
UH, JUST SO THAT WE, YOU CAN CATCH OUR ATTENTION.
NUMBER THREE IS ANOTHER CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN.
THIS IS A GENERAL AMENDMENT FOR STAFF SHOULD CONSIDER DEVELOPING A POLICY TO REQUIRE SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEMS IN PUBLIC SPACES AND LIMIT THIRD PARTY DATA SHARING AND FOOTAGE RETENTION.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS ONE? THIS REMAINS ON CONSENT.
UM, THAT TAKES US NUMBER FOUR.
UM, THIS IS RELATED TO TOWER SPACING.
SO WE'RE ASKING FOR THE TOWER SPACING REQUIREMENTS IN 25 DASH TWO DASH 6 56 M TO BE REMOVED.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS ITEM? OKAY, THAT TAKES US TO NUMBER FIVE.
SORRY, I'M JUST MAKING SURE I TAKE A NOTE OF THIS.
UH, NUMBER FIVE ARE THE GATEKEEPER COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
THIS WOULD REMOVE THE GATEKEEPER COMMUNITY BENEFIT OPTIONS, UH, REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SUBDISTRICTS.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF RELATED ONES.
NUMBER SIX IS, UH, A REQUIREMENT THAT ALL DEVELOPMENTS IN UNO REGARDLESS OF SUBDISTRICT.
UM, THERE'S A REQUIREMENT TO HAVE AT LEAST 75% OF THE BUILDING FRONTAGE ALONG THE PRINCIPLED STREET AND ON THE GROUND FLOOR FOR BUILDING MUST CONTAIN ONE OR MORE LOCAL USES AND MUST COMPLY WITH THE DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOUND IN SECTION 4.3.
POINT THREE POINT IN SUBCHAPTER E DESIGN STANDARDS AND MIXED USE.
A LOBBY SERVING A USE OTHER THAN A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED LOCAL USE IS NOT COUNTED AS A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED LOCAL USE.
THIS REQUIREMENT IS WAIVED FOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT INCLUDE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE OR GROCERY STORE THAT IS AT LEAST 2,500 SQUARE FOOT.
WHEN CALCULATING THE NET LENGTH OF THE BUILDING FRONTAGE, THE FOLLOWING SHALL BE EXCLUDED.
EMERGENCY EXITS, REQUIRED UTILITY CONNECTIONS, AND ANY OTHER SERVICE COMPONENTS REQUIRED BY THE BUILDING OR OTHER CODES AND REQUIREMENTS.
I'D LIKE TO PULL THIS ONE, NOTING THAT COMMISSIONER WOODS, THAT ONE IS PULLED.
THAT TAKES US TO NUMBER SEVEN.
THIS IS, UH, INCENTIVIZING GROCERY STORES.
A DEVELOPMENT THAT INCLUDES A GROCERY STORE THAT IS A MINIMUM OF 2,500 SQUARE FOOT IN SIZE IS ALLOWED TO WAIVE THE PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED COMMERCIAL USES REQUIREMENT AND WAIVE THE ABOVE GROUND PARKING LIMITATION OR 40 AND 60% OF PARKING SPACES PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED BY APPENDIX AND THE APPROPRIATE SUBDISTRICTS.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS? OKAY, THIS STAYS ON.
I'M SORRY, I'M JUST TRYING TO, UM, NUMBER EIGHT IS, UM, TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE.
TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE MAY BE REQUIRED BY THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IN ANY DEVELOPMENT IN DB UNO.
IF AN APPLICANT PROVIDES TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT IS REDUCED BY 2%.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT IS AUTHORIZED TO REDUCE THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT BY MORE THAN 2% OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS AGREED THAT THE VALUE OF THE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE IS GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO THE VALUE OF THE REDUCTION.
THE DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT MAY NOT REDUCE THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENT TO LESS THAN ONE RESIDENTIAL UNIT OR THE EQUIVALENT OF THE FEE AND LEAVE FOR ONE, UM, OWNERSHIP UNIT CHAIR.
OKAY, THAT TAKES US TO, UM, NUMBER NINE.
THIS IS REGARDING PARKING STRUCTURAL LIMITATIONS.
THIS WOULD REMOVE ALL STORY REQUIREMENTS FOR ABOVE GROUND PARKING, GARAGE STRUCTURES, REVISED PARKING REQUIREMENTS SO THAT A DEVELOPMENT IN THE OUTER WEST SUBDISTRICT 90 FEET ALLOWABLE HEIGHT IS LIMITED TO 60% OF SPACES PREVIOUSLY REQUIRED BY APPENDIX A AND IS LIMITED TO, UH, AND PARKING IS LIMITED TO 40%
[02:40:01]
OF SPACES IN ALL OTHER SUBDISTRICTS.THERE'S NO LIMITATION ON UNDERGROUND PARKING IN ALL SUBDISTRICTS.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS ONE? NONE.
UM, THIS IS A GROCERY STORE DEFINITION.
THIS IS A GENERAL AMENDMENT TO REVISE GROCERY STORE DEFINITION TO REQUIRE PRODUCE AND FRESH FOOD SALES.
THERE'S AN EXAMPLE IN THE NOTES AND I'LL READ IT VERBATIM.
A FULL SERVICE GROCERY STORE OF SUFFICIENT SIZE AND VOLUME TO PROVIDE FOR THE NEEDS OF SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD, OFFERING A WIDE VARIETY OF FRESH, FROZEN AND CANNED AND PREPARED FOODS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, A VARIETY OF FRESH MEATS, POULTRY AND SEAFOOD.
A WIDE SELECTION OF FRESH PRODUCE, INCLUDING A SELECTION OF DIFFERENT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, A SELECTION OF BAKED GOODS AND A WIDE ARRAY OF DAIRY PRODUCTS, INCLUDING CHEESES AND A WIDE VARIETY OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS, PAPER GOODS AND TOILETRY ITEMS. ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS ITEM? NOT SEEING THAT THIS STAYS ON.
THIS TAKES US TO NUMBER 11, WHICH WOULD ADD CIVIC USES AS ALLOWABLE LOCAL USES TO THE LIST OF PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED USES.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THAT? NONE.
LOCAL COMMERCIAL USES A DEVELOPMENT IN ALL.
SUBDISTRICTS CAN INCLUDE LOCAL USES WITH NO SQUARE FOOTAGE, FLOOR LIMITATION, REGARDLESS OF THE BASE ZONING.
IF A DEVELOPMENT HAS MORE THAN THREE FLOORS OF NON-RESIDENTIAL USES, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PAY AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING FEE AND LEAVE FOR THAT ADDITIONAL NON-RESIDENTIAL SQUARE FOOTAGE.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS ITEM? OKAY, THIS STAYS, THAT TAKES US TO NUMBER 13, UH, WHICH IS THE HOTEL MOTEL USE.
A HOTEL MOTEL USE IS ALLOWED IN ALL SUBDISTRICTS WITH NO SQUARE FOOTAGE SLASH FLOOR LIMITATION REGARDLESS OF PAY ZONING FOR HOTEL MOTEL USE TO UTILIZE THE BONUS HEIGHT OR UTILIZE THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARD UNDER DB OO.
THE DEVELOPMENT SHOULD PROVIDE HOTEL MOTEL USE FEE, LIE TO THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT HOUSING TRUST FUND FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE HOTEL MOTEL USE.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS ITEM? OKAY, THIS STAYS AS WELL.
THIS IS FOR THE SUBDISTRICT BOUNDARIES AND A AGAIN, REMINDER, UM, Y I'M NOT SURE HOW TO SORT OF EXPLAIN THIS, BUT I'LL WALK THROUGH THE BEST THAT I CAN.
UM, CAN WE SCROLL DOWN TO THE MAPS AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT CHAIR? I'D LIKE TO PULL THIS ONE.
OKAY, SO WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND PULL IT.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ANDERSON FOR HELPING THAT ONE.
UM, NUMBER 15 IS THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS AND THEY'RE ASSOCIATED WITH NUMBER 14.
DO WE WISH TO PULL THAT ONE AS WELL? YES.
SO NUMBER 15 IS PULLED AS WELL.
UM, THIS TAKES US TO NUMBER 16.
THIS IS THE APPLICABILITY OF CHANGES.
SO NEW REGULATIONS AND ZONING CHANGES SHALL NOT APPLY TO THE TWO PROPERTY PARCELS SOUTH OF HOLE IN THE WALL ALONG GOD, LUPUS STREET.
UM, THE NOTE RELATED TO THIS IS THESE LOTS ARE LIKELY TO BE UTILIZED FOR FUTURE ROAD EXPANSION AS JEAN KEAN IS EXTENDED AS PART OF VARIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS TO MINIMIZE IMPACT ON ANY HOUSING OR EXPANDED COMMERCIAL LOCAL USERS IN THE FUTURE, INCLUDING ANY DISPLACEMENT IMPACT ON RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS OWNERS.
THESE SITES, THESE SITES SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM THESE CHANGES.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL? NUMBER 16? HEARING NONE THAT STAYS, THAT TAKES US TO NUMBER 17, WHICH IS PARK FUNDING.
UM, THIS IS A GENERAL AMENDMENT TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEDICATE PARKLAND FEES AND OTHER RESOURCES TO PEACE PARK, EASTWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD PARK AND OTHER NEARBY PARKS.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS ONE? HEARING NONE.
17 STAYS NUMBER 18 IS RELATED TO MOBILITY FUNDING.
THIS IS A GENERAL AMENDMENT TO EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO UTILIZE FUNDS GENERATED FROM THE PARKING BENEFITS DISTRICT TO PROVIDE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY TO PEACE PARK.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS ITEM? NOT HEARING ANY 18 STAYS.
THAT TAKES SEPTEMBER 19, WHICH IS A TRANSPORTATION STUDY, A GENERAL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES TO CONDUCT A TRANSPORTATION STUDY OF THE DB UNO SLASH WEST CAMPUS AREA AND COORDINATION WITH A TP AND CAP METRO.
ANYBODY WISHING TO PULL THIS? OKAY.
AND THE LAST ONE IS NUMBER 20, WHICH IS RELATED TO BICYCLE PARKING AND BIKE SHARE.
IT'S A GENERAL AMENDMENT TO ALIGN BICYCLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS WITH PREVIOUS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND INCENTIVIZE BIKE SHARE FACILITIES.
WHERE POSSIBLE CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO PULL THIS ONE.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND LIST THESE.
SOMEONE PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I GOT ANYTHING WRONG.
SO CURRENTLY WE ARE PULLING AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO, AMENDMENT NUMBER SIX, AMENDMENT NUMBER 7, 8, 14, 15 AND 20.
DID I MISS ANYTHING? I DIDN'T HAVE SEVEN.
SEVEN IS ACTUALLY NOT, I'VE CROSSED IT OUT.
THAT'S AGAIN, 1, 2, 6, 8, 14, 15, AND 20 HAVE BEEN PULLED IN.
WHICH CASE DO I HAVE A MOTION TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE FROM THESE PRE SHARED AMENDMENTS? AMENDMENTS NUMBER 3, 4, 5, 7 9, 10 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19.
[02:45:04]
IS THERE A MOTION COMMISSIONER AMBIT MAKES A MOTION.DO I HAVE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER LAN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY A OR RAISE YOUR HANDS OR YOUR GREEN CARDS.
THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH INCLUDING ALL OF OUR, UM, COMMISSIONERS ONLINE.
THIS TAKES US TO AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE, WHICH I HAD POLLED, UH, BASED ON SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED TODAY FROM THE UNIVERSITY TENANTS UNION.
I WANTED TO MAKE A SLIGHT LANGUAGE AMENDMENT TO THIS.
IT JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT THE AMENDMENT IS AND THEN STAFF CAN CONSIDER IT WHEREVER IT MAKES SENSE.
THIS WOULD BE A GENERAL AMENDMENT AND IT WOULD STATE EARLY LEASE RENEWALS AND NEW LEASES SHOULD BE LIMITED TO NO EARLIER THAN FIVE MONTHS FROM THE RENEWED LEASE OR MOVE IN DATE, EXCEPT FOR GROUP RESIDENTIAL USES.
AND I SO REMINDER, I CAN STATE IT AS A MOTION IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR CONCERNS REGARDING THIS.
THE, THE ONLY NEW ADDITION BEING WHAT YOU SAID AFTER THE COMMA, THE GROUP LEASES.
UM, SO ACTUALLY IT JUST SIMPLIFIES THE LANGUAGE.
SO INSTEAD OF USING THE CODE LANGUAGE, IT JUST SAYS FOR THIS IS WHAT IT'S DOING, THREE THINGS.
ONE, IT'S SAYING FOR, UM, EARLY LEASING FOR RENEWAL OF LEASE, YOU'RE LIMITED TO FIVE MONTHS.
IF YOU WANT TO DO NEW LEASES, IT SHOULD BE LIMITED AS WELL.
AND THEN, UH, THIS WOULD NOT APPLY TO GROUP RESIDENTIAL USES.
UM, JUST TO RESTATE, PARE IT BACK TO MAKE SURE I'M SUPER ON THE SAME PAGE, THIS WOULD MAKE SURE THAT THIS APPLIES TO RENEWALS AS WELL AS THE FIRST LEASE, CORRECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
YEAH, I, I SUPPORT THAT AND UH, UH, I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD INPUT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S REALLY CLEAR.
COMMISSIONER WOODS, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.
CAN YOU JUST GIVE SOME, UH, CLARIFICATION AROUND EXEMPTING GROUP RESIDENTIAL USES FROM THIS? UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE HAD THIS CONCERN COMING FROM THE CO-OPS BECAUSE I THINK THEY HAVE A PRETTY UNIQUE STRUCTURE BY WHICH THEY'RE DOING LEASING, PARTICULARLY LOOKING AT HOW THEY'RE SORT OF MAPPING THEIR FUTURE YEARS OR TYING IT TO OTHER KINDS OF THINGS.
SO WE WANTED TO LEAVE OUT THAT IMPACT ON THEM, CONSIDERING THAT MOST OF THEM ARE, AT LEAST IN WEST CAMPUS, ARE MISSION DRIVEN AND ARE WORKING TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH SERVICES, UM, AS PART OF THEIR MISSION.
UM, JUST AS A MATTER OF INTEREST, THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT THIS CHANGE WOULD BE A GENERAL AMENDMENT THAT SHOULD BE ADOPTED INTO THE FOUR 18.
SINCE WE'RE NOT, UM, FOUR 18 DOES NOT COME TO US.
THAT IS NOT UNDER OUR PURVIEW AS A BODY.
WE'RE JUST MAKING A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF TO CONSIDER THIS AND MAKING IT TO FOUR 18 OR WHEREVER ELSE IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE.
AND JUST AS A MATTER OF INTEREST, UM, DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF THE TIMELINE OR WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT STEPS IN SORT OF ENSURING THAT THIS IS CODIFIED? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT I FEEL LIKE STAFF CAN SPEAK BETTER TO IT.
UH, FOUR 18 HAS BEEN POSTED TO OUR BACKUP AND I THINK MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT GOES TO COUNCIL ON THE SAME DATE AS UNO AND WILL BE ADOPTED AT THE SAME TIME.
MR. PANI, IF YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING? YES, THAT IS OUR PLAN TO BRING AMENDMENTS TO FOUR 18 ON JUNE 5TH AT THE SAME TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IF NOT, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND STATE THIS AS AN AMENDMENT AND I'LL NEED A SECOND ON THIS.
I'M MAKING AN AMENDMENT FOR EARLY, UH, GENERAL AMENDMENT FOR EARLY LEASE RENEWALS.
AND NEW LEASES SHOULD BE LIMITED TO NO EARLIER THAN FIVE MONTHS FROM THE RENEWED LEASE OR MOVE IN DATE, EXCEPT FOR GROUP RESIDENTIAL USES.
I HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER POWELL.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.
UM, UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE OR RAISE YOUR HANDS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
THIS TAKES US TO, UH, NUMBER TWO FROM THE SPREADSHEET.
THIS WAS PULLED BY COMMISSIONER LAMB.
COMMISSIONER LAMB, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, HEARING THE TESTIMONY FROM SAFE HORNS TONIGHT, I LIKE TO ADD A LITTLE BIT OF ROBUST LANGUAGE TO THIS AMENDMENT SPECIFICALLY, UM, INCLUDING MENTION OF LIGHTING, NOT JUST GENERAL LIGHTING, BUT INCLUDING PUBLIC AND SEMI-PUBLIC SPACES.
ALSO INCLUDING LANGUAGE ON FENCING VISIBILITY INCLUDING EITHER LOWER OR NONSOLID FENCES.
ALSO EXPANDING EXPANDED CONTROL, AIR, AIR, EXPANDED CONTROL, ACCESS TO BEYOND JUST INDIVIDUAL DOORS TO LOCKABLE GATES OR CARD ACCESS TO GENERAL BUILDINGS AND REQUIREMENT OF MAINTENANCE, REGULAR UPKEEP AND RAPID CLEANUP OF PUBLIC AREAS TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL STEWARDSHIP AND DISCOURAGE CRIME.
LASTLY, I'D LIKE TO ASK THE STAFF TO WORK WITH SAFE HORNS TO ADD LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ENHANCE SAFETY STANDARDS.
AND ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS RELATED TO THAT? COMMISSIONERS CHAIR? I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS THIS A ROBUST ENOUGH CHANGE THAT IS, IT SHOULD BE A SEPARATE AMENDMENT OR I'M GUESS I'M CURIOUS HOW THIS CAN, COULD BE COMBINED.
IT IS GERMANE ENOUGH THAT WE CAN CONSIDER IT AS A, ESSENTIALLY A SUBSTITUTION FOR THE
[02:50:01]
AMENDMENT.SO THIS WOULD BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE LISTED AS AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO? YES.
ARE YOU INTENDING IT AS A SUBSTITUTE OR, OR IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S LISTED AS TWO? I THINK THERE'S GOOD LANGUAGE IN PLACE, UM, THAT MENTIONS LIGHTING AND SAFETY.
SO I GUESS THAT'LL BE YEAH, NOT IN SUBSTITUTION.
SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S ADDING LANGUAGE TO THIS AMENDMENT.
COMMISSIONER MCELROY, SORRY, I I I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT THIS IS EXPANDING THE SCOPE, INCLUDING SOME ITEMS THAT I THINK THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED IN THE WORKING GROUP THAT MIGHT NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR AS A CODE ITEM.
SO I, I WOULD PREFER POTENTIALLY IF THERE WAS AN INTEREST IN DOING TWO SEPARATE AMENDMENTS BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY'RE BOTH VALID, BUT ONE IS APPROPRIATE FOR A, YOU KNOW, UPDATE AS A CODE ITEM AND ONE MIGHT BE MORE GENERAL RECOMMENDATION FOR AS A REVIEW ITEM, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
BUT I DON'T WANT TO, I DEFER TO THE MOTION MAKER COMMISSIONER LAND.
DO YOU HAVE A, ANY THOUGHT ON THAT? I'M GOING TO DEFER TO YOU CHAIR
UM, SO I GUESS TO CLARIFY THIS, LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO TWO AND DO IT THEM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH FOLKS.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS, UH, NUMBER TWO, AS WRITTEN GETS, LET'S GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT MOTION.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE, UH, NUMBER TWO FROM THE PRE-APPROVED, UH, AMENDMENTS TO HAVE A SECOND.
I'M SORRY, LET ME JUST MAKE A NOTE OF THAT.
SO THIS IS A MOTION BY MYSELF SECONDED BY WORDS.
NOW, COMMISSIONER LAND, DO YOU WANNA LAY DOWN YOUR SIMILAR AMENDMENT AS WELL? WE'LL NOTE IT AS TWO B.
WHAT'S A PROCEDURE TO DO THAT? UM, YOU CAN RESTATE, I THINK YOU HAD ALREADY TALKED ABOUT IT, SO IF YOU WANT YOU CAN JUST RESTATE YOUR MOTION AND UH, WE'LL SEE IF YOU GET A SECOND.
UM, I LIKE TO EXPAND LANGUAGE ON LIGHTING TO SPECIFICALLY INCLUDE PUBLIC AND SEMI-PUBLIC PLACES, LANGUAGE ON FENCING, VISIBILITY, INCLUDING LOWER OR NONS SOLID GATES.
LANGUAGE ON EXPANDED CONTROL, ACCESS TO BEYOND INDIVIDUAL DOORS TO LOCK ALL GATES OR CARD ACCESS LANGUAGE ON REQUIREMENT OF MAINTENANCE, REGULAR UPKEEP AND RAPID CLEANUP OF PUBLIC AREAS TO ENCOURAGE LOCAL STEWARDSHIP AND DISCOURAGE CRIME AND ASKING THE STAFF TO WORK WITH SAFE HORN STAFF ANY ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE THAT WOULD ENHANCE SAFETY STANDARDS.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON, DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SECOND THAT MOTION THAT SAYS LAN AZAR.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE OR RAISE YOUR HANDS.
UM, IN ONE FAVOR, IF I CAN ASK OF COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE WORKING ON AMENDMENTS, WHETHER THAT'S INDIVIDUAL OR CHANGES TO THE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PRE SHARED, CAN YOU PLEASE EMAIL YOUR LANGUAGE TO COMMISSIONER WOODS? IF YOU HAVE LANGUAGE, PLEASE SHARE IT WITH COMMISSIONER WOODS.
THIS TAKES US TO AMENDMENT NUMBER SIX, WHICH COMMISSIONER WOODS YOU HAD PULLED.
I WOULD LIKE TO SIMPLY ADD THE FOLLOWING TO THE SENTENCE.
THIS REQUIREMENT IS WAIVED FOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT INCLUDE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE OR A GROCERY STORE THAT IS 2,500 SQUARE FEET OR MORE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD OR GROUP RESIDENTIAL USES TO THE END OF THAT SENTENCE.
SO THE INTENT IS JUST TO EXEMPT GROUP RESIDENTIAL USES FROM THAT FIRST FLOOR COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENT.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? CHAIR? YES.
COMMISSIONER, JUST TO CLARIFY WHAT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER GROUP RESIDENTIAL CHAIR, COMMISSIONER WOODS.
SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT WOULD BE COOPERATIVE HOUSING AND THEN FRATERNITY AND SORORITY HOUSES.
AND THE IDEA HERE BEING THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A UNIQUE SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE COMMERCIAL WOULDN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS MAKE SENSE IF THEY DID REDEVELOPMENT.
GREAT, THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
IT, IT DOES MAKE ME WONDER, WOULD IT BE SIMPLER TO MAYBE JUST CALL OUT CO-OPS AND FRATERNITY SORORITY HOUSES SPECIFICALLY IN THAT, OR ARE WE CONFIDENT IN THE DEFINITION GOOD TO GO THERE? SO TECHNICALLY CO-OPS AND FRATERNITY AND SORORITY IS NOT A USE LISTED IN OUR LISTED USES, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING GROUP RESIDENTIAL, BUT HOPEFULLY STAFF ALSO UNDERSTANDS, UM, THE INTENT BEHIND IT AND THEY CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT INTENT CARRIES FORWARD.
COMMISSIONER WOODS, DO YOU WANNA LAY IT DOWN AS AN AMENDMENT? SURE.
SO THE AMENDMENT AS AMENDED WOULD STATE REQUIRE THAT AN ALL DEVELOPMENTS IN UNA, REGARDLESS OF SUBDISTRICT AT LEAST 75% OF THE BUILDING FRONTAGE ALONG THE PRINCIPAL STREET AND ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF A BUILDING, MUST CONTAIN ONE OR MORE LOCAL USES AND MUST COMPLY WITH THE DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOUND IN SECTION 4.3, THREE POINT C IN SUB CHAPTER E DESIGN STANDARDS AND MIXED USE
[02:55:01]
A LOBBY SERVING A USE OTHER THAN A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED LOCAL USES NOT COUNTED AS A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED LOCAL USE.THIS REQUIREMENT IS WAIVED FOR DEVELOPMENTS THAT INCLUDE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE OR A GROCERY STORE THAT IS 2,500 SQUARE FEET OR MORE, OR GROUP RESIDENTIAL USES WHEN CALCULATING THE NET LENGTH OF THE BUILDING, FRONTED TO THE FOLLOWING SHALL BE EXCLUDED.
EMERGENCY EXITS, REQUIRED UTILITY CONNECTIONS AND OTHER SERVICE COMPONENTS REQUIRED BY THE BUILDING OR OTHER CODES AND REQUIREMENTS.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? MAY GIMME A SECOND, THEN WE CAN DO A QUESTION.
WE HAVE A SECOND FROM, UH, COMMISSIONER LAN.
COMMISSIONER M IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR, YEAH, I HAD, UH, ONE MORE, UH, QUESTION FOR, UH, UH, ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR AMENDMENT.
SO IF WE HAVE A NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT'S BUILT UNDER UNO FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, HIGHER HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS, UH, AND IT IS BEING USED BY A FRATERNITY OR SORORITY OR CO-OP HOUSING, UH, THAT TYPE OF HIGHER HEIGHT BUILDING, UH, IT WOULD, IN WHAT SITUATIONS WOULD YOU SEE GROUND FLOOR RETAIL NOT BE APPLICABLE TO, UH, KIND OF A HIGHER HEIGHT BUILDING THAT HAPPENS TO HOUSE, UH, FRATERNITIES OR SORORITIES OR CO-OPS? YEAH, I THINK THE INTENT IS FOR CO-OPS OR FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES TO BE ABLE TO REDEVELOP ON EXISTING LAND THAT THEY OWN, ESPECIALLY LAND THAT MIGHT CURRENTLY BE USED AS PARKING, UM, ON A SMALLER SCALE, BUT NOT HAVE TO DO THE GROUND FLOOR COMMERCIAL REQUIREMENT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AN ONEROUS REQUIREMENT FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, COOPERATIVELY OWNED OR FRATERNITY OR SORORITY HOUSE OWNED HOMES TO MAINTAIN THOSE LEASES.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? AND, AND ALSO COMMISSIONER M WE DID RECEIVE, UH, FEEDBACK FROM SOME OF THE CO-OPS TODAY.
I'M NOT SURE WHO ALL IT WENT TO, BUT I REMEMBER BY EMAIL WE, WE RECEIVED IT TO SAY THAT COULD THEY BE PROVIDED SOME FLEXIBILITY? THAT'S HELPFUL.
OKAY, SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WOODS, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LAN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY I RAISE YOUR HANDS.
COMMISSIONER BAR RAMIREZ, YOUR YES AS WELL.
I'M VEERING INTO THIS SCREEN AS MUCH AS I CAN.
I DO NOT HAVE THE BEST EYESIGHT.
THIS TAKES US TO AMENDMENT NUMBER EIGHT, THE TRANSPORT INSTRUCTURE, WHICH COMMISSIONER LAT YOU HAD PULLED AS WELL.
YES, I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE INCLUDE LANGUAGE, UM, THAT THE, TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT MUST WORK WITH THE LOCAL TRANSIT AGENCY TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXPAND LANGUAGE ON THE TRANSIT MODES TO INCLUDE FIX RAIL BUSES, BIKE SHARE, MICRO TRANSIT AND TRANSIT PLAZAS.
WERE YOU ABLE TO CAPTURE THAT? I, I'M DOING MY BEST, BUT I WOULD TAKE THAT IN THE FORM OF AN EMAIL AS WELL.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? I'M SO SORRY.
WOULD WE OR CHAIR BRAD, WOULD WE CONSIDER THIS AN APPLICABILITY AMENDMENT THAT MIGHT BE SEPARATED FROM THE CONTENT OF THE CURRENT AMENDMENT? HONESTLY, I'M ALSO THINKING THIS IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IN THAT THERE WAS A SECTION IN THE CODE, I CANNOT REMEMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THERE WAS SECTION THE CODE THAT SAYS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF, UM, THE, SORRY, THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UH, DIRECTOR HAS TO DECIDE WHAT IS PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED COMMERCIAL USES.
SO ESSENTIALLY THAT'S NOT FULLY DEFINED AT THE MOMENT.
SO, UH, SORRY, PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED, I MEANT TO SAY TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO IT NEEDS TO BE DEFINED FURTHER.
AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING.
THE DEFINITION OF IT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED AND THAT WE SHOULD WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR OTHER AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEFINITION IS INCLUSIVE.
I'M JUST THINKING AGAIN, FROM A PERSPECTIVE MIGHT HAVE TO SPLIT THESE AGAIN.
SO JUST TO MAKE THIS SUPER FAST.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SAY NUMBER EIGHT, I'M GONNA, AS STATED, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE A SECOND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE OR RAISE YOUR HANDS.
WHAT I'M CALLING EIGHT B UH, COMMISSIONER LAND.
DO YOU WANNA LAY THAT OUT AGAIN? YES.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE LANGUAGE THAT MENTIONS WORKING WITH THE LOCAL TRANSIT AGENCY TO DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXPAND LANGUAGE ON TRANSIT MODES TO INCLUDE FIXED RAIL BUSES, BIKE SHARE, MICRO TRANSIT AND TRANSIT PLAZAS.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND SECOND THAT.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER LANCE, SECONDED BY MYSELF.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HELPING US THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
THIS TAKES US TO NUMBER 14 AND
[03:00:01]
15.UM, MAYBE YOU SHOULD DO 14 FIRST.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, I DUNNO IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO IT AND THEN WE CAN JUMP INTO WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
I WOULD JUST MOVE TO AMEND THE WORKING GROUP AMENDMENT 14 TO RETAIN THE STAFF RECOMMENDED 600 FOOT HEIGHTS WHILE KEEPING ALL THE OTHER PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE AMENDMENT.
UM, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, JUST TO ASK A QUESTION, WOULD YOUR AMENDMENT BE FOR ALL? I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, ARE WE JUST RAISING THE HEIGHT FOR INNER WEST AS MAPPED OR ARE YOU ALSO SAYING 600 AS STAFF HAD MAPPED IT? THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.
600 EVERYWHERE STAFF HAD MAPPED IT.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FOR THE MOTION MAKER? AND I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
HOW ABOUT I'LL JUST ASK YOU, YOU WANNA SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS BEHIND THAT
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HOPE EVERYBODY ON THIS IN THIS ROOM HAS VISITED GUAD AND REALIZE JUST WHAT A SAD, SORRY PLACE IT'S BEEN FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF DECADES.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN DO TO REALLY ENCOURAGE A LOT OF REDEVELOPMENT WOULD REALLY GO A LONG WAY.
AND I APPRECIATE STAFF'S MOTIVE BEHIND IT AND TRYING TO GET TRANS SUPPORTIVE DENSITY TRULY ALONG WAAD AND THE IDEA OF REALLY DILUTING THAT AND WATERING THAT DOWN TO THE LAST SECOND, JUST I I'VE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT I TRULY DOESN'T SIT WELL WITH, UM, BIG REMINDER TO EVERYBODY ON THIS BODY THAT WE PASSED, ACTUALLY REMOVING HEIGHT LIMITS COMPLETELY JUST TWO YEARS AGO.
SO ELIMINATING THOUSANDS OF BEDROOMS BY BRINGING DOWN THE HEIGHTS CLOSEST TO CAMPUS IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY BAD.
UH, SO THE LAST THING I'D END WITH IS, UM, I, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS POLITICS AND I LOVE IT WHEN PO GRABBED A BUNCH OF COUNCIL MEMBERS, FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, PIO TIA A FEW YEARS AGO AND JUST SAID, LOOK, YOU KNOW, LEAVE POLITICS TO CITY COUNCIL.
THE BEST POLICY AND ALLOWING A TON OF BEDROOMS RIGHT NEXT TO THE GREAT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS CERTAINLY AMAZING POLICY.
AND SO I'M EXCITED TO BRING THIS ONE FORWARD.
UH, COMM DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING? YES, I DID WANT TO ADD SOMETHING.
UH, I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR FOR THIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF SPEAKERS, UNO'S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF BEDS, THE AMOUNT OF SUPPLY ON WEST CAMPUS, AND I THINK, UH, WHAT, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON IS, UH, SUGGESTING WILL DEFINITELY HELP WITH THAT.
UH, ONE THING I WANTED TO ADD RELATED TO ITEM 14 ALSO IS THE OTHER THING THAT WE HEARD FROM A LOT OF PEOPLE IS THE DESIRE TO EXPAND THIS MAP AS WELL, TO EXPAND IT INTO, UH, MORE OF NORTH CAMPUS TO EXPAND IT, UH, INTO THIS SOUTHWEST REGION AS WELL.
UH, I ACTUALLY USED TO LIVE ON THE, UH, STRETCH OF LAMAR BETWEEN, UH, BETWEEN 24TH STREET AND MLK.
AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT EXPANDED TO THE ENTIRE WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT EXPANDED ON THE, UH, PART OF LAMAR, THE STRETCH OF LAMAR THAT COMES FROM 24TH TO MLK.
AND SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NOTICING REQUIREMENTS WITH THAT, BUT IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE AS A BODY CAN, UH, RECOMMEND THAT, UH, COUNCIL TAKES ACTION SOMETIME SOON, UH, TO EXPAND SOME OF THESE BOUNDARIES IN LINE WITH, WITH WHAT WE'VE SEEN? I THINK DOZENS OF STUDENTS KIND OF, UH, IMPLORE US TO TAKE ACTION ON, UM, COMMISSIONER M TO YOUR QUESTION, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT AS PART OF THIS AMENDMENT BECAUSE WE CANNOT MAKE IT CHANGE TO THE ORDINANCE.
BUT YOU CAN SEPARATELY, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A GENERAL RECOMMENDATION, GIVING STAFF SOME GUIDANCE OR COUNSEL SOME FEEDBACK, THEN WE'RE WELCOME THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO.
IT JUST WOULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THIS ORDINANCE.
OTHER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS? UM, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM, WE HAVE A NOTE FROM STAFF.
DID YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING? I, I DID.
JUST WANNA NOTE, YOU CAN AMEND THE MAP, UH, FOR THE CODE AMENDMENT.
WHAT WOULDN'T HAPPEN WOULD BE AMENDING THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT OR THE REZONING.
SO YOU COULD AMEND THE BOUNDARIES OF UNO APPLICABILITY AS THE WAY YOU, THE SAME WAY YOU'RE AMENDING, FOR EXAMPLE, SUB-DISTRICTS.
BUT THE FUTURE PROJECTS THAT WANTED TO MAKE USE OF THIS WOULD HAVE TO COME IN FOR THEIR OWN REZONING AND NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT, UH, IF THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE.
DOES EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THAT DISTINCTION? SO JUST TO RESTATE IT, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE BEEN A LITTLE CONFUSED.
SO WE, IF WE WANTED TO EXPAND THE OVERALL APPLICABILITY BOUNDARY THAT CAN BE EXPANDED AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE ANY, ARE THERE ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OR CAN IT BE UH, I BELIEVE
[03:05:01]
THERE ARE BOUNDARIES ON OUR, UH, SO THE, THE POSTING LANGUAGE DID, UH, INDICATE 29TH STREET TO THE NORTH MLK TO THE SOUTH, AND LAMAR TO THE WEST.SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS IF WE WANTED TO CHANGE THE APPLICABLE BOUNDARY BETWEEN 29TH MLK, THE LAMAR AND GUAD LUPE, THAT WOULD BE FINE.
THAT WOULD NOT MEAN THAT WE AT THIS POINT ARE DOING A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT AND WE'RE NOT DOING A ZONING CHANGE.
SO SOMEBODY IN THE FUTURE WOULD HAVE TO COME THROUGH THAT, BUT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY INTO THE NEW BOUNDARY.
DOES IS THAT CLEAR TO FOLKS? YES.
UH, JUST TO CLARIFY, IF WE DID EXPAND THAT, HOW WOULD THAT INTERACT WITH THE, UM, AREAS THAT WE ARE CON CURRENTLY CONSIDERING AS DBE E TODD? THERE WOULD BE LIKELY SCENARIOS OR LOTS WHERE BOTH, UH, DENSITY BONUSES WOULD BE I GUESS EXISTING.
UM, UH, BOTH PROVISIONS DO NOT ALLOW YOU TO COMBINE THEM, SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO CHOOSE ONE.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY IF YOU'RE REZONING AND OR HAVING TO DO A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT, YOU KNOW, STAFF MAY RECOMMEND OR NOT RECOMMEND THOSE.
SAME FOR PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL.
SO, AND, AND I GUESS JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT LEVEL OF THE DIFFERENT SUBDISTRICTS WOULD BE USED IN THAT CASE? I THINK IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY, THE SUBDISTRICT MAP WOULD NEED TO BE MODIFIED TO COVER THE ENTIRE APPLICABILITY AREA.
SO EACH AREA WOULD NEED TO BE DESIGNATED IN A SUBDISTRICT, SO WE COULD PICK ONE OF THE SUBJECT DISTRICTS THEORETICALLY AND APPLY IT TO EVERYBODY EVERYWHERE THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY MAPPED.
AND THAT WOULD BE, UH, WHAT THE PERSON APPLYING TO WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE THAT WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CHOOSE A SUBDISTRICT, IT WOULD BE WHAT WOULD BE MAPPED BY COUNSEL.
COMMISSIONER, ED, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR THOUGHT IF FOLKS ARE FINE WITH IT, WE'RE USUALLY ALLOWED THREE QUESTIONS, BUT SINCE THIS IS A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, WE CAN EXPAND THAT NUMBER TO SIX.
I MEAN, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, I WOULD LOVE TO TRY TO EXPAND IT IF WE CAN.
UH, TONIGHT, I, UH, I MEAN I, I GUESS I WASN'T PREPARED TO COME UP WITH EXACT BOUNDARIES THAT WE'D HAVE HERE, BUT AT LEAST IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PORTION IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE THAT EXPANDED SO THAT THE OPTION IS THERE.
UH, FOR DEVELOPERS IN THE FUTURE, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S FURTHER STEPS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN, UH, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING MUST TO BE DEVELOPED.
BUT I WOULD, UH, I WOULD WANNA TRY TO PASS THAT TONIGHT IF POSSIBLE.
COMMISSIONER MOND, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL AMENDMENTS AT THIS TIME? NO.
WOULD YOU WANNA SAVE THIS FOR YOUR INDIVIDUAL AMENDMENT THAT GIVES YOU TIME FOR US TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE AMENDMENTS AND THEN WE CAN, UH, GET TO THAT? YES.
SO IN THAT SCENARIO, SINCE WE DO HAVE THIS IN FRONT OF US, THIS WOULD NOT IMPACT THE BOUNDARY, THE OUTER BOUNDARY.
UH, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, I KNOW YOU'VE EXPLAINED YOURS.
DO WE HAVE OTHER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON WHAT COMMISSIONER ANDERSON JUST LAID OUT? I I HAVE A QUESTION.
OH, COMMISSIONER BARRY MAYORS, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
THIS IS FOR THE AMENDMENT MAKERS, WOODS, AND AZAR.
I GUESS I'M CURIOUS, WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO CHANGE THE DRAG GUADALUPE HEIGHT FROM 600 TO ONE 30? WHAT WAS THE IMPETUS BEHIND THAT? UH, CHANGE? UM, I'LL SPEAK TO YOU QUICKLY.
IT REALLY WAS JUST BASED ON THE FEEDBACK THAT WE HAD RECEIVED.
I KNOW WE HEARD THIS TODAY THAT WAS SHARED WITH US EARLIER, UH, THROUGH UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERS.
THEY HAD PROVIDED FEEDBACK AND THAT'S SORT OF WHAT WE WERE RESPONDING TO.
UM, AND THEN SIMILARLY YOU'LL SEE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INNER WEST, SO WE DID EXPAND INTERWEST BASED ON, UM, YOU KNOW, FEEDBACK WE HAD RECEIVED, BUT WE ALSO ADDED IN THAT TRANSITION ZONE OF 175 FEET, AGAIN, BASED ON THE VARIOUS KIND OF FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED ON CREATING THAT STEP DOWN, UH, VARIATION FROM THAT HIGHER HEIGHT.
DOES THAT HELP ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? I DON'T.
AND I GUESS, UH, TO MR. AND OR COMMISSIONER ANDERSON'S, UM, REQUEST OR CHANGE, YOU'RE ONLY ASKING TO CHANGE THE DRAG GUADALUPE COLOR AND ALL THE OTHER LAYERS, UH, FOR INNER WEST AND TRANSITION OUTER WEST ARE.
AND YOU'RE JUST AMENDING THE DRAG GUADALUPE HEIGHT.
THERE'S ALSO SOME OF THE FOUR 50 AREA THAT WAS 600 AND STAFF'S ORIGINAL PROPOSAL.
AND ALSO IN THAT LETTER THEY WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM SOME STUDENT HOUSING BUILDERS THAT JUST SAY THEY'RE GONNA MAX OUT RIGHT NOW IN THIS CYCLE, MAYBE AROUND FOUR 20.
BUT JUST TALKING TO OTHER, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE 20, YOU KNOW, THE 365 ACTIVATION OVER THERE.
THERE MIGHT BE HOTELS, YOU KNOW, MULTI BUILDS, VERY DIFFERENT THAN STUDENT.
SO THERE'S OTHER USES THAT VERY WELL MIGHT GO HIGHER.
AND WHEN WE AS A BODY WENT UP TO 300 FEET A COUPLE YEARS AGO, THAT'S ALL THE MARKET WANTED AT THAT POINT, RIGHT? SO IMMEDIATELY FIVE TOWERS BROKE AROUND, THEY WERE ALL FIVE, 300 FEET.
AND SO THIS IS JUST TRYING TO AVOID US HAVING TO BE HERE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, JUST DOING THE SAME THING OVER AGAIN.
YOU, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER? UH, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, GO AHEAD.
UH, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, I'M
[03:10:01]
JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WAS A NUMBER BETWEEN 125 AND 600 THAT MIGHT BE AMENABLE TO SOME OF US WHO I THINK BOTH UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHERE YOUR POINT IS AS WELL AS HAVE SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT TO THE COMMISSION.THE GOOD NEWS IS, EVEN IF YOU'RE ALLOWED 600 PEOPLE AREN'T PROBABLY JUST GONNA TRY AND BUILD 600.
YOU'RE GONNA JUST ALLOW FOLKS TO BUILD WHERE THEY WANNA BUILD.
AND SO IF THERE'S A GROUP THAT REALLY WANTS TO BUILD FIVE 10 AND WE LIMITED IT FIVE, YOU KNOW, WHY LOP ALPHA FLOOR, I, I DON'T SEE US REALLY NEEDING TO REQUIRE VACANT SPACE ABOVE THESE BUILDINGS RIGHT NEXT TO UT AUSTIN.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO STICK WITH WHAT STAFF ORIGINALLY POSTPONE PROPOSED.
COMMISSIONER LAN, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE FOR THE CONSULTANTS TO COME UP WITH THESE BUILDING HEIGHTS? UM, THE CONSULTANTS DID NOT SUGGEST THE BUILDING HEIGHTS.
WE SUGGESTED THE BUILDING HEIGHTS AND THEY DETERMINED THE MAXIMUM AFFORDABILITY OR I GUESS THE MINIMUM AFFORDABILITY PERCENTAGE.
AND SO IF WE LOOK AT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WITH THE READJUSTED HEIGHT, HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR ANYONE KIND OF TO LOOK AT THE, UM, EFFECT ON BUILDABILITY CONSTRUCTABILITY? WELL, I GUESS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT JUST FINANCIALLY WHETHER PEOPLE WILL BUILD, OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE HOUSING CAPACITY OR? YEAH, BOTH, I GUESS, UM, RESPOND HOW THE LOCAL DEVELOPERS WILL RESPOND TO THE DIFFERENCES IN HEIGHT BECAUSE ALL OF THIS WILL AFFECT THEIR PERFORMANCE.
SO IF WE ADJUST THE HEIGHTS AS RECOMMENDED, UM, WHAT IS THE TURNAROUND TIME OR IS THERE A POSSIBILITY TO HAVE AT LEAST LIKE THE LOCAL REAL ESTATE CONSULTANTS, OR AT LEAST RIKA TO TAKE A LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS TO SEE WHETHER THEY ARE PLAUSIBLE OR THEY WILL RESPOND TO THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT NEEDS? UM, WELL, I WILL SAY A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE IS, UH, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR RICO OR ANYONE ELSE.
UM, WE WILL TALK TO OUR CONSULTANTS.
I'M NOT SURE, UH, WHAT THE TIMELINE WOULD BE.
I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT THIS DEPENDS ALSO ON ANY AMENDMENTS YOU MIGHT MAKE TO THE AFFORDABILITY PERCENTAGES.
AND SO THAT ALSO PLAYS A FACTOR IN KNOWING, BECAUSE THE HEIGHT DOESN'T REALLY TELL THE STORY UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS REQUIRED.
UM, SO KIND OF ALL THE AMENDMENTS PLAYED TOGETHER IN THAT SENSE.
WILL WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO ASK FOR CONSULTANT REVIEW? UM, I, I MEAN, I, I'M NOT SURE.
I THINK THIS GOES TO COUNCIL AT THEIR JUNE MEETING AND STAFF.
CAN YOU TELL US JUNE 5TH? YES.
SO STAFF WOULD HAVE WHATEVER STAFF CAN SORT OF DO IN THE MEANWHILE.
UM, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, DO YOU WANNA STATE YOUR MOTION AS A MOTION? I, UH, SORRY, ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, HEARING WHAT WE JUST HEARD ABOUT HOW THIS COULD BE IMPACTED BY THE AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE COMING UP TO THAT WAS PULLED AROUND THE AFFORDABILITY.
IS THERE A CHANCE WE COULD REORDER THIS? BECAUSE I, I DON'T WANNA BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE MAKING AN AMENDMENT HERE THAT THEN DOESN'T JIVE WITH WHAT WE END UP DOING WITH THE AFFORDABILITY PIECE AS A DEPENDENCY.
PROCEDURALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A THING OR NOT, BUT IT FEELS LIKE IT MIGHT BE A GOOD SEQUENCING FOR THIS.
UM, PROCEDURALLY WE CAN DO IT.
THE ONLY CHALLENGE WOULD BE THEN THAT WE ARE REFERRING TO HEIGHTS IN OUR AFFORDABILITY AMENDMENT THAT DO NOT EXIST IN THE ORDINANCE.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS THEN IS THAT BEST FOR US TO SORT OUT THROUGH THIS AMENDMENT OR THROUGH THE AFFORDABILITY AMENDMENT TO THE AFFORDABILITY? WOULD MY RECOMMENDATION WE GO THROUGH GEOGRAPHY AND MAPPING AND, AND ENTITLEMENTS FIRST AND THEN DO THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS AS A SEPARATE AMENDMENT.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, DO YOU WANNA STATE YOUR MOTION? YOU BET.
BUT I LOOK TO YOU HERE 'CAUSE YOU'RE WAS AT THIS SO MOVING WORKING GROUP AMENDMENT 14 TO RETAIN STAFF RECOMMENDED 600 FOOT HEIGHT BOUNDARIES WHILE KEEPING ALL OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES IN THE AMENDMENT.
THAT, DO YOU HAVE A SECOND ON THAT COMMISSIONER ETT SECONDS THAT, DO WE HAVE FOLKS WISHING TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OR AGAINST, UH, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
UM, I'M UNFORTUNATELY GONNA HAVE TO SPEAK AGAINST THIS ONE BECAUSE I JUST HAVE REAL CONCERNS ABOUT GOING TO 600 ON QUAD.
AND THAT IS MOSTLY BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD REAL CONCERNS FROM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD INTERACT WITH OUR LIGHT RAIL FROM THE UNIVERSITY REGARDING THEIR OWN DESIRES RELATED TO THE CAMPUS, THE SIZE OF THOSE PARCELS.
A LOT OF OTHER THINGS, AND I AM CONCERNED HONESTLY WITH THE REMAPPING OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE ADJUSTED IN THE MAP THAT'S IN OUR CURRENT WORKING GROUP AMENDMENTS.
SO I UNFORTUNATELY CAN'T SUPPORT THIS, BUT WOULD BE VERY OPEN TO SOME SORT OF COMPROMISE BETWEEN 130 AND 600 CHAIR.
UM, YES, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, HAPPY TO SPEAK IN FAVOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN, IN 2019 WHEN, WHEN THIS BODY LED, THE MOTION LED THE WAY ON GOING FROM 175 TO 300 FEET, WE REACHED OUT TO UT AUSTIN.
[03:15:01]
VERY CLEAR.THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA SUPPORT, BUT WE'RE ALSO NOT GONNA OPPOSE EVERY SINGLE PERSON I'VE REACHED OUT TO THIS GO AROUND.
I'VE RECEIVED THE SAME EXACT FEEDBACK.
WE'RE NOT GONNA OPPOSE, WE'RE NOT GONNA SUPPORT IF THEY'RE JUST OUT THERE.
IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT, I FEEL FOR UT AUSTIN TO SAY, HEY, YES, WE ARE AGAINST STUDENTS LIVING ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR AMAZING UNIVERSITY WHEN THEY TAKE A LOT OF FLACK FOR NOT HAVING ENOUGH BEDROOMS ON CAMPUS.
SO TO, TO, IN A WHIM, GET RID OF MANY THOUSANDS OF BEDROOMS DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET ON THE PARCELS OF