Jun 04, 2025 Environmental Commission

FOR OUR REGULAR MEETING FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, JUNE 4TH, UH, 2025.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED

[CALL TO ORDER]

IT IS 6:01 PM AND WE ARE AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPING CENTER, UM, AT ROOM 1405 AT WILLAMINA DELCO DRIVE.

UM, I'M GONNA START WITH ROLL CALL, BUT I'M GONNA GRAB THAT PIECE OF PAPER WHEREVER IT WENT.

THERE WE GO.

AND DO WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT'LL BE LINE? NOBODY.

THANK, UM, COMMISSIONER FLORY.

UH, COMMISSIONER , I JUST PUT YOUR MICROPHONE ON, SIR.

HERE.

HERE.

COMMISSIONER LEAKEY HERE.

UH, SECRETARY FER HERE.

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN HERE.

AND COMMISSIONER BRIMER HERE.

UM, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.

CAN WE GET A MOTION? DO EVERYBODY HAVE TIME TO LOOK OVER THE MINUTES FROM LAST TIME AND WANNA MAKE MOTION? OH, WE HAVE TO DO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION FIRST.

WE, WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

COMMUNICATION.

UH, MR. NASER.

LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM PUSH.

HELLO, MIKE.

NAME IS CRAIG NASER.

HELLO .

AND I, UH, I, I'M SIERRA CLUB PERSON, AND I'M BRINGING YOU AN ISSUE BECAUSE IT CAME UP FROM SOME OF OUR MEMBERS.

IT HAS TO DO WITH THE BYPASS TUNNEL ON LITTLE WALNUT CREEK.

NOW, I WENT TO THOSE MEETINGS ORIGINALLY, LIKE 15 YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS FIRST PROPOSED, AND THEN IT WAS LIKE A $14 MILLION PROJECT.

AND NOW IT HAS EXPANDED, BUT IT'S ESSENTIALLY A BYPASS TUNNEL LIKE WE DID ON SHOAL CREEK TO TAKE, UH, FLOODING OVERFLOW AWAY FROM, FROM THE CREEK.

UH, SO IT'S BEING DONE UNDERNEATH MARIN'S MEADOW.

AND THIS IS A PICTURE, UH, AT METRIC WHEN THIS CREEK, THIS CREEK, OR ORIGINATES, UH, UNDERNEATH THE Q2 STADIUM NOW.

AND IT COMES DOWN AND IT GOES UNDER METRIC.

THAT'S A PICTURE OF IT, JUST ON THE EAST SIDE OF METRIC.

THIS IS IT GOING DOWN AWAY FROM METRIC.

NOW, I THINK THERE SHOULD BE SOME KIND OF RIP AREA IN RESTORATION HERE, BUT THAT'S ANOTHER TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY.

UH, GOING DOWN NOW ON THIS IS IN THE NEXT SLIDE.

IN, IN, IN THE NACA NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE ARE A NUMBER, IT GOES UNDER MARS MEADOW, WHICH PARALLELS THE CREEK.

THERE ARE NUMBER STREETS ACROSS THE CREEK.

I DON'T REMEMBER THEIR NAMES, BUT THIS IS GOING DOWN CLOSER AND CLOSER TO QUAIL CREEK PARK, WHICH A RAIN, WHICH IS A RAINWATER DETENTION POND.

IT'S ACTUALLY A VERY GOOD DESIGN.

THAT IDEA IS A VERY GOOD ONE.

SO HERE IS IT AT THE FIRST LITTLE CROSS, UH, ROAD THAT GOES BY IT.

THIS IS LOOKING, UH, EAST AS IT GOES DOWN.

YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LOT OF WATER IN IT.

UH, THIS, THESE WERE ALL TAKEN TODAY.

BY THE WAY.

EVERY ONE OF THESE ARE TAKEN THIS AFTERNOON.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

NOW, THIS IS THE WEIR.

THIS IS THE FIRST WEIR.

YOU KNOW HOW IT WORKS.

THE WATER COMES UP A FLOOD, IT GOES INTO THE WEIR.

IT GOES INTO THE BYPASS TUNNEL UNDERNEATH MARIN'S MEADOW.

THIS IS LOOKING, UH, EAST NOW, AND WE'RE GOING DOWN THE CREEK.

YOU SEE THERE'S STILL SOME WATER IN IT.

THERE IS ANOTHER WEIR AT THE NEXT STREET, UH, STREET THAT CROSSES.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

THIS IS, THEN, NOW NOTICE HOW THE CREEK FLOW IS RAT IS, IS REALLY A LOT LESS THERE.

UH, THIS IS LOOKING EAST AGAIN, DOWNSTREAM.

NOW, THIS IS THE NEXT STREET.

NOTICE THAT THERE'S VIRTUALLY NO WATER IN THE CREEK.

NOW, WHAT'S HAPPENED, WE HAD SOME RAIN, SO THERE WAS SOME WATER IN THE CREEK, BUT A COUPLE MONTHS AGO WHEN WE WENT DOWN THE CREEK, THERE WAS REALLY NO WATER HERE.

NOW THERE'S A LITTLE BIT.

AND HERE IS LOOKING EAST.

THERE'S, THERE'S WATER IN THE CREEK, BUT IT'S VERY LOW.

AND OF COURSE IT HAS ALGAE IN IT BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF FLOW THERE.

WATER THERE, AND THERE'S A LOT OF WATER COMING OUTTA THE BYPASS TUNNEL.

NOW, HERE IS WHERE THE BYPASS TUNNEL COMES OUT.

AND WHAT YOU NOTICE, THERE'S A LOT OF

[00:05:01]

AND HERE IS THE CREEK, THIS LOW WATER CROSSING AT THE CREEK WHERE THE BYPASS TUNNEL COMES OUT.

UH, COULD YOU SHOW THE FILM NOW? NOW, THE, UM, WE DON'T NEED THE SOUND, BUT THIS IS, SOMEONE WALKED UP THERE, AND THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE TUNNEL.

YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE JOINTS, IN THE BYPASS, A VERY BIG TUNNEL.

THE WATER IS COMING UP IN THE BYPASS TUNNEL, AND IT APPEARS TO BE DEWATERING THE CREEK.

AND THIS IS NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN, I'M SURE.

AND I'VE, I'VE TALKED TO WATERSHED ABOUT IT, AND IT'S, THE PROJECT ISN'T COMPLETED YET.

THEY HAVE A, UH, A CONTRACTOR.

BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S MY MESSAGE.

NOW WE CAN HAVE A MOTION

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

FOR THE MINUTES.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

SECOND PERMISSION, RYAN.

SECOND.

WE DO HAVE A, UM, SPEAKER ON THIS ACT, ON THIS ITEM.

UM, YEP.

SO WE HAVE A, WE'LL START THE PUBLIC HEARING.

UM,

[2. Name: 500 S Congress, C814-2024-0001 Applicant: Armbrust & Brown, L.L.P (Amanda Hendrix) Location: 500 S Congress, Austin, TX 78704 Council District: District 9 Staff: Sean Watson, Environmental Program Coordinator, (512) 963-2167, Sean.Watson@austintexas.gov; Leslie Lilly, Environmental Conservation Program Manager, (512) 535-8914, Leslie.lilly@austintexas.gov Applicant request: Planned Unit Development Zoning Staff Recommendation: Staff recommended with conditions]

DOES HE GO FIRST OR DOES HE GO AFTER THE, HE GOES AFTER.

WELL, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED ON I ACTION ITEM TWO.

DID WE VOTE TO ACCEPT THE MINUTES? I THINK WE DO.

OH, WE SURE DO NEED TO VOTE ON THAT, JUST SO MAY.

I'M JUST CURIOUS.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 PASSES.

ALL IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE MINUTES.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

NOW WE CAN GO WITH ELIZABETH SCOTT.

THAT ALRIGHT? GOOD.

UM, YEP.

I, I DON'T KNOW WHO IS PRESENTING ON THE SOUTH, UM, CONGRESS AVENUE, BUT LET'S GO AHEAD.

I'M ASSUMING THE CLICKER STILL WORKS.

GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.

UH, GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE ELSE, UH, THIS EVENING.

UM, MY NAME IS SEAN WATSON.

I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR, UH, WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.

AND I'M HERE TONIGHT TO PRESENT ABOUT 500 SOUTH CONGRESS PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT.

THERE WE GO.

SO THIS, UH, BASICALLY SHOWS WHERE THE PROJECT IS LOCATED, UM, THAT SHOWS AUSTIN CITY LIMITS CTJ, THE RECHARGE ZONE RELATIVE TO WHERE THE SITE IS.

UH, THE PROJECT NUMBER IS C 8 1 4 202 4 1.

AND IT'S BASICALLY LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.

UH, CONGRESS RIVERSIDE, UH, JUST EAST OF ONE TEXAS CENTER.

SO HERE'S A LITTLE SITE INFORMATION AND YOU CAN SEE AN AERIAL THERE, UM, OF THE SITE.

UM, IT'S TOTAL ACREAGE IS 6.48 ACRES.

IT'S IN THE AUSTIN FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION, UH, COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE EAST BOLDEN CREEK, AND LADY BIRD LAKE WATERSHEDS, AS WELL AS URBAN WATERSHED SOUTH, UH, SHORE CENTRAL DISTRICT WATERFRONT OVERLAY.

PROPOSED REZONING TO ALLOW FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.

UH, FOR THIS PLANNING UNIT DEVELOPMENT, THERE ARE TWO RIM ROCK FEATURES, WHICH YOU CAN SEE TO THE SOUTH OF, UH, OF THAT, UM, OF THE SITE.

THERE'S TWO RIM ROCKS.

UM, THERE'S CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES AND A HUNDRED YEAR FLOW PLAN AS WELL.

SO HERE IS A, AN EXHIBIT OF THE EXISTING CONDITIONS.

YOU CAN SEE THE DARK BLUE CENTER LINE OF EAST BOLDEN CREEK, SOUTH OF THE SITE.

YOU HAVE THE WATERFRONT OVERLAYS THE PRIMARY IN RED, THE SECONDARY AND LIGHT BLUE.

UH, YOU HAVE THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AND THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.

AND IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT, UM, WHERE IT SAYS RIM ROCK CF 150 FEET SETBACK, YOU CAN SEE THAT CROSS HATCH PATTERN, WHICH IS A SETBACK FOR THE TWO RIM ROCKS CURRENTLY.

OF 950 RESIDENTIAL UNITS, 225 KEY HOTEL, 600,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE SPACE, PROPOSED 155,000 SQUARE FEET OF RETAIL AND RESTAURANT SPACE.

PROPOSED PUD DETAILS.

SO IT'S A MIXED DEVELOPMENT

[00:10:01]

A GROCERY STORE, UH, 10% MORE OPEN SPACE THAN A 10 AND 20% RESIDENTIAL NON-RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS, UM, THAT ARE REQUIRED.

MOST PARKING WILL BE ACHIEVED THROUGH BELOW GRADE PARKING STRUCTURE.

AND I'LL, THERE'S ANOTHER SLIDE ON THAT LATER.

BUT HERE YOU CAN ALSO, YOU KNOW, SEE THE, UH, EAST GOLDEN CREEK, THE CRITICAL, THE 50 FOOT PRIMARY CREEK SETBACK, THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOOD PLANE, AND THE PROPOSED REM ROCK CF 50 FOOT SETBACK, UM, WHICH WAS APPROVED WITH ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE.

AND ALSO, UM, JUST SOMETHING ON THOSE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES TOO.

THEY'RE ON THE, UH, SOUTH SIDE OF THE CREEK UP SLOPE OUT THE FLOODPLAIN.

SO THEY REALLY WOULDN'T BE AFFECTED BY THE DEVELOPMENT ANYWAY.

SO THIS IS A SIDE BY SIDE COMPARISON OF, UH, THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.

SO ON THE LEFT YOU KIND OF HAVE WHAT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS ARE, THE CRITICAL UNDER YOUR FLOODPLAIN, WHICH YOU SAW IN THE PREVIOUS EXHIBITS.

UM, BUT ALSO IT'S SHOWING THE 48.2% IMPERVIOUS COVER, UM, WHICH IS IN THE CRITICAL.

AND ACTUALLY A LOT OF IT'S IN THE INNER HALF OF THE CRITICAL.

AND ON THE RIGHT YOU HAVE, IT SHOWS BOLDON CREEK UNDER YOUR FLOODPLAIN, THE CRITICAL AS IT EXISTS, AND THE PROPOSED CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IN A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.

AND ALSO IMPERVIOUS COVER IN THE PROPOSED CRITICAL AND A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.

AND SO WHAT'S IMPORTANT HERE IS ONE OF THE PROPOSALS OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INCREASE THE FLOODPLAIN VOLUME.

AND I'LL, THERE'S SOME SLIDES HERE LATER, WHICH WILL GO INTO THAT MORE.

BUT THAT ALSO IN THE URBAN WATERSHED, THE FLOODPLAIN AND THE CRITICAL COINCIDE.

SO BASICALLY THE PROPOSED CRITICAL IS, IS NOW WIDER, UM, BECAUSE OF THAT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT RED WHERE IT SAYS I SEE AND PROPOSED CRITICAL, THAT IS THE PROPOSED IMPERVIOUS COVER, WHICH WOULD BE 21%.

AND THAT'S, THAT WOULD ALSO BE ON THE OUTER HALF OF THIS, UH, PROPOSED CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE INSTEAD OF ON THE INNER HALF, WHERE A LOT OF THE CONCRETE, UH, EMBANKMENT IS CURRENTLY TREES.

OKAY, SO HERE IS THE TREE PLAN.

SO THE BLUE TREES ARE HERITAGE TREES.

THE RED ONES, UM, ARE ALL TO BE REMOVED.

THOSE ARE DISEASED, UH, DEAD OR PER, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S IMMINENT HAZARD THERE.

WE WENT OUT ON SITE WITH THE CITY ARBORIST TO CONFIRM THIS.

UM, THERE'S PROTECTED TREES IN GREEN AND TREES, UH, WITH BREAST HEIGHT DIAMETER LESS THAN 19 INCHES ARE IN YELLOW.

UM, THE EXHIBIT ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE PLAN TO RELOCATE THE HERITAGE TREES ON SITE, I BELIEVE IS EIGHT LIVE OAKS, A SCHU MAR, RED OAK, AND AN AMERICAN ELM.

SO ORIGINALLY THE PLAN WAS TO RELOCATE SOME OF THOSE INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY.

CITY ARBOR SAID THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE THERE.

THIS IS THE ALTERNATE PROPOSAL IS TO TRANSPLANT THOSE INTO THE OPEN SPACE, UM, NEAR CLOSER TO EAST BOLDON CREEK.

OKAY, HERE IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIOR SUPERIORITY, UH, EXHIBIT.

UH, AND THIS GOES INTO, LIKE I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, THE INCREASED FLOODPLAIN VOLUME.

UH, A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN VOLUME INCREASED BY 25,000 CUBIC FEET.

YOU HAVE INCREASED FLOODPLAIN FUNCTIONALITY.

UM, FLOODPLAIN HABITAT WILL BE RAISED TO A GOOD CONDITION BASED ON FAFH, AND THAT'S A FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF FLOODPLAIN HEALTH, UM, WHICH WAS, IS CURRENTLY SCORED AS FAIR.

AND SO THAT WOULD BE RAISED TO A GOOD CONDITION.

ARMORING IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, REDUCTION IN THE FLOODPLAIN INCLUDES, UH, REMOVAL 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF CURRENT CONCRETE EMBANKMENT.

UM, INCREASED CREEK HABITAT.

SO IT'S GONNA BE OVER 23,000, UH, SQUARE FEET OF RIPARIAN HABITAT TO BE RESTORED WITHIN THE FLOODPLAIN.

UH, NATIVE PLANT POLLINATOR PLANTS OR NATIVE POLLINATOR PLANTS, AT LEAST 20 NATIVE SPECIES.

SUSTAINABLE SITE CERTIFICATION, UH, HIGHEST STANDARDS AND LANDSCAPE, UM, SUSTAINABILITY, SUPERIOR PLANT DIVERSITY AND STABILITY.

THE RIPARIAN PLANTING WILL

[00:15:01]

EXCEED THE ECM DENSITY AND DIVERSITY BY 20%.

UM, HUMAN NATURE CONNECTION.

THERE WILL BE INTERPRETIVE SIGNAGE, UM, SO PEOPLE CAN, YOU KNOW, WAVE FIND AND, AND, YOU KNOW, LEARN MORE ABOUT NATURE.

UM, NATURAL AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN.

AND THAT INCLUDES AN ANNUAL MONITORING, UM, ALSO INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL.

OKAY, SO CODE MODIFICATIONS.

SO THIS ONE IS, UH, GOES INTO THE PARKING GARAGE, UH, SECTION 25 8 6 3 C 12.

IMPERVIOUS COVER CALCULATIONS IS MODIFIED TO EXCLUDE A PARKING STRUCTURE FROM IMPERVIOUS COVER CALCULATIONS WHEN THE PARKING STRUCTURE IS CONSTRUCTED BELOW THE EXISTING FINISHED GRADE OF THE LAND AND IS COVERED BY A MINIMUM DEPTH OF TWO FEET WITH AN AVERAGE DEPTH OF FOUR FEET OF SOIL.

ANOTHER MODIFICATION SECTION 25 8 2 13 C.

WATER QUALITY CONTROL STANDARDS IS MODIFIED TO REQUIRE A MINIMUM OF 50% OF THE WATER QUALITY REQUIRED BY CODE TO BE PROVIDED USING GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND YOU CAN SEE HERE EXAMPLES ARE, UH, RAINWATER, CISTERNS AND RAIN GARDENS, WHICH WE'LL GO TO IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT HERE IN A SECOND.

AND THAT'S NOW SECTION 25 8 2 6 1.

CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE DEVELOPMENT.

AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL ARE MODIFIED TO ALLOW THE FOLLOWING IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AS SHOWN IN ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY PLANT EXHIBIT.

SO THEIR PLAN IS TO HAVE RAIN GARDENS, POLLINATOR GARDENS, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE THERE IS A CREEK RESTORATION, UH, PLANTINGS IN THAT AREA.

PROVIDE SUPERIOR TREE PRESERVATION.

SO RECOMMENDATIONS STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF 500 SOUTH CONGRESS PLAN UNIT DEVELOPMENT WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, COMPLYING WITH SECTION 25 8 6 3 C 12 IMPERVIOUS COVER CALCULATIONS 25 8 2 6 1 CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE DEVELOPMENT 25 8 2 13 C WATER QUALITY CONTROL STANDARDS AS MODIFIED BY THE P AUSTIN GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM FOR A TWO STAR RATING.

AUSTIN ENG.

ENTER G GREEN BUILDING LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION AND BIRD COLLISION DETERRENCE CRITERIA.

THAT'S A MOUTHFUL.

REDUCE SITE AND COVER AND COVER BY 5%.

REMOVE 8,000 SQUARE FEET OF CONCRETE FROM THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, REDUCING IMPERVIOUS COVER FROM 48.2% TO 20.7% AND RESTORE 23,000 SQUARE FEET OF RIPARIAN AREA.

RAINWATER HARVESTING TO IRRIGATE 50% PLUS OF THE LANDSCAPE AREAS NATIVE PLANTS, CENTRAL TEXAS SEED STOCK, 20% INCREASE IN PLANTING DENSITY.

20 NATIVE POLLINATOR BIRD HABITAT, PLANT SPECIES PROVIDE ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS.

UH, 5% OF PARK OF PROVIDED PARKING.

CARBON IMPACT STATEMENT PILOT PROJECT AS 10 POINTS.

PURSUE SUSTAINABLE SITE CERTIFICATION AND LEAD SILVER FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS AND GOLD FOR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS.

PARKS BOARD, MAY 19TH, 2025 RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL.

BOARD AND COMMISSIONS REVIEW SCHEDULE.

SMALL AREA PLANNING AND JOINT COMMITTEE.

THEY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FOR QUORUM.

AND THEN THAT WAS EARLIER TODAY.

UH, TODAY, JUNE 4TH, THIS EVENING.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WITH ALL YOUR LOWLY FOLKS PLANNING COMMISSION ON JUNE 10TH.

EXCUSE ME, .

OH, OKAY.

UH, SO WE DON'T KNOW WHEN PLANNING COMMISSION IS SCHEDULED.

WE'RE LOOKING INTO IT.

SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD.

JUNE 16TH, CITY COUNCIL.

AUGUST 28TH.

'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF BUDGET STUFF.

WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THAT'S IT.

WE HAVE OKAY.

AND APPLICANT'S HERE FOR PRESENTATION.

[00:20:04]

NOT HAVING, UH, THE APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION.

DO WE GO NOW TO THE YEAH.

SPACE, VEN, UH, COMMERCIAL VENDORS.

SO WE HAVE TWO, UM, CITIZENS COMMUNICATION, AND Y'ALL CAN DECIDE WHO GETS TO GO FIRST.

ALTHOUGH, UH, ROY, UH, WHALEY, YOU TURNED IN YOURS FIRST.

YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST AND THEN BOBBY, HOW DO Y'ALL MY NAME'S ROY WHALEY, UH, CONSERVATION CHAIR FOR THE LOCAL SIERRA CLUB.

I WANT TO START OUT WITH AN ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, A SAD ANNOUNCEMENT.

UH, JACKIE GOODMAN, WHO WAS A LONG TIME CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND MAYOR PRO TEM, AND ONE OF THE GRAND DOMES OF ENVIRONMENTALISM IN AUSTIN, A LONG TIME, AND FOUNDER OF THE SAVE BARTON CREEK ASSOCIATION, UM, LEFT US LAST NIGHT.

SHE PASSED AWAY LAST NIGHT.

UM, SHE'D BEEN IN POOR HEALTH.

I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT.

AND MM.

ANYWAY, ADIOS JACKIE.

UM, ON, ON ITEM NEXT, UH, BOBBY IS GOING TO SPEAK AND I'M ALWAYS LUCKY BECAUSE BOBBY IS NOT ONLY AN ATTORNEY AND HAS THAT OUTLOOK, BUT HE ALSO HAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AT CITY HALL DEALING WITH THE SORT, THESE SORTS OF ISSUES.

SO I'M GONNA LEAVE THE BULK OF IT UP TO HIM, BUT IT'S JUST, ONCE AGAIN, AND THIS HAS BOTHERED ME FOR YEARS NOW AND BOTHERED SEVERAL PEOPLE EXCEPT FOR DEVELOPERS, UM, THAT THE ORIGINAL PUD ORDINANCE WAS THAT IT HAD TO BE 10 ACRES.

THIS IS NOT 10 ACRES, AND YET IT IS COMING FORWARD ASKING FOR PUD TREATMENT.

UM, WHY DO WE HAVE THESE RULES IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO FOLLOW THEM? AND WHAT IS THE ADVANTAGE OR DISADVANTAGE OF PUD VERSUS NOT? SO I THINK THOSE ARE SOME QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE ASKED OF THE, UH, THE DEVELOPER.

AND I THINK BOBBY WILL HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT THAT THAN I WILL.

BUT LET'S, UH, IF WE COULD TAKE JUST A SECOND TO BE, UH, A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR JACKIE, PLEASE.

THANK YOU, ROY, FOR LETTING US KNOW THAT THAT'S, THAT IS VERY SAD.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

BOBBY, I THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS.

BOBBY LAVINSKY WITH SAFER SPRINGS ALLIANCE.

UM, I'M GONNA JUMP RIGHT IN.

I DON'T SEE A COMPELLING REASON FOR THIS PUD.

UH, THIS IS YET ANOTHER PROPERTY THAT'S PREEMPTING THE SOUTH CENTRAL WHITE VISION FRAMEWORK REGULATING PLAN.

AND JUST TO EMPHASIZE THAT THE CITY KEEPS APPROVING THESE PUDS, YOU WILL NOT ACHIEVE THE GOALS IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT VISION PLAN, WHICH, UM, CALLS FOR INCREASED PARKLAND, INCREASED GREEN SPACE, INCREASED CREEK BUFFER ZONES, AND, UM, INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING.

THE STRATEGIC, SO STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT ACTUALLY CALLS FOR 20% INCOME RESTRICTED HOUSING IN THIS AREA.

AND YET AGAIN, WE'RE GETTING A PUD THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY OFFERING ANY ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU'RE GONNA GET ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THIS SITE IS IF YOU BUY IT BACK AT A RATE OF $591 PER SQUARE FOOT, WHICH EQUATES TO ABOUT 480,000 SQUARE, UH, DOLLARS FOR AN 800 SQUARE FOOT U UH, UH, UNIT.

THIS WILL BECOME ANOTHER ENCLAVE FOR THE RICH AND IT'S INCOMPLETE VIOLATION OF WHAT THE CITY ENVISIONED FOR THIS AREA WITH THE STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT.

UM, I EMPHASIZE THAT BECAUSE THIS IS ALL ABOUT THE TRADE-OFFS AND THE TRADE-OFFS HERE.

AGAIN, ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCES, ENVIRONMENTAL WAIVERS, UM, AND IT, THESE ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCES DON'T MAKE ANY SENSE EITHER.

YOU'RE ASKING, THEY'RE ASKING FOR, UH, CHANGING IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR PARKING GARAGE, YET WE'RE ACTUALLY REMOVING PARKING REQUIREMENTS FROM THE CITY CODE.

IF THIS WERE A SUPERIOR PRODUCT FOR A WALKABLE AREA, DELETE THE PARKING GARAGE, OR AT LEAST AT A MINIMUM, REDUCE IT.

SO IT'S IN, WITHIN THE SCALE OF THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT ITSELF, UH, WITH THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, WHAT THEY WANNA DO IS ADD A BUNCH OF ACTIVE HUMAN USES IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE THAT INCLUDES, UM, EVENT

[00:25:01]

WE WANT TO PRESERVE THOSE AREAS SO THAT THEY CAN SERVE THEIR PURPOSE OF PROVIDING FILTERS TO THE CREEK TO IMPROVE, TO PRESERVE THE WATER QUALITY OF THOSE AREAS.

ADDING A BUNCH OF HUMAN ACTIVITY, WE'LL JUST INCREASE EROSION AND OTHER POLLUTIONS GOING INTO THOSE AREAS.

AND THAT'S, AGAIN, WITH THE EN, UH, CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE SETBACK.

UH, THAT'S 150 FEET IN THE CODE THAT'S SET BY BEST AVAILABLE, UH, BEST PRACTICES.

UM, IT'S, IT IS POSSIBLE TO REDUCE THAT TO 50 FEET.

AND WE SEE THAT SOMETIMES WITH ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCES.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHEN I WANT TO GET BACK TO ALL OF THESE ENVIRONMENTAL CODE CHANGES.

THAT ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE PROCESS EXISTS IN THE CODE.

THERE'S NOTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THIS ONE PROPERTY THAT REQUIRES A PUD.

IT'S SIMPLY DEVELOPING A SINGLE PROPERTY.

IF THEY CAN PROVE UP BY THE TIME OF SITE PLAN THAT THEY MEET THE FINDINGS OF FACT FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VARIANCE, THEY CAN DO IT AT THAT TIME.

THEY DON'T NEED A PUD TO DO THAT.

THE ONLY WAYS IN THAT THEY'RE DOING A PUTT IS TO AVOID THE TI THROUGH THE, TO AVOID THE, UM, SOUTH CENTRAL VISION FRAMEWORK REGULATING PLAN, WHICH IS GOING TO INCREASE THEIR ENTITLEMENTS ALREADY.

THERE'S SUBSTANTIAL ENTITLEMENTS GONNA BE, UH, UH, ACHIEVE ACHIEVABLE THROUGH THAT REGULATING THAT'S COMING PLA UH, THAT'S COMING FORWARD.

AND ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS COMPLY WITH THE DENSITY PRO BONUS PROVISIONS THAT WILL BE IN THERE.

THEY'RE NOT EVEN COMPLYING WITH THE PUD DENSITY BONUS PROVISIONS.

THIS IS A BAD DEAL FOR THE CITY, AND IT'S A BAD DEAL ON EACH AND EVERY SITE THAT'S COMING FORWARD WITH THIS AREA.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP, UM, FOR DISCUSSION.

I, I SEE SOMEBODY ON, ARE WE HEARING FROM SOMEBODY ON? OKAY.

THEY'RE JUST HERE.

JUST MAKING SURE.

UM, WE CAN JUST GO AROUND THE HORN AND, UM, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO START COMMISSIONER CHANGSA.

ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK I NEED TO THINK FOR A MINUTE.

THANKS COMMISSIONER.

EY.

YEAH, I MEAN, UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T THINK TOO MUCH.

SO THERE YOU GO.

UM, YEAH, I HAD A QUESTION SORT OF, YOU KNOW, UM, THE PUBLIC COMMENT BROUGHT UP ABOUT, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND I DIDN'T REALLY SEE THAT MENTIONED THE PRESENTATION OF LA GRANT WAS BY THE CITY AND NOT THE DEVELOPER.

I WAS WONDERING IF, UH, Y'ALL COULD TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, ANY POSSIBLE AFFORDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS AREA.

IT'S GONNA BE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE, UH, YOU KNOW, PROPOSED PROJECT CONNECT, BLUE LINE STOP.

UM, AND FRANKLY, YOU KNOW, UM, I FEEL LIKE I'M BEATING A DEAD HORSE WHENEVER I TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, GIVEN SORT OF THE CURRENT MARKET LANDSCAPE FOR COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY IN THE OFFICE SPACE, I FEEL LIKE 600 K WORTH OF, UH, SPACE IS SOMEWHAT OF A LOT.

GRANTED, IT'S A NICE AREA, BUT, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA, SINCE IT'S GONNA BE CLOSE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, A MASS TRANSIT RAIL, LIGHT RAIL STUFF.

SO I WAS CURIOUS, UH, IF Y'ALL COULD SPEAK ON THAT.

AND THE WAY THAT THEY DO THAT IS THEY LEVERAGE TAX EXEMPT BONDS, THEY LEVERAGE TAX ABATEMENTS, THEY LEVERAGE FEDERAL, LOCAL, AND STATE SUBSIDY.

UM, SO MY NAME IS, UH, MIKE IONE.

I'M THE PRESIDENT OF RELATED TEXAS DA RUBEN, VICE PRESIDENT RELATED TO TEXAS.

SO, UM, ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE LARGEST DEVELOPERS AND OWNERS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.

UM, IT WAS A, OUR COMPANY WAS FOUNDED AS AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPANY AND WE OWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY.

UM, IT'S ACTUALLY 60,000 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS.

UM, AND IN TERMS OF, I THINK I, I THINK AS TO, TO RESPOND TO THE, THE COMMENT ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT VISION PLAN, UM, OUR PROPOSAL, UM, WHICH HAS BEEN, UM, SUPPORTED BY THE CITY, UM, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY, WE TRIED TO PROVIDE, UM, THE MOST FLEXIBLE SOLUTION FOR THE CITY TO CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

ONSITE AFFORDABILITY IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT WE WELCOME ONSITE AFFORDABILITY IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE COMPLETELY HAPPY TO DO.

HOWEVER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CITIES OVER TIME, THE NEEDS OF A CITY IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING CAN CHANGE.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT CREATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNIT, IF YOU WANNA CREATE A UNIT IN A BRAND NEW HIGH-RISE BUILDING, THAT NUMBER THAT THE GENTLEMAN MENTIONED IS WHAT IT COSTS.

THAT IS THE COST OF THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT.

AND FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES AND A FEW OTHER FOLKS HAVE ACTUALLY FOUND REALLY CREATIVE WAYS TO CREATE A LOT MORE UNITS FOR EVERY DOLLAR OF CAPITAL.

[00:30:01]

AND WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS, FOR EVERY DOLLAR OF CAPITAL, YOU'RE LEVERAGING THOSE DOLLARS INTO MANY MORE UNITS.

ADDITIONALLY, TODAY, PEOPLE HAVE READ, I'M SURE THAT RENTS IN AUSTIN HAVE GONE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.

SO HAVE ACTUALLY THE VALUES OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS.

SO TODAY, IF, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO BUY AN APARTMENT BUILDING FOR $250,000 A UNIT.

SO WHAT OUR PROPOSAL DID WAS PROVIDE THE CITY WITH OPTIONALITY AND THE OPTIONALITY TO SAY, WELL, IF WE LOOK AT OUR AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEED TODAY, MAYBE WE WANT THREE ONSITE UNITS, OR MAYBE WE WANT 20 ONSITE UNITS, OR MAYBE WE DON'T WANT THE ONSITE UNITS BECAUSE WE CAN GO BUY AN APARTMENT BUILDING FOUR BLOCKS AWAY FOR $250,000 A UNIT AND LEVERAGE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT I TALKED ABOUT INTO CREATING INSTEAD OF 20 UNITS.

MAYBE THEY CREATE 60 UNITS, BUT A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE CONTROL OF WHERE AND HOW THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOLLARS IS SPENT ARE BY THE CITY OF BOSTON.

I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION.

NOT SURE I LEAVE KNOWING IF THERE'S ANY AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, SCHEDULED TO BE ON THE PROPERTY OR NOT.

UH, THAT'S, IT'S NOT IT.

THE CITY OF AUSTIN WILL DECIDE IF, IF THEY COLLECT X DOLLARS, IF THEY COLLECT $10 MILLION OF FEE IN LIEU, THAT FEE IN LIEU CAN USE, BE USED TO EXCHANGE FOR AFFORDABLE UNITS ON SITE AT 60% A MI, OR THEY CAN CHOOSE TO GIVE A PORTION OF THAT TO FOUNDATION COMMUNITIES, A PORTION TO ANOTHER AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPER, A PORTION OF THAT TO ON ONSITE UNITS.

IT'S ALL UP TO THE CITY OF BOSTON.

IT'S NOT IN OUR CONTROL.

GOTCHA.

YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK JUST IN GENERAL, IF WE'RE DOING SORT OF LONG-TERM PLANNING, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME KIND OF, UH, YOU KNOW, LESS THAN SORT OF, UH, SKYROCKETING RENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE NEAR, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, UH, HIGH PROFILE MASS TRANSIT STOPS, UH, WOULD DEFINITELY BE APPRECIATED BY THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY.

UM, AND, UH, YEAH, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER FLURY.

THERE WE GO.

UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A, A CITY OF AUSTIN QUESTION OR, UH, FOR THE DEVELOPER, BUT THE STATEMENT GENTLEMAN MADE ABOUT THE PUD REQUIRING IT TO BE 10 ACRES.

AND IF IT'S LESS THAN THAT, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE A, A PARTICULAR REASON ABOUT THE SITE.

UH, SO WHY, WHY, WHAT, WHAT'S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS SITE THAT, THAT IT MEETS THAT EXCEPTION? UM, HI LIZ JOHNSTON, INTERIM ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER.

AND I MAY ASK, UH, OUR, MY COLLEAGUE IN PLANNING TO CLARIFY IF I SAY SOMETHING WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR A CODE MOD.

ONE OF THE CODE MODIFICATIONS IS TO NOT, UH, MEET THAT REQUIREMENT.

SO, WHICH IS A, UM, NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT HAS HAPPENED.

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PUDS IN THIS AREA THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MUCH, MUCH SMALLER THAN 10 ACRES THAT HAVE RECEIVED SIMILAR CODE MODIFICATIONS, I GUESS.

UH, SO MY LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THAT IS THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A RATIONALE FOR THAT.

I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT THE RATIONALE IS OTHER THAN, UH, KNOW SHERRY.

SO WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, ACTUALLY COMMISSIONER, THERE ISN'T NECESSARILY A RATIONALE.

PEOPLE CAN ASK FOR THAT CODE MODIFICATION.

IT HAPPENS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

WE HAVE PUDS AT LEAST TWO IN THIS AREA, THE EAST RIVERSIDE, PUD AND THE 200 EAST, UH, RIVERSIDE, PUD, THAT ARE CURRENTLY BELOW THAT ACREAGE THAT HAVE ASKED FOR THAT CODE MODIFICATION.

I'VE HAD NUMEROUS PUDS OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS THAT HAVE ASKED FOR THAT CODE MODIFICATION AND HAVE BEEN LESS THAN THE 10 ACRES.

SO THEY PROVIDE BENEFITS TO OFFSET THEIR REQUIREMENT TO BE AT LEAST 10 ACRES JUST THROUGH THE PUD ITSELF.

THAT MAKES IT SUPERIOR.

DO YOU EVER SAY NO WHEN THEY ASK? I DON'T THINK WE HAVE ACTUALLY IN ALL THESE YEARS.

UM, BECAUSE USUALLY, UH, THEY'RE DOING A COMPLEX DEVELOPMENT THAT REQUIRES A PUD AND AS YOU KNOW, IN OUR CODE, WE DON'T HAVE MANY WAYS TO DO A COMPLEX DEVELOPMENT.

THAT'S A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, PRETTY MUCH ONLY THROUGH A PDA OR A PUD AND PUD, YOU ACTUALLY GET BENEFITS WHICH YOU DO NOT GET IN A-P-D-A-A PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY.

SO, OKAY.

I GUESS THIS ONE MIGHT BE FOR THE, UM, DEVELOPER,

[00:35:01]

BUT COULD YOU TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT'S PLANNED FOR THE, THE CREEK EDGE FLOODPLAIN, THE, THE RECREATION OF THE, THE FOLKS LIVING THERE? IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS GONNA BE MORE POSSIBLE PEOPLE HANGING OUT THERE.

SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE CONDITION TODAY, OKAY, O OBVIOUSLY LIKE THE CONCRETE EMBANKMENT, THE COMPLETELY DESTROYED ENVIRONMENT DOWN THERE, JUST BECAUSE OF THE NEGLECT THAT IT'S HAD FOR THE LAST, I DUNNO, 15, 20 YEARS LIKE THAT, THAT'S NOT IDEAL, RIGHT? I THINK EVERYBODY CAN AGREE THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT AS A CITY.

IT'S NOT WHAT, CERTAINLY WHAT YOU GUYS WOULD WANT AS A COMMISSION.

UM, AND YOU START THINKING ABOUT WHAT, WHAT DO WE WANT? RIGHT? WHAT WE WANT THE CREEK TO KIND OF GET BACK TO WHAT IT REALLY SHOULD BE, RIGHT? A PLACE THAT YOU CAN BE AROUND THAT FUNCTIONS FROM A FLOODPLAIN PERSPECTIVE THAT KIND OF REPATRIATES THE CREEK EDGE AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN ENJOY.

AND WHEN WE STARTED THINKING ABOUT HOW YOU ACHIEVE THAT, THERE WAS A FEW DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE HAD TO TAKE.

NUMBER ONE, OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, CONDITIONS THAT WE HAD TO ADDRESS, I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS PUBLIC SAFETY.

I'M NOT SURE THAT THERE'S A SINGLE PERSON IN THIS ROOM WHO WOULD WALK DOWN INTO THAT CREEK AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.

I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T.

AND I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T WANT MY WIFE OR CHILDREN OR GRANDMOTHER.

I WOULDN'T WANT ANY OF THEM DOWN THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.

AND PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT, I THINK, IS WHENEVER YOU HAVE PLACES THAT ARE NOT THAT PROTECTED AND PUBLIC RIGHT, IT OPENS UP AREAS FOR BAD BEHAVIOR.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT ABOUT IS HOW DO YOU KIND OF RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE, BUT ALSO KIND OF BRING AN ELEMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND AWARENESS INTO THAT AREA.

BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO PART WAS THAT THERE'S A CONNECTIVITY, AND IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN, WHICH WE STUDIED EXTENSIVELY, IS THEY WANT A CONNECTION BETWEEN SOUTH FIRST AND SOUTH CONGRESS.

AND PART OF HAVING THAT CONNECTION IS WE WANT IT TO BE A PLATE SAFE PLACE FOR PEOPLE.

SO PART OF THAT KIND OF, I GUESS, CALCULUS IN DECIDING HOW THAT WHOLE CREEK EDGE AND HOW THE DEVELOPMENT REALLY KIND OF INTERACTS WITH THAT WAS WORKING WITH PARD, WAS WORKING WITH ALL OF OUR GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND JUST UNDERSTANDING HOW WE COULD BALANCE ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS AND ACTUALLY CREATE A GREAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHERE ALSO KIND OF RESPECTS AND PROTECTS THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD.

DO YOU HAVE ANY, I I, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A PLACE FOR ONE DEMOGRAPHIC.

AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND.

IF YOU GO OUT THERE TODAY, UM, THERE ARE TOO MANY HIDDEN CORNERS FROM LIKE, YOU KNOW, SITE.

SO YOU CAN EASILY LIKE GO BACK THERE BEHIND THE HOUSING ON TOP OF THE CONCRETE EMBANKMENT.

IT'S OBVIOUSLY LIKE A PRETTY STEEP SLOPE TOO.

SO IT'S NOT REALLY SAFE.

AND IF SOMEBODY'S OUT THERE AT NIGHT, YOU'RE JUST NOT GONNA SEE THEM AROUND THE, THE BUILDINGS BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A CLEAR SHOT OR A CLEAR VIEW.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF CREATING THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE.

BUT THE OTHER ASPECT IS JUST, UM, MITIGATING FOR THE SLOPE, BRINGING BACK NATURE INTO THAT SPACE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE CONCRETE EMBANKMENT ACTUALLY SIGNALS A PARTICULAR TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT THAT IS NOT INVITING.

LIKE IF YOU SEE CONCRETE EMBANKMENT AND YOU SEE TREES AND FLOWERS, WHICH ONE ARE YOU GONNA FEEL MORE INVITED OR INCLINED TO TO BE IN? AND SO I THINK THE OTHER IDEA WAS LIKE, HOW CAN WE CREATE A SPACE WHERE KIDS WANT TO BE ADULTS WANT TO BE, WELL THE ELDERLY WANT TO BE THE IMPAIRED WHO ARE OUR NEIGHBORS, RIGHT? IN VARIOUS DIFFERENT WAYS, ALSO WANT TO BE.

AND SO I THINK WE HAD TO RESPECT EVERY SINGLE DEMOGRAPHIC AND ACTUALLY BE CONSIDERATE OF THE TYPES OF PEOPLE THAT WE ACTUALLY WANTED TO BE THERE WITHOUT NECESSARILY DISCRIMINATING UNINTENTIONALLY, RIGHT? AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S LIKE A SIGNAL OF OUR INTENT TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE BECAUSE WHAT'S OUT THERE TODAY AND WHAT WE ASPIRE TO DO IN THE FUTURE ARE BASICALLY LIKE WORLDS APART.

RIGHT? SO, THANK YOU.

SO WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CREEK? THERE'S A TRAIL THERE, FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO COME OFF OF CONGRESS OR OFF OF RIVERSIDE.

I MIGHT HAVE MISSED THAT PLAN.

WHY DON'T YOU, DO YOU WANNA COME UP AND, AND WE COULD, I MEAN, WE, WE HAD A VIDEO THAT WE SHOWED AT THE LAST, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD HEARING THAT WE WERE AT.

UM, AND LIKE

[00:40:01]

WE'RE NOT BUILDING BUILDINGS IN THE CREEK.

WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, PAVING THE CREEK.

WE'RE ACTUALLY CREATING A HUGE BUFFER BETWEEN OUR DEVELOPMENT AND THE CREEK THAT THE TRAIL WILL RUN THROUGH.

AND THEN WHY DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT KIND OF EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON.

HI, I'M MATT YEAGER.

I'M WITH TBG PARTNERS.

WE'RE THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.

I'M GONNA INTERJECT REALLY QUICK.

UM, SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU MATT.

UM, DO Y'ALL HAVE A, A PRESENTATION AND I'M JUST ASKING 'CAUSE WE HAVE FOUR, I THINK WE HAVE FIVE NEW COMMISSIONERS HERE THAT HAVE NOT SEEN YOUR PRESENTATION AT ALL.

SO, SO WE HAVE A VIDEO THAT I THINK IS PROBABLY EVEN BETTER THAN A PRESENTATION.

'CAUSE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE INTENT OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO SHOW IT IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT IT UP THERE.

YOU CAN , I HAVE AN IPAD THAT IT'S ON.

CAN WE PLUG THE IPAD INTO HIS, WHY DON'T I GO AND TALK TO HIM AND SEE IF WE CAN, I THINK IT SHOULD BE USEFUL.

PAUSE IT FOR ONE SECOND? I'VE NEVER BROADCAST FLYER.

WHILE HE'S DOING THAT, I'LL DESCRIBE THE PROGRAM WITHIN THE CREEK, KIND OF FROM THE CREEK CENTER LINE TO THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN, THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.

UH, SO IN THE FIRST 25 FEET IT'S ALL RIPARIAN RESTORATION YOU SAW ON THE SLIDES EARLIER, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE SCREENS SHOW THE SAME THING.

UM, BUT THERE'S SOME, UH, ARMORING AND EMBANKMENT ON THE, UH, ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY THAT ALLOWS FOR THE KIND OF THE MAJOR FLOOD WATERS TO BE THAT PROTECTS FROM EROSION ON THAT SIDE AND OVER THERE.

UM, AND SO WITHIN 25 FEET IT'S ALL RIPARIAN RESTORATION BETWEEN 25 AND 50 FEET.

UM, WE ARE ALSO INTRODUCING THE TRAIL THAT MIKE HAD DISCUSSED.

UM, AGAIN, THAT WAS A REQUEST FROM, FROM PARD.

UH, AND THEN FROM 50 TO ESSENTIALLY THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.

UM, THERE'S, THERE'S ALSO JUST MOSTLY RIPARIAN RESTORATION.

UH, THERE WILL BE MAYBE SOME PROGRAMMING, BUT IT'LL BE MOSTLY PASSIVE PARK RELATED PROGRAMMING.

UM, IT WON'T BE ANYTHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, CONSTRUCTED OR VERTICAL, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE PROGRAM.

SO I, I DO HOPE TO SEE, UH, MORE PLANS THAT WOULD HELP ME.

UM, 'CAUSE 'CAUSE I DO THINK OF THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING THERE AND, AND, AND JUST THE NATURAL DRAW TO A CREEK THAT THERE, THERE'S GONNA BE MORE GOING ON THERE.

SO I WAS HOPING TO JUST SEE WHAT THE PLAN LOOKS LIKE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CREEK AS A SCHOOL.

UM, SO I I I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW, UH, IT HOW Y'ALL ARE IMPROVING THE CREEK, UH, FOR THOSE FOLKS AS WELL.

UM, YOU'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN, SO ONE OF, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH THE SCHOOL IS PROVIDING A CONNECTION TO OUR PROPERTY AND WHETHER THAT IS A CONNECTION THAT KIND OF RUNS FROM ESSENTIALLY THE NORTH SIDE OF THEIR PROPERTY ONTO SOUTH CONGRESS AND THEN BACK IN, OR KIND OF WEAVES THROUGH IS I THINK A TO BE DETERMINED FEATURE.

UM, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO US, AND I THINK IT WAS IMPORTANT TO THEM TO HAVE THE, THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN OUR TWO PIECES.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL SEE IN, IN THE VIDEO IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT PROTECTED SPACE WHEN WE, AND ACTUALLY THESE GUYS DESIGN THE, THE LANDSCAPE INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE INVITING PEOPLE TO ENJOY IT.

WE'RE NOT INVITING PEOPLE TO GO WALK IN IT, RIGHT? SO THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE GOT FOUR LITTLE BOYS, SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU NEED TO DISCOURAGE WALKING INTO CREEKS.

SO, UM, I GUESS WITH THE TREE REMOVAL PLAN, DID I CATCH THAT THE TREES ON SITE ARE ALL BEING MOVED INTO THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN? IT LOOKED LIKE THE LARGEST TREES ON SITE WERE OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN AND NOW WE'RE MOVING 'EM IN.

IS THERE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THE VIABILITY OF MOVING HERITAGE TREES THAT WEREN'T IN A FLOODPLAIN NOW INTO A FLOODPLAIN? WE, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE CITY ARBORIST TO DECIDE WHERE THE TREES WERE GOING.

UM, ONE OF OUR ORIGINAL SUGGESTIONS WAS IF, IF YOU'RE WALKING ALONG SOUTH CONGRESS, UM, AND IT HAPPENS A LOT IN DOWNTOWN WHERE THERE'S JUST NOT A LOT OF SHADE PROTECTION AND WHEN IT'S 105 DEGREES IN THE SUMMER, YOU REALLY DO NEED SHADE PROTECTION.

SO ONE OF OUR IDEAS WAS LET'S EXTEND THAT CANOPY ALONG THE PERIMETER OF THE SITE.

I THINK IT WAS ULTIMATELY, UM, DECIDED THAT THERE, THERE WASN'T ENOUGH ROOM IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.

AND IT'S NOT KIND OF A PRACTICE THAT THEY WANT TO DO, BUT WE DO PLAN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROVIDE MORE SHADE PROTECTION IN THAT RIGHT OF WAY TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE, ARE COVERED.

AND, UM, WE'VE HAD NO ISSUES, UH, FROM THE CITY ARBORIST WITH KIND OF THE SUGGESTION.

AND WE WORKED WITH THEM THE ENTIRE TIME.

OH, SO CAN YOU

[00:45:01]

GOT IT.

UM, SO IF YOU KIND OF TAKE A LOOK RIGHT HERE, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A SCHEMATIC VIEW OF WHAT THE, THE GENERAL SENSE FOR WHAT WE INTEND TO DO HERE.

UM, THESE BUILDINGS ARE NOT DESIGNED YET IN TERMS OF THEIR SKIN OR THEIR ARCHITECTURE.

UM, AND THIS IS A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THE CREEK TO LOOK LIKE.

SO LET'S JUST PLAY THE VIDEO AND MAYBE PAUSE IT RIGHT HERE.

UM, SO AS YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE BUILDINGS ALL SET BACK, UM, PAST THE SETBACK LINE, AND THEN THE VAST MAJORITY OF KIND OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN, UM, THE CREEK AND THE, UM, AND SORT OF THE LINE OF THE BUILDINGS IS ALL, UM, THAT RIPARIAN RESTORATION, THE RAIN GARDENS AND ALL OF THE OTHER FLOOD RESILIENCY METHODS, THERE WILL BE A PATH, UH, TO BE DESIGNED, UH, PER PARD STANDARDS THAT WOULD CONNECT, UH, SOUTH CONGRESS AND SOUTH RIVERSIDE OR, OR IN SOUTH RIVER.

WHY DON'T WE CAN PAUSE IT HERE.

SO IT JUST GIVES YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A SENSE FOR WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY NOT PERFECTLY RELEVANT HERE, BUT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IS WE WANT TO MAKE THIS KIND OF THE CENTER OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.

AND WE REALLY WANNA MAKE THIS A, A PLACE AND NOT A PLACE THAT NEEDS TO BE PROGRAMMED.

YOU KIND OF LOOK AT LIKE, UH, THE SPANISH STEPS IN ROME AND IT, IT'S A PLACE AND PEOPLE GO THERE, RIGHT? AND EVERYBODY GOES THERE.

AND, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HOLD AN EVENT FOR PEOPLE TO GO THERE.

PEOPLE JUST NATURALLY CONGREGATE.

AND THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.

AND I THINK THE OTHER THING IS JUST THE SCALE OF THE BUILDINGS THAT YOU INTERACT WITH AS A HUMAN.

YOU KIND OF GO TO A LOT OF PLACES.

UM, YOU KNOW, I SPENT 20 YEARS IN NEW YORK CITY AND UH, THERE'S CERTAIN TYPOLOGIES OF BUILDINGS THAT MAKE A LOT OF SENSE IN NEW YORK CITY AND THOSE KIND OF LONG VERTICAL STREET WALLS KIND OF MAKE SENSE, BUT A LOT OF THE BEST PLACES FOR PEOPLE, YOU'RE ALWAYS INTERACTING WITH BUILDINGS, AT LEAST THAT WHERE YOU INTERACT WITH THEM, THEY'RE THREE, FIVE STORIES AND IT JUST CREATES A MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT.

AND THAT'S KIND OF A LOT OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT WE DID HERE, UH, THAT WE THINK WILL MAKE THIS A, A PRETTY INCREDIBLE PLACE.

THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL, UH, TO SEE THAT.

UM, IF WE CAN MAKE THAT AVAILABLE TO, TO LOOK, THAT WOULD BE BE, UH, UH, GREAT.

SURE, NO PROBLEM.

UM, SO I DID, UH, WHEN, WHEN LOOKING AT THE PLANS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE FOCUS WAS ON THE, THE, THE, THE CREEK AND WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE STREET EDGES AND THINKING, YOU MENTIONED URBAN, UH, HEAT ISLAND AND THE ROW BEING TOO SMALL AND THE, THE, THE TREES LOOKED, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE SMALLER ON THAT EDGE.

BUT IS THERE GONNA BE ANY, UH, I GUESS WHAT'S THE PLAN TO REDUCE URBAN HEAT ISLAND HERE FOR THE FOLKS THAT DON'T ENTER THAT AREA BUT ARE JUST PASSING ON THE SIDEWALK? ARE, ARE, SO ARE WE, SO WHICH EDGE I GUESS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? CONGRESS AND RIVERSIDE, CONGRESS AND RIVERSIDE? SO I THINK THAT ON THE, BOTH OF THE SIDES OF THE STREET, I DUNNO IF WE HAVE, WHERE'S THAT ORIGINAL TREE PLAN? MAYBE WE COULD GO TO THAT BECAUSE THERE'S ACTUALLY

[00:50:05]

YEP.

THERE WE, ONE MORE.

SO NATURALLY THE SITE DOES, I WOULD SAY A, THE EXISTING CONDITIONS ARE PROBABLY OKAY, NOT GREAT IN TERMS OF LIKE THE TREE SHADE.

SO ONE OF THE PLANS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH CANOPY COVERAGE ALONG, UH, ALONG RIVERSIDE AND ALONG SOUTH CONGRESS TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF CREATE THAT, THAT CONSISTENCY IN TERMS OF COVERAGE ALONG THOSE TWO EDGES.

BUT WE'RE JUST NOT SEEING THAT PLAN RIGHT NOW.

'CAUSE THERE'S NO, IT, I MEAN, WE, WE HAVEN'T, WE HAVEN'T EVEN PUT A PEN TO PAPER ON .

I MEAN, WE HAVE SOME VERY PRELIMINARY LANDSCAPE DESIGNS.

I MEAN, MAYBE YOU CAN TALK, MAYBE YOU CAN CHAT A LITTLE BIT.

SO STREET TREES ARE OBVIOUSLY GONNA BE A REQUIREMENT FROM THE CITY THAT'LL BE HANDLED IN, IN IN SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.

WE, WE HAVEN'T DESIGNED THE STREETSCAPE YET.

WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHERE THE UTILITIES ARE KIND OF, KIND OF BANGING INTO THE BUILDINGS, RIGHT? SO, UM, AS WE HAD MENTIONED, WE, AT ONE POINT WE HAD ACTUALLY TRIED TO MOVE SOME OF THE HERITAGE AND PROTECTED TREES THAT ARE ON SITE NOW OUT TO THE STREET EDGE.

BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, SOMETIMES, UH, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY AND, UH, ISN'T REALLY PARTICULAR ABOUT THOSE TREES.

AND, UH, AND A TD ALSO PUSHED BACK A LITTLE BIT AS WELL.

HAVING THOSE SUCH LARGE TREES WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, MAY NOT BE IN THE, IN IN THE KIND OF BEST IN THEIR INTERESTS.

THIS ACTUALLY CAME AS A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY ARBORIST TO SAY, HEY, LET'S JUST MOVE ALL OF THESE TO THE, TO THE CREEK.

SO WE DO PLAN ON PLANTING, UH, NEW TREES, OBVIOUSLY, UM, PER CITY OF AUSTIN STANDARD, I BELIEVE THAT'S A FIVE INCH MINIMUM CALIPER TREE ALONG THE STREETSCAPE ON SOUTH CONGRESS AND RIVERSIDE.

BUT IT'S NOT IN THE PLANS YET BECAUSE THAT, THAT, THAT'S COVERED IN INSIDE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.

AND THEN, UH, ONE LAST QUESTION I THINK AND HOPE, UM, THE PARKING GARAGE GOING UNDERGROUND, IT, IT, IT SEEMED LIKE THE, THEY WERE SEEKING A VARIANCE TO NOT HAVE, UH, THAT COUNTED IMPERVIOUS COVER, BUT THE CITY RECOMMENDED THAT IT WOULD BE COUNTED AS IMPERVIOUS COVER.

I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE CITY, UH, UH, OF THAT LAST ONE TO COMPLY WITH THAT PARTICULAR CODE.

UH, HI, LESLIE LILY, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION.

SO THE WAY THAT OUR LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, UH, REGULATES, UM, UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE COUNTING AS, UM, IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, IS RELATED TO THE EXISTING GRADE OF THE LAND.

AND THE WAY THAT THE CODE AMENDMENT IS, IS, IS CRAFTED, IS THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE CREATING A LOT OF FLOOD VOLUME IN THE, UH, IN THE CREEK.

THERE'S SOME DIFFERENT GRADES THAT WILL BE THE FINAL GRADE.

AND THE POINT OF CREATING THIS CODE AMENDMENT IS SO THAT WHEREVER THE PARKING GARAGE IS, THERE WILL BE TWO TO FOUR FEET OF SOIL WITH A MINIMUM OF FOUR FEET OF SOIL ABOVE THE PARKING GARAGE.

THIS EXCEEDS LIKE THE, THE BASE REQUIREMENT FOR COUNTING UNDER UNDERGROUND, UM, PARKING GARAGES AS IMPERVIOUS COVER RIGHT NOW.

BUT THE GRADE OF THE, THE SITE IS GONNA CHANGE OUR CODE REQUIRES THAT IT BE COUNTED BASED ON EXISTING GRADE.

SO WE WANTED TO REMOVE THAT REQUIREMENT.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I THINK SO, YEAH.

IT'S, IT'S LIKE, IT'S A LONG CODE SECTION AND THAT IS LIKE ONE TRICKY PIECE OF CODE THAT'S IN THERE THAT IT'S ALWAYS MEASURED FROM EXISTING GRADE.

AND WE THINK THAT IT'S SERVES THE SAME PURPOSE AS LONG AS IT HAS ENOUGH SOIL ON TOP OF THE PARKING GARAGE.

UH, SO IT MIGHT'VE BEEN INTUITIVE TO, TO, TO EVERYONE ELSE.

UM, I WAS INITIALLY THINKING OF IT, UH, NOT NECESSARILY AS A FLOOD CONTROL, UM, SPECIFICATION, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT FOUR FEET IS RATHER THAN ANY SORT OF INFILTRATION, LIKE WHEN IT HITS THE, THE CONCRETE OF THE PARKING GARAGE, WHERE DOES IT GO AFTER THAT? IS IT IT IT'S SOAKING IT UP IN THE SOIL AND SO THAT IS SLOWING IT DOWN.

IT SOAKS IT UP IN THE SOIL, AND THEN THERE'S CONNECTIVITY TO THE SOIL THAT'S IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.

THE PARKING GARAGE DOES NOT EXTEND INTO THAT AREA.

SO THE IMPERVIOUS COVER WITHIN THE CRITICAL, UH, WITHIN THE FLOODPLAIN ALSO IS NOT GOING TO BE, UM, CROSSED BY THE UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE THAT WILL STAY OUTSIDE OF THAT AREA.

BUT THE, THE SOIL ON THE SURFACE, YOU KNOW, WILL BE THAT OF THAT DEPTH AND CAN BE CONNECTED TO THAT SOIL.

IT CAN HOLD WATER, IT WILL INFILTRATE, YOU KNOW.

UH, THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER FLURY FOR ASKING ALL THE QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER LUKI.

[00:55:01]

UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE CARBON IMPACT STATEMENT.

I WASN'T SURE WHAT THAT ACTUALLY MEANT.

WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT DATA? DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT THAT ANSWER IS? NO, ACTUALLY I CAN'T ANSWER THAT FOR YOU.

I'M SORRY.

SHERRY SE IS WITH THE PLANNING DIVISION, UH, DEPARTMENT.

SO IT IS REQUIRED BY CODE THAT WE PROVIDE THE CARBON IMPACT STATEMENT, AND IT IS REVIEWED BY THAT DIVISION.

UM, AND SO THAT'S WHERE THAT INFORMATION COMES IN.

I THINK.

I THINK, DO YOU HAVE JOHN? I, I HAVE, UH, RELATED INFORMATION, BUT THAT, THAT WORKS FOR WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING.

UM, I CAN ADD ONE PIECE TO THIS.

UH, JONATHAN OGREN FROM SIGLO GROUP, UH, WE'RE THE ECOLOGICAL CONSULTANTS ON THE PROJECT.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CARBON SEQUESTRATION AND THEN LOOKING AT THE RIPARIAN RESTORATION IN THAT AREA.

WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROXIMATELY FIVE TONS OF CARBON PER YEAR, UM, DUE TO THE PLANTING IN THAT RIPARIAN RESTORATION AREA.

COOL.

HOW DO YOU CALCULATE THAT ? THAT'S THE ONLY ONE.

UH, THERE'S, THERE'S A NUMBER OF MODELS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, AND THEY ARE ACTUALLY FLUCTUATING QUITE A BIT.

ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE IS CALLED IRE.

AND SO WE'RE USING I TREE FOR THAT.

SO IT'S BASICALLY ALL THE SE SEQUESTRATION IS BASED UPON THE TREES THAT ARE PLANTED.

Y YES.

AND SO THERE'LL BE ADDITIONAL SEQUESTRATION THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THAT NUMBER JUST BECAUSE THE MODELS AREN'T THAT, UH, UM, DEVELOPED.

BRILLIANT.

UM, THAT KIND OF ALLOWED FLEXIBILITY FOR THE CITY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PRIORITY WAS AT THE TIME AND MAKE THE BEST DECISION FOR THE CITY.

UH, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I'M, I'M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW AFFORDABLE HOUSING WORKS IN THIS CITY.

UM, I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT WAS A SLIDING SCALE OPTION THERE.

AND, UM, UH, I, I'M ALSO ON THE, ON THE MILLER COMMISSION WHERE 25% OF THE HOUSING THAT WE, THAT WE OFFER THERE IS, IS AFFORDABLE.

AND I'VE NEVER HEARD ANYBODY DESCRIBE IT THE WAY THAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED IT AS TO HOW THE CITY CONTROLS THAT.

I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS A WAY DIFFERENT WAY TO TO, TO DO IT.

AND SO, UH, HAVING LOOKED AT THIS VIDEO THAT Y'ALL RUN, IT'S VERY COOL.

HOW MANY BUILDINGS ARE ON THAT SITE IN, IN YOUR ESTIMATION? FIVE.

FIVE.

ONE OF THEM IS GOING TO BE BASICALLY FOR OFFICE SPACE.

SO THE, THE CURRENT PLAN IS TWO OF THE BUILDINGS WOULD BE COMMERCIAL OFFICE SPACE.

UM, THERE WOULD BE TWO OF THE BUILDINGS WOULD BE RESIDENTIAL USES.

AND THEN, UH, THE LAST BUILDING WOULD BE A HOTEL.

AND THEN AT THE BASE OF ALL THOSE BUILDINGS IS THE 150,000 FEET OF RETAIL, THE GROCERY STORE AND ALL THAT PROGRAMMING.

ROGER THAT, IT SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA TO HAVE A GROCERY STORE IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE.

UM, I LIKE ALL THAT.

I REALLY WISH THERE WAS A WAY TO NAIL DOWN AFFORDABLE HOUSING THERE, THOUGH.

I'M, I'M STILL CONFUSED HOW THAT, HOW THAT WORKS.

UM, BUT, UM, UH, IN, IN, IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE ARE SEEING APARTMENT RENTAL RATES GOING DOWN, WHICH HAS COME BECAUSE EVERYBODY BUILT APARTMENT BUILDINGS, MM-HMM .

UM, THAT AREA OF TOWN SEEMS LIKE TO ME, UH, THE ONE PLACE WHERE THERE'S NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, HAVE Y'ALL CONSIDERED ANY WAY OF, OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN? SO WHEN YOU, SO I GUESS I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED AS TO WHY, WHEN, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR PLAN THAT WE, UM, DISCUSSED WITH THE CITY IN TERMS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, , THERE'S THE ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY TO PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THIS SITE.

WHAT OUR PLAN DOES, I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DON'T WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RIGHT? WE JUST WANNA PAY THE FEE IN LIEU.

WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS LET'S CALCULATE THE VALUE.

AND THEN IF YOU WANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ONSITE IN TWO AND A HALF YEARS OR FIVE YEARS, WHEN YOU ULTIMATELY HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION, LET'S DO IT.

IF YOU WANNA DO SOMETHING ELSE AND PUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING TWO DOORS DOWN, GREAT.

LET'S DO IT.

IF YOU WANNA GO BUY AN APARTMENT BUILDING AND CONVERT THAT TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING, NO PROBLEM.

LET'S DO IT.

WHATEVER CREATES THE MAXIMUM IMPACT AT THE TIME THE CITY HAS THE ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY TO DO.

AND WE THOUGHT THAT WAS A, A RELATIVELY CLEVER SOLUTION,

[01:00:01]

THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

COMMISSIONER FAROH? NOT NECESSARILY A QUESTION MORE LIKE, UH, JUST ECHOING WHAT THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE SAID ABOUT, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE AREA.

THAT'S ONE OF THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST GENTRIFIED, WHERE ONLY FOLKS THAT CAN AFFORD TESLAS AND LULULEMON CAN ENJOY THE AMENITIES OF SOUTH CONGRESS NOWADAYS WHEN IT USED TO BE THIS POD WHERE THE AUSTIN CULTURE LIVED.

UM, SO I JUST LIKE WANNA CALL ON THAT 'CAUSE IT DOES SEEM LIKE WE'RE GETTING ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN, BUT THAT AREA ALREADY HAS A LOT OF THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT MOST FOLKS IN THE CITY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO BECAUSE IT'S NOT WITHIN THEIR BUDGET.

UH, SO I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THAT AND I KNOW THAT'S NOT WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IT'S A PART OF, BUT I, AS A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, THAT'S SOMETHING I CARE ABOUT.

SO I JUST WANTED TO ECHO THAT.

UM, THAT'S IT.

ALRIGHT, WELL LET ME MAKE AN EXPLANATION HERE.

I SERVE ON THE CITY'S HOUSING INVESTMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND IT IS A CASE THAT VERY OFTEN DEVELOPERS ARE OFFERED A CHOICE BETWEEN A FEE IN LIEU VERSUS PUTTING THE, UM, HOUSING ON BOARD.

AND ONE OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE FEE IN LIEU IS IF YOU'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT 10% OF THE UNITS BEING PRICED, UH, IN A CERTAIN WAY, UM, THE SAME COST OF DOING THAT CAN PAY OFF WITH TWICE AS MANY UNITS IN ANOTHER BUILDING.

AND SO THE QUESTION IS, WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO HAVE IT THERE OR TO HAVE IT A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY WHERE YOU CAN HAVE TWICE AS MANY UNITS AND, UM, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT IS NICE TO HAVE A, A MORE DIVERSE COMMUNITY WITHIN ANY DEVELOPMENT.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE RATHER SEE IT ON SITE, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU HAVE TO WEIGH THESE QUESTIONS AND THE CITY DOES LOOK AT THESE, THESE THINGS.

UM, ONE QUESTION I HAD WAS ABOUT THE, UM, AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT THE TRAIL AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN SOUTH CONGRESS AND SOUTH FIRST STREET, UM, PART OF THE CITY BACKUP TALKED ABOUT ALSO BEING ABLE TO CONNECT TO THE, UM, UH, LIGHT RAIL STOP OVER ON EAST RIVERSIDE.

AND, UM, SO I ASSUME THAT WHEN YOU PRESENTED THIS TO THE PARKS BOARD OR WHATEVER, YOU TALKED ABOUT MORE, UM, CONNECTIONS AROUND THE AREA, NOT JUST BETWEEN CON SOUTH CONGRESS AND SOUTH FIRST FOR BIKES AND SCOOTERS AND WALKING AND WHATNOT.

I THINK THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

UM, SO DESPITE THE FACT, I MEAN, WE WERE ACTUALLY A, A PART OF TRYING TO GET THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN ACROSS THE FINISH LINE, AND I THINK I'M ALSO ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD, .

SO I I'VE SEEN THIS PROJECT, UH, ALONG THE WAY.

SO, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, I I THE COLLECTIVE, WE WERE JUST NOT ABLE TO GET THERE AND MM-HMM .

MAYBE SOMEDAY WE WILL, BUT IT THAT DAY IS NOT TODAY.

DO I GET FROM SOUTH FIRST? RIGHT NOW OVER TO SOUTH CONGRESS, YOU BASICALLY HAVE TO DRIVE DOWN AND OVER BY THE STREAM BUILDING ON RIVER SOUTH, I THINK IS THE SINGLE MOST DANGEROUS BICYCLE INTERSECTION IN THE ENTIRE CITY RIGHT NOW.

UM, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING IS THERE'S REALLY ONLY ABOUT SIX PEOPLE WHO CONTROL ALL OF THE LAND IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.

AND I THINK FROM A, A POSITIVE STANDPOINT IS I KNOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, AND WE TALK ALL THE TIME.

AND I THINK OUR VISION IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE PRINCIPLES THAT WERE IN THAT ORIGINAL SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PLAN, WHICH IS THE CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN ALL OF THOSE SITES.

SO AS WE PLAN, AND IF YOU LOOK AT KIND OF OUR VIDEO, RIGHT, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK THAT YOU'LL NOTICE IS THE POROSITY OF WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE.

WE'RE NOT BUILDING A WALLED GARDEN.

WE DON'T WANT TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT.

WE ACTUALLY WANT THE OPPOSITE.

WE WANNA BRING PEOPLE IN.

AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE AS A CITY HERE, IS WE KIND OF HAVE THIS BLANK SLATE ON ONE OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE PIECES OF PROPERTY THAT EXIST IN THIS COUNTRY, AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CREATE THE CITY THAT ALL THE OTHER CITIES WANT TO BE.

AND WHAT IS THAT? RIGHT? THAT'S HAVING ACCESS TO ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD WANT TO DO ON ANY GIVEN DAY TO BE ABLE TO TAKE YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL, TO BE ABLE TO GO FOR A RUN, TO BE ABLE TO GO TO WORK, TO BE ABLE TO LIVE, TO BE ABLE TO EAT, TO BE ABLE TO HANG OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS PLACES FOR YOUR GRANDMOTHER TO PLAY MAHJONG FOR YOUR KIDS TO HANG OUT, RIGHT? THAT'S THE PLACE I THINK THAT WE WANT TO CREATE.

AND PART OF IT IS WHEN YOU START LOOKING ABOUT HOW DO I GET FROM, AND IF YOU'RE A CYCLIST, HOW

[01:05:01]

AND SO WHEN YOU DRIVE DOWN YOU, YOUR BIKE, THE BIKE LANE ACTUALLY DRIVES THROUGH THE RIGHT HAND TURNING LANE, RIGHT? AND SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS HOW DO YOU CREATE CONNECTIVITY? BECAUSE IF YOU'RE ON SOUTH FIRST STREET, IMAGINE A FUTURE WHERE YOU CAN COME ACROSS THE BACK, ALONG THE CREEK, CROSS ACRO, UH, ACROSS SOUTH CONGRESS, AND THEN CONNECT INTO THE TRAILS THAT WILL GO ADJACENT TO THE LIGHT RAIL, GO DOWN TO WHERE, UH, THE STATE'S BEEN SITE IS ACROSS THE BRIDGE OVER TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.

I MEAN, I THINK, I MEAN, YOU, WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE LIKE AN UNBELIEVABLY MAGICAL PLACE THAT'S SUPER CONNECTED TO THE REST OF THE CITY.

AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHAT, I MEAN, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, THAT'S REALLY WHAT PEOPLE WANT, RIGHT? AND THAT, THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DID FROM THE SOUTH CENTER FOR WATERFRONT ADVISORY BOARD DID SEND A PLAN FORWARD TO THE CITY COUNCIL, BUT THE CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T LIKE IT.

AND SO THEY DID AN, UH, POSTPONEMENT, AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT INTO 2025 OR 2026, I'M NOT SURE.

UM, BUT THE POINT IS, WE ALL HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL POD BEING POROUS AND CONNECTED TO THE OTHER ONES.

SO I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT THAT.

WELL, AND I, I, I THINK HONESTLY, IF YOU TALK TO, I MEAN, GO AND TALK TO THE, THE FOLKS FROM ENDEAVOR.

WELL, WE HAVE GO AND TALK TO THE FOLKS FROM HUNT.

I THINK WE ALL HAVE A REALLY, REALLY SIMILAR VISION FOR HOW WE WANT THIS PLACE TO BE WHEN IT'S DONE.

YEP.

AND I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK IT'S PRETTY RARE.

CERTAINLY COMING FROM NEW YORK, LOTS OF DEVELOPERS DIDN'T TALK TO EACH OTHER.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

AND I THINK NOW WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY WHERE EVERYBODY DOES TALK TO EACH OTHER AND THEY ACTUALLY WANT VERY, VERY SIMILAR THINGS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION, THE RERUN OF YOUR, UH, VIDEO.

I APPRECIATE IT.

UH, I GUESS MOST OF MY QUESTIONS ARE FOR STAFF, ALTHOUGH THE APPLICANT CERTAINLY CAN CHIME IN AS APPROPRIATE.

UH, I GUESS THE PURPOSE OF P IS TO RIDE SUPERIOR IN ALL WAYS, RESULTS OVER WHAT CAN BE PROVIDED BY ZONING ON ITS OWN.

SO AS WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT'S PROPOSED IN THIS, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY ASPECT OF IT IS SUPERIOR THAN WHAT INDIVIDUAL ZONING CAN BE ACHIEVED IN THERE.

SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF A PUD.

NOW, I GUESS 10 ACRES WAS THE SIZE OF A PUD, BUT, UH, MEMBER OF STAFF SAID THAT THAT WAS AN ARBITRARY NUMBER.

IS THAT REALLY THE CASE? I MEAN, DID SOMEONE JUST SIT THERE AND DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA DO 10 ACRES, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO 20, WE'RE GONNA DO, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO FIVE, WE'RE GONNA DO 10.

SOMEONE MUST HAVE HAD AN IDEA OF WHY WE'RE GONNA DO 10 INSTEAD OF 50 OR FIVE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

ACRE PUD IN SOME SENSE, INSTANCES.

AND OF COURSE I WASN'T THERE BACK THEN, BUT I CAN SAY THAT I THINK THAT THAT WAS BASED ON, UM, YOU KNOW, A PERIOD OF TIME WHEN AUSTIN WAS, UM, SEEING MORE GREENFIELD DEVELOPMENT OUT IN THE SUBURBS.

AND SO 10 ACRES SEEMED TO BE KIND OF THE THRESHOLD AT WHICH A PROJECT BECAME, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, A SINGLE FAMILY SUBDIVISION IS WHAT A LOT OF THEM HAD WERE BACK THEN, UM, BECAME COMPLICATED ENOUGH FOR A PUD TO BE, UM, APPROPRIATE.

BUT OF COURSE, AS THE CITY HAS CHANGED OVER TIME, WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE INFILL DEVELOPMENT.

THOSE COMPLICATED TYPES OF PROJECTS BECOME SMALLER AND SMALLER.

THE, YOU KNOW, THE MORE THEY, THEY COME INTO THE CITY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT 10 ACRE HAS BECOME LESS RELEVANT.

UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS OVER TIME, UH, IN AUSTIN TODAY, I TOO AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE PUD.

IT'S 10 ACRES.

UH, I THINK IF THE COUNCIL REALLY WANTED A SMALLER SIZE PUD, THE COUNCIL CAN GO IN THERE AND ALTER IT ON A PERMANENT BASIS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT FIVE ACRES.

AND I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE UP TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO CONTINUE TO HANDLE ONE-OFFS, UH, LIKE THIS.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S UP TO COUNCIL TO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S MY OPINION.

AND COUNCIL, JUST TO CLARIFY, WILL BE MAIDEN CITY COUNCIL DOES HAVE TO APPROVE ALL PUDS, AND THEY HAVE, I UNDERSTAND, BUT AS A MATTER OF POLICY, PERHAPS COUNSEL SHOULD CONSIDER LOOKING AT THE, THE PUDS AND SAYING, GEE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 10 ACRES IS TOO LARGE.

MAYBE WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT A FIVE

[01:10:01]

BUT I THINK THAT SETTING A, UH, IN ANOTHER EXCEPTION WHERE IT'S LESS THAN 10 ACRES, UH, YOU KNOW, FREQUENTLY WE MAKE EXCEPTIONS FOR THINGS.

AND THEN WE GO DOWN THERE AND WE SEE THEM USED AS REFERENCE POINTS FOR FUTURE PRESENTATIONS BY APPLICANTS SAID, WELL, YOU DID THIS LAST TIME.

AND WE DIDN'T MEAN TO SET A PRECEDENT, BUT WE ACTUALLY DID, BECAUSE NOW THEY'RE REFERENCED IN THE NEXT APPLICANT'S DOCUMENTATION BECAUSE OF THAT.

AND SO I'M RELUCTANT TO SET A PRECEDENT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING IS SETTING A PRECEDENT HERE FOR A SMALLER PUT.

UH, NOW LET'S SEE HERE, UH, DID, DID ANYONE SPEAK, UH, I GUESS THIS IS ACTUALLY TOWARD THE APPLICANT.

DID THE APPLICANT, DID YOU GUYS SPEAK TO ANY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS SURROUNDING THAT? I MEAN, I SAW A LIST IN THERE, UH, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, PRESERVATION AUSTIN FRIENDS OF AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, BOLDEN CREEK, UH, COMMITTEE OR THE HOMELESS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.

DID ANY, DID YOU SPEAK WITH ANY OF THOSE FOLKS? WE, WE WERE ACTUALLY WITH BOLDEN CREEK, I THINK LATE LAST WEEK.

BECAUSE WE GOT SOME, AS A GROUP.

I WAS ON A DISTRIBUTION LIST FROM SOME PEOPLE WHO HAD SOME CONTRARY OPINIONS.

UH, WE, WE WERE IN A BROAD SENSE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE WERE AT THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, UM, ON THE DOCKET TO DISCUSS OUR PROJECT.

AND WE DIDN'T RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS EITHER WAY.

UH, BEE HABITAT, HOW, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH SPACE, HOW MANY ACRES ARE GONNA BE BEE HABITAT? I, UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, AND I WOULD WANNA KNOW WHAT BEE SPECIES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

UM, BUT, WELL, I DON'T KNOW.

IT DIDN'T SAY IN THE APPLICATION, SO YOU TELL ME.

WELL, IT, IT TALKS ABOUT, UM, POLLINATOR SPECIES.

SO, BUT IT SAID BEE HABITAT ALSO.

SO I'M GONNA GO WITH WHAT'S IN THE, ALL RIGHT.

WELL, GREAT.

SO, UM, WE'RE PUTTING IN AT LEAST 20 SPECIES OF PLANTS THAT POLLINATORS PREFER AND WOULD BE EXCITED ABOUT.

AND THEN WITHIN THE RIPARIAN AREA, THERE'LL BE 23,000 ACRES OF 23,000 ACRES.

23, EXCUSE ME, 23,000 SQUARE FEET OF, I'M TRULY IMPRESSED AT 23,000 ACRES.

ACRES.

WOULDN'T THAT BE AMAZING? I'M, YOU WOULD'VE GOT MY VOTE.

UM, 23,000 SQUARE FEET OF, UH, RIPARIAN RESTORATION.

AND WITHIN THERE THERE'LL BE BEE HABITAT AS WELL.

AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR, THERE'LL BE THE USE OF NATIVE PLANTS, WHICH WILL ALSO CREATE BEE HABITAT.

AN IMPORTANT THING TO MENTION THAT WAS UP THERE ON THE LIST OF SUPERIORITY ELEMENTS IS, UH, SUSTAINABLE SITE CERTIFICATION.

SO THESE GUYS ARE TAKING ON THE IDEA OF GETTING SITE CERTIFICATION FOR A MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT, UH, IN TEXAS, IT WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE IN TEXAS.

AND WITHIN THAT, ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO INCREASE HABITAT FOR NATIVE FLORA AND FAUNA.

SO THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS.

THE EXACT NUMBER, I CAN'T REALLY GIVE YOU A NUMBER FOR THAT, BUT IN GENERAL, WE'RE TRYING TO INCORPORATE THE IDEA OF POLLINATOR HABITAT AND BE HABITAT INTO THE ENTIRE LANDSCAPE, AND PARTICULARLY ON THAT CREEK EDGE.

AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE VIABILITY IN A, ON A PERMANENT BASIS FOR ALL THIS? UH, WELL, ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PUD IS TO HAVE A SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT PLAN.

UM, AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT MAKES IT SUPERIOR.

UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, HAVING A PLAN THAT DOESN'T TELL ME WHO'S RESPONSIBLE, AND I WILL DEFER TO THE DEVELOPER ON THAT.

YEAH, SURE.

I MEAN, UM, SORRY, COULD YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION ONE MORE TIME? YEAH.

WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING THE 23,000 ACRES OF, UH, OF HABITAT? I NEED A NAME.

I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T HAVE A COMPANY IN PLACE RIGHT NOW THAT WE WOULD PROBABLY THIRD PARTY IT TO, BUT WE WOULD HIRE SOMEBODY ACTUALLY.

SO YOU WOULD HIRE SOMEONE, SO EXACTLY.

THE, THE DEVELOPER WOULD BE HIRING THAT, IT'D BE THEIR ONGOING RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN THAT AND KEEP IT VIABLE ON AN ONGOING BASIS? CORRECT.

UH, THE TRANSPLANTED TREES, WHAT'S THE SURVIVAL RATE OF TRANSPLANTED TREES? IT DEPENDS ON THE COMP.

THIS IS MATT WITH TBG PARTNERS.

AGAIN, IT DEPENDS ON THE, THE COMPANY YOU ASKED, BUT, UH, IN, IN TOWN WE'VE HEARD A SURVIVAL RATE OF ANYWHERE FROM 95 TO 99%.

[01:15:01]

VERY GOOD.

UH, HOW MUCH OF THAT FLOOD, HOW MANY ACRES OF THAT'S IN THE FLOODPLAIN OF YOUR DEVELOPMENT'S GONNA BE IN THE FLOODPLAIN? , ? THERE'S A LOT OF DATA HERE AND A LOT OF HARD WORK FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.

UH, JONATHAN MCKEE WITH GARZA, EMC, CIVIL ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT, UM, I CAN GET YOU AN EXACT SQUARE FOOTAGE OF IT.

UH, A LOT OF THAT'S GONNA DEPEND ON, UH, THERE'S FLOOD PLAIN TODAY.

IT'S ALL CALCULATED, MODELED BY THE CITY AND THE PROPOSED CONDITIONS.

EXACTLY.

THE GRADING AND, YOU KNOW, RAIN GARDENS AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS GONNA CONTROL EXACTLY WHERE THAT BUFFER LINE IS.

UM, BUT WE CAN GET YOU OUR ESTIMATION FOR THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF, OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE IN THE FLOOD PLAIN.

YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT WE'RE VOTING TONIGHT, SO GETTING IT TO ME LATER ISN'T HELPFUL.

RIGHT, UNDERSTOOD.

YEAH, WE WILL PULL IT, UH, 'CAUSE WE'VE GOT AN EXHIBIT I CAN GET, I CAN GET THAT FOR YOU PRETTY QUICK HERE.

BECAUSE KIND OF LIKE THE CITY'S BUYING OUT PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN THE FLOODPLAIN BECAUSE THEY GET FLOODED.

Y YOU KNOW, YOU UNDERSTAND THE CONTRADICTION WELL, SO THE IDEA IS TO CREATE ALL OF THE FLOOD RESILIENCE DOWN BY THE CREEK.

RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SITE TODAY, YOU HAVE THAT CONCRETE EMBANKMENT, BUT THE REST OF THE SITE IS JUST A GIANT PARKING LOT WITH NO DRAINAGE.

OH, I UNDERSTAND.

THE CURRENT SITE IS A DISASTER.

I'VE DRIVEN BY IT MANY TIMES.

SO I UNDERSTAND THAT ALMOST ANYTHING IS AN IMPROVEMENT OVER WHAT'S THERE NOW.

BUT I GUESS MY CONCERN IS KIND OF LIKE THIS, YOU'RE, YOU SAID THAT IN THE, IN THE PAPERWORK THAT YOU PROVIDED US AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, LEFT ME WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT THE ENTIRE PARKING LOT WAS GONNA BE UNDERGROUND.

BUT NOW IT SAYS THE MAJORITY OF THE PARKING LOT IS UNDERGROUND.

SO I'M KIND OF CURIOUS WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN ALL THE PARKING LOT UNDERGROUND AND NOW THE MAJORITY.

NOW, ONE OF THE SPEAKERS BEFOREHAND, UH, BROUGHT UP THE FACT THAT THE CITY NO LONGER REQUIRES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PARKING FOR A DEVELOPMENT.

THAT PART OF THE CITY CODE WAS ABANDONED.

SO THERE'S NO REAL NEED TO HAVE ANY PARKING ABOVE GROUND BECAUSE IT'S NEAR MULTIPLE CITY CAT METRO LINES.

AND ALSO WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE, UH, LIGHT RAIL GO BY THERE.

SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, AS IDEALLY A PART OF, YOU KNOW, PART OF THE CITY, PLUS IT'S LIKE ACROSS THE RIVER FROM DOWNTOWN.

SO THERE'S NOT AS MUCH NEED FOR PARKING AS THERE MIGHT BE IF THIS WERE AT A SUBURBAN LOCATION.

SO HOW MUCH OF THE PARKING ARE YOU ACTUALLY PUTTING, YOU KNOW, ABOVE GROUND? THE ANSWER IS VERY LITTLE.

HOW MUCH IS VERY LITTLE? WE HAVE NOT DRAWN THE BUILDINGS YET, SO I DON'T KNOW.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANT IS WHEN YOU WALK AROUND DOWNTOWN AND YOU'VE GOT EIGHT STORIES OF ABOVE GRADE PARKING AND NO RETAIL FOR TWO BLOCKS, WE DON'T WANT THAT.

THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF COMMUNITY THAT WE WANT BUILD.

SO WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS TRY TO PUT ALL THE PARKING OR AS MUCH OF IT AS POSSIBLE UNDERGROUND.

AND I, I CAN TELL YOU, WE ARE THE BIGGEST FANS OF NO PARKING IN NEW YORK CITY.

WE BUILD 3 MILLION SQUARE FOOT OFFICE BUILDINGS WITH ZERO PARKING SPACES.

I WOULD LOVE TO BUILD ZERO PARKING SPACES.

UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CANNOT RIDE A TRAIN THAT DOES NOT EXIST.

CAN GET THE LIGHT RAIL BUILT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

SECONDLY, IF YOU LOOK AT COMMERCIAL OFFICE TENANTS, COMMERCIAL OFFICE TENANTS TODAY, THEY WILL NOT SIGN A LEASE IN AUSTIN.

IF YOU HAVE LESS THAN TWO PER THOUSAND PARKING IN DALLAS, IT'S TWO AND A HALF OR THREE PER THOUSAND.

NOBODY ON THE PLANET WANTS LESS PARKING THAN THIS GUY RIGHT HERE.

UM, APARTMENT UNIT OWNERS, IF YOU LOOK AT TODAY, IF YOU LOOK IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, SO YOU LOOK AT THE CATHERINE, FOR EXAMPLE, EVERYBODY HAS KIND OF THEIR OWN VIEWS ON PARKING.

WE ACTUALLY WENT AND WE STOOD THERE AND WE COUNTED CARS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO UNDERSTAND HOW MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE CARS.

AND RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS AND THE CATHERINE, THE ANSWER IS SOMEONE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 0.8 AND 0.95 PER UNIT.

SO IT'S A LITTLE LESS THAN ONE UNIT OR ONE CAR PER UNIT.

SO TODAY, IF YOU WANT TO ACTUALLY HAVE PEOPLE RENT YOUR APARTMENTS OR RENT YOUR OFFICE SPACE OR COME AND VISIT YOUR RETAIL, THE ANSWER IS FOR OFFICE, IT'S PROBABLY TWO PER THOUSAND FOR RENTAL APARTMENTS AND CONDOMINIUMS. CONDOMINIUMS ARE SLIGHTLY MORE THAN RENTAL APARTMENTS, BUT SOMEWHERE AROUND ONE PER UNIT IS KIND OF THE STANDARD TODAY.

AND I HOPE, I HOPE THAT WE

[01:20:01]

I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY RIDES IT.

I HOPE THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THE WHOLE SYSTEM UNBELIEVABLE.

AND IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST NOT THERE YET TODAY.

AND THAT'S KIND OF, YOU CAN'T PLAN FOR SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T EXIST RIGHT NOW.

I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT WHEN WE SIGN OFF ON THIS, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A BLANK CHECK TO PUT, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER IS WRITTEN IN THE PUT IN THE POD.

SO IF WE ALLOW ABOVE GROUND PARKING, YOU GET A LOT OF UN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PUT AS MUCH THERE AS YOU WANT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T SPECIFY FIVE SPOTS.

IF WE SPECIFY 500 SPOTS, THEN YOU'RE LIMITED TO 500 SPOTS.

IF WE PUT FIVE IN THERE, THEN YOU'RE LIMITED TO FIVE.

SO I'M KIND OF CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, YOU WENT FROM ZERO IN THE 20 24, 20 23 PRESENTATION TO NOW THE MAJORITY.

SO THERE'S A DISCREPANCY THERE THAT I NO, NO, I, UH, SORRY, JUST TO CORRECT YOU.

I THINK, SO IN OUR PREVIOUS PRESENTATION, WE NEVER SAID WE WERE GONNA DO ZERO PARKING SPACES.

WE SAID WE WERE GONNA DO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEM UNDERGROUND, BUT THEN WE OPTED TO GIVE OURSELVES THE FLEXIBILITY TO DO SOME ABOVE GRADE.

THE, THE IDEA IS ALWAYS TO DO AS MUCH OF IT BELOW GRADE.

AND THEN THE OTHER THING I THINK IS WITH THESE PUDS, WE, WE GO THROUGH THE ENTITLEMENT PROCESS AND THEN WE END UP GOING THROUGH SDP, WHICH TAKES, I DON'T KNOW, 24 MONTHS THESE DAYS.

AND THEN YOU END UP GOING THROUGH THE BUILDING PERMIT AND YOU TRY AND LIKE PHASE OUT THE DEVELOPMENT THAT COULD BE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS DOWN THE LINE.

SO I THINK THAT THE, THE FACT THAT THE CITY HAS GOTTEN RID OF PARKING IS ACTUALLY GREAT, RIGHT? LIKE MANDATORY PARKING, RIGHT.

BECAUSE FOR US, WHEN WE REANALYZE THIS IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT, IF THERE IS A REDUCED DEMAND FOR PARKING WITH ALL THE WAYMO'S OUT THERE AND MICRO MOBILITY AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, AND THE WALKABILITY OF THE, THE CITY SOUTH OF, YOU KNOW, THE BRIDGE, I THINK WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO TAKE DOWN THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD.

IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE OUR DEVELOPMENT LIKE MUCH BETTER RIGHT AT THE END.

SOUNDS GOOD.

IS THE UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE IN THE FLOOD PLAIN? NO, NOT, I, LIKE, WE HAVE A, WE ARE PLANNING A CISTERN THAT CREATES A LAG, UH, FOR ANY LIKE INCIDENT RAIN, RIGHT? THAT THEN HITS THE SITE AT THE THRESHOLD BETWEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER'S IMPERVIOUS AND THE FLOODPLAIN.

SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE MECHANISMS AND SYSTEMS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AND SIZING AS WE SPEAK.

OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING CREDIBLE FROM A DESIGN STANDPOINT AT THIS TIME BECAUSE WE DON'T EXACTLY KNOW THAT WE HAVE OUR ENTITLEMENTS IN HAND.

SO WE ARE, UH, PLANNING FOR THE THEORETICAL WORST AND BEST CASE AT THE SAME TIME.

ONE OF THE THINGS I'M CONCERNED ABOUT, AGAIN, THIS GETS DOWN INTO, UH, THE SUPERIORITY OF THE PUD OVER OTHER, UH, ZONING OPTIONS.

UH, RE REDUCING THE BUFFER ZONE FROM 150 FEET TO 50 FEET SEEMS TO BE, TO BE PRETTY DOGGONE EXCESSIVE.

UH, I DON'T, MY MEMORY IS, UH, PERHAPS NOT PERFECT, BUT I DON'T RECALL REDUCING THE SETBACK FROM A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE FROM 150 FEET TO 50 FEET, UH, UH, LESLIE BEFORE THIS.

AND EVEN IF WE HAVE THIS SEEMS STILL TO BE QUITE A REDUCTION.

SO THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IN THIS AREA IS TIED TO THE FLOODPLAIN WITH A MINIMUM SETBACK OF 50 FEET.

UM, FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN.

AND LESLIE CAN CONFIRM, OR THE APPLICANT CAN CONFIRM THE, UM, THE SETBACK IS ACTUALLY GOING TO GET BIGGER BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO BE MAKING THE FLOODPLAIN IN THIS AREA HAVE MORE VOLUME.

AND SO THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO PROVIDE, UH, ALONG THE CREEK WILL BE BIGGER THAN IT IS TODAY.

UM, AND I THINK IT ALSO GOES TO WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, BRETT, IN TERMS OF CREATING PROTECTED SPACES.

WELL, AND I THINK THE OTHER THING IS WE ACTUALLY TOOK A LOOK AND WE STUDIED EVERY CREEK DOWNTOWN AND KIND OF DOWNTOWN ADJACENT.

AND WE HAVE A, WE, WE DO HAVE AN EXHIBIT SOMEWHERE THAT I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY SHARE IT.

UM, WHERE WHEN YOU LOOK AT KIND OF WHAT EVERY OTHER CREEK, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SETBACKS, THAT SETBACK WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DONE IN PROBABLY LIKE THE EIGHTIES, I THINK IT WAS THE EIGHTIES.

AND WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LOOK AT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THAT SETBACK, IT DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE WHEN TAKEN IN CONTEXT WITH EVERY OTHER SETBACK FOR EVERY OTHER CREEK IN THE CITY.

[01:25:01]

THERE'S A BALANCE BETWEEN SETTING BACK AS FAR AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN AND NOT BUILDING ANYTHING, AND THEN CREATING AN AREA WHERE PEOPLE CAN DO THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO DO.

AND I CAN ASSURE YOU TODAY THAT CREEK IN THAT AREA, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE DOING THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO DO.

WELL, I'M SURE THERE IS, BUT IT'S STILL IN THE FLOOD ZONE, FLOOD PLAIN.

I AGREE.

WHICH IS WHY WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE HANGING OUT DOWN THERE.

WELL, YEAH.

UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT DEMOGRAPHICS EARLIER.

UH, AND ONE OF THE THING THAT IS, UH, INTERESTING ABOUT DEMOGRAPHICS IS THAT THE, UH, FASTEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC IN AUSTIN IS THOSE, UH, PEOPLE OVER 65 AND BEING PART OF THAT DEMOGRAPHIC, I FEEL PERSONALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, TOUCHED BY THIS, UH, I DIDN'T SEE ANY MENTION ANYTHING SPECIFICALLY OTHER THAN GRANDMOTHERS, WHICH I DON'T FALL IN THAT DEMOGRAPHIC .

UH, SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN YOUR PLANS THAT REALLY ADDRESSES, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FROM AN A DA PERSPECTIVE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

UH, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT THE APARTMENTS AND THAT SORT OF THING.

THERE WASN'T ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT APARTMENTS THAT WOULD, UH, BE, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDRESSING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE ELDERLY OR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT.

UH, IS THERE ANY PARTS OF YOUR PLANS TO CONSTRUCT APARTMENTS THAT WOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, MY DEMOGRAPHIC, FOR EXAMPLE? WELL, I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE FOLLOW ALL A DA CODES, SO THE APARTMENTS ARE ALL ACCESSIBLE AS YEAH.

THE WIDE DOORS AND THE RESTROOMS AND THE, UH, ENTRY, THERE'S A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE APARTMENT RIGHT.

THAT QUALIFY UNDER THE A DA CODE.

SO YOU'RE GONNA BE FOLLOWING ALL THAT, OF COURSE, THE OKAY.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE OUTSIDE AMENITIES AS FAR AS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TRAILS AND EVERYTHING ELSE? UH, UH, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD FOLLOW THE PARD STANDARDS FOR ACCESSIBILITY.

OH, OKAY.

AND I MEAN, ONE THING THAT I WOULD, I WOULD SAY IS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WANTING PEOPLE TO COME AND SPEND TIME THERE, RIGHT? LIKE, AS I SAID, MY, MY GRANDMOTHER OR MY WIFE'S MOTHER, SORRY, MY KIDS' GRANDMOTHER, UM, UM, SHE GOES TO CENTRAL MARKET AND PLAYS MAHJONG.

RIGHT? AND I DON'T THINK CENTRAL MARKET EVER SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA CREATE A PROGRAM FOR SENIOR CITIZENS TO COME AND PLAY MAHJONG.

WHAT THEY DID IS THEY CREATE A GREAT PLACE FOR PEOPLE, AND AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY, PEOPLE USE THINGS FOR DIFFERENT THINGS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF PEOPLE USE THEM.

SO IF YOU'RE AT A WORKING AGE POPULATION, YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT HANGING OUT AT TWO 30 IN THE AFTERNOON.

BUT MY MOTHER-IN-LAW PROBABLY IS AND PLAYING MAHJONG WITH HER FRIENDS, RIGHT.

AND THAT'S ABOUT CREATING A PLACE THAT ALL PEOPLE CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE IN AND JUST GO THERE TO HANG OUT.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT TRYING TO CREATE SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING FOR SPECIFIC FOLKS.

WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A PLACE THAT PEOPLE CAN FIND THEIR NICHE AND JUST HANG OUT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.

THE TRAILS THAT YOU'RE, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD, LIZ.

YEAH, I, I THINK I WAS CHATTING WITH LESLIE THAT MAYBE WHEN YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, GOING BACK TO YOUR PREVIOUS QUESTION ABOUT THE SETBACK CHANGING, WERE YOU REFERRING TO THE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE, THE RIM ROCK OR THE, THE CREEK, BECAUSE WE ARE, THERE IS A CODE MODIFICATION FOR THE RIM ROCK BEING REDUCED FROM ONE 50 TO 50.

RIGHT? OKAY.

SO THAT IS A RIM ROCK.

IT'S A CANYON RIM ROCK ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE, THE CREEK.

UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UM, PROPERTY ISN'T, THE DEVELOPMENT IS NOT GOING TO AFFECT THAT BECAUSE IT IS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CREEK.

SO WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

IT IS TYPICALLY SOMETHING THAT IS HANDLED ADMINISTRATIVELY.

UM, SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IS SOMETHING WE, WE WOULD, WOULD DO AT, AT SITE PLAN, BUT THEY WANTED TO HAVE THAT SECURITY IN THE, IN THE, IN THE P IN.

A WHOLE LOT MORE SPACE, YOU KNOW, IN THERE.

UH, NOW IN 2023, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE GONNA HAVE 800 UNITS OF, OF, OF APARTMENTS AND NOW YOU'RE DOING NINE 50.

THAT, THAT CORRECT.

AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE 200,000, YOU WERE GONNA HAVE 200,000 SQUARE FEET OF SEATS AND NOW YOU'RE GOING 600,000.

IS THAT THAT RIGHT? UH, AND YOU'RE GOING UP FROM 900 K TO ONE 50 5K OF RETAIL SPACE AND UH, YOUR RESTAURANT SPACE IS GOING FROM 30 K TO WHAT, 20 K? SO YOU'RE HAVING, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE TAKING

[01:30:01]

HOW, HOW ARE YOU ACCOMPLISHING ALL, ALL OF THIS INCREASE IN SPACE? YEAH, SO, UM, AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE, THE DA PROCESS INTO THE PUTT PROCESS, WE ACTUALLY ADDED SOME SITE AREA AS PART OF THE, AN ONGOING NEGOTIATION.

UM, SO WE'VE ACTUALLY ADDED LAND AREA TO OUR P UM, SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING.

AND THEN THE SECOND THING IS, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE DA PROCESS, IT WAS SO EARLY IN THE, UH, KIND OF GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS THAT WE HADN'T REALLY STUDIED HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE SITE AREA.

SO WE DIDN'T HAVE A CLEAR SENSE OF WHAT WE COULD NECESSARILY DO.

AND AS WE KIND OF GOT MORE AND MORE KIND OF ROBUST IDEATION SURROUNDING THE PLANNING AND THE DESIGN, UH, KIND OF FROM A SCHEMATIC OR CONCEPTUAL STANDPOINT, WE ACTUALLY FIGURED OUT THAT, OKAY, MAYBE WE CAN LIKE PUT SOME OF THE RETAIL ON LIKE A SECOND TIER OR MAYBE WE COULD INTEGRATE IT INTO ONE OF THESE OTHER PROGRAMS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

SO WE REALLY JUST KIND OF, AS WE WERE ITERATING, UH, WE GOT TO A GREATER RESOLUTION ABOUT WHAT THE PROGRAMMING COULD BE, AND THAT'S WHY WE ENDED UP WITH THOSE NUMBERS.

ALRIGHT.

UM, THERE'S GONNA BE PUBLIC ART IN THE SPACE, CORRECT? CORRECT.

WHO'S GONNA BE SELECTING THE PUBLIC ART? UM, LIKELY WE ARE.

SO THERE, IS THERE A PROCESS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT, I GUESS THE POINT I'M TRYING TO REACH HERE WITHOUT ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS IS THAT THIS IS GONNA BE PUBLIC OR A PUBLIC SPACE.

IS IT GOING, ARE YOU GONNA SET UP A PROCESS BY WHICH PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, RANDOM PEOPLE, EVEN MY GRANDKIDS WHO GAVE ME JUST A REALLY GREAT PIECE OF PUBLIC ART, UH, WHEN THEY WERE AT OUR HOUSE THIS PAST WEEKEND, WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT PUBLIC ART FOR CONSIDERATION? UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT SORT OF THING.

ABSOLUTELY.

WE, WE BUILD BUILDINGS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

AND ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS IS TO RECOGNIZE WHEN YOU'RE BUILDING IN BOSTON, YOU BUILD SOMETHING THAT FITS BOSTON.

YOU USE ART THAT RESONATES IN BOSTON.

IF YOU TRY TO DO THE SAME THING IN AUSTIN, RIGHT.

IT'S JUST DIFFERENT.

SO WE INTEND TO DO THAT.

SO FROM ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, WEST.

CORRECT.

WE INTEND, WE INTEND TO DO THAT.

WE WANT TO, AGAIN, WE WANT MAKE THIS A PLACE OKAY.

THAT YOU WANT TO GO AND SPEND TIME.

ALRIGHT.

I JUST, JUST WAS CURIOUS, UH, NOW WITH SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS HAVE MENTIONED, UH, PUBLIC HOUSING, I THINK I SAW IN YOUR PAPERWORK YOU'RE GONNA BE DONATING, UH, $5 AND 19 CENTS PER SQUARE FOOT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO THE, IT'S, IT'S TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND.

SO IT'S, IT'S IT'S $9 A SQUARE FOOT FOR ANY OF THE, YEAH, NINE, $9, I FORGET, $9 A SQUARE FOOT FOR ANY EXCESS FAR OVER THE EXISTING APPROXIMATELY TWO.

UH, SO THIS WILL BE USED BY THE CITY ANYWHERE ELSE, ANY, ANY, AT ANY POINT AT ANY PLACE IN THE CITY, THE CITY WANTS TO OR ON OUR SITE OR ON YOUR SITE.

NOW CURRENTLY THE APARTMENTS, ONE BEDROOM APARTMENTS AT THAT LOCATION RENT FOR ABOUT $1,600 A MONTH.

AND, UH, WITHIN ABOUT TWO MILES, THEY GO FROM LOW END ABOUT 1450 TO THE HIGH END OF ABOUT 2,800.

AND YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE HOWEVER YOU FEEL, BUT UH, I GUESS THIS IS PROBABLY ON THE LOWER END IS GONNA BE REALLY TOUGH FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN $1,600 A MONTH APARTMENTS TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE SAME LOCATION.

I GUESS WHAT THE ATTRACTIVE PART OF THAT IS SURE GIVES THE CITY THE FLEXIBILITY TO, UH, FIND HOUSING ANYWHERE THAT IT DEEMS APPROPRIATE AT THE TIME, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE PROBABLY HAVE CHOSEN THERE 'CAUSE IT'S CONVENIENT FOR THEM AT THIS TIME TO LIVE THERE 'CAUSE OF WHERE THEY WORK OR WHERE THEIR KIDS GO TO SCHOOL OR WHATEVER THE FACTORS ARE THAT THEY CHOOSE.

BUT WHEN THEY DON'T HAVE THE OPTION OF LIVING THERE AND THE CITY CHOOSES WHERE THEY CAN LIVE AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE AT THE SAME PRICE, THE AFFORDABLE NESS IS THERE.

AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND I APPRECIATE YOU'RE OFF IN THE CITY OF FLEXIBILITY OF ALL THAT.

I DO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS BY WHICH IT'S GOING UNDER, SO YES, I DO KNOW THAT.

BUT THE FACT IS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BE DISLOCATED AND YOU'RE OFFERING THEM $1,500 PER, PER UNIT TO RELOCATE.

IS THAT CORRECT? YES.

THAT'S WHAT THE CITY

[01:35:01]

RECOMMENDED.

PARDON ME? THE, THAT'S WHAT THE CITY RECOMMENDED? YES.

THAT'S WHAT THE CITY RECOMMENDS.

THEY'RE NOT TECHNICALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

UH, AND JUST, JUST FOR THE, UM, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE EXISTING APARTMENTS ARE, I WOULD CALL THEM AFFORDABLY PRICED.

THEY'RE AFFORDABLY PRICED.

A LOT OF THINGS ARE AFFORDABLY PRICED.

I MEAN, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR TO SOME DEGREE, BUT THEY'RE ROOF OVER YOUR HEAD.

THE WATER RUNS THE TOILET'S FLUSHED.

I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND STEP IN HERE REALLY QUICK JUST BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE REALLY COVERED, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ENOUGH AND THAT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY OUTSIDE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, COMMISSION.

SO, UM, JUST FYI AS WE KIND OF PROCEED IN THE FUTURE.

WELL, I BROUGHT IT UP ONLY BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE BROUGHT I KNOW, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'VE, SO SOMEONE BEAT THAT DEAD HORSE, BEAT THAT DEAD HORSE.

SOMEONE ELSE BROUGHT IT UP, SO I JUST GOT ON THE TRAIN.

SO ANYWAY, THAT'S MY, UH, LAST QUESTION IN ANY EVENT, SO I'LL, UH, LET IT GO WITH THAT.

YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK.

I CAN ANSWER THE FLOOD PLANE QUESTION REAL QUICK FOR YOU.

SO, UH, JUST TO CON, JUST TO CLARIFY, CONFIRM, UH, PROPOSED FLOOD PLAIN AREA ALONG THE CREEK ON THE SOUTH SIDE, UH, BASED ON THE MODELS THAT WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW IS RIGHT ABOUT 44,000 SQUARE FEET.

SO JUST TO TICK OVER AN ACRE BASICALLY.

SO JERRY, GO FOR YEP.

I CAN BE QUICK.

UM, I GUESS FOR THE APPLICANT, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SORT OF ACTIVATING THAT CREEK BED AREA, AND BY THE WAY, I'VE DONE A LOT OF CREEK CLEANUPS ON THIS SPECIFIC CREEK AND IT'S AWFUL.

SO, UM, JUST THINKING ABOUT WHEN YOU MENTIONED COMMERCIAL VENDORS IN THIS AREA AND THINKING ABOUT ACTIVITIES THAT GENERATE WASTE, LIKE WHAT, WHAT'S Y'ALLS WHAT ARE YOU ENVISIONING FOR WHAT WOULD BE ALONG THIS AREA? THE, THE YEAH, I MEAN THAT, THAT IS NOT .

WELL, I, I THINK WHEN IT, IT'S KINDA INTERESTING WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DEFINITIONS OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT USES, LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IF SOMEBODY SAYS, WELL, WE WANNA DO VEHICLE SALES, RIGHT? THE OLD STYLE VEHICLE SALES WAS A GIANT COVERT DEALERSHIP, RIGHT? BUT TESLA AND RIVIAN SELL CARS OUT OF RETAIL SPACES.

SO YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, WHICH ONE ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU DOING COVERT OR ARE YOU DOING ? SO I THINK WHEN YOU THINK OF CONCESSIONS, YOU THINK OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE GUY WITH THE HOT DOG CART AND THE BALLOONS, RIGHT? AND THEN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, EATING THE HOT DOG AND THROWING THE TRASH IN THE CREEK, RIGHT? THAT, THAT, THAT'S KIND OF NOT, THAT CLEARLY IS NOT OUR INTENTION HERE.

SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO IS, AS YOU LOOK AT KIND OF THOSE BUILDINGS THAT BORDER THAT AREA, HAVING THOSE BUILDINGS STEP DOWN AND HAVE, UM, PATIO AREAS AND KIND OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS SEATING AREAS WHERE PEOPLE CAN KIND OF SIT OUT AND ENJOY THE CREEK WHILE BEING SEPARATED FROM IT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY TAKE YOUR HOTDOG AND WALK DOWN INTO THE CREEK EASILY AND, AND, AND DO ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DON'T WANT PEOPLE DOING.

AND ALSO WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, TRASH MANAGEMENT PLANS.

IF YOU GO TO KIND OF HUDSON YARDS TODAY, UH, WHICH WE BUILD IN NEW YORK CITY, IT MIGHT BE THE CLEANEST AREA OF NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE WE ACTIVELY MANAGE IT.

UM, AND I NOTICED, AND THIS WAS JUST A, A SMALL FOOTNOTE IN ONE OF THE, UM, SIG REPORTS, IT HAS A SLOPE STABILITY OR MASS WASTING RISK ASSESSMENT BEEN CONDUCTED FOR THIS SECTION OF THE CREEK? SAY IT AGAIN? CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? HAS A SLOPE STABILITY OR MASS WASTING RISK ASSESSMENT BEEN DONE FOR THIS SECTION OF THE CREEK? UM, SO WITHIN THE FUNCTIONAL FLOODPLAIN ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL APPENDIX X, UM, YOU DO LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE ELEMENTS, UM, BECAUSE THERE IS A CONCRETE EMBANKMENT, UM, THAT IS NOT, UH, THOUGHT OF WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT APPENDIX X.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING THAT ALLOWS BOTH PEOPLE TO ENJOY THE CREEK BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T, WE HAVE MORE SLOPE STABILITY AS WE'RE PULLING BACK THE SLOPE.

SO IT IS NOT, RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY WAY FOR YOU TO ACTUALLY VIEW THE CREEK IS TO GET RIGHT DOWN ON IT AND YOU'RE AT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE LOOKING DOWN THAT CREEK EMBANKMENT.

NOW THE SLOPE'S GONNA BE PULLED BACK, WHICH ALLOWS BOTH HABITAT TO OCCUR, UM, BOTH FOR WILDLIFE, UM, AND FLORA.

UM, AND THEN IT ALSO ALLOWS PEOPLE TO ENJOY THAT SPACE.

SO, UM, WHILE IT DIDN'T SHOW UP IN THE FUNCTIONAL FLOODPLAIN ASSESSMENT AS AN INCREDIBLY UNSTABLE SLOPE, ONCE YOU TAKE AWAY THAT CEMENT EMBANKMENT, IT WOULD BE AN UNSTABLE SLOPE.

THAT'S HELPFUL.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IT FOR ME.

YOU'LL COME, PLEASE DO BRING SLIDES AND VISUALS SO THAT WE CAN SEE ALL THIS.

UM, I JUST DO WANNA STATE FOR THE RECORD, UM, TO, UH, THE APPLICANT, YOU KNOW, NEXT TIME

[01:40:01]

UM, I KNOW THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE, BUT AGAIN, SINCE WE HAVE NEW COMMISSIONERS, IT'S ALWAYS USEFUL AND YOU'LL HAVE NEW COMMISSIONERS AT YOUR NEXT MEETINGS AS WELL.

SO JUST FYI.

UM, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

UM, FOR, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF PARKING AND CONCRETE THAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE AREA.

HAVE Y'ALL LOOKED AT ALL AT METHODS FOR RECYCLING THAT CONCRETE WHEN YOU TEAR IT OUT? WELL, UH, PART OF THE, UM, I THINK IT WAS LIKE 10 POINTS FOR THE CARBON PLAN WAS, UH, MATERIAL ADAPTIVE REUSE OF MATERIAL.

WE DID NOT CHECK THAT POINT, UM, SPECIFICALLY, NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS REASON, BUT IT WAS CONSIDERED, UM, WE CAN TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT IT, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE ENDEAVOR TO DO.

I JUST WANNA SEE IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS CONSIDERED IN THAT, THAT, THAT THAT'S NOT BEING SAID.

THAT THE EARTH WORK CONTRACTOR THAT WE ULTIMATELY HIRED TO DO THE DEMOLITION WILL NOT BE DOING THAT RIGHT.

AS A PART OF THEIR NORMAL COURSE BUSINESS.

IT, IT'D BE GREAT IF THEY DID.

YEAH, IT'D BE GREAT IF THEY DID.

UM, ON THE VIDEO THAT YOU DID SHOW, IT DOES LOOK LIKE THE TRAIL IS, UM, THAT GOES ALONG.

CREEK IS ALL RAISED.

IS THAT CORRECT? THERE'S NOTHING LIKE ON THE GROUND, IT'S KIND OF RAISED AND IT AND IT AS IT GOES THROUGH.

IS THAT CORRECT? I I, I, I THINK THAT'S A LI THE VIDEO, AT LEAST AT THAT POINT IS, IS A LITTLE ILLUSTRATIVE.

WE MADE THAT VIDEO PROBABLY OVER A YEAR AGO.

UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SPEND A TON OF TIME WITH PAR WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CONSTITUENTS TO FIGURE OUT KIND OF THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT CR THAT TRAIL BOARDWALK, WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING IT, UH, TO DO IT IN THE, IN, IN THE RIGHT WAY.

AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE KIND OF SOME DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS RIGHT.

ABOUT HOW THAT ACTUALLY GETS DONE.

AND, UM, I THINK YOU ANSWERED THIS QUESTION, BUT I JUST WANNA ASK IT AGAIN.

IT IS THAT TRAIL IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND NOT JUST TO PEOPLE LIVING OR ENJOYING YOUR SPACE, CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY.

IT, IT'S, IT'S ONE MOVE WE CAN GET IT EXACTLY WHERE WE NEED, WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE, AND THEN, UM, OUR, OUR TREE RELOCATOR CAN BEGIN THE PROCESS OF KIND OF REMEDIATING THE SOILS IN THOSE AREAS.

UM, ON, UH, I DO ECHO, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, ER'S CONCERNS, UM, AS FAR AS TRASH IN THE CREEK, UM, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE A MANAGEMENT PLAN, UM, AROUND THAT.

UM, I THINK THAT ONE OF THE LIMITATIONS TO PEOPLE ENJOYING THAT SPACE, WHETHER WHEREVER IT LIES ALONG BOLDEN, UH, IS TRASH THAT, UM, THAT ARRIVES IN THE CREEK AND THEN, OR LEAVING YOUR SPACE AND GOING DOWN INTO LADY BIRD LAKE.

SO, UM, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT YOU HAVE A MANAGEMENT PLAN AROUND THAT.

AND I ENJOY SEEING THAT, UM, IN ACTION FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

UM, ON THE, UM, AS THE THE CREEK, UH, OR AS THE TRAIL GOES ALONG THE CREEK, I I AM GONNA REQUEST THAT THERE BE MINIMUM LIGHTING, UM, ALONG THAT, AGAIN, TO HAVE THAT INTERFACE BETWEEN WILDLIFE AND HUMAN ACTIVITY, UM, TO REALLY MAXIMIZE THAT, UM, WITH HAVING SOME DARK SKY LIGHTINGS OR, OR, OR LOW LIGHTING BEST PRACTICES, UM, IN THOSE SPACES.

SO, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I FEEL WILL DEFINITELY, UH, IMPROVE, UM, THAT AS WELL.

UM, LET'S SEE HERE.

I'VE GOT LOTS OF DIFFERENT LITTLE NOTES HERE, UM, ON THE HAIR TREES AND, AND MOVING THEM.

UM, YOU KNOW, I GOLLY, UM, I HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THEM ALL BEING MOVED INTO, UH, THE POTENTIAL, YOU KNOW, FLOODPLAIN AREA AND SEEING THEIR SURVIVAL RATE.

UM, I DO HEAR YOU THAT 95% AND 99% IS A GOOD, UM, SURVIVAL RATE, AND I HOPE THAT THAT REMAINS TRUE.

HOWEVER, UM, YOU'RE MOVING THEM AND THEN YOU HAVE A BIG CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.

DESCRIBE TO ME HOW THESE TREES WILL BE PROTECTED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.

SO WE'RE NOT EXACTLY SURE WHERE EXACTLY WHERE THOSE TREES ARE GONNA LAND WITHIN THE FLOOD PLAIN, BUT WE CAN GUARANTEE THAT WITHIN THAT FLOOD PLAIN, WE HAVE NO MAJOR DEVELOPMENT.

THERE'S NO KIND OF VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION.

THERE'S NOT GONNA BE ANY DIGGING IN THAT AREA.

UM, WE ALSO SET OUT WITH THE GOAL THAT WHEN WE WERE RELOCATING THESE TREES, AND THIS IS WHY WE HAD A FEW IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, WAS THAT WE DIDN'T WANNA BUILD ANY OF THESE TREES ON STRUCTURE.

'CAUSE THAT REQUIRES TWO MOVES, RIGHT? YOU TAKE OR RELOCATE ANY OF THESE TREES ON STRUCTURE THAT REQUIRES A MOVE TO TAKE THE TREE AWAY FROM KIND OF THE CENTER OF THE SITE WHERE THE MAJORITY ARE OF THEM NOW.

UH, AND THEN MOVING THAT BACK ON TOP OF THE GARAGE, RIGHT BY MOVING 'EM TO THE FLOODPLAIN.

UH, WE FEEL

[01:45:01]

UM, I DO ALSO WANNA SAY THAT THE CURRENT STATE OF THE TREES, THE MAJORITY OF THE TREES THAT WE'RE MOVING ARE JUST COMPLETELY SURROUNDED BY PAVING RIGHT NOW.

UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WE HAVE SUCH A HIGH SUCCESS RATE IN TREES THAT WE RELOCATE IN AUSTIN IS BECAUSE WE'RE RELOCATING THEM, AND THEN WE HAVE, WE RESPECT THE HALF CRITICAL ROOT ZONE AND THE FULL CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

NOW, UM, WHEREVER WE RELOCATE THE TREES, WE CAN ALSO ENSURE THAT WE ARE NOT GONNA BE BUILDING ANY OF OUR TRAIL, FOR EXAMPLE, OVER TOP OF THAT CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

THAT'S OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE, WOULD, WOULD, UH, WOULD BE PICKED UP INSIDE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT AS WELL.

SO.

UM, AND IF I DO UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, UM, AND Y'ALL TALKED ABOUT IT EARLIER, KIND OF HAVING THE COMPLETE STREETS OR GREAT STREETS OR WHATEVER THE NEW TERM IS THESE DAYS, UM, ALONG BOTH RIVERSIDE AS WELL AS CONGRESS WITH, WITH TREES THAT ARE PLANTED ALONG THAT, THERE'S THIS ONE LITTLE CORNER BUMP OUT HERE, THOUGH THAT'S RIGHT AT, UM, CONGRESS AND RIVERSIDE AND I, IT'S TINY PRINT AND I, I DON'T HAVE MY MICROPHONE GLASS TO SEE IT, BUT IT DOES LOOK LIKE THAT'S MAYBE ANOTHER SPACE OF SOME KIND.

TELL ME WHAT'S RIGHT THERE.

YOU MEAN THE, THE CAR WASH, IS THAT WHAT THAT IS? YES.

IT'S ACTUALLY UNDER SEPARATE, SO IT'S SEPARATE, YEP.

IT'S OWN THING.

GOT IT.

THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME NOW.

UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE PARKING GARAGE.

SO HELP ME VISUALIZE IT.

UM, ON TOP IS GREEN SPACE, IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT'S ON THERE? OR TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THAT'S ACTIVATED OR WHAT THE PLANTING IS THERE.

YEAH, SO, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE SIMILAR TO, I'LL THROW OUT CONVENTION CENTER.

UH, SO DIGGING DOWN BUILDING IN THIS CASE, PARKING GARAGE STRUCTURE.

UM, AND THEN AT GRADE FINISHED YOU WOULD HAVE, UH, THE BUILDINGS, THE FIVE BUILDINGS.

BUT IN BETWEEN THOSE AND ALL THE OPEN SPACE, UH, YOU KNOW, POROSITY AREAS, UH, PLIGHT, UH, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULDN'T SEE ANY, YOU KNOW, REMNANTS OR, UM, INDICATION THAT THERE IS A GARAGE BELOW YOU AT THE END OF THE DAY, RIGHT? SO THERE'D BE THE, THE NORMAL PATIOS AND LANDSCAPE AREAS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, UH, JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SITE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, FOUR FEET BELOW THAT SOIL IS THE PARKING GARAGE WHERE IT STARTS SEA HOME, ANOTHER EXAMPLE MM-HMM .

THAT THE WHOLE CENTER AREA OF THE SEA HOME REDEVELOPMENT BETWEEN THE, THE OFFICE, THE RESI AND THE, AND THE POWER PLANT IS ALL PARKING GARAGE UNDERNEATH THAT.

AND THEN IT'S A COMBO OF, YOU KNOW, GREEN SPACE, LANDSCAPE, PATIOS, ET CETERA ON TOP.

UM, KINDA LIKE CITY HALL.

YEAH, THERE'S ALL, OKAY.

UM, ON, UM, LET ME SEE HERE IF I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION.

UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE GONNA FOLLOW THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN BEST PRACTICES, UM, HAVING BIRD COLLISION DETERRENCE.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT Y'ALL ENVISION ALONG THAT? UM, AS FAR AS I AS FAR AS, UH, BIRD FRIENDLY LANDSCAPES AND ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH THEM AND BUILDING DESIGN MM-HMM .

UH, SO I BELIEVE THE CITY IS GOING THROUGH A PROCESS RIGHT NOW WHERE THEY'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE BEST PRACTICES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

AND SO I, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THE CLIENT WANTS TO FOLLOW WHAT THOSE BEST PRACTICES ARE AT THE TIME OF, UH, BUILDING.

IT'S IN DEVELOPMENT CURRENTLY.

SO, AND, AND THAT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS.

THERE WAS A WEBINAR YESTERDAY ABOUT IT, SO I'M NOT, I'M NOT BEING, UH, UH, TRYING TO AVOID THE QUESTION.

JUST AS LONG AS Y'ALL ARE PLANNING ON USING THOSE.

UM, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME.

WE DID WATCH THE VIDEO AFTER A COUPLE OF THE COMMISSIONERS HAD QUESTIONS.

DO Y'ALL HAVE YOU WANNA HAVE A QUESTION? YEAH.

HI.

UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS I THINK THAT ARE RELATIVELY QUICK.

UM, THE FIRST, ACTUALLY I SAW AN LY ON THE, ON THE PLAN.

I'M ALSO FROM THE NORTHEAST, FROM THE NEW YORK AREA.

I LOVE LY, IS THAT, IS THAT GONNA HAPPEN? ? THOSE ARE ONE OF THE FOLKS THAT WE, THAT WE'RE TALKING TO AND THEY'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT.

I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF RETAILERS THAT ARE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.

SO I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE A REALLY AMAZING MIX OF FOLKS.

HEAR ME OUT.

ELY .

YEAH, I'M ON IT.

I CAN ONE, I CAN PROMISE YOU ONE THING.

YOU WILL NOT HAVE A SIMON MALL THERE, .

THAT'S GOOD.

UM, BUT YEAH, I REALLY NEED CANNOLIS.

BUT ANYWAY, UM, OKAY.

I HAVE A FEW, UM, QUESTIONS ABOUT

[01:50:01]

THE ACTUAL PLAN NOW.

UM, IS THERE ANY WAY FOR YOU GUYS TO INCORPORATE, UM, THINGS LIKE GREEN CONCRETE OR, UM, MORE PERVIOUS BUILDING MATERIALS FOR THOSE PATIOS AND FOR THE WALKWAYS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT? LIKE, SINCE THIS WILL BE PRESUMABLY A DEVELOPMENT THAT'S THEIR WAY INTO THE FUTURE, I KNOW IT'S MORE COSTLY, BUT HAS THAT BEEN CONSIDERED? UM, THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES.

THE LONG ANSWER IS WE WON'T KNOW UNTIL WE LIKE REALLY TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DESIGN, BUT WE HAVE LOOKED AT, UM, BOTH IN THE HORIZONTAL OR THE LATERAL AND THE VERTICAL.

SO LIKE WE'RE LOOKING AT GREEN WALLS, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIKE, UH, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, DIFFERENT TYPES OF LIKE PERMEABLE MATERIALS.

UM, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY IT COMES DOWN TO LIKE A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE IS WHAT IS THAT GOING TO MEAN FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT? LIKE, ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT AS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE OR IS IT GONNA BE UNSTABLE? UM, AND THEN THERE'S JUST THE COST, UH, ASPECT AS WELL THAT WE NEED TO FACTOR AND LOOK INTO.

AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TERRIBLY FAMILIAR WITH BECAUSE WE ARE IN A KIND OF LIKE HIGH DENSITY URBAN ENVIRONMENT.

UM, BUT WE WOULD CERTAINLY LIKE TO, AND IF WE DO, I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT ALONG THE, THE CREEK EDGE.

WHERE I THINK IT MATTERS.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE IN A FLOODPLAIN AND DEVELOPING ALONG A CREEK.

SO YEAH, I THINK, I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS, WE, WE DID TALK ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE IS THE, LIKE, STABILITY OF THE MATERIAL AND LIKE HOW LONG IT, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG BEFORE IT STARTS TO DEGRADE IF IT DEGRADES AND WHAT THAT MEANS WHEN YOU GET LIKE FREEZE THAW AND THINGS.

LIKE, THERE'S A LOT OF ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE JUST NEED TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND FIGURE IT OUT FOR SURE.

AND THERE ARE SOME, SOME REALLY GOOD MATERIALS FOR THOSE EXACT SITUATIONS.

AWESOME.

I JUST WANTED TO HEAR THAT IT WAS AT LEAST ON THE MIND.

UM, THIS IS KIND OF NITPICKY.

UM, I KNOW THAT EVERYTHING IS STILL BEING PLANNED, BUT WHEN YOU SHOW THE PLAN WITH THE TREES, UM, IS THE PLAN TO HAVE EVERY SINGLE HERITAGE TREE MOVED OR IS IT JUST THE ONES THAT WERE SHOWN ON WE'RE PRESERVING A HUNDRED PERCENT OF HERITAGE TREES ON SITE.

AWESOME.

THAT'S WHAT I FIGURED, BUT I WAS COUNTING CIRCLES.

AND THEN, UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THE CARBON SEQUESTRATION FROM, UM, YOUR PLANTING AND LIKE RESTORATION EFFORTS NEAR THE CREEK.

UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THE, THE NET CARBON FOOTPRINT THOUGH OF THE PLAN MIGHT BE CONSIDERING THE AMOUNT OF PARKING SPACES, RETAIL SPACES IS LIKE, DO WE KNOW THAT THAT OFFSETS AT LEAST HALF OF WHAT WE'RE CREATING? ANY, ANYTHING? UM, I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HAS BEEN CALCULATED FOR THIS SITE.

AND AGAIN, UH, THE BUILDINGS HAVE NOT BEEN FULLY DESIGNED YET.

SO THERE WOULD BE A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

AND JUST GOING BACK TO THAT RIPARIAN RESTORATION AREA, IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL AREA.

AND WE WERE, IT WAS A THING THAT WE COULD MEASURE AND SO YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

UM, I JUST, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY COOL DOWN THE LINE IF YOU COULD, UM, INCORPORATE LIKE IF YOU END UP DOING LIVING WALLS, UM, INCORPORATING THAT INTO YOUR MODELING ONCE YOU HAVE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF IT.

REALLY TRYING TO DO IS MAKE KIND OF PURPOSEFUL PLACES MM-HMM .

THEN, UM, THINKING ABOUT THE GREEN SPACE, UM, IS SOMETHING LIKE A COMMUNITY FOOD GARDEN, SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER FOR THAT SPACE? UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT ACCESS FOR THE PUBLIC.

UM, IT'S A MORE EXPENSIVE AREA NOWADAYS THAN IT USED TO BE.

AND I THINK ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS SUPPORT FOR THE LOCAL COMMUNITY IN A MORE AFFORDABLE WAY.

UM, I THINK AN EASY WAY TO DO THAT THAT IS ALSO PRETTY AND LIKE, DOESN'T DAMAGE THE PARTICULAR AESTHETIC, UM, WOULD BE A, A COMMUNITY FOOD GARDEN.

AND PERHAPS TOUCHING ON THE WASTE ISSUE, YOU COULD INCORPORATE SOME COMPOSTING AS WELL.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER OR HAVE CONSIDERED? I MEAN, I, I THINK THERE'S, AGAIN, I HAVEN'T STUDIED EXACTLY LIKE HOW BIG YEAH.

ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS WOULD BE, BUT LIKE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE

[01:55:01]

AND THERE WAS A, THERE, THERE'S ACTUALLY A, A, A GROUP AT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WHO DOES THESE, UM, PLAYGROUNDS AND THEY KIND OF REPURPOSE TREES AND OTHER ROCKS AND MM-HMM .

THEY CREATE THESE LIKE REALLY COOL SPACES.

AND SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE AT THE INFANCY OF THE PLANNING OF THIS PROJECT MM-HMM .

AND I THINK WE SHARE KIND OF YOUR VISION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS A PLACE FOR, FOR EVERYBODY AND NOT JUST LIKE, FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SHOP AT X STORE OR Y STORE.

UM, AND WE WANT TO DO THAT IN A, IN A, IN A NATURAL AND PLAYFUL WAY, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT.

UM, AGAIN, I, I WOULDN'T RULE IT OUT.

I JUST, I DON'T EVEN KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE PROGRAM AND WE'RE GONNA, AS WE START MANIPULATING KIND OF HOW THIS WORKS, WE'RE GONNA COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY COOL AND I THINK WE'LL KIND OF, I THINK WE'LL WORK GREAT.

SO FOR SURE.

THIS IS JUST MY ONLY CHANCE TO RAISE ANYTHING SOM TAKING IT.

WE ALWAYS LIKE HEARING, I'M LIKE INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS.

SO YEAH.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE COMMUNITY AND FOR THE RESTAURANTS THAT ARE IN YOUR AREA.

I MEAN, IT WOULD BE EASY TO COMPOST AND THEN USE THAT COMPOST IN YOUR GARDEN.

UM, AND YEAH, THAT MAKES IT LIKE A FAMILY SPACE.

PEOPLE FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THE LAND THROUGH STEWARDSHIP, THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE'VE, WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE, WE'VE DONE ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

I MEAN, EVEN IN NEW YORK CITY, I THINK ONE OF OUR LONG ISLAND CITY BUILDINGS HAS A, A COMMUNITY GARDEN ACTUALLY IN THE ROOF OF THE BUILDING MM-HMM .

UM, BUT SO WE, WE FIND REALLY CREATIVE WAYS TO KIND OF INTEGRATE A LOT OF INTERESTING PROGRAMMING, SO.

COOL.

AND THEN ALONG THE, UM, CREEK, I KNOW YOU HAVE VARIOUS RESTORATION GOING ON THERE.

UM, WOULD YOU CONSIDER BECOMING A TEXAS WILDLIFE, UM, WILD SCAPE CERTIFIED SPACE FOR THAT THAT INCLUDES LIKE, UM, FOOD ACCESS FOR WILDLIFE? I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, PLANTS FOR VARIOUS DIFFERENT POLLINATORS.

UM, I DO THINK DIVERSITY IN THE POLLINATORS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE HAVE POLLINATING FLIES, BEES, BIRDS, UM, ET CETERA.

BUT WOULD YOU CONSIDER THAT WILDLIFE OR WILD SCAPE CERTIFICATION FOR THE SPACE? IT SOUNDS LIKE THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE DESIGN, UH, THINKS THAT THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD IDEA.

YAY.

CBG HAS WORKED ON A FEW PROJECTS, MULTIFAMILY, PARTICULARLY IN SOUTH AUSTIN, WHERE, UM, WHERE WE, WE'VE GOTTEN THAT, THAT CERTIFICATION, UH, FOR OUR COURTYARDS, THEIR GARDEN STYLE IN PARTICULAR.

BUT, UH, AND THEN ON THE, ON, IN THE CASE OF YOUR, UH, YOUR COMMUNITY GARDEN IDEA, WE'VE ALSO WORKED ON MULTIFAMILY WHERE, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE'S BEES ON SITE AND THERE'S ACTUALLY CHICKENS AT THIS MULTIFAMILY AS WELL.

WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE RESIDENTS WITH HONEY AND EGGS EVERY SO OFTEN.

WHICH IS AN EASY THING FOR MANAGEMENT TO DO.

THAT, AND YOU CAN HIRE COMPANIES THAT COME IN AND DO THAT.

SO THAT'S, I'LL DEFINITELY BE PUSHING THEM ON IT.

SO OKAY.

NICE.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE NICE FOR BOTH THE RESIDENTS ON THE SITE, BUT ALSO FOR THE PUBLIC SO THAT WE CAN SORT OF GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE POTENTIALLY TAKING THINGS AWAY FROM.

TRY TO URGE THEM TO NOT HAVE THE DEAF CHILDREN NEXT TO THE ROAD IF YOU CAN.

AND THEN THE LAST THING WAS, UM, ACCESS FOR THE CHILDREN AT THE SCHOOL.

THIS IS SUPER MINOR, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS, I KNOW IT'S NOT IRONED OUT, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS POTENTIALLY HAVING THEM LIKE WALK ON THE SIDEWALK TO THEN GO BACK IN.

I WOULD JUST URGE AGAINST THAT BECAUSE IT IS A DEAF SCHOOL, SO THERE ARE BARRIERS TO PROTECT THE CHILDREN FROM THE, THE CURB AND STUFF.

UM, SO I WOULD JUST URGE YOU TO CONSIDER A, A PATH THAT IS A LITTLE SAFER FOR THEM.

THAT'S ALL.

BY THE WAY, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE, WE INTEND TO FIGURE OUT.

YES, I FIGURED.

AND WE WANT TO DO IT.

WHAT WE DO HAVE TO MANAGE IS WE HAVE TO MANAGE, OBVIOUSLY EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM.

WE HAVE TO MANAGE PARKS, WE HAVE TO MANAGE THE TRAFFIC FOLKS.

AND SOMETIMES I KNOW IT'S, SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T AGREE AND WE HAVE TO BASICALLY ALL GET IN A ROOM AND SAY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE CITY, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO DO.

LET'S PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND ACTUALLY FIGURE IT OUT.

AND WE'VE SEEN, I THINK ACTUALLY THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT PROCESS, THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST COLLABORATIVE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN YET IN MY TIME HERE.

AND I THINK IF WE TAKE THAT APPROACH AND WE ALL GET TOGETHER AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA COME UP WITH SOMETHING PRETTY COOL.

SO.

TOTALLY.

AND I UNDERSTAND THE COMPLICATIONS OF BUREAUCRACY.

UM, JUST

[02:00:01]

WE DON'T WANT THAT EITHER.

COMMISSIONER QURESHI SECONDS.

UM, I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME.

UM, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS.

I THINK ONE POINT THAT HASN'T COME UP THAT, UM, I GOT JUST, WE WERE JUST REMINDED OF IS THE FACT THAT YOU DID, YOU ARE DEDICATING SOME OF THE RETAIL SPACE TO LOCAL INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES.

IS THAT CORRECT? ONE IMPORTANT ONE IN PARTICULAR AS WELL.

CHAIR, BAD SINGERS EVERYWHERE.

WELL, I MEAN, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT ALSO.

'CAUSE IT PROMOTES LOCAL, INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES AS OPPOSED TO JUST NATIONAL CHAINS.

AND WHAT IS THE ONE IMPORTANT ONE? EGOS.

OH, SO WE ARE, I'M DONE .

WE'VE SPENT A LOT, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH COLLEEN AND WE'RE GONNA COME UP WITH A, A PRETTY COOL, YOU KNOW, EGOS OF THE FUTURE.

THAT'S COOL.

CAN EXHALE CHAIR.

I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION TO THAT.

UH, THE DOCUMENT SAYS THAT IT'S GOING, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SPACE ALLOCATED AT 80% OF THE, UH, GOING MARKET RATE FOR A LOCAL BUSINESS.

I FORGET THE EXACT NUMBER.

5,000 SQUARE FEET OR I, WHATEVER IT IS.

MM-HMM .

UH, WHO'S GONNA DETERMINE WHAT THAT FIGURE IS? WE, WE WILL, WE WILL DETERMINE THAT.

SO YOU ARE GONNA DETERMINE THAT? YEAH.

I MEAN, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA PLAY GAMES WITH THIS.

I UNDERSTAND.

I'M, YOU PUT IT IN THERE.

I'M ASKING A QUESTION.

CORRECT.

I'D LIKE AN ANSWER.

SO YOU'RE GONNA MONITOR, YOU'RE GONNA MONITOR THAT ON AN ONGOING BASIS TO ENSURE THAT FOR THE DURATION OF WHATEVER THAT TERM IS, THAT THAT SPACE IS ALLOCATED AT WHATEVER THAT PRICE IS, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THE RENT FOR THAT SPACE IS ACTUALLY AFFORDABLE.

BECAUSE 80% OF $220 OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, HERMES PLAYS, THAT'S NOT AFFORDABLE.

WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S AFFORDABLE AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT THESE BUSINESSES CAN SURVIVE AND THRIVE.

'CAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT.

AND THESE ARE GONNA BE AUSTIN BASED BUSINESSES? YES.

UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

AND, UM, DID WE YEAH.

UH, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED.

SECOND.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 PASSES.

PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED.

WAIT, DON'T WE HAVE TO VOTE? OH, YEAH.

I CAN'T KEEP FORGETTING.

YEAH, SORRY.

SORRY.

ALL IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.

PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION? YES.

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MOTION 20 25 0 6 0 4 DASH 0 0 2.

ARE WE GOING ALLOW, DO YOU WANT TO HEAR THE RESOLUTION FIRST OR DO YOU WANNA, UM, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD? WELL, YES, I MIGHT HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE RESOLUTION FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COMMISSION.

LET'S, UM, LET'S HEAR THE C THE, UM, MOTION FIRST AND SEE IF THEY'RE ALREADY ON THERE AND THEN, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE THAT.

JUNE 4TH, 2025.

SUBJECT 500 SOUTH CONGRESS C EIGHT 14 DASH 2024 DASH 0 0 1 LOCATION, 500 SOUTH CONGRESS, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 0 4.

WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT PUD ZONING FOR A 6.48 ACRE.

UH, AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE PROJECT IS LOCATED WITHIN THE URBAN WATERSHEDS OF LADYBIRD LAKE AND EAST DEN CREEK INCLUDES PORTIONS OF THE 100 YEAR FLOOD FLOODPLAIN AND CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.

AND WHEREAS THE COMMISSION ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE APPLICANT HAS PROPOSED NUMEROUS ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENTS AND ELEMENTS OF SUPERIORITY, AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT CITY STAFF RECOMMENDS THE PUD WITH NUMEROUS CONDITIONS AS PROVIDED IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL.

THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE APPROVAL OF THE MIXED USE POD WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.

ONE, IMPLEMENT ONSITE RECYCLING AND REUSE OF EXISTING CONCRETE AND OTHER DEMOLITION MATERIALS TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE.

TWO REQUIRE THE USE OF LOW DENSITY SHIELDED, DARK SKY COMPLIANT LIGHTING ALONG CREEK CORRIDOR AND RIPARIAN ZONES.

THREE, COMMIT TO CERTIFYING THE RIPARIAN RESTORATION AREA IN ADJACENT NATURAL AREAS AS TEXAS SCAPE WITH TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE DEPARTMENT

[02:05:01]

OR AS A CERTIFIED WILDLIFE HABITAT WITH THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION.

COMMISSIONER BRIAN, DO YOU HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THAT? YES.

UH, I THINK THOSE ARE, UH, GOOD CONDITIONS I'D LIKE TO HAVE.

DO YOU HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? PARDON ME? WE NEED A SECOND FOR THE, I'LL SECOND, SECOND FOR THE BASEMENT.

ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN SECONDS.

UH, OKAY.

I HAVE, UH, A COUPLE, UH, WELL ACTUALLY MORE THAN THAT, UH, I'D LIKE TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF EV CHARGING STATIONS FROM 5% TO 10.

UH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA BE DIFFERENT, SO WE BETTER, LET'S DO 'EM INDIVIDUALLY.

AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I WAS, YEP.

SO YOU WANT TO DO, UH, EV CHARGING STATIONS FROM 5% TO 10%? CORRECT.

DO DOES COMMISSIONER BRIAN'S FRIENDLY AMENDMENT HAVE A SECOND.

I'LL SECOND THAT.

UM, DOES ANYBODY OPPOSE THAT? SEEING NO OPPOSITION? THAT CAN GO ON, CORRECT? YES.

UH, WHAT ELSE? OH, OKAY.

UH, THE, UH, REQUEST INCLUDED A NUMBER OF INCLUSIONS IN THE ZONING THAT, UH, AND I BELIEVE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, FER MADE A REFERRAL TO IT IN HER DISCUSSION.

UH, RIGHT .

WELL, IT WAS IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION AND I DIDN'T CATCH THE ENTIRE QUESTION NOR THE ENTIRE ANSWER.

BUT I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE THE FOLLOWING, UH, FOLLOWING ITEMS OUT OF THE, UH, YOU KNOW, OUT OF THE LIST OF PERMITTED USES WITHIN THE POD, SHORT TERM RENTALS, UH, AUTOMOTIVE SALES, ELECTRONIC PROTOTYPE ASSEMBLY, ELECTRONIC TESTING, OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT SERVICE STATIONS, VEHICULAR STORAGE, CUSTOM MANUFACTURING, GENERAL WAREHOUSING, AND LIKE MANUFACTURING.

IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, AND MY RATIONALE IS THE FOLLOWING, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS AS A MIXED RESIDENTIAL AND RETAIL, YOU KNOW, THING IN DOWNTOWN, WE DON'T NEED MANUFACTURING.

AND 'CAUSE THAT RUNS COUNTER TO THE GOAL OF THE P THIS IS, THESE ACTIVITIES ARE MORE SUITED IN OTHER PLACES.

SO LET'S REFER TO STAFF ON THAT.

I MEAN, THIS FEELS LIKE THIS KIND OF FALLS A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION PURVIEW, SO I WANNA GET AWAY IN HERE.

YEAH, I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT USE, WHICH IS REALLY KIND OF THE MORE OF THE PURVIEW OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A STAFF FROM PLANNING HERE WHO CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT, BUT THIS DOES SEEM TO BE A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF THE, UH, PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

MM-HMM .

SO AGAIN, I, I, I'M, I'M NEW TO THE PROCESS, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A WORLD WHERE THAT, I THINK IT'S COMING RIGHT? THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE VEHICLES THAT YOU SEE RIGHT, WILL PROBABLY BE ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

UM, I THINK INITIALLY WE CAN, WE CAN PROMISE THE 5%, UM, AND WE INTEND TO, UM, PROVIDE ABILITY FOR THAT CAPACITY TO EXPAND OVER TIME, RIGHT.

IN THE WAY THAT WE DESIGN OUR ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. UM, BUT I THINK THE 10% REQUIREMENT UPFRONT IS, UM, WE WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF.

WELL, I THINK WE'RE REALLY KIND OF TALKING NOW ABOUT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN YOUR MATERIAL THAT YOU PRESENTED IS MAKING THE NEXT GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I, I DO WANNA JUST POINT A ORDER CHECK REALLY QUICK.

UM, WE'VE KIND OF REENTERED INTO A PUBLIC DISCUSSION, SO CORRECT.

SO I, SO YEAH, WE'VE, WE'VE CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING.

I DO THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE ADDING ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN DISCUSSED, TO CHECK IN WITH THE APPLICANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S POSSIBLE BEFORE ADDING IT ON.

WE'VE SEEN SOME CONCERNS, UM, WITH OTHER CASES THAT HAVE COME THROUGH RECENTLY, THAT THESE CONDITIONS WERE NOT ABLE TO BE ADDED.

UM, AND SO I, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE MORE DISCUSSION OF, UH, CONDITIONS WITH APPLICANTS.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT OUTSIDE

[02:10:01]

OF A PARAMETER.

I MEAN, IF YOU, IF YOU, UM, UH, ARE ALLOW IT, IT CAN BE DONE.

WELL, I GUESS THE POINT THAT I WAS SPEAKING OF AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT HAD TO DO WITH CERTAIN USES WITHIN THE, THE P ITSELF.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MANUFACTURING PROCESSES, FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT MAKING THE NEXT GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS THE WAY YOU'RE POSITIONING THE, THE P UH, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY IF I LIVED THERE AND WANTED TO HAVE A PLACE WHERE I COULD, YOU KNOW, BRING MY GRANDMOTHER AND, UH, MY GRANDFATHER AND, YOU KNOW, BICYCLE AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF SORT OF THING.

UH, HAVING SERVICE STATIONS AND, UH, CUSTOM MANUFACTURING IS NOT THE TYPE OF THING THAT I'D BE LOOKING TO HAVE WITHIN THE, THE AREA.

I'D BE LOOKING AT THAT BEING IN A DIFFERENT AREA THAT'S ORGANIZED FOR THAT PURPOSE.

AND SO THAT'S KIND OF MY COMMENT ON THAT.

AND LOOK, I I, WE HEAR YOU.

I THINK THAT UNFORTUNATELY THE LANGUAGE WAS CREATED IN A, IN A DIFFERENT TIME, IN A DIFFERENT ERA, AND LIGHT MANUFACTURING TODAY DOES NOT NECESSARILY NECESSITATE A FACTORY FLOOR.

UM, WHAT IT COULD BE IS MAKERSPACE FOR CHILDREN WHO WANT TO ACTUALLY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, CREATE PRODUCTS AND JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVE AN ACTUAL SPACE WHERE THEY CAN DO THAT.

AND SO WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE HAD THE FLEXIBILITY.

SO THIS IS OUR PROMISE TO YOU TO SAY WE'RE NOT GONNA PUT ANY LIKE, LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ANYTHING THERE, BUT WE ARE, WE DID NOT HAVE A TERM FOR WHAT IT IS THAT WE WANTED TO PUT IN THE SPACE TO ALLOW CHILDREN TO DO THAT, OR YOUNG ADULTS FOR THAT MATTER.

AND I, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO, UH, FACTOR INTO WHEN YOU'RE TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.

AS FOR THE, I BELIEVE YOU HAD SOME OTHER TERMS. ONE OF THEM WAS VEHICLE STORAGE, AND WHAT WERE THE OTHER ONES? WELL, THERE WAS SERVICE STATIONS, UH, YOU KNOW, ELECTRONIC TESTING, CUSTOM MANUFACTURING, GENERAL WAREHOUSING, LIGHT MANUFACTURING.

I DON'T, I MEAN THIS, THESE ARE LISTED IN THE DOCUMENT THAT IS PROVIDED TO US THAT YOU'RE REQUESTING.

SO I DIDN'T MAKE ALL THIS STUFF UP.

SURE, SIR.

I MEAN, THIS IS LISTED IN THE STUFF THAT WAS PRESENTED TO US AS PERMISSIBLE USE OR PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE PUTT.

AND I'M SUGGESTING THAT IF THIS IS A RETAIL ENVIRONMENT WITH RESIDENTIAL ACTIVITIES AND IT'S PARK LAND, THESE ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THOSE ACTIVITIES, AND PERHAPS THEY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE LOCATED IN ANOTHER DISTRICT WHERE IT'S MORE CONSISTENT WITH THAT ACTIVITIES.

THE, THE, THE ONLY, THE ONLY ACTIVITIES THAT WE LEFT IN THERE RIGHT.

WERE ACTIVITIES LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE AUTO RETAILING, LIKE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.

RIGHT? RIGHT.

THAT'S WHAT, UH, COMMISSIONER FER MENTIONED.

IS IS, I, I, IS A, IS A RIVIAN STOREFRONT SOMETHING THAT FOLKS WOULDN'T WANT.

I'LL KEEP, I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I'LL, I'LL DEFER ON THE, UH, AUTO, UH, YOU KNOW, THING AS LONG AS YOU DON'T YEAH, YEAH.

OF CORRECT.

WE'RE NOT BUILDING A COVERT, NOT, NOT NOTHING AGAINST COVERT.

I LOVE, I KNOW GOOD FRIENDS WITH DAN, GREAT PEOPLE.

NO, I LOVE THEM.

YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT BUILDING A GIANT CAR LOT USED CAR LOT.

OKAY, THAT'S FINE.

YOU CAN, RIGHT.

WE'RE NOT LIKE ALL THIS STUFF, WE WERE, WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING AT LIKE, THE FUTURE OF KIND OF LIKE RETAILING, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, BUILD A BEAR OR SOME OF THESE THINGS WHERE LIKE THEY'RE MANUFACTURING THE THING ON SITE AND WE WERE LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T, WE KNOW KIND OF WHAT WE THINK LIGHT MANUFACTURING BEANS, BUT IN THE FUTURE, RIGHT, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, 3D PRINTING, YOU MIGHT GO AND GET A BUNCH OF, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, PARTS FOR YOUR BIKE.

3D PRINTING.

OKAY, WELL, SO HOW ABOUT THIS? HOW ABOUT IF WE LEAVE LIGHT MANUFACTURING THERE, BUT WE GET RID OF SERVICE STATIONS? SO, UM, AGAIN, I WANT TO REITERATE THAT THIS IS OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

SO, UM, I THINK WE SHOULD REIGN IN OUR CONDITIONS TO BE RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL.

IF THAT'S THE WAY YOU WANT, DO IT, THAT'S FINE.

UH, OKAY.

MY NEXT THING IS THAT, UH, SO COMMISSIONER BRIER, JUST TO BE CLEAR, YOU'RE TAKING THAT ONE OFF THE TABLE.

WELL, IF THAT, YOU'RE TAKING THAT REQUEST OFF THE TABLE, IF I WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE IT THERE, IF YOU AS CHAIR ARE WILLING TO ALLOW IT TO BE CONSIDERED AND BY THE COMMISSION, THAT'S FINE.

IF STAFF WANTS TO PUT A HALT ON IT, THEN I THINK WE'RE GONNA RESPECT STAFF ON THIS ONE.

UNITS IN THE BUILDING MUST BE AFFORDABLE.

UH, THEN I'M GONNA SAY ALSO THAT 12% OF THE

[02:15:01]

AND I MEAN, IN THE BUILDING, I DON'T THINK THAT'S UP TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO DECIDE.

I JUST DON'T.

UH, ALL RIGHT, THEN I'M NOT GONNA BRING UP THAT I THINK THAT THE, UH, RESIDENT RELOCATION FEE SHOULD BE $2,500 INSTEAD OF $1,500.

I THINK YOU MADE THAT POINT DURING THE DISCUSSION EARLIER.

THAT'S IT.

SO I WANNA CIRCLE BACK TO YOUR FIRST FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.

UM, BASED ON WHAT THE APPLICANT HAS SAID, NOW THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS THAT, COMMISSIONER BRIMER, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO MODIFY THAT CONDITION TO SAY, UM, THE 5%, UH, THE CURRENT 5% FOR EE STATION, UM, ALLOW FOR EXPANSION, UM, UP TO 10% AND BEYOND AS DEMAND CALLS FOR , SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.

WELL, CHAIR, I THINK I, I, WELL, I THINK AT ONE POINT WE TALKED ABOUT HAVING, ASKING FOR THE PRE-WIRING SO THAT WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION GOES ON, IT CAN BE PRE-WIRED TO BE UP TO 10%, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CONNECTED.

COMMISSIONER BRIER, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? OKAY, SO YOU'D LIKE TO CHANGE THAT ONE.

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN SECONDS.

UM, DO WE NEED A SECOND ON THAT SINCE WE'VE CHANGED IT? YEAH, I'LL SECOND IT.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANYONE TO OPPOSE THAT AMENDMENT? Y'ALL WANT ME TO READ IT? YEAH, GO AHEAD AND READ IT OUT.

I'LL READ IT IN.

REQUIRE PRE-WIRING FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE IN AT LEAST 10% OF ALL PARKING SPACES TO SUPPORT FUTURE CONVERSION TO ACTIVE CHARGING STATION.

PRE-WIRING IS I KIND OF, I I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT IT'S NOT REALLY A, WE'RE NOT LIKE PRE-WIRING AN APARTMENT.

UM, SO I, I THINK MAYBE A BETTER WAY TO DESCRIBE IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVISION FOR, BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE TAKING A LOOK AT YOUR EXISTING LOADS, RIGHT? BASED ON THE 5% RIGHT.

AND PROVISIONING IN YOUR POWER SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY ACCOMMODATE ADDITIONAL CHARGING STATIONS UP TO 10%.

IT, IT'S MORE TO DO WITH THE POWER CAPACIT THAN I WOULD LIKE TO JUMP IN HERE A LITTLE BIT.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT CHARGING LOOKS LIKE.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY PARKING SPOTS DO YOU PLAN TO HAVE? JUST BALLPARK IT.

2000 ISH.

2000, OKAY.

SO YOU'RE GOING UP FROM A HUNDRED TO 200, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LANE ELECTRIC CABLES AND PUTTING IN A POWER CAPABILITY TO DO THAT.

NOW YOU'RE ASKING US TO ALLOW YOU IN THIS P TO DO LIGHT MANUFACTURING, UH, SERVICE STATIONS, VEHICLE STORAGE, CUSTOM MANUFACTURING.

SO THAT MEANS YOUR FACILITY MUST BE CAPABLE OF DOING ALL THOSE HIGH POWERED REQUIREMENTS.

YOU KNOW, THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO, TO DO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU'RE ASKING FOR THIS, SO THAT MEANS YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT THE DAY YOU OPEN UP.

AND YOU'RE TELLING US NOW THAT YOU CAN'T PRE-WIRE RUN CABLES UNDER THE GROUND TO DO THIS, SO THAT WHEN, IF NECESSARY TO DO THAT, YOU, YOU CAN HOOK UP SOME MORE EV CHARGING STATIONS, BUT YOU, YOU CAN'T DO THAT, BUT YOU CAN ALLOW COMMISSIONER BY DELL TO COME IN AND DO IT.

I THINK HE'S SAYING IT THE SAME WAY HE'S SAYING THAT, BUT HE'S SAYING A DIFFERENT WAY.

BUT THE SAME THING.

YOU'RE ASKING HIM TO PRE-WIRE, YOU'RE ASKING HIM TO HAVE THE PHYSICAL THING THERE, BUT REALLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO HAVE ENOUGH POWER SUPPLY TO BE ABLE TO SERVICE THAT.

CORRECT? CORRECT.

AND I, I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU TODAY, RIGHT, EXACTLY.

EXACTLY.

WHAT WE'RE BUILDING AND WHAT, WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, RIGHT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE, FOR EXAMPLE, PRE-WIRE COULD MEAN TAKE A, TAKE A WIRE FROM THE ELECTRICAL PANEL, RIGHT? AND PUT IT TO A SPECIFIC SPOT.

RIGHT?

[02:20:01]

FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, THIS WORLD CHANGES SO FAST.

SO WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS WE TRY TO PROVISION AND BE ADAPTABLE, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU, LIKE, IF WE LOOK BACK FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, RIGHT? WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF COVID, WHICH WE NEVER THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN.

YOU LOOK FIVE YEARS BEFORE THAT, WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS WORLD WAS GONNA LOOK LIKE.

WE WANNA BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT, YOU MAY NOT PLUG YOUR CAR IN ANYMORE, RIGHT? YOU MAY SIT IT ON A PAD, RIGHT? I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT.

WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS TO BE ABLE TO PROVISION FOR IT AND WHATEVER THE SOLUTION IS IN THE FUTURE, THAT'S HOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT.

SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT YOU GOTTA, A LOT OF THIS IS ABOUT, YOU GOTTA TRY TO ADAPTABILITY.

SO IF I MAY, SO THE, THE, THE BASE, YOU KNOW, ELEMENT IS THEY WERE PRO PROVIDING 5% PARKING SPACES WITH AN ADDITIONAL 5%, UM, WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDIT AN ADDITIONAL 5% TO BE CONVERTED TO ELECTRICAL VEHICLE CHARGING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND THAT MIGHT BE A WAY TO WRITE IT SO WE DON'T GET INTO THE WEEDS ON WIRING OR NOT WIRING.

THAT'S FAIR.

SORRY, I USED THAT TERM.

YEAH, NO, THAT'S FAIR.

I THINK I'VE AMENDED IT TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CLEAR IF Y'ALL WANT ME TO GO AND READ THAT IN.

UM, SO REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL 5% OF ALL PARKING SPACES BE CONSTRUCTED WITH A CAPABILITY TO SUPPORT FUTURE INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS, INCLUDING NECESSARY ELECTRICAL CAPACITY.

SO WE HAVE AN OPTION HERE.

WE CAN EITHER LEAVE THIS, UM, AMENDMENT IN, OR IF SOMEONE, UM, RECOMMENDED TO REMOVE THIS AMENDMENT, WE COULD ALSO REMOVE THIS AMENDMENT AS IT'S WRITTEN.

I'M JUST PUTTING THE TWO OPTIONS OUT THERE.

WELL, IT'S ALREADY PUT IN AND SECONDED WITH THE 10%, SO CORRECT.

BUT YOU CAN HAVE, SOMEBODY CAN SAY, I'D LIKE TO REMOVE THAT, RIGHT? SOMEONE CAN DO THAT.

AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO, THEN, IF I UNDERSTAND THE WAY THINGS RUN, WE'D HAVE TO VOTE ON WHAT WAS JUST SUBMITTED OR SUGGESTED BY, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

IF I UNDERSTAND THINGS CORRECTLY.

WE CAN'T JUST AMEND THE AMENDMENT.

THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS.

WE CAN AMEND THE, WE JUST AMENDED THE AMENDMENT, SO WE'RE NOT RIGHT.

WE'RE IN THAT.

SO THIS, WE'RE IN THAT STAGE ALREADY.

AH, YEAH.

SO THIS MOTION IS A REPLACEMENT OF THAT AMENDMENT.

THIS RECOMMENDED.

THE GEARS ARE TURNING SLOWLY.

I AM GONNA GO AHEAD AND, UM, CLOSE OUR PUBLIC DISCUSSION ON THIS.

UM, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY, YEAH, YEAH.

DISCUSSED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

I THINK WE JUST NEED TO NOW DECIDE WHAT WE WANT TO ASK THE APPLICANT TO DO, UM, AND WHAT IS FEASIBLE TO DO, UM, ACCORDING TO WHAT THE FEEDBACK STAFF HAS GIVEN US, AND THEN ALSO WHAT, UM, THE APPLICANT HAS ALSO GIVEN US.

I HAVE A REALLY QUICK QUESTION THAT I MAY HAVE JUST MISSED.

UM, ARE THERE PLANS TO HAVE SOLAR PANELS ON THE BUILDINGS? WE CAN'T SINCE WE'VE ALREADY CLOSED THE PUBLIC HEARING.

WE, WE CAN, BUT, AND A GOOD, GOOD THOUGHT FOR FUTURE IS LIKE, DOES ANYONE KNOW? NO, NO.

AGAIN, SO, UM, I JUST WANNA ALSO CLARIFY, THIS IS A PUD.

UM, AND SO AS THEY MOVE FORWARD TO A SITE PLAN, A LOT OF THESE OTHER THINGS START TO MATERIALIZE MORE ON A SITE PLAN TOO.

SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE GET SOME CLARITY AROUND THAT TOO.

OKAY, COOL.

WHY DON'T YOU GO AHEAD AND READ THE AMENDMENT AGAIN AS YOU REWROTE IT.

THE AMENDMENT IS TO REPLACE, UH, THE 10% OF ALL PARKING BEING EV AND INSTEAD HAVING REQUIRE AN ADDITIONAL 5% OF ALL PARKING SPACES BE CONSTRUCTED WITH THE CAPABILITY TO SUPPORT FUTURE INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS.

AND I CAN JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.

DO WE HAVE ANYONE OPPOSED TO THAT? GREAT.

IT STAYS ON.

GOOD DISCUSSION, EVERYBODY.

YEP.

SO, UM, DOES ANYBODY NEED FOR IT TO BE RE REREAD AGAIN AS THOUGH WE FEEL LIKE CLEAR? OKAY, GREAT.

I KNOW WE DISCUSSED A LOT OF THINGS AFTER WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL, ALL GOOD.

UM, UH, ALL IN FAVOR, UH, OF, UH, THE MOTION, UH, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.

THIS IS THE WHOLE, FOR THE WHOLE, THIS IS THE WHOLE THING ON 500 SOUTH CONGRESS.

SULLIVAN FER, AND BRISTOL, UH, OPPOSED.

SO WE HAVE, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, CHANG SET, KHI, FLURY, LOKI, UH, PHARAOH,

[02:25:01]

COMMISSIONER BRIER AND NO ABSTAINS.

UM, I THINK THE ONLY OTHER THING

[3. Update on response to Council Resolution 20241121-073 on Bird-Friendly Design – Environmental Commission Chair Jennifer Bristol]

IS WE HAVE A WORKING GROUP UPDATE.

UM, SO GREAT.

THAT'S ME.

UM, .

SO, UM, BACK, UH, ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, UH, WE HAD A PRESENTATION, UH, REGARDING BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN.

UM, IT WAS ALSO GIVEN TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, UM, DISTRICT.

AND, UM, THEN THEY CAME AND, UM, UH, GAVE A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION TO US THAT WAS LINED UP THROUGH THE TRAVIS AUDUBON SOCIETY.

AND, UH, AT THAT TIME WE FORMED A WORKING GROUP, UH, TO LOOK AT BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, UM, AND HOW THAT CAN BE IMPLEMENTED WITHIN THE CITY.

UM, WE MOVED IT FORWARD QUICKLY.

UM, IT WENT TO COUNCIL AS RESOLUTION 2 0 2 4 1 1 2 1 DASH SEVEN THREE, AND IT PASSED, AND IT WAS WONDERFUL.

UM, STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY ON, UM, ON WHERE DOES THIS GO NOW.

UM, AND, UM, LESLIE, LIZ, LILY IS HERE.

UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, OTHER STAFF THAT CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ON THIS AS WELL TOO.

BUT, UM, WE HAD SET A GOAL THAT WE WOULD, UM, HAVE EVERYTHING BACK BY JUNE.

UM, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF UNREALISTIC GOAL.

AND SO, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THE CHAIR OF THE WORKING GROUP, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE OKAY.

WE'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSION WITH, UM, WITH STAFF ON THIS TO REALLY GIVE OURSELVES ENOUGH TIME TO PACE THIS FORWARD, TO GET IT RIGHT.

UM, AND SO, AND ALSO TO BE VERY INCLUSIVE TO THE PUBLIC REALM, UM, IN THAT.

AND SO, UH, WE'RE THERE, WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE PUBLIC, UM, SPACE NOW AND READY TO, UH, ENGAGE MORE.

YOU'LL PROBABLY SEE, UM, SOME EMAILS COMING OUT ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT YOU THINK SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THAT DISCUSSION.

ARE THEY AN ARCHITECT? ARE THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IN THE, IN THE BUILDING, IN DEVELOPMENT, UH, ARENA? ARE THEY FROM A CONSERVATION COMMUNITY? ARE THEY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION? WHERE ARE THEY IN THAT SPACE? RIGHT? UH, TO HELP, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, GET PEOPLE TO WEIGH IN ON THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT STAFF IS LOOKING AT ARE WHAT ARE THOSE ELEMENTS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO US IN TEXAS, ESPECIALLY AS A CITY THAT IS, UM, SUCH AN IMPORTANT STOPOVER FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS, UM, THAT TRAVEL SPECIFICALLY.

UM, SO 70% OF ALL BIRDS MIGRATE, 80% OF THOSE MIGRATE AT NIGHT.

UM, SO LOOKING AT THAT FOR HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SUSTAINABLE, UM, BUILDING, UH, IN THE FUTURE FOR THAT, BOTH LOW-RISE, MID-RISE, AND HIGH RISE BUILDINGS.

UM, ALL THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE SPECTRUM, THE WHOLE CAPACITY.

UM, SO, UH, I'M GONNA ASK, UM, STAFF TO REALLY KINDA REMIND ME OF THE TIMELINE FOR THE PUBLIC PERIOD AND ALSO THEN WHAT IS THE, A LITTLE BIT OF THE PROCESS, UH, YEAH.

AND, UM, LESLIE CAN COME UP AS WELL.

'CAUSE I'M PROBABLY GONNA FORGET SOME THINGS.

SO, BECAUSE THIS WAS AN ITEM FROM COUNSEL, UM, THERE WAS A, A DUE DATE PROVIDED THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MEET, WHICH WAS, I THINK WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE IT ALL DONE BY JUNE 1ST.

GIVEN THE COMPLEXITY AND THE NEED FOR, YOU KNOW, RESEARCH ON OUR END AND, UM, BENCHMARKING AND ADDITIONAL STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT, UM, WE WILL BE WRITING A, UM, UH, A MEMO THAT WILL GO TO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, KIND OF GIVING WHAT OUR TIMELINE IS AND, UM, ASKING FOR, UM, ADDITIONAL TIME UNTIL DECEMBER, UM, TO, TO COMPLETE EVERYTHING.

AND SO WHAT THE ULTIMATE PRODUCT WILL BE WILL BE A, YOU KNOW, A SUMMARY REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL OF WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.

AND HOPEFULLY FROM THAT THEY WILL TAKE THAT UP AS ANOTHER ITEM FROM COUNCIL TO ACTUALLY INITIATE WHATEVER CODE CHANGE OR PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS OR WHATEVER IS THE RECOMMENDATION.

UM, SO LESLIE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT TIMELINE.

UM, LESLIE LILY WATERSHED PROTECTION.

UH, WE KICKED OFF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, UM, WITH DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.

UH, LAST WEEK WE HAD TWO MEETINGS, KIND OF LIKE, UM, INTRODUCING THE RESOLUTION TO DIFFERENT AFFINITY GROUPS, INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY, UH, DESIGNERS, ARCHITECTS, UH, REAL ESTATE FOLKS TO JUST KIND OF GIVE THEM AN IDEA OF LIKE WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT.

UH, THAT INCLUDES, UH, YOU KNOW, PRETTY BIG OUTLINE OF THE SORT OF DELIVERABLES THAT ARE GONNA BE WITHIN THE PROJECT.

UH, THE NEXT THING THAT WE WILL BE DOING IS, UM, WE ARE ENCOURAGING FOLKS FROM THE PUBLIC, PEOPLE THAT ARE INTERESTED TO PARTICIPATE IN A TOUR.

WE'RE TAKING PEOPLE TO THE AIRPORT.

THERE'S THE IT BUILDING THERE WAS DESIGNED WITH BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN PRINCIPLES.

SO THEY HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF HOW YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, USE

[02:30:01]

AND IMPLEMENT BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN.

AND SO WE'VE GOT PEOPLE SIGNING UP AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HAPPY FOR MORE PEOPLE TO SIGN UP TO, TO JUST KIND OF PROVIDE EDUCATION ON WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN IMPLEMENTED AND DONE IN A REALLY GREAT WAY.

UM, WE WILL BE, UH, GOING TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UH, TO GIVE A BRIEFING THERE.

UH, DESIGN, UH, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES ARE CURRENTLY BEING UPDATED, SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE, UM, CONSIDERING THE OPPORTUNITY TO INCORPORATE THIS CRITERIA.

AND THEN ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS, WE WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO GO OUT AND, AND TALK ABOUT BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN AND TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT CONCERNS THERE ARE IN THE PUBLIC RELATED TO IMPLEMENTATION.

UH, THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CONSTRUCTION THAT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, WANT TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS ON, YOU KNOW, FROM RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL TO HIGH RISE, LIKE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN AUSTIN.

AND ALL OF THIS IS BEING DONE IN, IN COORDINATION WITH, UH, THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH.

SO, AUSTIN ENERGY, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, UM, DSD AND BUILDING SERVICES, ALL OF WHICH ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON A, LIKE A STAFF WORKING GROUP ON ALL OF THESE THINGS.

AND WE ARE TARGETING TO DEVELOP THESE RECOMMENDATIONS LATER THIS SUMMER.

WE'VE GOT, UM, TWO REALLY GREAT INTERNS OVER HERE, LILY AND RC.

WE'RE REALLY GREAT TO HAVE THEM.

UH, WE'RE REALLY GLAD TO HAVE THEM WHO ARE ALSO GONNA BE WORKING ON THIS TO HELP US KIND OF BUILD OUT A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CAMPAIGN AND, AND PROVIDING THIS RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WE WILL COME BACK TO ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND GIVE WITH SOME COOL BIRD PICTURES 'CAUSE WE LOVE BIRDS.

UM, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE THAT THROUGH TO THE OTHER, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THROUGH, UH, THE FALL AND THEN BACK TO COUNCIL IN DECEMBER.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TARGETING TO HAVE THIS BIG RECOMMENDATION BACK TO THEM FOR THANK YOU.

AND, UM, I HAPPY TO SHARE SOME BIRD PHOTOS IF YOU NEED SOME.

UM, YEAH, ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE DON'T NORMALLY DISCUSS ANY OF THAT, BUT AS FAR AS THE, THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON KIND OF HOW THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN THAT AND BE INVOLVED? COOL.

THANKS Y'ALL.

AND I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT, BUT, UM, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE BIRDS APPRECIATE IT.

UH, FUTURE

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

AGENDA ITEMS? I GOT ONE.

WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE SOMEONE FROM THE CITY COME AND SPEAK TO US ABOUT, UM, LIKE THE POTENTIAL FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION SINCE THAT'S A GROWING RISK, PARTICULARLY.

UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT WE RECENTLY HAD OUR BIANNUAL SCREW THE CITY UP, UH, HAILSTORM EVENT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE AREA THAT I STAY IN WAS HEAVILY IMPACTED AND I KNOW MY NEIGHBORS WOULD, UH, BEAT ME UP IF I DIDN'T BRING IT UP HERE.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO GET, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF PRESENTATION.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, BIG SHOUT OUT TO AUSTIN ENERGY AND, UH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY INVOLVED.

THAT WAS PART OF THE PROCESS TO RESTORE POWER TO ALLOW THE CITY, UM, AND ALSO JUST CLEAN UP, YOU KNOW, SORT OF THE AMOUNT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, TREE MATTER, FOR LACK OF A BETTER PHRASE, THAT, UH, WAS STREWN ACROSS THE STREETS.

AND, UH, YEAH, I WOULD JUST LOVE SORT OF JUST LIKE A, A POST-OP UPDATE ON SORT OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE.

UH, CERTAINLY THINK IT WOULD BE WITHIN THE PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, BUT I'LL DEFER TO STAFF ON THAT.

UM, YEAH, SO USUALLY WITH THESE SORTS OF THINGS, THERE WILL BE AFTER ACTION REPORTS, UM, AND, UM, I BELIEVE IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, BE, BE COMING FROM THE SECURE, UM, HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT GROUP.

WE'LL KIND OF GET ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSE AND THEN COMPILE THAT INTO AN AFTER ACTION REPORT, AND WE'D BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT, UM, TO YOU ONCE IT'S, IT'S DONE.

SO YEAH, FOR SURE.

ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN? YEAH, CHAIR.

I, UM, I ALSO SERVE ON THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE, AND I HAD ASKED ELIZABETH TO SEND AROUND A LITTLE THING ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE GETTING PUBLIC INPUT AND I JUST PUT LITTLE POSTCARDS ON EVERYBODY'S TABLE.

UH, THE, SO THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO DO AS A BODY, BUT IF YOU HAVE IDEAS ABOUT THAT COULD HELP THE ENVIRONMENT, UM, WATER DETAINMENT OR FLOOD PREVENTION OR WHATEVER, PLEASE, UM, YOU CAN EMAIL YOUR IDEAS, UH, TO THE, UH, GO ON THE WEBSITE THAT'S ON THE, UH, POSTCARD AND, AND, UH, PUT YOUR IDEAS OUT THERE.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.

COVER.

WELL, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK, ARE WE GETTING AN UPDATE ON THAT PROCESS AT ANY POINT IN THE NEXT, I THINK WE HAD AN UPDATE.

DO WE? I THINK THE, ANOTHER ONE, IT'S MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS ITSELF AND NOT WHAT PROJECTS WATERSHED WAS PUTTING FORWARD, WHICH I THINK WAS HAPPENING IN JULY.

UH, I'M UNSURE, I WILL CHECK BACK AND SEE WHAT WE CAN PROVIDE.

I WAS WONDERING IF WE

[02:35:01]

UH, YEAH.

YOU KNOW, WE, UM, I THINK RIGHT BEFORE YOU CAME ON, WE DID HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PRESENTATION ON THAT.

WE CAN SEND YOU A LINK TO THAT.

UM, IF YOU'RE MORE, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, ANY OF THE NEW COMMISSIONERS, WE CAN SEND A A LINK TO THAT.

IT WAS A REALLY ENLIGHTENING PRESENTATION AND I THINK IT HAPPENED RIGHT BEFORE THE TURNOVER.

UM, I DO HAVE ONE.

UM, AND, UM, I DON'T REALLY KNOW, AGAIN, I KIND OF DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT WITH COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, BUT I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW IT LANDS.

BUT I DO WANNA KNOW MORE ABOUT RECYCLING CONCRETE.

UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE PAST LIGHTLY, BUT I, I THINK I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT IT AND THEN ALSO HOW THEN WE CAN USE THAT AS A TOOL, UM, FOR, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE SEEING MORE REDEVELOPMENT OF SPACES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, LIKE OLD SHOPPING CENTERS AND THINGS WHERE THEY'RE TEARING OUT A LOT OF CONCRETE.

SO YEAH, THAT, THAT'S GREAT.

WE'LL, UM, LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE WHO WE CAN GET.