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[CALL TO ORDER]
IN THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.WE ARE IN AUSTIN CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBER OF ROOM 1001.
I WILL START WITH CALLING THE ROLE, UH, CHAIR HANK SMITH.
I'M PRESIDENT VICE CHAIR BETSY GREENBERG.
UH, I'D ALSO LIKE TO NOTE THAT UH, CHRISTIAN SHAPEY SAYS HE'S IN THE ROOM BUT IS NOT BEING LET IN.
OH, IN THE, THE VIRTUAL ROOM? YEAH, IF YOU CAN.
OVER THERE AT THAT LOCKED DOOR.
UH, ALEJANDRO FLORES PARLIAMENTARIAN HERE.
WE HAVE ONE VACANCY AND ONE ABSENT SO FAR.
UM, NOTHING FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION, ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? ANYBODY IN THE ROOM FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO.
[Consent Agenda]
WE HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE JUNE 3RD, 20, 25 MINUTES? THEY WERE AMENDED AT THE LAST MINUTES, UH, AND THEY'VE BEEN REPOSTED.
SO THERE ARE SOME LAST MINUTE CORRECTIONS.
WE WILL KEEP THAT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM TWO IS A REZONING CASE, C 14 20 25 DASH 0 0 5 0 NORTH LOOP COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL AT 2302 AND 2304 WEST NORTH LOOP BOULEVARD.
IT IS A REZONING CASE FROM LR TO GR IS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF AND ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, ITEM THREE IS A REZONING CASE, C 14 20 25 DASH 0 0 0 2.
COOPER APARTMENTS, IT'S 78 0 4 COOPER LANE.
I MEAN THE REQUEST FROM THE APPLICANT IS SF THREE CO TO MF THREE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS MF TWO AND THIS HAS BEEN PULLED FOR DISCUSSION ITEM FOUR, A REZONING CASE C 14 20 24 DASH 0 0 9 2.
ALL RED RIDDLE, UM, AND A LOT OF DIFFERENT ADDRESSES ON RIDDLE AND ALL RED ROAD THAT I WILL NOT READ.
UM, THE REQUEST IS FROM SF TWO N-O-L-R-M-U-C-O TO G-O-M-U-L-O-M-U-L-R-M-U AND CS ONE AND IT IS A STAFF INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM FIVE C 14 20 24 DASH 180 3 11 20 WEST HOWARD LANE AT 11 20 11 20 AND A HALF.
WEST HOWARD LANE IS A REZONING CASE FROM CSCO AND GRCO TO CSMU.
IT IS AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST FROM STAFF.
ITEM SIX C 1493 DASH 0 0 4 7 RCA OF 11 1 11 16 AND 1120 WEST HOWARD LANE.
THIS IS A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT AMENDMENT.
UM, IT IS A STAFF INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM SEVEN CONDITIONAL USE SITE PLAN SPC 20 25 0 0 9 1.
A WALNUT CREEK WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN EXPANSION TO A HUNDRED MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS A CONDITIONAL USE SITE PLAN.
IT IS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF AND ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO AGAIN, IN SUMMARY, THE CONSENT AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM JUNE 3RD, 2025, REZONING CASE ITEM TWO C 14 20 25 DASH ZERO FIVE.
CASE ITEMS FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX ARE ALL INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT BY STAFF.
ITEM SEVEN IS A CONDITIONAL USE SITE PLAN FOR THE, UM, UPGRADE OF THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT FOR WALNUT CREEK.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? SO MOVED.
I'VE GOT COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, UH, MAKING THE MOTION AND COMMISSIONER PKI WITH A SECOND.
OKAY, WE WILL GO BACK TO ITEM THREE.
REZONING KC 14 20 25 DASH ZERO TWO.
UH, YES WE DO, WE DO HAVE SOME SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
OKAY, SO THE FIRST SPEAKER IS WE HAVE THE APPLICANT SPEAKING ON ITEM NUMBER TWO.
VICTORIA, YOU HAVE SIX MINUTES.
I'M ASSUMING YOU DON'T WANNA SPEAK.
YOU CAN TAKE YOUR MIND IF YOU WANT.
UM, ITEM THREE, REZONING CASE C 14 20 25 DASH ZERO TWO COOPER APARTMENTS FROM SF THREE CO TO MF THREE.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS MF TWO AND THIS IS A DISCUSSION ITEM.
I'LL LET STAFF MAKE A PRESENTATION.
THIS IS ITEM NUMBER THREE ON YOUR AGENDA.
CASE NUMBER C 14 20 25 0 0 2 7 8 0 4 COOPER LANE.
THIS PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED AT C3 CO AND
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THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING MF THREE DISTRICT ZONING.THE SUBJECT REZONING AREA IS APPROXIMATELY 1.38 ACRES AND IS LOCATED AT THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF WEST DIPMAR ROAD IN COOPER LANE WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SOUTH FIRST STREET IN IMAGINE AUSTIN CORRIDOR.
IT'S CURRENTLY UNDEVELOPED AND IS LOCATED WITHIN A HAZARDOUS PIPELINE OVERLAY.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING MF THREE DISTRICT ZONING ORDER TO DEVELOP 24 FAMILY MULTIFAMILY RESIDENCES.
THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT WILL FRONT WEST ATMAR ROAD AND WOULD BE LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE PIPELINE EASEMENT.
NO STRUCTURE WILL BE PLACED WITHIN THE RESTRICTED PIPELINE AREA, WHICH INCLUDES THE AREA WITHIN 25 FEET OF A HAZARDOUS PIPELINE.
AND ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN STANDARDS WILL ALSO BE REQUIRED.
ADJACENT LAND USES INCLUDE THE COOPER VILLA CONDOMINIUMS DIRECTLY ACROSS COOPER LANE AND SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES TO THE SOUTH AND TO THE WEST.
STAFF IS RECOMMENDING MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTS LOW DENSITY MF TWO DISTRICT ZONING.
IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS ZONING CATEGORY WOULD ALLOW FOR THE 24 UNITS BEING PROPOSED.
THIS DISTRICT IS ALSO APPROPRIATE GIVEN THE SURROUNDING ZONING AND USES.
THERE'S MULTIFAMILY MF ONE CO COMBINING DISTRICT ZONING DIRECTLY ACROSS COOPER LANE AND THIS LOCATION AT THE INTERSECTION OF WEST DIPMAR ROAD AND COOPER LANE IS LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE FROM SOUTH FIRST STREET WHERE A CAPITAL METRO BUS STOP IS LOCATED AND A BUS ROUTE.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT WILL HELP INCREASE THE NUMBER OF HOUSING CHOICES FOR THE CITY AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING AREA THE APPLICANT IS, IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
OKAY? YES, CHAIR, WE'LL HEAR FROM THE APPLICANT ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.
JOSH, YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES.
YOU CAN JUST COME TO AND JUST INTRODUCE YOURSELF THAT, AND IF YOU'RE JUST HERE, IF I ANSWER QUESTIONS, THAT'S FINE.
UM, YEAH, WE'RE JUST LOOKING TO BUILD A SMALL APARTMENT COMPLEX IN THAT AREA.
THERE'S NOT MUCH OVER THERE AND THAT LAND IS OBVIOUSLY JUST SITTING THERE ROTTING AWAY AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD USE FOR IT.
UM, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S A PIPELINE, SO WE KNOW THERE'S ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES WE HAVE TO FOLLOW.
WE KNOW ABOUT THE DRAINAGE AND THE CITY BASICALLY HAS TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO FOLLOW ALL CITY RECOMMENDATIONS, CODES AND GUIDELINES AND WE'RE WILLING TO DO THAT.
SO, AND WE KNOW THAT THEY'VE ALREADY OFFERED MF TWO VERSUS MF THREE AND WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT AS WELL.
WE ARE NOW HERE FROM THE OPPOSITION ON ITEM NUMBER THREE.
THE PRIMARY SPEAKER IS JEFF DICKERSON.
BEFORE I START, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY MY NAME IS JEFF DICKERSON, VICE PRESIDENT OF MATTHEW LANE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
WE MET WITH THE APPLICANT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO TO DISCUSS OUR VIEWPOINT.
THEY EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWPOINTS, WE EXPRESSED OUR VIEWPOINTS.
IT WAS A CORDIAL MEETING AND EVERYBODY WALKED AWAY.
WE ARE OPPOSED TO THIS TWO DESIGNATION BECAUSE IT'S TOO CLOSE TO BLOOD PLAIN.
A HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT LEADS TO LOCALIZE, FLOODING, STREET POLLUTION, PEDESTRIAN AND SAFETY ISSUES ON THIS PARTICULAR CORNER.
I MIGHT ALSO KNOW THAT ON AUSTIN BLOOD PRO THERE'S DOCUMENTED EROSION ZONES GOING STRAIGHT TO THIS PROPERTY.
YOU CAN TELL FROM THE UPPER ARROW GOING STRAIGHT DOWN THROUGH THE LOWER ARROW.
IT IS WELL-DOCUMENTED THAT EROSION CAN AND WILL OCCUR THERE.
TO THE SOUTH OF THE LAST ARROW, THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED EROSION HAZARD REVIEW BUFFER THAT'S REQUIRED AND IT'S RUN BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN WATERSHED REGULATION.
WHY ARE WE OPPOSED TO MF TWO? BASICALLY ONE REASON M TWO REDUCES IMPERVIOUS COVER FROM 60 TO 55%.
THAT'S THE PRIMARY REASON I WOULD NOT, WE WOULD NOT BE OPPOSED TO M TWO OR NOT FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE M IMPERVIOUS COVER.
THIS MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A LOT, BUT IN THIS AREA AND SINCE SOUTH FIRST AND DITMAR IS A BASIN, THERE IS A LOT OF LOCALIZED GLUING IN THIS AREA.
THE PROPOSED ZONING IS ON A CONGESTED STREET CORNER AS THE MANAGER CASE MANAGER SAID, THAT'S THE OIL AND GAS PIPELINES AND THAT INCREASES POTENTIAL PROBLEMS WITH ENTRIES AND EXITS.
I DON'T THINK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WILL ALLOW TWO ENTRIES AND EXITS DUE TO THAT REASON.
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THE APPLICANT PETITION DOES NOT HAVE ANY AFFORDABLE UNITS.THESE ARE NOT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND WITH THE LOWER RENT THAT'S BEING OCCURRED WITH INCREASED BUILDING IN THIS AREA, THIS IS A SPECULATION BUILT.
THE APPLICANT DOES NOT HAVE EXPERTISE IN BUILDING COMPLEX MULTI-UNIT HOUSING.
THAT IS NOT THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE.
I BUILT A MULTI COMPLEX UNIT, BUT THEY'RE MAINLY RESIDENTIAL HOUSING.
THEY TAKE, UH, VULTURE PROPERTIES AND TURN THEM OVER.
FINALLY, THERE ARE TWO NEARBY LOCATIONS ZONED MF ONE ONE ON DENMAR AND ONE ON 1109 MATTHEWS.
RECENTLY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK YOUR COLLEAGUE VICTORIA HUSSEY WAS INSTRUMENTAL AND PUSHING THROUGH MF ONE IN THAT AREA.
BOTH OF THOSE LOCATIONS HAVE NO BUILDING DONE.
IN FACT, WHAT HAS HAPPENED AFTER ZONING OCCURRED IS THEY TURN IT BACK AND TRY TO RESELL THE PROPERTY.
SO WE HAVE A LITTLE TRUST ISSUES WITH PEOPLE COMING IN AND SAYING WE'RE GONNA BUILD NICE, NEAT LITTLE HOUSING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND NOTHING GETS DONE.
SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND OUR CONCERN OR PROMISES NOT FOLLOWING THROUGH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M AVAILABLE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS CHAIR.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM, BUT WE HAVE THE APPLICANT FOR THE THREE MINUTE REBUTTAL.
SO CAN YOU STATE YOUR NAME AGAIN? I'M SORRY.
WE HAVE NEVER BUILT ANY APARTMENTS.
I HAVE DONE SEVERAL DUPLEXES IN SINGLE FAMILY, BUT LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE.
WE'RE NOT STARTING WITH A 300 UNIT COMPLEX.
WE SPECIFICALLY CHOSE THIS 'CAUSE WE LIKE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE'VE DONE OTHER STUFF IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE'RE A 24 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX IS A REASONABLE SIZE TO START WITH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE ALL HAVE TO LEARN SOMEWHERE.
UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE, I KNOW WE, I KNOW MY PARTNER'S BEEN IN CONTACT WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AS FAR AS ENTRANCES, WE'RE BASICALLY AT THEIR MERCY, SO WE'RE WILLING TO FOLLOW WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY WANT.
UM, SAME THING WITH FLOODPLAIN AS FAR AS, UM, WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS THE CITY GIVES WITH FLOODPLAIN AND DRAINAGE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I MEAN, WE, WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS A CONCERN, BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT IS A COST ON OUR, I MEAN, AND BUILDING NEAR THE PIPELINE.
I I DO KNOW WE HAVE TO DO EXTRA, WE DO HAVE EXTRA PRECAUTIONS WE HAVE TO TAKE WHEN BUILDING AND THAT'S AN EXPENSE ON OUR END.
SO THAT'S, THAT SHOULDN'T BE ANYBODY ELSE'S ISSUE EXCEPT FOR OURS.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S MOSTLY IT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TRYING TO DO ANYTHING.
WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD NICE, A NICE SMALL APARTMENT COMPLEX FOR PEOPLE IN THAT AREA WHERE HOUSES AREN'T QUITE AFFORD.
YOU KNOW, HOUSES HAVE GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THERE AND SO, AND THERE ARE NO APARTMENTS RIGHT THERE, SO WE'RE TRYING TO HELP OUT.
THOSE ARE ALL THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? MOVE, MOVE TO CLOSE THE MOTION BY RYAN PKI AND, UM, SECONDED BY ALEJANDRO FLORES.
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS? YES, I, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I ORIGINALLY PULLED THIS BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED THAT, UH, MF TWO WOULD NOT ACCOMMODATE FAMILY SIZED UNITS FOR ALL 24 OF THE UNITS.
UH, STAFF HAS VERIFIED THAT MF TWO IS SUFFICIENT TO ACCOMMODATE 24 FAMILY SIZED UNITS, WHICH IS WHAT THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING.
SO, UH, I AM IN SUPPORTIVE OF, I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION FOR MF TWO.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER GREENBERG? YES.
THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY UNPREPARED TO ANSWER.
I JUST WONDER WHETHER THIS, THESE DEPARTMENTS COULD BE BUILT WITH A 55% LIMIT IN IMPERVIOUS COVER THAT HELP.
SO NORMALLY COME UP WITH THE, IF
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DON'T MIND COMING UP THE DI AND STATE YOUR NAME AGAIN.I, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT ANSWER.
AND NORMALLY MY PARTNER DEALS WITH THIS AND HE IS ON HIS HONEYMOON WHEN Y'ALL PLAYING THIS.
SO, UM, I DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF IMPERVIOUS BECAUSE OF THE PIPELINE.
AND SO WE'VE HAD A CO WE'VE HAD AN ARCHITECT DO SOME DRAWINGS.
I, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE PERCENTAGE AND I, I, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A ROUGH LAYOUT OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO AND, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THE PERCENTAGE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT'S KIND OF, BUT I, BUT I THINK IF YOU DO SF SIX OR WHATEVER, I KNOW THAT HE'S RECOMMENDING YOU CAN'T, YOU HAVE TO DO HIS CONDOS, WHICH CHANGES THE BALLGAME VERSUS MF TWO, WHICH IS GETS APARTMENTS.
NO, I JUST THOUGHT MAYBE YOU COULD BUILD IT WITH 55% IMPERVIOUS COVER, BUT IT'S KIND OF UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT YOU TO COMMIT TO THAT ON THE FLY.
NO, NO, I COULDN'T COMMIT TO IT, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER WITHOUT, IT'S LIKE MAYBE WE DON'T HAVE
WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT WITH THE LEAST FOOTPRINT WE CAN.
I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
LOOKING AT THE SITE JUST FROM MY BACKGROUND, THERE'S ENOUGH CONSTRAINTS IN, IN THE IMPERVIOUS COVERS ON A GROWTH SITE AREA BASIS.
I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA MATTER WHETHER IT'S 55 OR 60%.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN GET CLOSE TO THE, BUT YOU CAN GET WHAT YOU WANT WITH YOUR 24 UNITS IN THAT ZONE.
AND WE ALREADY KNOW THAT IT'S A SQUEEZE TO DO IT BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRAINTS WITH THE, WITH ALL EVERYTHING GOING ON OVER THERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE GOTTA, IT'S WORTH THE TRY.
AND THE ISSUES WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE, THE FLOODING WILL BE ADDRESSED BY STAFF DURING OUR SITE PLAN PHASE.
SO THAT'LL BE STANDARD COMMENTS.
SO I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
IS THAT A MOTION? OKAY, I MOVE TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER PKI.
ANY QUESTIONS? AND THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS OF MF TWO, CORRECT? CORRECT.
[8. Discussion and action regarding the September 12, 2023, Planning Commission Recommendation to Council to establish a Regulatory Plan for the area generally bounded to the east by Capital of Texas Hwy 360, to the south by the north shoreline of Lake Austin, to the west by 620, and to the north by Boulder Lane and Bull Creek. (Sponsors: Vice Chair Greenberg and Commissioner Tschoepe)]
AND ACTION ITEMS. ITEM EIGHT, DISCUSSION AND ACTION REGARDING THE SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2023 PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL TO ESTABLISH A REGULATORY PLAN FOR THE AREA GENERALLY BOUNDED BY THE EAST BY CAPITAL OF TEXAS HIGHWAY 360 TO THE SOUTH BY NORTH SHORELINE OF LAKE AUSTIN TO THE WEST BY SIX 20 AND TO THE NORTH BY BOULDER LANE IN BULL CREEK.THERE A STAFF PRESENTATION ON THIS ITEM.
UM, SO OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS JENNIFER MTEL, WHO IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
JENNIFER, GO AND PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO ONTO NEXT SPEAKER AND JENNIFER, PLEASE, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX.
UH, DO WE HAVE THE PRESENTATION AVAILABLE? YES.
AND SO FIRST SLIDE IS SHOWING? YES.
WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SECOND SLIDE TITLED Y UM, DISCUSSION FOR A REGULATORY PLAN HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN PLACE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, AND THIS OCCURRED WHEN THE CITY WAS CONSIDERING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ZONING OPTION INITIATIVE.
UH, CITYWIDE, UH, DISCUSSIONS REVOLVED AROUND VARIOUS UNIQUE CHALLENGES, UM, IN DIFFERENT AREAS OF OUR CITY AND HOW THE CITY COULD INCORPORATE ZONING OPTIONS TO ACHIEVE LONG-TERM GOALS WITH OPTIMAL OUTCOMES.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT IT GETS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO PRESCRIBE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
UM, AND THIS, UH, ROSES PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF CONVERSIONS OF COMMERCIAL OR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ZONED PROPERTIES TO RESIDENTIAL, UM, IN THIS AREA IS A PARTICULAR AREA OF INTEREST.
THE INITIAL STATEMENT BY PLANNING COMMISSION, I BELIEVE, THUMBS UP WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS AREA.
UH, THIS IS IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE HIGHEST RISK AREAS FOR UNCONTROLLED WILDFIRE.
THIS IS COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT THIS PARTICULAR AREA WAS ANNEXED
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BY THE CITY.AND SO COMING INTO THE CITY, IT LACKED CITY SERVICES INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLANNING.
IT ALSO IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST POPULATION GROWTH AREAS IN THE CITY, AND THIS IS EVIDENT BY THE FACT THAT DISTRICTS 10 AND SIX UNDERWENT, UH, BOUNDARY CHANGES DUE TO THIS POPULATION GROWTH.
UM, THE FIRE RISK IN THIS AREA IS SO EXTREME THAT FIRE INSUR HOME INSURANCE AND INSURANCE UNDERWRITING HAS BECOME DIFFICULT IN THIS AREA.
THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED IT AT HIGH RISK AND THERE HAVE BEEN CASES OF NON-RENEWAL FOR PROPERTIES IN THIS AREA.
IN ADDITION, AS THE CITY IS TRYING TO EXPAND SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, THIS POSES BOTH RISKS, BUT ALSO OPPORTUNITY.
AND IT'S ALSO IN AN AREA WHERE THE CITY HAS MOST OF ITS, UM, NATURAL RESOURCES FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCY.
SO WE FELT THAT A REGULATORY, THAT THE LACK OF A REGULATORY PLAN AS THIS AREA IS GROWING COULD RESULT IN HUMAN AND PROF.
THE IMAGES I'VE TAKEN ARE ALL OFF OUR PUBLIC WEBSITE STUFF.
THIS IS SHOWING, THIS IS THE CITY'S, UH, CENSUS MAP, PARTICULARLY OF THE AREA WE'RE DISCUSSING.
AREAS IN BLUE WERE AREAS OF INCREASING GROWTH IN POP IN POPULATION.
SO THAT'S JUST TO SUPPORT THAT.
THIS IS FROM THE WEBSITE AND MAPPING AREA.
WHAT'S MY WILDFIRE RISK PRODUCED BY A FD.
AND ALL I WANNA SHOW YOU IS THAT EVERYTHING'S IN RED.
IF YOU WILL NOTE ON THIS SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY FM SIX 20 AND RANCH ROAD 22, 22.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO MAJOR ARTERIES THAT RUN NORTH, SOUTH, AND EAST WEST FOR THESE AREAS OF GROWTH WHEN THEY WERE DOING THE MODELING AND THE FIREWISE PLANNING.
AND A FD LOOKED AT THIS WITH, WITH EXPERTS, CONCERNS ARE THAT GIVEN THE ALCON'S PRESERVE AREA AND LAND AREAS THAT ARE IN AND AROUND THIS AREA, THAT THE POTENTIAL IS FOR FLAMES AND WILDFIRE TO JUMP THE ROADS AND THEN CHOKE OFF THESE ROADS AND PEOPLE CANNOT GET OUT.
WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE, WELL, I REALLY WANTED YOU TO SEE THIS.
IF YOU CAN REMEMBER WHERE THOSE TWO ROADS INTERSECTED.
LOOK AT HOW MANY SCHOOLS ARE RIGHT IN THAT INTERSECTION.
THAT IS A LOT OF KIDS TRAPPED, THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN TRAPPED THAT THIS HAPPEN DURING SCHOOL YEAR WHEN THE KIDS ARE IN SCHOOL.
NEXT SLIDE AGAIN, I'M JUST SHOWING WHAT WE HAVE FOR ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE OUT HERE.
REMEMBER THIS WAS COUNTY THAT WAS ANNEXED BY CITY.
SO WE HAVE ONE EAST, WEST, WE HAVE ONE NORTH SOUTH, AND THAT'S IT.
ALL OF THE RESP THAT'S IN THERE.
THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL AREA, STREET AREAS, HOUSING AREAS, R AND D RESEARCH AREAS.
WHAT ABOUT MULTIMODAL TRANSIT? WHAT ABOUT OUR VISIONS FOR GROWING THE CITY THE WAY WE WANT TO? NEXT SLIDE.
I LOVE THIS SLIDE BECAUSE THE INFORMATION IN THE LEFT HAND CORNER FOR BUS AND RAIL SERVICE COVERS OVER THE EXACT AREA WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE THERE IS NONE, BUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THIS AREA? LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS WHAT'S SHOWING ON OUR CITY WEBSITE FOR THE SITES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN ZONING REVIEW, IT IS A LOT, AND YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY DEALT WITH SOME OF THESE.
I THINK YOU RECENTLY HAD ONE THAT MAY HAVE BEEN ZIMMERMAN THAT ENDED UP GOING TO COUNT, THAT WAS OFF SIX 20 AND THAT WENT TO COUNCIL AND GOT POSTPONED A NUMBER OF TIMES BECAUSE THEY WERE HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE FIGURING OUT HOW TO DEAL WITH THE TRAFFIC ISSUES FROM THAT DEVELOPMENT ON THE SIX 20.
SO WE KNOW THESE ARE ISSUES, WE KNOW THESE ARE PROBLEMS IN OUR AREA.
WE'VE HAD A VERY GOOD HISTORICAL WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RESIDENTS AND THE DEVELOPERS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND I, YOU MAY HAVE EVEN RECEIVED SOME DEVELOPER SUPPORT, UM, TO SUPPORT THIS REGULATORY PLAN.
UM, AND I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED UP WHO CAN ALSO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UH, AND I JUST RE BROUGHT FORWARD THE IDEA OF THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS PROVIDED FROM, UH, PC THAT ZAP COULD ADOPT.
IT GIVES THE BOUNDARY AREAS FOR THIS AREA AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE, THAT MAY NOT BE AS FAMILIAR WITH WITH THIS
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PROCESS, IF ZAP WERE TO SEND THIS FORWARD, THIS IS ONLY A RECOMMENDATION.IT DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT COUNCIL WILL PICK IT UP.
MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO DECIDE TO PICK THIS UP AND BRING THIS FORMALLY TO, TO THEIR AGENDA.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CALLING AND THEIR OKAY, THAT'S YOUR, YOUR SIX MINUTES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LINDA BAILEY WHO'S JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
MY NAME IS LINDA BAILEY AND I'M HERE REPRESENTING NEIGHBORS ALONG THE RM 2222 CORRIDOR, URGING YOU TO SUPPORT THE SMALL AREA PLAN FOR THIS RAPIDLY CHANGING PART OF NORTHWEST AUSTIN.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE EXPERIENCING LOT BY LOT REZONING WITHOUT A BROADER VISION, AND IT'S STARTING TO FEEL LIKE THE OLD BURNETT ROAD.
WE HAVE NO PUBLIC LIBRARY, NO BUS TRANSIT IN A SERIOUS PARK DEFICIT, YET NEW DEVELOPMENT KEEPS COMING.
THIS CORRIDOR, AS JENNIFER SAID, IS A MAJOR GATEWAY INTO AUSTIN, FUNNELING GROWTH FROM LAKEWAY AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY AREAS.
BUILDING AT BREAKNECK SPEED TRAFFIC IS ALREADY CHOKING OUR ROAD.
WITHOUT A PLAN, THOUSANDS OF NEW APARTMENTS ARE BEING APPROVED WITHOUT REAL SOLUTIONS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSIT, OR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS IS ONE OF THE CITY'S HIGHEST RISK WILDFIRE ZONE BORDERING THE BCP.
MANY NEIGHBORHOODS HAVE JUST ONE WAY IN AND OUT.
EVACUATION IN AN EMERGENCY IS IMPOSSIBLE.
STILL, THE LEGACY OF UN ZONE COUNTY LAND AND GRANDFATHERED USES MAKES THIS AREA FEEL UNREGULATED AND UNSUSTAINABLE.
THE SMALL AREA PLAN CAN HELP PROTECT THE CHARACTER OF THIS HILL COUNTRY CORRIDOR, ENSURE FIRE SAFE DEVELOPMENT, PRESERVE OPEN SPACE, AND CREATE ROOM FOR CONTEXT SENSITIVE, AFFORDABLE, AND MIDDLE HOUSING.
PLEASE SUPPORT THIS PLANNING PROCESS THAT REFLECTS THE URGENCY AND COMPLEXITY OF THIS REGION BEFORE THE OPPORTUNITY IS LOST.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARISSA LIPER.
MARISSA IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
MARISSA, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
I LIVE IN THIS AREA THAT THESE PREVIOUS SPEAKERS HAVE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT ON SHEPHERD MOUNTAIN NEAR THE PENNY BACKER BRIDGE.
FAST GROWING AREA THAT SHARES BOUNDARIES WITH RM 2222 AND LOOP 360.
JUST SEVEN YEARS AGO, OUR CITY COUNCIL NARROWLY APPROVED REZONING AND GRANTED ENVIRONMENTAL WAIVERS TO ALLOW A FIVE STORY, 325 UNIT APARTMENT COMPLEX ON A HIGHLY SENSITIVE TRACT OF SHEPHERD MOUNTAIN, AN AREA KNOWN FOR ITS STEEP SLOPE PROTECTED HABITAT AND PROXIMITY TO CRITICAL WATERSHED ZONES.
RESIDENTS STRONGLY OBJECTED DUE TO CITY AND WON, BUT THE ORDEAL COST THE CITY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND OUR COMMUNITY COUNTLESS HOURS OF TIME AND STRESS THROUGHOUT THAT PROCESS.
THE ABSENCE OF A QUEER COMMUNITY DRIVEN SMALL AREA PLAN FRAMEWORK CREATED CONFUSION AND CHALLENGES FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED, RESIDENTS, DEVELOPERS, AND CITY STAFF ALIKE.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A SMALL AREA PLAN FOR OUR CORNER OF THE CITY, ONE THAT BALANCES RESPONSIBLE GROWTH WITH LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION WHILE HELPING PREVENT COSTLY DISPUTES DOWN THE LINE.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT OPPOSING DEVELOPMENT, IT'S ABOUT INSUR, ENSURING THOUGHTFUL COMMUNITY DRIVEN PLANNING THAT BENEFITS EVERYONE AND WE NEED THIS PLAN NOW MORE THAN EVER.
THANKS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT VELA, WHO IS ALSO JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
ROBERT, PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX AND PROCEED WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
I'M IN FAVOR OF THE AREA PLAN.
[00:30:01]
AS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD, THIS AREA HAS VERY DIFFICULT CHALLENGES DUE TO HIGH GROWTH AND A LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE COUPLED WITH HIGH WILDFIRE RISK.I'M AT THE, UM, I LIVE NEAR RIVER PLACE IN 2222, AND WE HAVE A DEVELOPMENT THAT JUST STARTED NEARBY, UH, TWO UNDERWAY AND ONE COMING TO THE ZONING COMMISSION, UH, SHORTLY.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PLAN FOR THE LARGER INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO MINIMIZE WILDFIRE RIFT AND TO ENSURE THAT THAT TRAFFIC ISN'T PROBLEMATIC FOR WILDFIRES.
SO I IT SOUNDS LIKE THE OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE COVERED THIS PRETTY WELL.
I WOULD JUST REITERATE THAT, UH, THIS WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HELP US ENSURE THAT THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
UM, DO WE NEED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS OR WAS THIS THE PUBLIC HEARING? I DON'T THINK THIS WAS A PUBLIC HEARING.
I THINK IT'S NOT A PUBLIC HEARING.
I THINK IT WAS JUST DISCUSSION QUESTIONS THAT COME.
UM, IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, SOME SPEAKERS TALKED ABOUT A SMALL AREA PLAN, SOME PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT A REGULATORY PLAN.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SMALL AREA PLAN AND A REGULATORY PLAN? MY UNDERSTANDING THIS IS A REGULATORY PLAN WE'RE REQUESTING IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM A SMALL AREA PLAN? GOOD EVENING, ERIC KALIK WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, I I, THERE, THERE COULD BE DEPENDING ON SORT OF HOW THEY ARE USING THE TERMS. UM, BUT YES, THERE ARE POLICY PLANS WHICH BASICALLY ARE VISIONS FOR AN AREA AND THEN THERE ARE ACTUAL REGULATORY CHANGES, UM, WHICH, WHICH WOULD CHANGE LIKE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REGULATIONS AND OR, AND OR ZONING FOR AN AREA.
SO SOMETIMES THE CITY WILL BEGIN WITH A POLICY PLAN OR A VISION PLAN, AND THEN IN SOME CASES CHANGE REGULATIONS TO HELP IMPLEMENT THAT VISION PLAN.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG? SO I DON'T SEE A LOT OF THESE KINDS OF PLANS LATELY.
I MEAN, YES, IT'S DEFINITELY ONE BY ONE ZONING, BUT THIS ISN'T THE ONLY PLACE WHERE THERE'S ONE BY ONE ZONING.
UM, DO YOU KNOW WHETHER THERE'S ANY MOVEMENT TOWARDS GOING BACK TO DOING PLANS? YES, BECAUSE THIS WAS PROPOSED ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION.
SO, UH, CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING ON A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PLANNING INITIATIVES, UM, OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND, UM, MOVING FORWARD INTO THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
THOSE INCLUDE, UH, STATIONARY PLANS AROUND THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER, THE SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER, WHICH, UH, WERE JUST ADOPTED BY COUNCIL THIS SPRING.
UM, WE'RE ALSO IN THE MIDST OF A PLANNING PROCESS FOR NORTHEAST AUSTIN, UM, IN COLLABORATION WITH TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND WE'RE, WE ARE ABOUT READY TO BEGIN, UM, A DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, UH, PLAN UPDATE PROCESS, UM, AND, UH, POTENTIALLY ALSO UPDATING THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
SO, SO CITY STAFF ARE INVOLVED IN NUMEROUS PLANNING PROCESSES AT THIS POINT, AND I JUST REMEMBERED ALSO AN UPDATE TO THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR, UH, VISION PLAN.
SO, SO WE ARE DOING QUITE A BIT OF PLANNING, UM, AT PRESENT.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR A MOTION? I HAVEN'T DONE A SITE PLAN IN AUSTIN LIMITED, UM, JURISDICTION IN A WHILE, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE FIRE SERVICE IS DIFFERENT FOR THIS AREA.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, I AM PROBABLY NOT THE BEST PERSON TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
IF IT SPANS SORT OF ETJ LIMITED PURPOSE, THEN YES, THE CITY DOES.
WELL, THE, THE CITY PROVIDES DIFFERENT SERVICES DEPENDING ON WHETHER IT'S FULL SERVICE OR LIMITED OR ETJ FOR SURE.
UM, BUT I, I SHOULDN'T GET INTO DETAILS, BUT THEY DO HAVE FIRE EMERGENCY SERVICES FOR SURE.
I QUESTION IF, UM, IF WE WERE TO RECOMMEND THIS AND COUNCIL WERE TO PASS IT TO YOU, JUST EXPLAIN WHAT EXACTLY WOULD FALL UNDER THE PLAN, WHAT WOULD BE
[00:35:01]
PLANNED? UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF ITEMS THAT ARE MENTIONED IN THE, THE RECOMMENDATION, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME WHAT PLANNING AS PART OF VIEW OVER, UM, THE VISION PLANS THAT THE CITY HAS THAT CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING ON RECENTLY INCLUDE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION, LAND USE, SOMETIMES OPEN SPACE, UM, ALSO SOMETIMES PROGRAMMATIC RECOMMENDATIONS.UM, WHEN REGULATIONS COME OUT OF THOSE PLANNING ACTIVITIES, AS I MENTIONED, THAT COULD INCLUDE POTENTIALLY REZONING PROPERTIES AND OR, UM, AND, OR POTENTIALLY NEW REGULATIONS.
UM, THERE ARE OFTEN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE PRIORITIZED AS PART OF PLANNING PROCESSES, BUT THEN FUNDING FOR THOSE, UH, MOVES THROUGH A U USUALLY, I GUESS DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF INVESTMENT IT IS, IT USUALLY GOES THROUGH A, UM, SOME SORT OF LIKE BOND PRIORITIZATION PROCESS.
SO, UM, SO, SO FOR THINGS TO, TO ACTUALLY BE FUNDED, UM, THAT'S ANOTHER PROCESS THAT FOLLOWS A PLANNING PROCESS.
SO TO BE CLEAR, IF, UM, SOME OF THE SPEAKERS MENTIONED FIRE INFRASTRUCTURE OR THE LACK OF ADEQUATE ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, JUST CREATING THE PLAN DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT ANY OF THOSE EXTRA SERVICES WILL BE PROVIDED OR ROADS BUILT.
IT'S MORE OF A DIRECTION TO, TO DO THAT, BUT COR CORRECT.
AND SO, UM, THERE MIGHT BE ADDITIONAL ROADWAYS IDENTIFIED AS A NEED, UM, BUT THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE FUNDED THROUGH ANOTHER PROCESS, AND THEN THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION AND PROVISION OF THOSE WOULD BE PROVIDED BY DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OR, YES.
UH, I MEAN, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS THAT, THAT THEY COULD BE PROVIDED.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES ROADS ARE PARTIALLY FUNDED THROUGH ACT THROUGH DEVELOPMENT MM-HMM
UH, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO BE BUILT AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT.
BUT, UM, YES, THE, THE PLAN IS SORT OF ONE INITIAL STEP, BUT ADDITIONAL, ADDITIONAL FUNDING RESOURCES, ET CETERA WOULD HAVE TO BE IDENTIFIED.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPING, I'M WONDERING, UH, WHY THIS WOULD BE PART OF A REGULATORY PLAN RATHER THAN AS PART OF THE, UH, THE
IT RECENTLY WENT THROUGH AN UPDATE CYCLE.
SO I'M JUST, UH, I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, STAFF, WHAT, UH, WOULD, UH, THE ADVANTAGES BE OF A REGULATING PLAN VERSUS, UH, WHAT'S IN THE WWE ALREADY? SO THE WWE REGULATIONS ARE, ARE REALLY THAT THEY'RE A SET OF REGULATIONS THAT, UM, APPLY TO PROPERTIES THAT ARE, THAT ARE SUBJECT TO THE WWE REGULATIONS.
AND SO THEY ARE NOT, I WOULDN'T CALL THEM A PLAN, THEY'RE JUST A SET OF REGULATION REGULATIONS THAT APPLY IN THAT AREA.
SO THE A PLAN, UM, COULD HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEN THE WWE REGULATIONS WOULD, WOULD BASICALLY HAVE TO, UM, WELL, THE WWE REGULATIONS WOULD GUIDE WHAT COULD BE PUT IN THE PLAN TO SOME EXTENT, BECAUSE THE WWE REGULATIONS, UM, HAVE LIMITATIONS ON WHAT CAN BE BUILT WHERE, AND THE TYPE OF ACCESS, UH, HAS TO BE PROVIDED IN THOSE AREAS.
SO IT WOULD BE, THE PLAN WOULD PROVIDE DIFFERENT INFORMATION THAN THE WWE, BUT THE PLAN WOULD CERTAINLY BE INFLUENCED, UM, AND HAVE TO BE COORDINATED WITH THE WWE REGULATIONS.
THE WAY I LOOK AT THE WWE KIND OF TELLS YOU IF YOU DEVELOP, THIS IS HOW YOU DEVELOP, WHEREAS THE PLAN WOULD SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT YOU TO DEVELOP.
I, I, I, I THINK, UH, FIRE SAFETY IS A BROADER CITY CONCERN.
UH, WEI IS SPREAD, UH, THROUGH A LOT OF THE DISTRICTS IN AUSTIN, EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH.
UM, SO I, I DON'T REALLY SEE THE, THE NEED FOR A PARTICULAR REGULATING PLAN, UH, FOR, UH, FOR THIS AREA REPRESENTING
[00:40:01]
DISTRICT SIX.UM, I, I THINK A BROADER DISCUSSION OF FIRE SAFETY WOULD MAKE A LOT OF SENSE.
UM, DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS IN THE WWE, UH, PART OF MY CONCERNS, PART OF MY FEAR IS THAT, UM, THE CITY'S ACTUALLY, UH, LIMITED IN WHAT IT CAN, UH, REGULATE IN SOME OF, UH, SOME OF THAT AREA, WHICH WOULD BE THE, THE HIGHEST DENSITY TRACKS.
UH, PARTICULARLY, UH, COMMERCIAL AND OFFICE ZONING RECENTLY HAS, UH, BEEN UP ZONED, UH, THROUGH, UH, A STATE LAW SB EIGHT 40.
AND I, I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE THAT, UH, THE CITY EVEN HAS THE, THE REGULATING AUTHORITY TO, UH, TO CHANGE, UH, THESE AREAS WHICH ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO BE REDEVELOPED TO HIGH DENSITY.
UM, YEAH, I GUESS, I GUESS MY CONCERNS WOULD BE MOSTLY AROUND IF THE STATE WOULD EVEN ALLOW US TO REGULATE THE HIGH DENSITY HERE.
UM, AND THEN, YEAH, I, I DO HAVE A BROADER SKEPTICISM, UH, THAT A PARTICULAR REGULATING PLAN IS NEEDED WITH THIS WHEN FIRE SAFETY IS A CITYWIDE ISSUE.
UM, COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM DR.
UM, I KIND OF ENVISION THIS LIKE, UM, MORE LIKE, I GUESS WHAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH IS NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS WHERE THERE'S FUTURE LAND USE MAPS THAT SHOW WHAT'S APPROPRIATE AND WHAT KIND OF DENSITIES ARE APPROPRIATE WEAR, WHEREAS THE WWE IS, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, IS USE THESE KIND OF MATERIALS WHEN YOU BUILD, UM, WHICH REALLY DOESN'T SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF PLANNING.
OF COURSE, I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE OF THE CITY PLANNED, BUT, UM, IN THE MEANTIME, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM DR.
TAL ABOUT WHAT ARE YOU IMAGINING FROM THIS PLAN IF SHE'S STILL, I THINK SHE'S STILL ON THE LINE.
UM, WHEN WE DID THIS ON PC, WE DID LEAVE THIS INTENTIONALLY BROAD BECAUSE WE KNEW A LOT OF THINGS WERE MOVING AT THAT TIME THROUGH CITY.
AND AS THE OTHER COMMISSIONER SPOKE, A LOT OF THINGS HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY MOVED THROUGH STATE LEDGE.
I WILL RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE WITH THE ASSESSMENT THAT THE WILDFIRE RISKS OUT HERE ARE THE SAME AS ACROSS THE CITY.
YOU CAN PULL UP A-I-A-F-D FOLKS TO SPEAK TO THIS.
WE HAVE TWO AREAS IN THE CITY THAT ARE VERY HIGH RISK FOR WILDFIRE.
ONE IS OUR GRASS FLATLANDS ON THE EAST, ON THE, UM, EAST SIDE.
AND THE OTHER IS THIS TOPOGRAPHY AREA.
THIS IS A VERY TRICKY TOPOGRAPHY AREA.
AND BECAUSE OF BOTH THE PRESERVE AND THE TOPOGRAPHY AND THE WATERWAYS, YOU'RE VERY LIMITED INTO WHAT YOU COULD DO FOR ROADS.
THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE ROADS IS THEY'RE TEX OWNED AS FAR AS WHERE THE FUNDING WOULD COME FROM.
THERE WAS AT ONE POINT IN TIME, UH, CAP METRO WAS LOOKING TO PRIORITIZE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS ON SIX 20.
THOSE GOT TABLED IN LIEU OF SOME OTHER PROJECTS DUE TO CONSTRAINTS.
WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING IS A, IS A BROAD, HIGH LOOK HOLISTIC LOOK AT THE AREA IN WHAT ACTUALLY COULD BE DONE.
UM, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW YOU'RE ZONING ONE SPOT BY ONE SPOT AND YOU'RE NOT COMING UP WITH A GOOD AREA SOLUTION.
YOU'RE NOT GETTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU'RE NOT GETTING MULTIMODAL TRANSIT, YOU'RE NOT GETTING GOOD USE OF THE RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE.
AND WHAT'S EXISTING IS OLD 1970S AND EIGHTIES INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS WHOLLY UNEQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH THIS.
BUT THE ONLY THING WIE DOES IS WIE SAYS, WE'RE GONNA USE A PARTICULAR SET OF MATERIALS OR, OR, UH, FIRE THING.
BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THAT, AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY, AND I'VE BEEN TO THE STATE ON THIS, OKAY, THE REASON THE INSURANCES ARE NOT ARE STOPPING THE RENEWAL IS BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU PUT A SPRINKLER IN, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PRESSURE AND WATER TO GET OUT THERE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE SPRINKLER IS IN THE BUILDING, YOU CAN'T PUT THE FIRE OUT.
AND EVERYTHING THAT'S OUT HERE HAS BEEN MADE TO PUT OUT ONE UNIT, IS NOTHING OUT HERE TO COMBAT A WILDFIRE, YOU'VE GOTTA START TO THINK ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES? WHERE CAN WE DO THINGS THAT MAKE IT A LITTLE SAFER? WHERE CAN WE INCORPORATE AND WHERE IS IT SAFE TO BUILD AND HOW CAN WE INCLUDE THAT? SO WE'RE SEEKING A HOLISTIC APPROACH BECAUSE THE AREA'S GROWING.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN SAY IT'S NOT, BUT LOOK AT THAT MAP WHERE ALL YOUR ZONING SITE REVIEWS ARE HAPPENING.
YOU'RE SEEING THIS, IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AND YOU HAVE DEVELOPER SUPPORT FOR THIS AND BELIEVE YOU HAVE DEVELOPER SUPPORT COMING IN ON THIS TONIGHT.
I MEAN, PLANNING COMMISSION MADE
[00:45:01]
THIS RECOMMENDATION AND IT DOESN'T TAKE, UM, A WHOLE LOT OF WORK FOR US TO JUST SAY THAT.WE JOIN THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND REQUEST THE COUNCIL, BLAH, BLAH, WHATEVER IT SAID ON THE, ON THE PC RECOMMENDATION.
SO I'M GONNA MAKE THAT MOTION THAT WE DO THAT.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FLORES.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER CHE? I GUESS I, I'M A LITTLE BIT, UH, CONCERNED BECAUSE OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF IS, UH, LIMITED IN RESOURCES.
I, I DO SEE THAT THERE COULD BE VALUE IN THIS, BUT I THINK THAT A LOT OF OUR OTHER PLANNING INITIATIVES, UH, SHOULD TAKE HIGHER PRECEDENCE.
UH, NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER, SOUTH LAMAR TRANSIT, UH, UH, SOUTH, UH, CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER, THOSE, UH, BOTH ARE, UM, PARTS OF THE PROJECT CONNECT AND, UH, EAST RIVERSIDE REGULATING CORRIDOR.
THOSE, UH, THAT'S ALSO, UH, PART OF PROJECT CONNECT.
THESE, THESE ARE, UM, PRETTY BIG AND IMPORTANT INITIATIVES, UH, THE DOWNTOWN RETHINKING, UH, THE DOWNTOWN, UH, DISTRICT.
SO, UH, I, I'D REALLY, UH, HATE TO SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO, UH, FOCUS ON, UH, THIS AREA WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE THE, THE PLANNING STAFF ALREADY HAS THEIR HANDS FULL.
THAT THAT WOULD BE MY, MY NUMBER ONE, UH, UH, CONCERN ABOUT THIS.
COMMISSIONER STERN, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, I, I SUPPOSE, UM, THE CONCERN THAT I HAVE ABOUT, UM, THE REGULATORY PLAN AT THIS POINT IS WHETHER HAVING A REGULATORY PLAN IS GOING TO MAKE THIS AREA MORE OR LESS LIKELY TO HAVE DEVELOPMENT IN IT.
UM, I'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT IN NOT SUPPORTING DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA BECAUSE OF THE MANY REASONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED.
UM, ALTHOUGH THIS BODY KEEPS APPROVING
UM, AND SO I GUESS, DOES ANYBODY HAVE A SENSE OF WHETHER YOU CAN HAVE A REGULATORY PLAN THAT REDUCES THE LIKELIHOOD OF DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA? I, I THINK YOU CAN.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S, I WOULDN'T WANT TO COME IN WITH A FOREGONE CONCLUSION.
IT'S JUST GONNA BE HOW YOU DEVELOP.
THE REASON I ASK THIS IS 'CAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE FROM PLANNING, IT SAYS, IMPROVE ROADWAY CAPACITY IS IMPROVE PUBLIC TRANSIT AND MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
AND THEN WHILE IT SAYS PLAN APPROPRIATE, IT'S STILL TALKING ABOUT GROWTH CAPACITY.
SO IT'S STILL BIAS TOWARDS GROWTH, BIAS TOWARDS ADDING ROADS AND BIAS TOWARDS ADDING TRANSIT.
AND SO THAT MEANS BRING MORE PEOPLE TO THIS AREA, WHICH I THINK IT ALSO TARGETED IF I HAVE THE SAME RESOLUTION, BUT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT ONION CREEK FLOOD AREA, I'D BE CONCERNED WITH THIS LANGUAGE.
BUT, UM, I MEAN, I'M NOT, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO STUDIES, LIKE STUDIES ARE GREAT, YOU KNOW, BUT, UM, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN AREA WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF BEFORE.
THERE'S PRESERVED LAND PROTECTED SPECIES, FIRE HAZARD.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO DISCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT.
IT IS TO MAINTAIN OR REDUCE ROADWAY AND TRANSIT SERVICE IN THIS AREA, NOT EXPAND IT.
UH, THIS IS WHY A LOT OF IT IS STILL DESIGNATED AS RURAL RESERVE.
AND SO, UM, I I JUST CAUTION US ABOUT JUMPING ON WITH THE SAME LANGUAGE AND SAYING THAT EXPANSION, UM, IS A GOOD IDEA.
I DID NOT HAVE MY HAND RAISED.
I WAS JUST GONNA SAY, I, I SHARED COMMISSIONER STERN'S RESERVATIONS.
UM, I SUSPECT THAT WASN'T ONE VOICE, BUT SEVERAL VOICES FOLDED INTO A, A SINGLE STATEMENT THERE.
BUT I'D BE REALLY HESITANT FOR US TO ATTACH OUR, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATION TO SO MANY OF THOSE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, CONFLICTING DIRECTIONS ABOUT MORE AND LESS DEVELOPMENT.
I THINK IT SENDS KIND OF A WEIRD MESSAGE.
UM, SO IF WE DO RECOMMEND IT, LIKE A MUCH NARROWER STATEMENT.
COMMISSIONER GREENBERG, UM, I CAN SEE COMMISSIONER STERN'S POINT THAT MAYBE THE PRO DEVELOPMENT SLANT OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
I THINK THERE DEFINITELY SHOULD BE A STUDY HERE AND
[00:50:02]
I WOULD BE MAYBE INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH COMMISSIONER STERN TO REWRITE THIS.IF WE, IF THE COMMISSION IS INTERESTED IN POSTPONING THIS TO OUR NEXT MEETING, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH YOU TO PULL OUT SOME OF THAT PRO DEVELOPMENT LANGUAGE AND THEN I'D BE ABLE TO GET BEHIND IT.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IS HOW THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS GONNA BE AFFECTED BY THIS.
IS THIS ALREADY GONNA BE A PART OF THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH IS GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS ALREADY UNDERWAY? UM, YES.
THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN WILL COVER THE WHOLE CITY, UH, AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.
UM, SO IT WON'T BE NECESSARILY THE FINE GRAIN DETAIL THAT YOU WOULD HAVE IN AN AREA PLAN, BUT IT WILL PROVIDE POLICY GUIDANCE ACROSS THE CITY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT THE TWO STATION AREA PLANS PASSED ALREADY.
SO WE'RE NOT PUMPING THEM AT ALL.
I THINK THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR AND I'M SORRY, WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE? YOU WERE NORTH LAMAR WHAT? NORTH LAMAR? NO, NORTH LAMAR AND SOUTH CONGRESS ALREADY PASSED.
THOSE, THOSE STATIONARY PLANS, THE DOWNTOWN, DOWNTOWN, THOSE ARE ONGOING.
WE'RE NOT, THIS RESOLUTION WOULDN'T BUMP THOSE IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S PARTICULARLY A CONCERN ABOUT WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT.
UM, THE PLANNING STAFF AND THE COUNCIL WILL DECIDE WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, BUT AS A COMMISSION WE HAVE SEEN THAT THERE DEFINITELY ARE PROBLEMS IN THIS AREA AND I THINK WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE THE PLANNING STAFF TO CONSIDER THOSE.
SO DO WE WANNA POSTPONE TO THE NEXT MEETING? YEAH.
SHOULD I SUGGEST A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS TO THE NEXT MEETING? I DON'T KNOW.
POSTPONED TO THE NEXT MEETING.
ALRIGHT, MOVING ON TO OUR WORKING GROUPS
[WORKING GROUP/COMMITTEE UPDATES]
CODES AND ORDINANCES.JOINT COMMITTEE SPONSORED BY GREENBERG FLORES AND STERN GOT CANCELED.
NO BUSINESS COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE ABOUT GREENBERG AND FOUTS AND SMITH.
SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE SPONSORED BY OTA, LUGO, PKI, AND SHEPPEY.
WE DID NOT MAKE QUORUM LAST WEEK, SO IT WAS CANCELED.
SO IF YOU'RE ON THAT OR ANY OTHER, THESE LAND USE COMMISSION ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES WORKING GROUP.
HAVE Y'ALL HAD A CHANCE TO MEET? WE ARE STILL WORKING ON, UH, GETTING EVERYBODY'S SCHEDULE ALIGNED.
YEAH, SO IF YOU'RE ON THAT, CHECK YOUR EMAILS.
UM, BUT YEAH, WE'RE HOPING TO MEET IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? HEY, HANK, REAL QUICK? YES.
UH, I, I THINK I'M ON THAT LAST WORKING GROUP AND I DON'T THINK I'VE RECEIVED AN EMAIL, SO, SO MAYBE CAN YOU GUYS RECIRCULATE IT, PLEASE? OKAY.
SPOUTS, MAJOR, OLUGO AND SHEPP ARE THE FOUR ON THAT COMMITTEE.
YEAH, I, I'LL, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU GET IT.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
TO THE POSTPONEMENT IS NOT, THAT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE ON THE AGENDA.THEN AT 6 55 WE ARE ADJOURNED.