[ CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
STARTED SINCE WE'VE GOT QUORUM.
UH, WE'LL START WITH ROLL CALL.
UH, COMMISSIONER CAROL? PRESENT.
IS THERE, IS THERE ANYONE SCHEDULED TO SPEAK TODAY? CHAIR? IS THIS, IS THIS HAN? IT'S HAW.
NO ONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
WELL, LET'S, IS THERE, UH, WE'RE
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
GONNA GO TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING ON OCTOBER 27TH? HAVE MOTION MR. HOWARD? I SECOND MR. RIGHT.
WELL, WE HAVE, ARE YOU, ARE Y'ALL, ARE Y'ALL COMMISSIONER LADNER AND COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY.
CHAIR, WHO WAS THE MOTION MAKER? AND SECOND ON THAT, COMMISSIONER HOWARD WAS THE MOTION MAKER AND ULA AS THE SECOND.
[2. Discussion of analysis on the Design Commission's recommendations and the final approved Downtown Density Bonus Program projects from the past ten years.]
FOR DISCUSSION IS AN ANALYSIS OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE FINAL APPROVED DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS, UH, PROGRAM, UH, FROM THE LAST 10 YEARS.THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WAS ON WEST SIXTH STREET.
PULL UP THE ADDRESS 3 21 WEST SIXTH STREET.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.
JUST IN THE FULL DISCLOSURE, UM, WE WERE THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT OF RECORD ON 3 2 1 WEST SIXTH.
SO IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, I MEAN, THERE WAS A COUPLE THINGS THAT CAME UP ON THE PROJECT AFTER CONSTRUCTION HAD ALREADY STARTED.
SO, UM, I KNOW THE STREET SCAPE ALONG WAAD CHANGED SLIGHTLY FROM WHAT WAS PRESENTED AT, UM, COMMISSION JUST DUE TO DISCOVERING A PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BE ABANDONED ELECTRICAL DUCT BANK THAT WAS LIVE.
SO, UH, THERE WAS SOME MODIFICATIONS THAT HAPPENED WHEN THAT WAS DISCOVERED AND, BUT EVERYTHING'S, UH, STREET SCAPE WISE STAYED IN THE SAME PLACE.
WE JUST HAD TO PULL IT ABOVE GROUND.
SO THERE'S SOME PLANTERS ALONG QUAD NOW, UM, THAT I KNOW I DON'T THINK WERE PRESENTED TO COMMISSION WHEN IT CAME THROUGH ORIGINALLY.
AND THERE WERE SOME, THERE'S A, A LONG GU AS WELL.
THERE'S THE BIG AUSTIN ENERGY VAULT THAT HAPPENS THERE.
UM, ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROJECT, THERE'S IT'S ALLEY LOADED.
UM, AND THEN ALONG SIX, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING CHANGED FROM WHAT WAS SUBMITTED TO COMMISSION.
SO, BUT I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY COME UP TOO.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE PLANTERS, THE TREES THAT ARE ON THE, ALONG THAT STREET SCAPE WERE IN PLANTERS? YES.
AND WE WORKED WITH, UM, URBAN DESIGN ON THAT WITH JILL ESMA FROM GREAT STREETS,
[00:05:01]
SPECIFICALLY WHEN THAT CAME UP THAT THE DUCK BANK WAS LIVE.UM, THE BUILDING HAD ALREADY GONE VERTICAL.
THEY WERE, THE BUILDING HAD GONE VERY VERTICAL AT THAT POINT.
UM, AND THERE REALLY WAS, THERE WAS A SUGGESTION TO MOVE THE DUCK BANK, WHICH WAS INFEASIBLE.
I MEAN, THE, THE PROJECT HAD ALREADY BEEN FINANCED.
THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THEY COULD ACQUIRE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO MOVE AN ACTIVE DUCK BANK.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT? COMMISSIONER HOWARD? UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I, I, I HAVEN'T, UH, PER I HAVEN'T PERSONALLY TAKEN A PROJECT THROUGH, UM, GREAT STREETS APPROVAL.
UM, AND SO I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS FOR MY, YOU KNOW, MY OWN EDUCATION ON THE, THE, THE WEST SIXTH FRONTAGE, UH, TWO ITEMS, THE, THE PARALLEL PARKING.
I SEE THIS A LOT WHERE THERE'S, UM, INSTEAD OF HAVING 22, UH, TREES, 22 FOOT ON CENTER, WE'VE GOT TWO PARALLEL PARKING SPACES BETWEEN TREES, UM, AND WE KIND OF LOSE A TREE.
AND THEN, UM, SO ANYBODY CAN SPEAK TO THAT AND HOW THAT GETS IN INTERPRETED OR IF THERE'S A CARVE OUT IN, UM, GREAT STREETS.
AND THEN THE, UM, THE DESIGN OF THE DRIVEWAY.
THIS ONE LOOKS LIKE IT'S NOT KIND OF LIKE A TYPICAL DRIVE, YOU KNOW, TYPE TWO DRIVEWAY DESIGN OR WHATEVER THIS LOOKS LIKE IT'S PAVER AND, UM, UH, BUT I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THERE'S, IF THERE ARE STANDARDS TODAY THAT PREVENT, UM, SOME OF THE DESIGNS THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING AT IN THE DESIGN, UH, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDE, UM, AROUND THE, THE DRIVEWAY AND AS IT RELATES TO SPECIFICALLY THE, UM, THE SIDEWALK MATERIAL CONTINUING OVER THE DRIVEWAY RATHER THAN DRIVEWAY MATERIAL BREAKING UP THE SIDEWALK.
SO, YEAH, JUST, UM, I GUESS THAT'S MORE OF LIKE A, UM, FOR CONVERSATION IF ANYBODY HAS KIND OF, UM, BACKGROUND ON THAT.
I, I DO NOT
I KNOW JUST FOR PARALLEL SPOTS WAS, THIS WAS PREVIOUSLY A BANK ON THE CORNER THERE, AND THE BANK MOVED IN AS A GROUND FLOOR TENANT TO THE BUILDING.
AND SO I THINK THERE WAS SOME DESIRE TO HAVE SOME PARALLEL SPOTS.
SO IF YOU HAD TO GO INTO THE BANK AND COME BACK OUT, THAT THERE WAS SOME SHORT TERM PARKING THAT ALLOWED FOR THAT.
AND THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN GREAT STREETS FOR PARKING, UM, TO ALLOW FOR SOME OF THESE PARALLEL SPOTS.
AND IT TRULY, I, YOU'RE ONLY ALLOWED SO MANY.
AND SO IT, IT DOES ALLOW FOR THE BREAK IN THE TREE CANOPY TO ACCOMMODATE, UM, A CERTAIN NUMBER OF SPACES.
IS THERE A, UM, LIKE A, A TRIGGER THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT RATHER THAN, I THINK IN, IN MOST CASES WHEN THERE'S PARALLEL PARKING ON GREAT STREETS, THE, THE PARKING LANE IS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TREE FURNITURE ZONE.
UM, IS IT, IS IT BASED ON THE STREET, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STREET THAT IT'S ON OR IS, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY IT'S THE STREET.
SO THE, THERE'S CERTAIN
I I, I REMEMBER LOOKING INTO THIS AND, AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE SIXTH STREET WOULD BE A PEDESTRIAN PRIORITY STREET.
UM, BUT I, YEAH, I WAS, SO I GUESS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT, UM, ON CERTAIN STREETS, PARALLEL PARKING IS KIND OF EMBEDDED IN THIS, IN THE CROSS SECTION OF THE STREET AND WHAT THE EXPECTED DESIGN IS IN OTHER STREETS, IT'S NOT, BUT YOU CAN, THERE IS AN ALLOWANCE TO HAVE, UM, STREET PARKING, UH, BREAKUP YES.
LIKE WITHIN THE, THE PLANTING ZONE.
AND YOU SAID THAT WAS LIMITED.
COULD YOU, UM, HOW, HOW WAS IT LIMITED JUST LIKE TWO SPACES BETWEEN TREES OR HOW IS THAT LIMITED TODAY? I THINK IT'S LIKE TWO OR THREE.
I THINK WE WERE ALLOWED THREE HERE, BUT WE ONLY USED TWO.
I DON'T, I, I, I DON'T HAVE IT MEMORIZED, SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO IT THAT INTIMATELY.
UM, JORGE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
[00:10:04]
IF I MAY, SURE.THERE IS A POSSIBILITY TO GAIN THREE PARKING SPACES, USUALLY THAT STAND FOR VALET PARKING, WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO DISCOURAGE IN THE UPDATE TO THE GRAY STREET STANDARDS BECAUSE IT WIPES OUT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TREES.
THERE'S ALREADY CONFLICTS WITH UTILITIES THAT HAPPEN ALONG THE RIGHT OF WAY, ALONG WITH INCREASED PRESSURE TO ADD OTHER ELEMENTS WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY PART PIECES, FOR EXAMPLE, BUSKING OTHER TYPES OF ELEMENTS.
AND SO THE COMPETITION FOR SPACE IS BECOMING EXTREMELY CRITICAL.
UM, THREE SPACES HAS BEEN ALLOWED IN THE PAST, AND THAT IS FOR VALET.
AS THE CITY MOVES TOWARDS ZERO PARKING REQUIREMENTS, THE PRESSURE THEN SHIFTS TO THE RIGHT OF WAY TO ACCOMMODATE FOR MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, ONE OF WHICH IS ON STREET PARKING.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TENSION THERE.
UH, WE WOULD PREFER TWO SPACES, BUT THAT ESSENTIALLY WOULD CONFLICT THE OPPORTUNITY FOR VALET PARKING.
VALET PARKING HAS BEEN CRITICIZED OFTEN, AT LEAST THROUGH OUR OFFICE, THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS THAT IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A PARK THAN IT IS A PUBLIC SERVICE.
THE PRIVILEGE OF PAYING 20 TO $50 TO HAVE YOUR VEHICLE PARKED IS OUT OF REACH FOR SOME IN THE POPULATION.
AND SO IT'S MORE OF A CONVENIENCE THAN IT IS TRULY A FUNCTION OF THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND THESE ARE THINGS WE'RE EXPLORING WITH THE UPDATE TO THE GRAY STREET STANDARDS.
AND THEN KEVIN, YOUR, SORRY, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
YOUR SECOND QUESTION WAS IN REGARDS TO PAVING? YEAH.
THE, THE PAVING PATTERN OF THE DRIVEWAY, IT'S THE SAME.
IT, IT'S ALL THE SAME AS THE STREETSCAPE.
IT'S JUST A VEHICULAR RATED PAVER.
THE, THE LOOK IS THE SAME, BUT THERE'S SOME CONTRAST IN UNDERSTANDING WHERE THE, THE HICK, WHERE THE CARS CAME IN MM-HMM
UM, SO IT IS ALL A FOUR BY EIGHT NOMINAL PAPER.
IT WAS JUST A CHANGE IN DEPTH OF PAPER AND A CHANGE IN COLOR IS, IS THERE A STANDARD OR, UH, A CRITERIA OF ANY SORT THAT WOULD PREVENT THE COLOR OF THE SECTION THAT CROSSES THE PEDESTRIAN CLEAR ZONE FROM BEING THE COLOR OF THE SIDEWALK RATHER THAN THE DRIVEWAY? IT TENDS TO BE AN ACCESSIBILITY ITEM THAT YOU, UM, IF FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED, WE DO HAVE THE TRUNCATED DOMES.
BUT, UM, HAVING A CONTRASTING COLOR FOR, UM, AREAS OF VEHICULAR USE VERSUS PEDESTRIAN USE IS, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY THIS WAS CHANGED.
DO YOU KNOW IF THERE'S, UH, WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF WARNING MECHANISMS THEY'RE UTILIZING BESIDES THE PAVER COLORS TO INDICATE THE, THIS IS A, A VEHICULAR ENTRANCE AT THAT GARAGE.
SO THAT'S, THERE'S TWO LITTLE AREAS ALONG EACH SIDE OF THE DRIVEWAY THAT HAVE THE CANE DETECTION DOMES.
UM, AS FAR AS ANY, LIKE THE, THE SOUNDS OR THE SIGNS THAT UNFORTUNATELY IS ATTACHED TO THE BUILDING, AND THAT'S OUTSIDE OF MY REALM OF KNOWLEDGE.
I, I GUESS I, I'M NOT AN ACCESSIBILITY EXPERT MM-HMM
UM, BUT, UM, I GUESS FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE EXPERIENCE OF SOMEBODY WITH VISUALLY IMPAIRED, OBVIOUSLY THE CONTRAST IS HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT INDICATION, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT FULLY BLIND RIGHT.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE THE CONTRAST BETTER THAN, UM, OTHERWISE.
I GUESS THE, THE CHALLENGE THAT I'M ADDRESSING AND, AND THAT I'M HOPING THAT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WILL ADDRESS IN THE NEXT VERSION IS THAT WHEN WE, WE SHOW IT IN THE COLOR OF, OR WE, WE BUILD IT IN THE COLOR OF THE AUTOMOBILE SPACE RATHER THAN THE PEDESTRIAN SPACE, THEN, UM, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY IT, IT BECOMES A PLACE WHERE THE PEDESTRIAN EXPECTS TO BE A GUEST, UM, RATHER THAN ACTUALLY HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH THEY ACTUALLY DO.
AND SO WE CREATE A SPACE THAT IS, UM, IS KIND OF DONATED BACK TO THE CARS, UM, FOR ACCESSIBILITY PURPOSES, WHICH IS, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IDEALLY THE DESIGN WOULD, UH, REPRESENT THAT THIS IS A PEDESTRIAN SPACE THAT THE CAR IS A GUEST IN, UM, AND MUST YIELD AND, AND, UH, AS IT CROSSES THAT SPACE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S, IF, IF I'M CORRECT, AND IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE, I'VE LOOKED AT THE, THE KIND OF DRAFT GUIDELINES, BUT I THINK THAT'S
[00:15:01]
WHAT ONE OF, ONE OF THE GUIDELINES AROUND, UM, DRIVEWAY DESIGN IS GETTING AT.UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY THOUGHTS AROUND THAT.
AND, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I'VE, I'VE KIND OF BEEN VERY AWARE OF SEEING THESE, UM, DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS COMING THROUGH AND SOME OF OUR STANDARD, UM, DRIVEWAY, UH, UM, CONSTRUCTION DETAILS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT IS, IS WHERE IS THE WARNING MECHANISM? IS IT BASED ON THE, IS IT FOCUSED ON THE VEHICLES OR IS IT FOCUSED ON THE PEDESTRIANS? UH, AND, YOU KNOW, I WAS CURIOUS AS TO KNOW WHAT THEY HAD IN PLACE AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THERE THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM TO HELP INFORM, YOU KNOW, THIS UPDATES TO THE DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, YEAH, TOSS DOES REQUIRE THAT WE HAVE THE TRUNCATED DOMES NO MATTER WHAT, THAT IT, THAT'S UNIVERSAL, UM, AN INDICATOR OF A PEDESTRIAN ENTERING WHAT WOULD BE A VEHICULAR SPACE.
BUT THERE, THERE IS NOTHING TO COMMISSIONER HOWARD'S POINT, UM, THAT WOULD, I THINK, PREVENT US FROM CONTINUING THE ANTIQUE SAVANNA COLOR ACROSS THE DRIVEWAY, UM, VERSUS HAVING TO TRANSITION INTO A, THE CHARCOAL COLOR.
SO, NO, BUT THE TRUNCATED DOMES WOULD BE REQUIRED NONETHELESS.
AND THEN IT, UH, AGAIN, I DON'T, I'M NOT POSITIVE IF THERE WAS A, UM, WHAT, WHAT NOTIFIES THE DRIVER LEAVING THE GARAGE THAT THEY WILL BE INTERACTING WITH THE PEDESTRIAN REALM.
COMMISSIONER CARROLL, THANK YOU CHAIR.
ARE THEY STILL ALIVE? MY KNOWLEDGE? YEAH.
WE PUNCHED THIS SIX MONTHS AGO, MAYBE.
UM, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING CONTRARY.
THE SEAT, THE, WELL BOTH WOULD BE DORMANT.
THE S SHOE, MARS PROBABLY STILL HAVE SOME LEAVES ON THEM.
UM, CEDAR ELMS, SOME OF THE CEDAR ELMS ARE FULLY DORMANT AT THIS POINT AND HAVE SHED EVERYTHING.
UM, SOME STILL HAVE SOME LEAVES ON IT, SO, UM, I HAVEN'T, HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY.
COMMISSIONER WIRA, UH, CHAIR IN OUR DISCUSSION ON THESE PROJECTS OVER THE, THE LAST YEAR, I THINK, UH, NUMEROUS TIMES IT'S COME UP, UM, THAT AN APPLICATION HAS LEANED HEAVILY INTO PROVIDING A PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION THAT IS GENERALLY NOT SOMETHING COVERED IN SITE PLAN.
UM, I THINK THIS BODY HAS EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN ABOUT HOW THAT IS ACTUALLY, UM, ENFORCED.
I CAN'T TELL FROM STREET VIEW WHETHER THIS PROJECT COMPLIED WITH ITS, UH, OR, OR WILL COMPLIED.
DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THE, IF THE PUBLIC ART ELEMENT WAS INSTALLED IN THIS PROJECT? I WILL TAKE THAT AS A NO.
I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE BUILDING LAYOUT SEEMS PRETTY IDEAL OF HOW THEY'RE LOADING THESE ALLEYWAYS, OR I GUESS IT'S A PROPERTY LINE ADJACENT TO ANOTHER BUILDING UP ON LAND EAST.
UH, BUT HAVING THE GARAGE ENTRANCE ON THE ALLEYWAY, THEY'RE TRANSFORMER VAULTS, UM, AND THEN THE AMOUNT OF, UH, GLAZING THEY HAVE AT THE STREET FRONTAGE ON, ON THOSE ON THAT CORNER IS, UH, KIND OF A PRETTY IDEAL SITUATION.
I, I WOULD, UH, COMMENT ON THAT, JUST, UM, I THINK IT'S IDEAL IN THE AUSTIN CONTEXT, FOR SURE.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE, THE FACT, YOU KNOW, MOST, MOST PLACES WITH A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE PUTTING A LOT OF URBAN DESIGN INTENT INTO, ESPECIALLY IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND THEIR DOWNTOWNS, UM, YOU KNOW, PLACES THAT ARE SEEING REALLY GOOD URBAN DESIGN ARE NOT HAVING, UH, TRANSFORMER VAULTS AT GRADE.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT THAT IS AT GRADE IS ACTUALLY QUITE A DETRACTION FROM THE, THE STREET SCAPE, STREET SCAPE EXPERIENCE.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD POSSIBLY SHUFFLE THIS PLAN,
[00:20:01]
UH, TO HIDE THAT TRANSFORMER VAULT, GIVEN EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S HAPPENING.OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY I COULD SEE IS MAYBE, YOU KNOW, INSTEAD OF, UH, BURYING THE BIKE PARKING NEXT TO THE DRIVEWAY, BRINGING THAT OUT ONTO GUADALUPE, BUT STILL NOT A VERY ACTIVE USE.
UM, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A NUMBER OF TIMES, UM, AND HAVE IN THE PROCESS OF TALKING ABOUT THE DESIGN GUIDELINES, UM, WHICH I THINK A LOT OF THESE, A LOT OF THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, REALLY COULD BE POWERFUL CONVERSATIONS TO HAVE WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND, AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING ON THE CRITERIA MANUALS, UM, FOR THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND POTENTIALLY EVEN THE TARP.
IS THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU, YOU NOTICED THAT, UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT I THIS PROJECT? ALL RIGHT.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT DISCUSSION ITEM.
JORGE, ARE YOU READY TO GIVE US AN UPDATE BEFORE WE GET INTO DISCUSSION OF, UH, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES? I, I DO WANNA GET AN UPDATE FROM, UH, JORGE.
SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE UP TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER CHAIR FIVE FIVE, NO, ITEM
[4. Discussion of the timeline and obstacles of the update to the Urban Design Guidelines. Sponsors: Chair Salinas, Vice Chair Meiners, and Commissioner Howard. ]
FOUR.JORGE LAN, EXECUTIVE LIAISON FOR THE COMMISSION TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE WORK ON THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
STAFF WILL BE PAUSING WORK ON THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THIS IS DUE TO RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WITH THE COUNCIL DIRECTION TO UPDATE THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AS THEY LAUNCH PHASE ONE OF THAT INITIATIVE COMING BACK TO COUNCIL SOMETIME, UH, PERHAPS IN MAY, LATE SPRING OF, OF THIS YEAR, THAT WILL EVALUATE THE BOUNDARIES, UH, COMMUNITY BENEFITS, CALIBRATION OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
AND THE WAY THAT THE CENTRAL CITY PLAN ALSO WHO HAS, WHICH HAS, UH, LAUNCHED IN EARNEST, IS LOOKING AT MODIFYING THE BOUNDARIES OF DOWNTOWN.
IF YOU'RE AWARE OF HOW THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES OF DOWNTOWN ARE LAID OUT, YOU'VE GOT MLK TO THE NORTH, THE RIVER TO THE SOUTH, 35 TO THE EAST, AND LAMAR TO THE WEST.
THE CENTRAL CITY PLAN, UH, UH, DISTRICT CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN IS LOOKING TO EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT IS DOWNTOWN TO INCLUDE THE UNO PORTION OF WEST CAMPUS, AS WELL AS TO THE SOUTH, THE, WHAT, WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT DISTRICT, WHICH COULD BECOME THE NEW BOUNDARIES OF DOWNTOWN.
ALL OF THOSE GEOGRAPHIC AREAS HAVE DIFFERENCES IN DENSITY BONUSES, DOWNTOWN HAS ITS OWN DENSITY BONUS.
RAINY STREET HAS ITS OWN DENSITY BONUS.
UNO HAS MULTIPLE SUBDISTRICTS THAT HAVE A DENSITY BONUS AS WELL.
AND SOUTH CENTRAL WAS PROPOSING A DENSITY BONUS OF ITS OWN.
SO, GIVEN THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE ALIGNMENT BETWEEN THOSE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS, AS COUNCIL HAS LAUNCHED BOTH THE UPDATE TO THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN, THERE'S ALSO RESPONSE THAT WE OWE TO RECENT STATE LITIGATION, SB EIGHT 40, THAT ESSENTIALLY SIGNIFICANTLY HAMPERS, UM, SOME OF THE EXISTING CONSTRUCT OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS WE HAVE IN THE BOOKS TODAY.
THE LEGISLATION ITSELF DOES NOT PRECLUDE OR DO AWAY WITH DENSITY BONUSES.
THEY JUST NEED TO LOOK SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT THAN THEY DO TODAY.
THERE'S ALSO LINGERING, UM, MANDATES FROM, UH, RECENT LITIGATION THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE
UH, THERE'S ALSO, UH, SEVERAL CONCERNS THAT STAFF AND CITY LEGAL HAVE IN, IN TERMS OF THE
[00:25:01]
LATEST VERSION OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES DRAFT THAT I'M HAPPY TO GET INTO IF, IF YOU WISH.SO, CHAIR WITH, WITH THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS.
BUT THE UPDATE IS THAT WE WILL BE PAUSING ON WORK IN THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES UNTIL COUNCIL GIVES DIRECTION ON WHERE THEY WANT TO GO WITH THE PROGRAM SOMETIME IN LATE SPRING.
THAT'S THE OVERALL UPDATE CHAIR.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR GO INTO SOME OF THE OTHER CONCERNS IF YOU LIKE.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? Y'ALL GET THAT? COMMISSIONER HOWARD? UH, I HAVE A STARTING QUESTION.
UM, UH, I'M, I'M CURIOUS, YOU, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE CURRENT DISCRETIONARY PROCESS WILL NEED TO CHANGE.
UM, AND BY THAT MEAN, SO WE, WE HAVE A ADMINISTRATIVE, WE DON'T HAVE LIKE A TRUE DESIGN REVIEW PROCESS, RIGHT? WE HAVE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PRESENTATION TO US AND THEN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS PAST THAT MM-HMM
SO, UM, CAN YOU TALK TO, TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS, UM, THAT THE NEW PROCESS IS GONNA HAVE TO FIT WITHIN, UM, AND HOW THAT, UM, WILL NEED TO, HOW, ESSENTIALLY HOW THIS DISCRETIONARY PROCESS WILL NEED TO CHANGE TO, UM, UH, MEET THOSE LAWS? CLARIFY, MAY, SO, I, I CAN'T GO INTO THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF IT.
I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, NOR DO I PRETEND TO BE ONE.
HOWEVER, IN OUR DISCUSSIONS OF THE CONSTRUCT OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, THERE IS A DISCRETIONARY PROCESS IN THE GATEKEEPER ELEMENTS.
ONE IS, WHICH IS DESIGN REVIEW, AND THE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UH, THAT'S AN AREA THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REVISED AND MODIFIED TO CREATE A PREDICTABLE PATHWAY BY WHICH A PROJECT DOES A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ELEMENTS, AND THEY ACHIEVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BONUS AREA THAT IS NOT AS CONDUCIVE TODAY, BECAUSE THERE'S REALLY NO LIMITS ON, ON THE AMOUNT OF BONUS AREA THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED, EVEN THROUGH COUNCIL ACTION, THAT MORE THAN LIKELY WILL NEED TO BE MODIFIED TO CREATE THAT PREDICTABLE PATHWAY BY WHICH THERE'S A, THERE'S A TRADE OFF BY WHICH A PROJECT GIVES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS, AND THEY GET A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF HEIGHT THAT HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED YET.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF IS WORKING WITH LAW, WITH THE CONSULTANT TO ANALYZE WHAT IS THE APPROPRIATE HEIGHTS THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED ABOVE THE BASE ENTITLEMENTS.
YOU'RE ALSO AWARE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES TO THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT ZONING CLASSIFICATION, CBD, WHICH PREVIOUSLY HAD UNLIMITED HEIGHT AT AN EIGHT TO ONE FAR.
YOU COULD REVERSE ENGINEER A HEIGHT LIMIT BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE LOCK.
OBVIOUSLY, UH, YOU COULD GO ALL THE WAY UP TO SPACE, BUT IT WOULD BECOME A NEEDLE BECAUSE YOU WOULD HAVE TO DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF FLOOR AREA OF THE HIGHER YOU GO.
IN ESSENCE, THERE WAS OBVIOUSLY A PRACTICALITY OF WHEN PHYSICS TAKES OVER, THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A HEIGHT LIMIT.
NOW WE HAVE A TRUE HEIGHT LIMIT 350 FEET, WHICH IS THE BASE ENTITLEMENTS FOR CBD.
SO A PROJECT COULD REZONE TO CBD, FOR EXAMPLE, AND GAIN 350 FEET OF BASE ENTITLEMENTS WITHOUT NEEDING TO DO A DENSITY BONUS PROJECT ABOVE THAT IS WHERE THE PROJECT WOULD COME IN.
THAT WOULD BE A RETOOL PROJECT THAN WHAT YOU SEE TODAY IN THE BOOKS.
SO, IF A PROJECT EITHER HAS CBD ZONING TODAY OR ZONES INTO, GETS A REZONING TO CBD, THEY WOULD HAVE UNDER THEIR BASE ENTITLEMENTS UP TO 350 FEET OF MAXIMUM HEIGHT.
DOESN'T MEAN THEY CAN ACHIEVE THAT, BUT IF THEY WISH TO CONSTRUCT A PROJECT THAT SUPERSEDES 350 FEET OF HEIGHT, THAT'S WHERE THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WOULD COME TO FRUITION.
SO, UH, I GUESS THE, THE NEW LAW IS THAT THERE CANNOT BE A DIS DISCRETIONARY PROCESS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE EVALUATING RIGHT NOW.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE MERITS OF THE LAW.
HOW IT APPLIES IS, IS IT PART OF SB EIGHT 40? PART OF IT IS THE SB EIGHT 40, AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME LINGERING
SO BY WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS, IS THAT THERE ARE MAY BE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO CORRECT, UH, PERMIT SOMEONE TO USE ENTIT BONUS ENTITLEMENTS? THAT'S CORRECT.
SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SEE IN A ZONING CASE TODAY, FOR EXAMPLE.
UH, DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT? I, OBVIOUSLY THAT HAS A LOT OF PERCE TO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
UM, WHERE CAN WE FIND MORE INFORMATION ON THAT? 'CAUSE I, I, IT HASN'T, I HAVEN'T DONE A
[00:30:01]
DEEP DIVE INTO THESE STATE BILLS, BUT, UM, UH, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU LINKS TO THE SPECIFIC BILLS, BUT THE, THE, THE PROCESS IS NOT NEW.THE SOUTH CENTRAL WENT THROUGH THAT AS WELL, WHERE THEY WERE CREATING THESE DENSITY ZONES.
THAT WOULD BE AKIN TO SAY, A ZONING CASE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S NOT THAT ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, SAY, UM, SOMEBODY COMES ON IN WITH A PROJECT AND THEY WANT TO USE THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PRO, UH, PROGRAM, AND, UH, YOU SAY, YES, THEY GET THE, THEY GET THE ENTITLEMENT.
YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A REZONING FOR THAT THOUGH.
NO, THERE COULD, YOU DON'T, DON'T HAVE TO DO A NOTIFICATION.
THERE COULD BE A PROCESS THAT'S HASN'T BEEN DESIGNED YET.
THAT COULD CREATE A PREDICTABLE PATHWAY SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU SEE IN A ZONING CASE TODAY, WHERE THERE IS NOTICE, THERE'S NOTIFICATION GIVEN, THERE'S POSTING REQUIREMENTS.
AND SO, SO YOU WOULD BE ZONING INTO, YOU WOULD GET AN, A COMBINING DISTRICT TO THE BASE ZONE.
THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE, AND PLEASE DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS.
THAT, THAT YOU WOULD SEE CBD DASH DDB DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS COULD BE THE COMBINING DISTRICT THAT YOU WOULD SEE FOR DOWNTOWN.
AND THEN THERE WOULD BE CERTAIN ALLOCATION OF, IF YOU PROVIDE A PARTICULAR COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT'S YET TO BE DESIGNED FOR COMMUNITY BENEFITS, YOU WOULD GET IN EXCHANGE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF BONUS AREA.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE WERE EXPLORING WITH SOUTH CENTRAL AS WELL.
I, UM, I, I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF READ UP ON THE, THE LEGAL KIND OF BACKGROUND ON THIS ONE BECAUSE, UM, UH, I'VE WORKED ON A LOT OF DONATING, UM, PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, ESPECIALLY WITH BONUS PROJECTS, UH, PROGRAMS. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY IF YOU WERE REPLACING THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM ENTIRELY, AND THE WAY YOU HAD TO DO THAT WAS TO REZONE EVERYTHING THAT WAS WITHIN THOSE BOUNDARIES WITH THAT COMBINING DISTRICT.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU WOULD NEED TO NOTIFY, UM, SURE.
THAT WRAPS UP MY FIRST QUESTION, BUT I'LL LET, I'LL LET OTHERS GO.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT ROLE WOULD THE DESIGN COMMISSION PLAY? WOULD IT BE A SIMILAR ROLE, OR IS IT GONNA, IS THERE IS, IS IS WHAT YOU HAD JUST EXPLAINED, GONNA BYPASS THAT? WHAT WE DO AS A COMMISSION, WE DON'T HAVE THAT FIGURED OUT YET.
CHAIR, UH, WE'RE NOT SURE HOW THE NEW PROGRAM IS GOING TO LOOK.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE INTERFACING WITH COUNSEL TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATION.
THERE'LL BE A STATUTORY PROCESS FOR THAT CODE AMENDMENT THAT SEVERAL COMMISSIONS, AND I IMAGINE THIS ONE WOULD BE, ONE OF THEM WOULD BE BRIEFED UPON.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD BE JUST YET.
WHAT IS Y'ALL'S TIMELINE? UH, COUNSEL HAS ASKED FOR PHASE ONE TO COME BACK TO THEM IN MAY OF 2026.
SO IT, IT'S AN EXTREMELY ACCELERATED TIMELINE FOR, FOR, THAT'S FOR THE PHASE ONE COMAN MIX, FOR THE DENSITY MOST PROGRAM THAT WOULD COVER THE CORE AND WATERFRONT DISTRICT OF WHAT YOU, OF WHAT IS KNOWN TODAY FOR DOWNTOWN THE RAINY STREET DISTRICT, AND A PORTION OF THE, UM, WALLER CREEK DISTRICT, ESSENTIALLY THE 25 TO ONE FAR, THE 15 ONE ON RAINY, AND THE 15 ONE CREEK, THAT'S PHASE ONE.
THE REST OF DOWNTOWN WOULD COME LATER, MORE THAN LIKELY TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR, OF NEXT YEAR FOR A COMPREHENSIVE, UH, RETOOLING OF THE
UM, I'M WONDERING, UM, HOW THE OTHER CITIES, LARGE CITIES IN TEXAS ARE IMPACTED.
DO THEY, ARE THEY ALSO RETHINKING THEIR, UM, DENSITY PROGRAMS CHAIR, IF I MAY.
I WISH I COULD TELL YOU OTHER CITIES HAVE AS COMPLICATED PROCESSES.
BUT NO, WE SEEM TO BE THE LONE CITY IN TEXAS THAT HAS DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. LIKE WE HAVE ONE FOR DOWNTOWN OTHER CITIES LIKE DALLAS.
YEAH, THEY, THEY HAVE A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
BUT IT IS NOT LIKE AUSTIN'S, AUSTIN'S QUITE UNIQUE IN THAT RESPECT, THAT THERE'S, UM, ADDED, UH, BONUS AREA THAT CAN BE GIVEN THROUGH THE DENSITY MOST PROGRAM.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE THE SAME CONSTRUCT THAT WE DO.
AND COULD I ASK ANOTHER QUESTION? SURE.
UM, WHAT ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS? IS THERE SORT OF A TIMELINE WHEN THEY HAVE TO SWITCH TO THE NEW LEGISLATION? WELL, WELL, NOTHING CHANGES NOW UNTIL THE CODE AMENDMENTS ARE ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL.
SO ANY PROJECT, AS A MATTER OF FACT, YOU MAY BE SEEING A PROJECT COME NEXT MONTH UNDER THE CURRENT 25 2 5 8 6
[00:35:02]
THAT, SO NOTHING CHANGES UNTIL THE COUNCIL CHANGES THE CODE TO EITHER MODIFY OR CREATE A NEW DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM FOR DOWNTOWN.SO ANY PROJECT THAT IS IN THE WORKS NOW OR HAS BEEN BUILT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THOSE REGULATIONS.
BUT BASED ON THE RECENT STATE LITIGATION, UH, EXCUSE ME, STATE LEGISLATION AND SOME OF THE LITIGATION THAT THE CITY HAS GONE THROUGH, WE WERE MANDATED TO UPDATE OR CODES TO, TO REFLECT THOSE CHANGES.
UM, COULD YOU, UH, RESTATE THE TIMING FOR WHEN THE COUNCIL WILL, WILL BE LOOKING AT THE CODE AMENDMENT? SO, SO COUNCIL HAS REQUESTED A PHASE ONE, WHICH INCLUDE THOSE THREE, TWO DISTRICTS IN ONE HALF SUBDISTRICT OF DOWNTOWN BY MAY OF 2026.
AND THAT IS WHEN WE WOULD GET FURTHER DIRECTION FROM THE COUNCIL HOW THEY WANT TO TACKLE THE REST OF DOWNTOWN CHAIR.
I'M CURIOUS, AND, AND APOLOGIES IF YOU ALREADY OUTLINED THIS, BUT WE'LL STAFF BE PRESENTING RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS, IT SOUNDS LIKE.
CURRENTLY, THIS COMMISSION AND THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES SITS RELATIVE TO THAT PROGRAM.
HOWEVER, WE ARE CHARGED HERE IN THIS COMMISSION WITH OVERSIGHT OF THE URBAN REALM OF DOWNTOWN.
ASIDE FROM THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, I MEAN, WE SEE PROJECTS ON CITY, CITY LAND HERE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WILL THAT CONTINUE? IS ANY OF THAT IMPACTED BY THIS SHERIFF? I MAY, YES.
THE ONLY ISSUES THAT ARE IMPACTED ARE THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS PER THE COUNCIL DIRECTION.
THE, THE WORK THAT THE COUNCIL HAS CHARGED THE COMMISSION IN TERMS OF REVIEWING PUBLIC PROJECTS IS NOT AFFECTED BY THOSE CODE METHODS.
AND JUST TO ROUND OFF, IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH YOU WERE RECOMMENDING A PAUSE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE UPDATE TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
DID I UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN THOUGH WE STILL WILL BE REVIEWING PROJECTS, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE REASONING BEHIND PAUSING THE PROGRESS THAT'S UNDERWAY.
DO YOU SEE THE CHANGES THE COUNCIL MAY MAKE TO THE CODE AFFECTING WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DRAFTED IN THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATE? THERE COULD POTENTIALLY BE CHANGES TO THAT.
UH, AS I MENTIONED AT THE START OF OUR DISCUSSION, BOTH CITY STAFF AND LAW HAVE CONCERNS WITH, UH, SEVERAL CONCERNS THAT I CAN GET INTO.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE WAY THAT THE CURRENT DRAFT OF THE REVISED OR THE UPDATE TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES IS, IS WRITTEN.
SO THERE ARE CONCERNS FROM STAFF FROM THAT STANDPOINT.
HOWEVER, UNTIL THOSE CODE AMENDMENTS ARE CONSIDERED BY THE COUNCIL AND POTENTIALLY ADOPTED AT THEIR DISCRETION, THE CURRENT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES STILL CONTINUE TO EXIST, AND YOU'RE ABLE TO REVIEW PROJECTS AGAINST THE CURRENT, THE EXISTING URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
COMMISSIONER CAROL
IT'S NOT ONLY THE LAW, IF I MAY SHARE.
IT'S NOT ONLY LAW DEPARTMENT STAFF AS WELL.
I'M GONNA KIND OF GROUP 'EM BY THEME.
SO THE INITIAL ONE IS THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE MODIFICATIONS.
WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AT LENGTHY OR THE COMMISSION, THAT THE GUIDELINES ARE NOT LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE MODIFICATIONS.
THE GUIDELINES ARE MADE TO BE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND CANNOT BE PRESCRIBED OR BE MANDATORY FOR DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS.
UH, THE WAY THAT THE CURRENT DRAFT READS, IT READS LIKE CODE.
MANY SECTIONS OF IT READ LIKE COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARDS OR SUB-CHAPTER F.
UH, AND SO THAT, THAT'S A CONCERN.
UH, THE CODE MODIFICATIONS HAVE TO FOLLOW CITY CODE AND STATE LAW IN TERMS OF PUBLISH NOTICE, PUBLIC HEARING, INDIVIDUAL NOTICE, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF PROJECT THAT THERE IS.
SO, DESIGN RELATED POLICIES SHOULD SUPPORT POLICY GOALS GLOBALLY AND OFFER EXAMPLES, NOT COMPEL A PROJECT TO DO A PARTICULAR TYPE OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT STANDARD AND SHOULD OFFER EXAMPLES OF WHAT THOSE ARE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU FIND IN, IN TODAY'S URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THERE'S ALSO THE CONCERN ABOUT PROJECT DESIGNATION THAT THE CITY CODE CURRENTLY DOESN'T DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS.
AND THE CITY IS EXPECTED TO FOLLOW ITS OWN LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND, AND REGULATIONS.
[00:40:01]
THE CITY HAS TO COMPLY WITH ITS OWN REGULATIONS AS WRITTEN IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.THE GUIDELINES MAY IMPLY A DISTINCTION, BUT THIS CAN CAUSE A CONFLICT OR CONFUSION AS TO WHY ARE WE DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROJECTS.
SO REMOVING THE DESIGN DISTINCTIONS WILL HAVE TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO CONSIDER, UH, TO REMOVE THAT DISTINCTION.
SO THERE, THERE IS NO CONFUSION MOVING FORWARD.
THERE'S ALSO THE, THE CONCERN ABOUT, UH, DIRECTOR AUTHORITY AND SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE.
THE CODE ITSELF DOESN'T DEFINE WHAT SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE IS.
AND, UM, THE DETERMINATION IS THAT THE DIRECTOR'S SOLE DISCRETION, THAT IS NOT A STAFF OPINION THAT IS DIRECTLY WRITTEN IN THE CODE.
SO THE DESIGN COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION IS ADVISORY ONLY AS IT HAS BEEN SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, REMOVING ALL ATTEMPTS TO DEFINE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE IN THE GUIDELINES, IT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE ENACTED, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S THE SOLE DISCRETION OF THE COUNCIL TO, IF THEY WISH TO DEFINE WHAT THAT IS.
AND, AND LASTLY, THE ROLE OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION AS ESTABLISHED BY CODE SECTION TWO DASH 1 1 30 IS TO PROVIDE THOSE ADVISORY RECOMMENDATIONS, GUIDE POLICY DEVELOPMENT, CREATE DESIGN GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT, AND HAVE PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH.
SO YOU, YOU MAY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ESSENTIALLY ADOPT RULES EVALUATING WHAT SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE IS, BUT THAT WOULD BE MORE IN, IN, IN THE FORM OF BYLAWS TO THE CONSTRUCT AND THE WAY YOU EVALUATE PROJECTS.
BUT IT CAN'T BE COMPULSORY FOR A PROJECT IN EXCHANGE TO RECEIVING A DETERMINATION FOR SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE THAT'S LEFT AT THE DISCRETION OF THE DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY CODE.
THERE'S ALSO A CONCERN ON THE TIER ONE, TIER TWO CRITERIA, WHICH IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR DESIGN GUIDELINES.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY BE USED FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, IF YOU WISH TO USE THAT PATHWAY.
BUT THAT'S RESERVED FOR, UM, ELEMENTS SUCH AS THE PUDS, WHICH ARE ENACTED BY STATE LAW.
THE MANDATE FOR PUDS IS ENABLED AND ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW, AND THERE'S A PRESCRIBED CRITERIA THAT APPLIES TO PUDS, THAT, THAT CREATES CONFUSION IN THE GUIDELINES BECAUSE THERE'S NOT REALLY A TIER ONE, TIER TWO DISTINCTION FOR OTHER TYPES OF, UH, APPLICATION PROCESSES.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE REEVALUATED AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER HOWARD, DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH.
ARE YOU DOING YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S STOLEN.
UM, I'D BE, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS ON, UM, GETTING THESE COMMENTS, LIKE FORMAL WRITTEN COMMENTS, BECAUSE WE DID HAVE COMMENT PERIODS AND WE DIDN'T GET ANY OF THESE, UM, COMMENTS.
AND THAT PROCESS IS THE PROCESS WE USE TO KIND OF, UM, TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK LOOPS SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE AND, AND ADJUST.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE PUT OUT A, A DRAFT, UM, RECOMMENDED DRAFT, UH, THAT OBVIOUSLY THE DESIGN COMMISSION WOULD NEVER ADOPT THAT WOULD BE, COUNCIL WOULD HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ADOPT.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, ANYONE THAT'S ENGAGED IN THIS SORT OF REVIEW OF DESIGN, UM, UH, KNOWS THAT EVEN, UH, EVEN OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS HAVE QUITE A BIT OF AN OF, UH, INTERPRETATION INVOLVED.
UM, AND I, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE VERY AWARE OF THAT
UM, AND SO, UH, THE PRESCRIPTIVENESS OF IT, I THINK IS, UM, A, UH, AN ISSUE OF PERCEPTION, UM, RATHER THAN AN ISSUE OF FUNCTION.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK THAT WE COULD PROBABLY ADDRESS A LOT ALL OF THESE CONCERNS.
UM, AND I WOULD DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO DO THAT WITH, ONCE WE'VE GOT WRITTEN COMMENTS, WE CAN KIND OF, UM, MAYBE EVEN REACH OUT FOR CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.
UM, BECAUSE I, I, A LOT OF THE THINGS YOU LISTED WERE DEFINITELY OFF BASE WITH THE INTENT OF WHAT WE WERE WRITING THERE.
UM, THE INTENT MAY, MAYBE THE LANGUAGE WAS, UM, VERY ASSERTIVE.
UM, AND IT CERTAINLY WAS TO FOR CLARITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES GUIDELINES TEND TO BE, UH, INDIRECT, UM, AND HAVE, UM, AND THE RESULTS OF THEM TEND TO BE, UH, INTERPRETED IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, AND, AND I THINK THE INTENT HERE REALLY IS TO PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY TO WHAT THE, WHAT, HOW THESE THINGS SHOULD BE INTERPRETED.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT IS FULLY WITHIN THE, UM, THE ROLE AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION OR THEIR DESIGN COMMISSION
[00:45:01]
TO MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL, TO CONSIDER THEM FOR, FOR THE, THE GUIDELINES.UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO COMPETE WITH DIRECTOR'S DISCRETION AT ALL.
THIS IS AN ADVISORY BOARD TO Y'ALL,
THIS ISN'T A, THIS IS AN ADVISORY BOARD TO COUNCIL.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, OTHER PLACES THAT DO HAVE DESIGN GUIDE, UH, DESIGN REVIEW PROCESS, THEY ARE MIRED IN MANY, MANY CHALLENGES.
AND I WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WISH TO GIVE US OUR, THIS BODY MORE AUTHORITY.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT, UM, THE CURRENT, THE CURRENT PROCESS, UM, IS, WELL, THE, THE GUIDELINES ARE OUTDATED.
UM, I THINK THAT, THAT, THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND COUNCIL HAS RECOGNIZED THAT.
AND SO AN UPDATE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SO ON, ON ONE PIECE, I THINK THAT THERE, THESE ARE A GOOD STARTING POINT, UH, FOR, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS AND COULD ACTUALLY BE LEVERAGED FOR A LOT OF OTHER THINGS MOVING FORWARD, WHICH IS A GREAT TRANSITION TO MY SECOND POINT.
UM, MY SECOND POINT IS THAT THESE, UM, THESE DESIGN GUIDELINES ARE CRAFTED IN A WAY TO BE, UM, FOR CLARITY AND, UM, CONSISTENT OUTCOMES.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO VERY SIMILAR TO CODE LANGUAGE AS YOU, AS YOU SUGGESTED.
HOWEVER, THE FRAMEWORK DOES NOT DICTATE ANYTHING.
I WILL, I WILL, UH, STILL HOLD.
UM, UH, BUT THE, THEY ARE VERY, UM, VERY CLEAR IN, I MEAN, I WOULDN'T EVEN SAY VERY CLEAR.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE SOMEWHAT CLEAR, UH, ESPECIALLY RELATIVE TO TYPICAL DESIGN GUIDELINES, UM, UH, AS TO WHAT THE INTENDED OUTCOMES ARE AND, AND HOW ONE WOULD COM WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLY, UM, OR, OR MEET THE, UH, MEET THE INTENT OF THE GUIDELINE.
UM, AND, UH, AND I THINK IN THAT WAY, THERE'S ACTUALLY A, A HUGE OPPORTUNITY HERE.
UM, IF, UH, IF THIS NEW, UM, STATE LAW IS MODELED ANYTHING AFTER, UH, CALIFORNIA, UM, WE WON'T SAY IT OUT LOUD 'CAUSE I'M SURE TEXAS LEGISLATOR WOULD HATE US IF WE SAID THAT.
UM, BUT, UM, IF IT'S MEASURE, IF IT'S AT ALL MODELED OFF OF CALIFORNIA AND ITS, ITS REGULATIONS FOR OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS RATHER THAN A DISCRETIONARY PROCESS, UM, THAT THESE, THESE ARE WELL ADAPTED TO THAT SORT OF, UH, DESIGN STANDARD, UM, THAT IS OBJECTIVE, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE GOING FOR, IS LIKE, LET'S MAKE IT MORE OBJECTIVE, MORE TRANSPARENT.
LET'S TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT, UM, WHILE LEAVING ROOM FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FLEXIBILITY.
UH, AND SO I WOULD SAY IF AS THESE, UM, AS THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS ARE BEING REINVENTED AND KIND OF RE UH, STRUCTURED, UM, AND MADE TO BE COHESIVE, THEY'RE CERTAINLY NOT TODAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S HUGE OPPORTUNITIES TO BRING THIS WORK THAT WE, UH, LABORED FOR MANY, MANY HOURS AND SOME US, SOME OF US WHAT SEEMS LIKE DECADES, UM, UH, ON THIS, THIS WORK TO REALLY TRY TO, UH, TURN, UM, SORT OF OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE SYSTEM INTO SOMETHING THAT WOULD, WOULD ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE FORM OF WHAT WE WERE SEEING BUILT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THESE OBJECT, THESE COULD BE QUICKLY TRANSITIONED TO OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS THAT COULD NOT NECESSARILY THROUGH A DISCRETIONARY PROCESS AT ALL, BUT THEY COULD ACTUALLY FORM, UH, A SET OF DESIGN STANDARDS FOR BONUS PROJECTS SIMILAR TO, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL DESIGN STANDARDS AND, AND WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT, UH, ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE URBAN DESIGN, UH, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE REWRITE WAS, OR, UM, AMENDMENTS, UM, WAS TO MAKE THEM ADAPTABLE BEYOND DOWNTOWN.
UM, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH THE BONUS PROGRAMS, RIGHT? WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE A COHESIVE SYSTEM THAT WORKS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN THAT IS MAYBE NOT, UM, AS DIFFICULT TO ADMINISTER, HOPEFULLY, AND, UH, IS MORE PREDICTABLE WITH, IN BOTH ITS OUTCOMES AND ITS PROCESS FOR, FOR APPLICANTS.
UM, THAT IS, THAT IS THE FRAMEWORK THAT IS BUILT INTO THE DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT COULD BE RELEASED, UH, WITH THIS, UH, WITH THE DENSITY PROGRAMS AS THEY'RE, THEY'RE RE UM, RECONSIDERED.
UM, AND I, AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT, UM, IT, IT IS IN THE INTEREST OF THIS BODY, UM, AND, AND, UH, AS OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, AS OUR ROLE AS, UM, UM, AS WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL AND TO Y'ALL, UM, I THINK THAT WE ARE A REALLY STRONG BODY TO HELP INFORM MAYBE SOME OF THE APPROACH, UH, TO WHAT HAPPENS, UH, WITH DESIGN STANDARDS IN ALL THE DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS.
WE'RE NOT A DOWNTOWN, WE'RE NOT THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION OF URBAN DESIGN.
WE'RE, WE'RE A DESIGN COMMISSION AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, OR MAYBE PLACEMAKING OR WHAT WE CAN CALL IT WHATEVER YOU WANT.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE AS A BOARD HAVE REALLY BEEN LOOKING OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN, THE URBANISM AND, UH,
[00:50:01]
ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH THE DESIGN OF URBAN PLACES DO NOT EXIST DOWN ONLY DOWNTOWN, RIGHT? THEY'RE EXISTING ON EVERY SINGLE CORRIDOR THROUGHOUT THE CITY.UM, OUR, OUR BONUS PROGRAMS, PROGRAMS, UH, DB 90 VMU, THESE THINGS HAVE SOME OF THESE DESIGN STANDARDS IN THEM, RIGHT? THEY'RE JUST NOT VERY COMPREHENSIVE.
UM, AND THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK THERE'S EVEN A ROLE POTENTIALLY FOR AN ADVISORY BODY LIKE THIS ONE, ONE, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS ONE.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, DON'T KILL ME FOR SAYING THIS, BUT I'D BE FINE IF THIS BODY WAS RETIRED AND REPLACED WITH SOMETHING THAT WAS MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE DIRECTLY FORMED TO, UM, TO ADVISE AROUND SOME OF THESE DESIGN DESIGN STANDARDS AND POTENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, AND POTENTIALLY HAVE OTHER PIECES AND FUNCTIONS GOING FOR, UH, TO, TO OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
BUT, UM, A FOR A FRAMEWORK THAT I HAVE SEEN WORK VERY WELL IS, ESPECIALLY WITH BONUS PRO PROGRAMS, UM, CREATING, I WOULDN'T CALL THEM, MAYBE THEY'RE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS OR THEY'RE JUST CALLED ZONING RULES, UM, DESIGN STANDARDS.
UH, THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THEIR OWN BOOK, UH, THEIR OWN ARTICLE.
THEY CAN BE BUILT, BAKED INTO THE ZONING CODE.
UH, AND EVERYONE EVERYWHERE COULD HAVE DESIGN STANDARDS WITHOUT BONUSES.
UM, IT'S THE BONUS THAT ALLOWS US TO, UM, TO DO THINGS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE SEEM OUTSIDE OF, UM, OUTSIDE OF, UH, NEXUS AND, AND, UH, PROPORTIONALITY, RIGHT? UH, WELL, PROPORTIONALITY, NOT NEXUS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, MOVING UTILITIES THAT'S ENABLED BECAUSE OF THE BONUS PROGRAM WE WE'RE DOING THAT WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT OUR UTILITIES IN OUR STREETS ACROSS THE CITY, ACROSS ALL OF OUR CORRIDORS.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE STREETS THAT ARE UNCOORDINATED.
UM, OUR CITY NEEDS URBAN DESIGN.
UM, I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THE SETUP OF THIS, OF THIS, UH, THIS COMMISSION IS THE ONE WE NEED, AND I'M NOT, I WOULD NOT ARGUE OR DEFEND THAT.
I MEAN, HAPPY, HAPPY TO HEAR IT.
UM, AND I DO THINK THAT A, A BOARD THAT COULD SUPPORT AND ADVISE AROUND, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ADJUSTMENTS AND, UM, NOT VARIANCES, NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT THAT HARD, LIKE, YOU KNOW, A BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS FOR A SET OF DESIGN STANDARDS, UM, THAT BONUS PROGRAMS ARE, ARE, ARE, UH, REQUIRED TO, TO COMPLY WITH.
EVERYBODY'S GONNA NEED TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY TRANSMISSION, UH, OR SORRY, UH, UM, BOOK.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO HAVE THINGS THAT DO NOT FIT WITH DESIGN STANDARDS BECAUSE THEY'RE BAD URBAN DESIGN, UM, AND WE JUST HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE THEM, RIGHT? LIKE, IT'S JUST, IT'S GONNA BE PART OF URBAN DESIGN.
IT'S JUST A COMPETITION FOR SPACE ON THE FRONT EDGE.
IT'S A COMPETITION FOR GROUND FLOORS.
IT'S COMPETITION AROUND EVERYTHING.
EVERYTHING'S TIGHT, IT'S URBAN.
UM, I MEAN, WE REALLY, UH, WE NEED TO SEE THAT EVERYWHERE.
UM, BUT, AND, AND SO LIKE, THOSE, THOSE ADJUSTMENTS CAN HAPPEN WITH NUANCE, RIGHT? THERE CAN ACTUALLY, THERE CAN BE PRESCRIBED OPTIONS THAT CAN BE ADMINISTERED, UH, ADMINISTRATIVELY, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY EASY, UH, SORT OF THINGS THAT YOU CAN JUST COMPLY WITH.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER SET OF THINGS THAT COULD BE MORE LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE LIKE ALTERNATIVE EQUIVALENT COMPLIANCE, UM, THAT PERHAPS HAVE MORE OVERSIGHT, UH, WITH EXPERTISE IN URBAN DESIGN.
UM, SO I THINK THAT THERE COULD BE A, THERE COULD BE IN A FUTURE WHERE THE DOWNTOWN, WHERE THE BONUS PROGRAMS ARE COHESIVE AND BUILT ON OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS RATHER THAN A DISCRETIONARY PROCESS, THERE COULD BE STILL A ROLE FOR AN URBAN DESIGN BODY TO HELP INFORM AND DIRECT THAT THE, UH, THAT AS FAR AS IT APPLIES, BOTH ADJUSTMENTS TO, UM, DESIGN STANDARDS FOR INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS SEEKING, UH, UM, ADJUSTMENTS, AND I'M NOT GONNA SAY WAIVERS OR VARIANCES, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, DESIGN ALTERNATIVES TO, TO COMPLIANCE.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND THAT CAN HAPPEN OUTSIDE OF A DISCRETIONARY PROCESS.
UM, BUT I DO WANT REACTIONS, UH, AND THOUGHTS.
AND JORGE, I APPRECIATE, UM, HEARING YOUR FEEDBACK AND YOUR COMMENTS REGARDING THE, UM, REVISION TO THE CURRENT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AS THEY STAND.
I THINK THE COMMENTS YOU MADE ARE VALID AND VERY CLEAR, AT LEAST IN, IN THE WAY THAT I RECEIVED THEM.
UH, IN PARTICULAR, YOUR, UH, COMMENTS AROUND TEARS, HAVING LOOKED AT OTHER CITY GUIDELINES AS PRECEDENT, I DO THINK THAT LANGUAGE CAN EASILY BE REVISED TO, UM, COMMISSIONER HOWARD'S POINT, UH, IN THE VEIN OF BEING ADVISORY AND, AND NOT, UH, IN SOME
[00:55:01]
WAY, UH, CREATING A NEW SYSTEM OR STRUCTURE THAT CIRCUMVENTS ANY OF THE COUNCIL'S OVERSIGHT.I, I FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT I DON'T NECESSARILY SEE OUR ROLE AS BEING DIMINISHED IN ANY WAY.
THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, WAS NEVER ABOUT THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM ONLY, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE STILL HAVE A CLEAR ROLE AS GUARDIANS CARETAKERS, I MEAN, THE MAIN ADVISORY BODY WHO DISCUSSES URBAN REALM AND, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SPACE IN THE CITY CENTER DOWNTOWN CORE.
WHAT, WHAT THE, WHAT THE NEW NAME WILL BE WHEN THE PLAN IS REVISED.
WE DON'T KNOW, BUT THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN.
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR MORE, UH, WITH REGARDS TO YOUR COMMENT ABOUT PUBLIC BUILDINGS VERSUS PRIVATE BUILDINGS.
I THINK THERE WAS SOME NUANCE THERE THAT MAYBE I, I MISSED, BUT CLEARLY THERE IS A DISTINCTION THERE, AND WHETHER THE POINT WAS WE SHOULDN'T BE COMMENTING ON THAT WITHIN THE DESIGN GUIDELINES NECESSARILY.
PERHAPS YOU CAN EXPAND ON THAT, BUT WE DO SEE A DIFFERENCE IN CITY PUBLIC PROJECTS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AND IMPACTFUL THAT WILL BE UNDERWAY VERY SOON VERSUS, UH, PRIVATE DEVELOPER LED PROJECTS THAT MAY NOT COME TOWARD OR IN FRONT OF THIS BODY IN THE SAME WAY IN THE FUTURE.
SO I WONDER IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT COMMENT THAT, THAT YOU MADE EARLIER.
MY APOLOGIES FOR NOT BEING CLEAR ON THE EXPLANATION OF PUBLIC PROJECTS VERSUS PRIVATE PROJECTS.
THE, THE CITY CODE, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DOES NOT MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN PUBLIC PROJECTS AND PRIVATE PROJECTS.
AND THE CITY IS EXPECTED TO FOLLOW ITS OWN LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND PERMITTING PROCESS.
SO YOU WON'T SEE A DISTINCTION IN THE CODE THAT SAYS, FOR PRIVATE PROJECTS, FOLLOW THESE STANDARDS OR FOR PUBLIC PROJECTS, FOLLOW THESE STANDARDS.
THAT'S THE POINT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE, THAT THERE'S A DISTINCTION IN THE CONSTRUCT OF THE DRAFT URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT MAKES THAT SEPARATION, THAT CREATES A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR PRIVATE PROJECTS.
THAT DISTINCTION DOES NOT OCCUR IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
WAS MY, WAS OUR OBSERVATION AND COMMENT BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
IT WAS NOT INTENDED TO SAY THAT THERE IS NOT OF, OF COURSE, WE REALIZED THERE'S A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TYPES OF PROJECTS, BUT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE MAKES NO DISTINCTION AS TO THE APPLICATION OF CODE STANDARDS TO SET PROJECTS.
THANK YOU, CHAIR, COMMISSIONER CARROLL.
THE, THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT, THOUGH, THERE ARE, UM, THERE ARE DISTINCTIONS IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS FOR THOSE PROJECTS.
FOR INSTANCE, ALL WE'LL CALL, SAY, CITY PROJECTS ARE REQUIRED TO DO GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION AND PRIVATE PROJECTS ARE NOT.
SO THERE ARE DISTINCTIONS THAT ALREADY EXIST TODAY.
UH, IN ADDITION, PART OF THAT LANGUAGE, WHICH AGAIN, IS PERHAPS IT'S, IT'S JUST ADJUSTING THE LANGUAGE, WAS TO CAPTURE THE RESOLUTION WRITTEN 15 YEARS AGO NOW, UH, OF INFRASTRUCTURE, CITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
UH, SO YEAH, MAYBE IT'S JUST A LANGUAGE TWEAK, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT WHEN WE WERE WRITING THAT LANGUAGE.
YEAH, AND, AND JUST, JUST TO ADD TO THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE APPLICABILITY SECTION, IT, IT TRIES TO DEFINE THOSE CATEGORIES.
AND, UM, THESE AREN'T, THESE AREN'T, UM, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE STANDARDS.
UM, AND, AND SO WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO, RATHER THAN INVENT ANYTHING NEW, WAS JUST GIVE CLARITY TO THE LANGUAGE THAT EXISTS TO THE SYSTEM THAT EXISTS TODAY WHERE, UM, WHERE MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS AND ASSOCIATED SITE DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? UM, THOSE HAVE DIFFERENT STANDARDS AND ARE, ARE, UH, COME TO US FOR A DIFFERENT SET OF REASONS, THEORETICALLY THAN BO PRIVATE PROJECTS THAT ARE SEEKING DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PRO, UM, DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS, UH, IN SET, UM, ENTITLEMENTS.
AND SO WE WERE REALLY JUST TRYING TO PACKAGE THAT IN A NICE BOW BY CALLING THEM PUBLIC PROJECTS.
UM, BUT OUR, OUR, WE WERE, WE WERE REALLY JUST TRYING TO TRANSLATE THINGS IN A CLEARER WAY.
AND SO WE WOULD LOVE YOUR FEEDBACK AND HOW TO MAKE THAT, UM, FEEL MORE COHESIVE WITH THE CURRENT
[01:00:01]
STRUCTURE.AND, AND, AND WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE DISTINGUISH DISTINGUISHING THE TWO, SIR, IF I MAY, YES, PLEASE.
STAFF WILL BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THE COMMISSION TO REWORK THOSE GUIDELINES ONCE COUNSEL GIVES DIRECTION TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO THERE'S, TO CLARIFY, CHAIR, IF I MAY, THERE'S NO INTENTION TO FOREGO THE UPDATE TO THE GUIDELINES.
IT'S A, IT'S A TIMEOUT, IT'S A PAUSE ON THOSE UNTIL WE GET COUNCIL DIRECTION.
COMMISSIONER HOWARD, THIS IS, THIS IS JUST KIND OF A FOLLOW UP ON WHAT, WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, THE, THE DESIGN COMMISSION'S ROLE TO KIND OF, UM, MAYBE STEWARD THE URBAN DESIGN IN THE CITY.
UM, THE, THE MECHANISM BY WHICH WE DO THAT TODAY IS PRIMARILY THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS BONUS, UH, AND THE, UM, URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
SO IF PROJECTS ARE NOT COMING TO US FOR THAT REASON, UH, THEY'RE VERY LIKELY NOT TO COME TO US.
UM, AND THE, THE INFLUENCE OF THIS BODY IS, IS MUCH MORE REDUCED TO BE VOLUNTARY FOR FOLKS TO COME AND, AND SAY HI.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS WOULD BE COMING THROUGH THE CITY IF THEY FELT LIKE WE WERE A REASONABLE STAKEHOLDER.
THEY MAY COME HERE, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR AGENDA WOULD BE, UH, I MEAN, IF WE TOOK OUT THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS OUT OF OUR AGENDA FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MEETINGS WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE.
WE MAYBE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A HANDFUL OF AGENDA ITEMS OVER, UH, OVER MY TERM.
COMMISSIONER GILLI, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND I APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND, AND I'M CLEAR ON THAT IT SOUNDED AS THOUGH THAT THERE COULD, AND THIS IS IN MY ETERNAL OPTIMISM, BE AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH THE DISCUSSION THAT WILL BE HAD WITH COUNCIL AND POTENTIALLY A, A CONVERSATION REGARDING, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, WHERE ACTUALLY THESE URBAN GUIDELINES BEGIN TO PLAY A BIGGER ROLE.
AND WE DON'T LOOK AT THIS AS SOMETHING WE'RE LOSING, BUT POTENTIALLY AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE GAINING WHERE ACTUALLY, UH, ANY PROJECT THAT IS OF A CERTAIN SCALE WITHIN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY HAS TO PRESENT TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION, OR AT LEAST ADDRESS THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES IN SOME FASHION.
AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH A RESTRUCTURING OF THIS PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD ENGAGE IN, IN TERMS OF THIS OPPORTUNITY, OR AT LEAST TALK ABOUT TRYING TO BE A PART OF BECAUSE, UM, DOWNTOWN ISN'T GETTING SMALLER.
I THINK THE NEED FOR THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS GROWING, AS WE ALL KNOW.
AND I DON'T SEE, UM, DIMINISHING OUR ROLE OR OUR PRESENCE AS BEING ANY BENEFIT TO THE CITY.
AND I HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL WOULD ALSO AGREE TO THAT.
AND PERHAPS THE REVISION IS ON PAUSE CURRENTLY.
IN, IN ADDITION TO THIS, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVISE THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES BEFORE THIS MAY TIMELINE? IS THERE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT A REVISED VERSION OF THE URBAN DESIGN REVISION WITH LANGUAGE CHANGED BEFORE IT'S DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
THAT WOULDN'T BE A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR THE COMMISSION STAFF DID NOT CRAFT THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE DRAFT GUIDELINES, SO IT WOULD BE UP TO THE COMMISSION TO DO THAT.
AND IN RESPONSE TO THAT, I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT WE TRY TO REVISE AND WORK TO, TOWARDS A REVISION OF THIS LANGUAGE SO THAT WE CAN PUT THIS IN FRONT OF COUNCIL AHEAD OF THIS MAY DATE.
UH, BECAUSE AGAIN, I SEE THIS AS A CONVERSATION, AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THIS COMMISSION CAN ACTUALLY, UM, IMPACT A WIDER SWATH OF THIS NEW CENTRAL CITY REGION RATHER THAN A SMALLER SWATH.
UM, YEAH, I'M, I THINK THERE'S CERTAINLY AN OPPORTUNITY.
I AM A LITTLE CONCERNED BECAUSE THERE ARE, THERE ARE ALREADY SO MANY, UH, SO MANY VOICES AT THE TABLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT PERMITTING PROCESS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, THE URBAN DESIGN IS OFTEN NOT A VERY PRESENT, UH, NOT VERY PRESENT AT THE TABLE, EXCEPT IN THESE FEW, YOU KNOW, IN GREAT STREETS.
AND, UM, AND I THINK JORGE CAN PROBABLY SPEAK TO THAT.
HIS OFFICE ISN'T, ISN'T LOOKING AT A LOT OF DB 90 AND VMU, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT REVIEWING THESE.
AND SO THE URBAN DESIGN OFFICE ISN'T EVEN LOOKING AT, UM, BONUS PROJECTS, UH,
[01:05:01]
THAT ARE GOING TO 90 FEET, UM, ON OUR CORRIDORS OR 60 FEET IN OUR CORRIDORS.THEY DO HAVE SOME DESIGN STANDARDS, BUT NO ONE'S TALKING TO US.
THEY JUST GO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UM, AND IF WE ARE TO, OR WE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR AGENDA OF GOOD URBAN DESIGN IS TO ENTER THE TABLE.
IT WILL BE A HEADACHE, UH, BECAUSE WE'D BE PRESSURE, UH, AGAINST ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEIR CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE STANDARDS THAT, AND CRITERIA THAT, UM, THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO, EVERYBODY'S COMPETING FOR SPACE, RIGHT? SO WE WOULD JUST BE ANOTHER VOICE THAT IS PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE PARTICULARLY WELCOME.
UH, EVEN THOUGH OBVIOUSLY THEY, THEY MAY SAY WE'RE WELCOME, BUT IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGING CONVERSATION TO HAVE.
I MEAN, IN THE GREEN STREETS WORK THAT, THAT I WORKED ON, THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE RIGHT OF WAY CONVERSATION IS, IS BRUTAL.
THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY INVOLVED, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, PRESSURE INVOLVED.
AND, UM, IF I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO BE MORE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN DEFINING THE ROLE OF URBAN DESIGN MOVING FORWARD IF WE, IF WE WANT TO HAVE IMPACT.
OTHERWISE, UM, THEY JUST SET THE, THE BASE HEIGHT DOWNTOWN AT 350 FEET.
UM, AND THAT IS FAR BEYOND, UH, THE BASE, UM, THE BASE FAR OF THE STAND OF LIKE A, UM, A TYPICAL PROJECT DOWNTOWN.
AND, AND, UM, SO, AND IF THEY'RE, IF I, MAYBE, MAYBE I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT WHAT I INTERPRETED FROM THE, THE COMP PRE THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM PRESENTATION WAS TO GO BEYOND THAT, THEY HAVE TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL, UH, WHICH MEANS THEY'RE NOT COMING TO US.
I MEAN, MAYBE THEY'LL ASK FOR OUR ADVICE, BUT REALLY IT BECOMES A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION, RIGHT? THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE FOLKS ARE GOING TO COUNCIL.
IT'S NOT SOMEBODY LOOKING AT THE DESIGN GUIDELINES SAYING, HEY, DOES THIS MEET? IT'S, IT'S JUST LIKE, IT'S GONNA BE MORE OF A, A POLITICAL CONVERSATION.
UM, UH, THAT DOESN'T HAVE NECESSARILY THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, AND SO AS I SEE IT, WE ARE, WE AS A, AS A BODY ARE NO LONGER INVOLVED IN THE REVIEW OF URBAN DESIGN AND IN DOWNTOWN OR IN DOWN IN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS, UM, IN THE CURRENT STATE.
AND MAYBE THERE'S SOME NUANCE TO THAT.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S HOW I INTERPRET IT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THE PUSH, AND I, I WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STATE LAW, BUT THE PUSH TOWARD OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS IS HOW I'M, I'M GONNA SAY IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S REALLY THE TERMS, BUT THAT IS GOING AWAY FROM DESIGN GUIDELINES ENTIRELY.
THAT'S, THAT'S USUALLY THE ANTIDOTE TO DESIGN GUIDELINES.
'CAUSE GUIDELINES REQUIRE INTERPRETATION.
THEY, THEY ARE VAGUE AND THEY, THEY TALK ABOUT INTENT, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY EXACTLY HOW WE WROTE THE GUIDELINES 'CAUSE WE WERE MOVING TOWARD OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS WITH FLEXIBILITY.
UM, AND SO, UM, I THINK THAT PERHAPS WE, PERHAPS WE SHOULD GET A PRESENTATION FROM THE STAFF AT LEAST THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS, UH, THE COMPREHENSIVE, UM, DENSITY BO, UH, PROGRAM DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM PROJECT.
UM, AND, UH, SEE HOW WE CAN GET INVOLVED IN THAT AND, AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS AT THE VERY LEAST ARE INVOLVED, ARE, ARE SEEN AS CRITICAL FOR ANY PROJECT GOING THROUGH A BONUS PROGRAM.
UM, WITH, WITHOUT THAT, FROM MY STAND BACK AND SQUINT SORT OF PERSPECTIVE AND MY BACKGROUND AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THESE, HOW, UH, REGULATORY SYSTEMS ARE, ARE BUILT AND, AND ADMINISTERED.
UM, I, I THINK WE DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A ROLE.
UM, AND, AND OBVIOUSLY WE CAN OPINE ON ALL SORTS OF THINGS ABOUT DESIGN, BUT THERE WON'T BE A, A, A VERY, UM, STRAIGHTFORWARD FEEDBACK LOOP AROUND THAT AT ANYONE.
FEEL FREE TO TOTALLY DISAGREE WITH ME, UM, OR EDUCATE ME ON ALL OF THIS.
'CAUSE I AM JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M HEARING ABOUT THIS FROM THE FIRST TIME, SO I'M JUST, I SEE MY PANTS.
UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK JORGE CALLED ME EARLIER TODAY AND, AND, AND GAVE ME JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THIS DISCUSSION.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS BACK TO HIM IS, WELL, HOW IS THE DESIGN COMMISSION GONNA BE INVOLVED MOVING FORWARD? UM, AND SO THAT IS A CONCERN, AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT BOTH OF Y'ALL, RIGHT? ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES OR THE CITY THAT'S GROWING THAT DOES NEED URBAN DESIGN INVOLVED IN, IN ITS DEVELOPMENT.
SO HOW DO WE GET INVOLVED AND MAKE SURE, IS THIS, I, MAYBE THIS IS A QUESTION FOR ORE, IS, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET AN UPDATE FROM Y'ALL WHEN Y'ALL ARE CRAFTING THESE, THIS, THIS UPDATE, UM, TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE WORK THAT Y'ALL WOULD BE DOING? I BELIEVE THERE WILL BE CHAIR
[01:10:02]
AMONG OTHER COMMISSIONS AS WELL THAT MAY HAVE AN INTEREST.I DON'T KNOW THE TIMING OF THAT, BUT CERTAINLY IT WOULD HAVE TO BE BEFORE MAY, BEFORE IT GOES TO COUNCIL.
I, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, WITH THE PROJECTS THAT I'VE SEEN, UM, COME THROUGH THE CITY, UH, IT'S CONVENTIONAL TO COME TO BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS KIND OF NEAR THE END.
ONCE THE, ONCE YOU KIND OF HAVE A GOOD IDEA WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY GONNA DO, AND I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST, UM, THAT IT WOULD BENEFIT THIS COMMISSION TO POSITION THEMSELVES AS STAKEHOLDERS, TECHNICAL STAKEHOLDERS, UH, IN THE PROCESS RATHER THAN BEING KIND OF A BOARD THAT COME, THAT FOLKS ARE KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING TO AND JUST GETTING A FINAL BLESSING ON OR JUST, OR WHATEVER.
UM, I THINK THAT, THAT IT WOULD, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY JOSE'S OFFICE IS GOING TO BE THERE, UM, BUT IT, BUT I THINK THAT THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT, BEEN A LOT OF WORK AND A LOT OF THINKING AROUND HOW THIS APPROACH EXPANDS.
AND, UH, AND I THINK THAT, UM, THIS IS EXACTLY SORT OF THE MECHANISM FOR THAT.
AND I THINK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN A VERY REAL WAY WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE BONUS PROGRAMS. AND SO IF WE AREN'T THINKING SERIOUSLY, AND, AND THE CITY ISN'T SERIOUSLY PRIORITIZING URBAN DESIGN IN, IN THAT, THEN WE'RE GONNA, THEN I THINK, UM, AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, PERHAPS IT'S NOT THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE, BUT THAT, THAT WE'RE KIND OF GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, JUST HAVING, UM, DEVELOPMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT'S SAKE, UH, RATHER THAN KIND OF WORKING TOWARD CITY PLANS AND POLICIES.
COMMISSIONER TRO KARA'S, JUST A DISAPPOINTING, UM, NEWS.
I'VE BEEN SITTING BACK TRYING TO COMPOSE MY THOUGHTS AND CHOOSE MY WORDS CAREFULLY.
UM, THIS IS AN INTERESTING DISCUSSION, UH, ON THE DAIS.
I, I FAILED TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE, THE LEGALITY OF THE AROUND THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES PROCESS THAT WE WERE CHARTERED TO, TO UNDERTAKE, UM, CHARTERED MAYBE THE WRONG WORD, BUT THAT WE'VE BEEN TASKED WITH, UM, PULLING FROM THE CITY'S OWN WEBSITE.
THE, THE GOAL, THE PURPOSE OF THAT EXERCISE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE, WITH THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
THE PURPOSE OF THAT EXERCISE WAS TO BROADEN THE APP APPLICABILITY, UH, OF THE GUIDELINES.
WE TALKED ABOUT EXPANDING THE DOWNTOWN TO ALIGN WITH THE COMMUNITY GOALS, TO PROVIDE MORE CLARITY, UH, AND TO, AND TO ADDRESS THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS.
THAT'S ALL IN THE, THAT'S ALL IN THE SPEAK UP AUSTIN WEBPAGE ABOUT WHY WE WERE DOING WHAT WE WERE DOING.
UH, IN MY OPINION, THE, UH, TWOFOLD, ONE, THE EXISTING URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES ARE OUTDATED TO THE POINT OF BEING OCCASIONALLY HURTFUL TO BEST PRACTICES IN URBAN DESIGN.
UH, AND TWO, I FEEL LIKE THE DRAFT THAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD RESPONDED VERY ADMIRABLY TO THOSE FOUR CRITERIA TO WHIS TO WHICH IT WAS TASKED.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO SEE THAT GET TIED TO THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WHEN THAT WASN'T IN MY MIND WHY WE WERE DOING IT.
UM, IT'S FRUSTRATING TO SEE, TO HEAR SOME OF THE OBJECTIONS OF THE LANGUAGE GETTING IN THE WAY OF ADVANCING THIS, AND MY FRUSTRATION WITH STAFF TONIGHT IS THAT I, WE HAVE, WE DELIVERED THIS DRAFT IN JUNE, JULY, UH, AND THIS IS THE FIRST I'M HEARING OF ANY SPECIFICS OF CONCERNS.
UM, UH, AND STAFF MEMBERS WERE IN THE ROOM WITH US WHEN WE WERE WORKING ON A LOT OF THIS.
UM, UH, THE, THE COMMITTEE, I MEAN, PUT A LOT OF TIME AND, AND ENERGY INTO THIS.
UM, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE PUT A LOT OF TIME AND ENERGY IN THIS.
I PARTICIPATED IN THAT PERSONALLY PRIOR TO BEING ON THE DAIS.
THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD WORK BY A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PROFESSIONALS, UM, THAT WE RISK THROWING OUT, UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A COMMA SPLICE IN IT.
UM, SO I BET THE CROSSROADS WHERE, UM, IT'S COMMISSIONER GILLES SAID, I, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK STAFF TO PROVIDE THE WRITTEN FEEDBACK ON THE STAFF.
OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE ALREADY DONE US THAT COURTESY, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO THE DRAFTS.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME, I KIND OF SEE THE, THE, THE, THE LOOMING, UM, FUTURE OF THIS BODY, UM, AS DESCRIBED BY COMMISSIONER HOWARD, UM, AND KIND OF QUESTIONING WHAT IS THE POINT.
UM, AND MAYBE THE FRAMEWORK IS, IS THE PROBLEM.
[01:15:01]
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M CERTAINLY, I THINK THAT THERE IS GOOD WORK IN THOSE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.IT WOULD BE AN ABSOLUTE SHAME TO, TO SEE THAT SQUANDERED.
UH, I'M LOOKING FOR A PATH FORWARD.
UH, I THINK I'D START WITH ASKING FOR THAT STAFF FEEDBACK AND LOOKING AT HOW, YOU KNOW, CAN WE REASONABLY INCORPORATE THAT? I, I TEND TO AGREE WITH MY COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER HOWARD, UM, VIS-A-VIS THE CLARITY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF, IF, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A NEGOTIATION COLLABORATION, UM, IS MORE THAN MERITED, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO THAT.
AND I, I JUST, I, I JUST FUNDAMENTALLY DISAGREE WITH THE IDEA THAT THIS PROCESS SHOULD BE STOPPED BECAUSE OF, UM, THE NEGOTIATIONS AROUND THE, THE DENSITY BONUS AND OTHER PROGRAMS. TO ME, THOSE ARE TWO COMPLETELY SEPARATE THINGS.
I JUST WANT TO STATE FOR THE RECORD, THE DRAFT WAS DELIVERED TO STAFF ON MARCH 31ST.
SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE, WE CAN CONTINUE SHAPING THIS AND, AND, AND MOVING FORWARD ON OUR SIDE OF IT.
UM, BUT IT'S, BUT ANYTHING THAT GETS SENT BACK TO YOU IS JUST GOING TO KIND SIT IN THE DRAWER.
IS THAT UNDERSTOOD? IS THAT CORRECT? I MAY CHAIR, YES.
I DON'T BELIEVE I SAID THOSE WORDS.
I WELL, IT'S, IT'S BEING PAUSED, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO NO MATTER WHAT VERSION, IF, IF THE WORKING GROUP TAKES COMMENTS BACK, WHATEVER WE DO, AND WE KEEP MOVING FORWARD, IT'S STILL JUST GONNA LAND IN A SPOT THAT'S NOT GONNA MOVE FORWARD ON Y'ALL SIDE.
STAFF CANNOT GIVE DIRECTION TO THE COMMISSION AS TO WHAT THEY CAN WORK ON.
UH, IF THE COMMISSION WISHES TO PROCEED WITH THE GUIDELINES, THAT'S AT THE PREROGATIVE OF THE COMMISSION.
STAFF WILL NOT BE WORKING ON THE UPDATE TO THE GUIDELINES UNTIL WE GET COUNCIL DIRECTION.
UM, SO I GUESS JUST TO SUMMARIZE AND SIMPLIFY AND KIND OF THINK ABOUT NEXT STEPS FROM MY LONG, UH, TALKING POINTS,
UM, I THINK THAT THE IDEA, YOU KNOW, GETTING FORMAL FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT, UM, FROM STAFF AND, AND THE LAW AND LAW DEPARTMENT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL FOR THE, WOULD KNOW THE WORKING, WORKING GROUP TO PROCESS THROUGH.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT THE OTHER, UH, CRITICAL NEXT STEP IS FOR, UM, TO, FOR THE, UH, THE FO THE, THE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING ON THE DENSITY BONUS PRO PROJECT TO EN ENGAGE WITH THIS, UH, COMMISSION, UM, AND UNDERSTAND THE BACKGROUND, UM, WHERE WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE AND THE OPPORTUNITIES MOVING FORWARD.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT, UH, THAT WORK COULD SERVE AS KIND OF A FRAMEWORK AND A, AT LEAST A STARTING POINT FOR THAT DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS, UH, PROGRAM WORK.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THAT, IN THAT WORK, BUT, UM, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, FULLY ON THEIR RADAR AND THAT THEY, THAT THERE'S CLEAR FEEDBACK LOOPS AND, AND WE CAN KIND OF CONTINUE TO, UH, COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AND, AND KIND OF EXPRESS, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPRESS THE, UH, OUR, YOU KNOW, OR ADVISE AROUND THE ISSUES OF URBAN DESIGN AND THE, AND THE FUTURE OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS OR THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO I GUESS TO SIMPLIFY, AGAIN, SORRY, UM, IS JUST, YEAH, TO ENGAGE WITH THAT, THAT TEAM AND, UH, AND BECOME A, A CLEAR STAKEHOLDER IN THAT PROCESS FROM THE BEGINNING.
SO WHAT IS OUR AVENUE TO DO THAT? ASSUMING, ASSUMING THAT THEY HAVE NO OBLIGATION TO TALK WITH US, WHAT IS IT OUR AVENUE TO, TO GET THAT BAKED IN? IS IT GOING TO COUNCIL EACH ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND ENCOURAGING THAT, UM, THAT THEY DO THAT? I THINK WE COULD ASK NICELY.
WELL, WHO THINK WE COULD ASK THEM TO COME TO US AND, AND SAY, THIS IS HOW WE SEE OUR ROLE.
I MEAN, WE COULD ORGANIZE OURSELVES, EXPRESS AS A COMMISSION, HOW WE SEE OUR ROLE IN THE PROCESS AND THE PRIORITIES OF THIS COMMISSION IN HOW THE FUTURE SYSTEMS WORK.
AND THEY, THEY CAN, OBVIOUSLY, THEY COULD CHOOSE TO IGNORE US, UM, AND WE COULD BE REALLY UPSET ABOUT IT, AND THEN WE'D GO TO OUR, OUR COUNSELORS, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT, UM, I DON'T, I MEAN, I THINK THAT PLANNING STAFF, GENERALLY,
[01:20:01]
THEY, THEY WANT TO DO THE BEST JOB THAT THEY CAN, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE FOLKS CARE ABOUT URBAN DESIGN.IT'S JUST REALLY COMPLEX AND THERE'S A LOT OF VOICES IN THE ROOM.
BUT WE ALREADY SAW IT ON THAT LAST, ON, ON THE BUILDING HEIGHT THAT THEY HAD TO GET IT DONE REALLY QUICKLY AND, AND WE GOT NOTICE OF IT AFTER IT HAS ALREADY GONE TO COUNCIL.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA BE MOVING AS FAST TOO.
SO JUST SOMETHING FOR US TO THINK ABOUT THAT TIMING.
YEAH, I MEAN, UM, IN, IN SOME WAYS WHEN THINGS NEED TO GO THROUGH QUICKLY, THEY'RE GOING TO PLANNING, COMMISSIONING, AND COUNCIL, NOBODY'S COMING TO US.
WE'RE NOT EVEN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY REALLY SAW US AS A MAJOR STAKEHOLDER IN HOW THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WAS WORKING.
UM, UH, AND, AND YOU KNOW, MAYBE WHEN, WHEN IT, WHEN YOU STAND BACK, IT MAYBE WE'RE NOT REALLY IN THE, IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS, BUT I THINK THAT THAT IS OUR PRIMARY INTEREST, AND THAT'S WHY, UM, THAT'S WHY THIS COMMISSION IS, IS ACTIVE.
I MEAN, THE DIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONALS IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EVERYBODY'S INSIGHT.
SO I WOULD, I WOULD HOPE THAT Y'ALL WOULD SEE IT THAT WAY, THAT THIS IS, IT'S A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE HERE WITH A LOT OF GREAT THOUGHTS.
SO, SO YEAH, I GUESS THE AVENUE, I THINK WOULD BE TO REQUEST THAT THEY, UM, MAYBE THEY COME MAKE A VERY SMALL PRESENTATION.
THEY DON'T HAVE A PROJECT YET.
THEY JUST HAVE, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN'T EVEN KICKED OFF, I DON'T THINK.
BUT MAYBE WE ASK STAFF, THE STAFF THAT IS GONNA BE WORKING ON THAT PROJECT TO COME TO THE COMMISSION AND, UM, TALK ABOUT THEIR PROCESS AND, AND WE CAN KIND OF ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE CAN BE INVOLVED IN THAT.
IS THAT POSSIBLE, JORGE CHAIR, IF I MAY? YES, PLEASE.
WE'LL BE HAPPY TO PASS THAT ALONG TO THE TEAM COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, HOW IS ALL OF THIS, YOU KNOW, RE ALLOCATING WHAT IS DOWNTOWN? WHAT IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THERE'S REBOUND IZATION OF EVERYTHING.
HOW IS THAT AFFECTED BY GREAT STREETS AND THE UPDATES TO THE GREAT STREETS MASTER PLAN THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OCCURRING? BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WAS DISPARATE TO, TO THE PROCESS THAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE UPDATE, IS THAT IN PARALLEL, THERE IS SUPPOSED TO BE AN UPDATE TO THE GREAT STREET BASAL PLAN.
SO IS THAT CONTINUE? IT, IT HAS VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH DENSITY BONUS IN IT, IN THAT IT IS A GATEKEEPING REQUIREMENT TO COMPLY WITH GREAT STREETS.
BUT HOW IS THAT PROCESS WORKING WITH THIS RE REDEFINING WHAT IS DOWN WHERE AND WHAT IS DOWNTOWN? GREAT.
THAT THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PROCESSES.
YOU HAVE THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN, WHICH, UH, THEY LAUNCHED THEIR PUBLIC LAUNCH OF THE PROJECT, UH, LAST MONTH, I BELIEVE.
AND THEY ARE PROPOSING AN EXPANSION OF THE BOUNDARIES TO INCLUDE AREAS OF WEST CAMPUS, UH, THE UNO DISTRICT AND AREAS OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, INCLUDING DOWNTOWN.
THE UPDATE TO THE GRAY STREETS PLAN AND STANDARDS ARE ONLY CONDUCIVE TO THE DOWNTOWN BOUNDARIES AS WE KNOW THEM TODAY, NOT THE EXPANDED BOUNDARIES, BECAUSE YOU HAVE STREETSCAPE STANDARDS FOR UNO, WHICH ARE DIFFERENT, UH, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN GRAY STREETS, AND YOU PERHAPS MAY HAVE DIFFERENT STREETSCAPE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE WATERFRONT DISTRICT, SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT DISTRICT.
SO THERE'S NOT A PROPOSAL AT THIS TIME TO EXPAND GRAY STREETS BEYOND THE BOUNDARIES OF DOWNTOWN.
IT BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT ONCE YOU GET OUT OF THE GRID SYSTEM, UH, BECAUSE OF THE UNDULATING RIGHT OF WAY.
IT'S NOT A CONSISTENT RIGHT OF WAY.
AND YOU HAVE MULTIPLE DRIVEWAYS THAT IMPEDE A CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF GRAY STREETS.
SO THAT, THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF MANY THAT MAKE IT VERY CHALLENGING TO APPLY GRAY STREETS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
BUT THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES OF GRAY STREETS ONLY GO UP TO 11TH STREET AND DO NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE REIGNING DISTRICT.
SO AS PART OF THE UPDATE, WE'RE EXPLORING THE, UH, PROPOSAL TO EXPAND THE GRAY STREETS BOUNDARIES TO THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES OF DOWNTOWN MLK, THE RIVER 35 AND LAMAR.
SO THAT PROCESS WILL CONTINUE.
THERE'S OTHER ADJOINING PROJECTS THAT ARE MOVING FORWARD THAT HAVE REALLY NO CORRELATION WITH DENSITY BONUSES.
PROJECT CONNECT IS ONE EXAMPLE, THE ACT PLAN, CORE TRANSPORTATION
[01:25:01]
PLAN THAT IS CREATING TYPOLOGIES.UM, THERE'S A SIXTH STREET REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT AS WELL THAT IS LOOKING AT STREET TYPOLOGIES.
SO THE GRAY STREET UPDATE IS CRITICAL IN TERMS OF CREATING A NEXUS BETWEEN THOSE PROJECTS AND COLLABORATION TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH NEW STREETSCAPE DESIGN STANDARDS THAT MODERNIZE THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE IT ALONE IS ABOUT 25 YEARS OLD SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE GRAY STREET LAND AND STANDARDS.
SO I THINK MAYBE TO PULL COMMISSIONER HOWARD'S POINT INTO A POINT HERE WE ARE A BODY THAT LOOKS AT URBAN DESIGN, AND SO GREAT STREETS, UNO, RAINY, THIS NEW, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, URBAN, WHATEVER, THIS, THIS DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE A BODY AND A GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS THAT SHOULD BE COMMENTING AND AGGREGATING ON ALL OF THIS, BECAUSE THE, THE COMPLAINT THAT WE GET FROM THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY IS THAT NONE OF THIS IS MAKING DEVELOPMENT.
UH, NONE OF IT IS MAKING THE INTERPRETATION OF ALL OF THIS EASY.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE, IS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A SET OF GUIDELINES AND A CODE THAT HAVE A SINGULAR INTERPRETATION.
AND SO NOW WE'VE GOT THESE LAYERS OF THINGS THAT ARE COMING IN THAT'S GONNA MAKE THIS EVEN MORE COMPLICATED.
AND WE HAVE NO SINGULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF COUNCIL WHO HAS 12 MILLION OTHER THINGS ON THEIR PLATE, INCLUDING THE BUDGET THAT'S NOT BALANCED TO FRY.
AND SO WHO, WHAT BODY, WHAT COMMISSION ESSENTIALLY OUTSIDE OF US WOULD OVERSEE ALL OF THESE ITEMS THAT ARE, ARE COMING TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME.
SO DO I, I THINK SOMEONE ELSE MENTIONED THIS, LIKE, IS, IS THIS GONNA REQUIRE EACH OF US TO GO TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBER AND SAY, HEY, AS A DESIGN COMMISSION, WHO TO EXPOUND ON KEVIN'S POINT HAS NO TEETH? DO WE NEED TO ARGUE FOR THE FACT THAT MAYBE WE NEED A LITTLE MORE TEETH AND MAYBE WE NEED TO BE THE BODY THAT THESE ITEMS THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT URBAN DESIGN AT A CITYWIDE SCALE POTENTIALLY WOULD OVERSEE? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE ALL OF IT'S KIND OF HAPPENING A LITTLE BIT UNCHECKED.
EVERY EVERY GROUP IS ACTING INDEPENDENTLY.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY, WERE YOU, WERE YOU FINISHED WITH YOUR STATEMENT OR YEAH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING CONCEPT, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THE, THE TRUTH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO ONE THAT, EXCEPT FOR COUNCIL, THAT IS, UH, AT THE TOP OF THAT PYRAMID
LIKE IT'S GONNA GO ALL THE WAY UP TO, I, I MEAN, DO THEY SHARE, I DON'T EVEN THINK THEY SHARE A, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, DO THEY? ANYWAY, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE POINT.
IT'S GONNA GO REALLY, REALLY HIGH BEFORE THERE'S ANY SORT OF UNIFORM SORT OF LEADERSHIP AROUND THESE SUBJECTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S PART, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
THIS IS A HUGE ORGANIZATION, RIGHT? AND I UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYBODY'S DOING DISPARATE PROJECTS AND EVERYBODY'S WORKING TOWARDS MAYBE EVEN SIMILAR GOALS, BUT WE WOULDN'T EVEN KNOW IT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THERE, THERE IS AN INTERESTING, THERE IS A NEED THERE, CERTAINLY.
UM, I'M NOT CERTAIN THAT, UH, I'M, I'M NOT CERTAIN I'VE SEEN A, A BOARD AND OR COMMISSION LIKE, LEAD IN THAT WAY, BUT I DEFINITELY HAVE SEEN A BOARD OR OR COMMISSION SUPPORT A LEADERSHIP POSITION OR AN OFFICE, UM, AS KIND OF A SOUNDING BOARD AS THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, ADMINISTRATIVELY TRYING TO, UM, I'M JUST GONNA SAY IT IN THE MOST PROFESSIONAL TERMS. I CAN, UH, HEARD THE CATS.
[01:30:01]
I THINK IT'D BE REALLY DIFFICULT FOR A VOLUNTARY GROUP TO BE, HAVE THEIR FINGER ON THE PULSE OF SO MANY THINGS, UH, THAT ARE HAPPENING IN, UH, IN THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AT THE SAME TIME.UM, AND EVEN LET ALONE SO MANY, THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR FULL-TIME JOB, TO BE HONEST.
AND WITH A WHOLE OFFICE, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFICULT TO DO.
BUT, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE IS, I THINK THERE IS A ROLE TO PLAY.
UM, AND, AND I, I MEAN, EVEN THE GREEN STREETS WORK THERE, THERE WAS CALLING FOR KIND OF URBAN DESIGN LEADERSHIP, UM, IN THE CITY THAT COULD KIND OF UNITE ALL OF THESE SORT OF, UH, DISPARATE EFFORTS.
UM, UH, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, TPW WHO WAS RUNNING THAT PROJECT FIGURED OUT A WAY TO DO THAT INTERNALLY OR, OR IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THAT INTERNALLY, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT DOESN'T EXTEND TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
UM, AND THOSE TWO REALLY DO NEED TO WORK TOGETHER IN ORDER TO, UH, IMPLEMENT URBAN DESIGN POLICY.
UM, SO THERE'S THERE, YEAH, I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT, UM, YOU'RE BRINGING UP IS DEFINITELY I THINK A CORE ISSUE THAT, I MEAN A LOT OF CITIES STRUGGLE WITH, OBVIOUSLY, BUT AUSTIN IS DEFINITELY STRUGGLING WITH, AND I THINK THIS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE BECAUSE I'M AN URBAN DESIGNER, UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S THE ROLE OF URBAN DESIGN IS TO KIND OF BRING ALL OF THESE PIECES TOGETHER INTO SOMETHING THAT'S COHESIVE AND, YOU KNOW, UM, GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IT'S BEEN A PRETTY GREAT DISCUSSION, COMMISSIONER MARCUS.
SO I'M TRYING TO SUMMARIZE WHAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT.
UH, WE'RE CURRENTLY, THE WAY I'VE BEEN HERE FOR LESS THAN A YEAR, UM, THE WAY I'VE SEEN THIS COMMISSION WORK WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE STAFF, UH, WE PROVIDE RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON THE PROJECTS.
SOMETIMES PROJECT GETS VOTED ON BEFORE WE, WE HAVE A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO THE, UM, PROJECT PRESENTATION.
AND THE SECOND PORTION IS THE, UH, DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECT.
THOSE ARE THE TWO ELEMENTS THAT I HAVE SEEN.
SO, UM, GIVEN THAT THERE IS NO UNIFIED BODY UNDER THE CURRENT CITY STRUCTURE, UM, TO GUIDE THE URBAN DESIGN, AND THERE'S A, UH, A CONCERN ABOUT THE CITY PROJECT, PERHAPS WE NEED TO BE ADVOCATING, UM, IN FRONT OF THE CITY COUNCIL THAT THIS VOLUNTEER BODY WOULD BE THE BODY WHO CAN HELP WITH THE, UM, UH, PROVIDING THIS AGGREGATE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, BUT THE ADVOCATE, UM, THE, THE WHOLE METHOD OF ADVOCATING FOR THE EXISTING OF THIS COMMISSION MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE.
WE, IF WE DO IT INDIVIDUALLY, UM, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT MAYBE WE BOOK TIME AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME IS AVAILABLE WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND PRESENT THERE TO THEM BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE THE BODY THAT MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THEM.
AND PERHAPS, UM, THIS IS A TIME FOR, TO RECOMMEND THAT, HEY, UM, THIS IS A GOOD CHANCE TO UTILIZE THE KNOWLEDGE IN, IN THIS COMMISSION AND BE ABLE TO, UM, MANAGE THE PROJECTS MORE IN A MORE UNIFIED MANNER.
UM, UH, THAT WILL BE HELPFUL FOR, TO THE CITY, SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE IS NO, MAYBE THERE IS NO BUDGET AVAILABLE FOR, UM, A SINGLE, UH, AN ADDITIONAL BODY THAT WILL BE ON, UH, ON STAFF, UH, OF THE CITY.
AND THEN GOING BACK TO COMMISSIONER HOWARD'S POINT ABOUT ASKING NICELY, UM, I THINK, I THINK OBVIOUSLY YES, WE DO WANT TO ASK NICELY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS A TIME IN WHICH WE COULD GET AN ABSOLUTE ANSWER OF WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN BE PART OF THE PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WERE GONNA TAKE IT TO, UH, YOUR TEAM, UH, BUT I KNOW HOW IT CAN WORK SOMETIMES OF LIKE, WELL, WE'RE STILL DECIDING YOU KICK IT DOWN THE ROAD TO THE NEXT MONTH.
AND SO IF THERE, WE CAN GET A MORE ABSOLUTE TIME IN WHICH WE CAN GET A DEFINITIVE ANSWER SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH WE NEED TO ADVOCATE FOR OURSELVES AND FOR PRETTY MUCH THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THE FUTURE OF THE URBAN FABRIC.
SO COULD WE SET A TIME, CAN WE GET A, A UPDATE FROM, YOU COULD KNOW JANUARY, YOU ALL ARE JUST GONNA PROBABLY JUST BE GETTING STARTED, BUT THE SOONER THE BETTER.
THE SOONEST WE COULD PROVIDE AN UPDATE WOULD BE AT YOUR JANUARY MEETING.
YEAH, I, I COULDN'T COMMIT TO ANOTHER DATE, BUT WE WILL DISCUSS IT INTERNALLY AND BE, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU AN UPDATE BY IT.
AND THE OTHER COMMENT THAT WAS MADE ABOUT, UH, COULD WE GET FEEDBACK IN WRITING SO THAT, UH, THE WORKING GROUP CAN HAVE THAT ON
[01:35:01]
FILE? WE'LL DO THAT AS WELL, JUST 'CAUSE THAT INTERNALLY BE AND GET YOU COMMENTS, YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK.SO, AGAIN, MY STUDENT ON THIS COMMISSION IS VERY BRIEF.
SO WHAT WE ARE, WHAT I UNDERSTOOD IS, IS A DESIGN GUIDELINES, NOTHING TO THE PROJECTS AND ALL OF THAT STUFF.
SO SET UP RULES THAT WE ARE, AND, AND I THINK WE SHOULD UPDATE OUR COUNSELORS THAT HEY, THIS IS WHAT IS GOING ON, ON THESE THINGS, AND THEY MAY HAVE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES.
SO I JUST NEED SOME HELP ON A BLURB THAT I CAN SEND OUT TO MY COUNSELOR AND, AND MY DISTRICT, UH, MEMBERS AND UPDATE THEM.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE ARE, IT IS TECHNICALLY DOWNTOWN THAT IS IMPACTED, BUT THE DESIGN GUIDELINES COULD IMPACT AND, AND WE ARE SEEING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ADOPT THEM FOR OTHER AREAS AS WELL AS TIME GOES ON.
SO I JUST START, BRING IT DONE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THIS TOPIC? COMMISSIONER LADNER, DID YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? OKAY.
WELL CHAIR AS A POINT OF ORDER, DO WE NEED TO, UM, MOVE TO PUT AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR JANUARY TO ALLOW THAT BRIEFING TO OCCUR? YEAH, IF SO, I WOULD MAKE THAT MOTION.
CHAIR, THAT WILL BE AT THE END OF THE AGENDA FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. THERE'S A SECTION FOR IT AND THEN YOU CAN PROPOSE IT THEN.
[3. Discussion of the draft Urban Design Guidelines regarding the sections: Introduction, Core Principle A: Protect Pedestrians and Bicyclists from the Elements, and Core Principle B: Protect Sidewalk and Bikeway Users from Motor Vehicles. ]
BACK TO OUR ITEM NUMBER THREE, UM, WHERE WE WERE GONNA DISCUSS THE DRAFT OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES REGARDING THESE SECTIONS.UM, I'M NOT SURE IF ANYBODY IS STILL INTERESTED IN DOING THAT RIGHT NOW, IF WE WANNA POSTPONE THAT UNTIL WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE CLARITY ON WHAT'S OUR ROLE IS MOVING FORWARD, IF WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HELP BE, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATE IN THE, UH, DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM UPDATES.
UM, COMMISSIONER WIRA CHAIR, UM, WITH, WITH THAT ITEM OPEN, UM, THE, THE SUGGESTION WAS MADE FOR A GROUP LETTER TO COUNSEL, UM, MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, I SUPPORT THAT IDEA, UM, TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE MAINTAINING PROPER QUORUM PROCEDURES.
UM, DO WE NEED TO SET, UH, A DESIGNATED, UM, REPRESENTATIVES THAT WOULD NOT BE A WALKING QUORUM TO AUTHOR THAT LETTER AND BRING IT BACK TO OUR NEXT MEETING? OR COULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, UNDERTAKEN BY THE AD HOC, UH, URBAN DESIGN, UM, GUIDELINES COMMITTEE? UM, I'M, UH, I'M NOT MAKING ANY RECOMMENDATION TO MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS OTHER THAN TO OPEN UP THAT.
I THINK WE NEED AN AVENUE TO HOW TO DO THAT WITHOUT, UM, BREAKING QUORUM.
COMMISSIONER HOWARD, I, I THINK THE WORKING GROUP MODEL WORKS WELL FOR THIS AND WE COULD, I MEAN, I THINK WE COULD FORM OUR OWN A A SEPARATE WORKING GROUP OR IT COULD BE THE SAME, UM, JUST BASED ON, UM, INTEREST AND AVAILABILITY AND, UM, TO DO THIS, THIS WORK.
I THINK MAYBE IT'S ONLY ONE OR TWO MEETINGS BEFORE THE NEXT, UM, BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU, WHAT WOULD BE THE, WHAT WOULD, WHAT WOULD BE THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORKING GROUP? UH, CHAIR TO, UH, AUTHOR, A DRAFT OF THE LETTER TO BE, UM, SENT BY ALL COMMISSIONERS, UH, UPON A VOTE TO, UM, TO COUNSEL.
YEAH, I MEAN, IF WE COULD DO THAT WITHIN THAT WORKING GROUP, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
SO GOING BACK TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, UM, ABOUT TALKING ABOUT THE UPDATES, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT WE WANNA POSTPONE? AGAIN, I KNOW WE POSTPONED IT LAST TIME, BUT GIVEN THE CONVERSATION THAT WE JUST HAD, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S OTHER ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN FRONT OF THIS COMMISSIONER HOWARD? YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE POSTPONE DISCUSSION ON THE, THE CONTENT OF THE, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINE DRAFT.
UM, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF REFINE OUR STRATEGY AND OUR THINKING AROUND HOW WE, UH, PRIORITIZE URBAN DESIGN AND IN OTHER SYSTEMS AS THE CITY MOVES FORWARD WITH THE BONUS PROGRAMS. OKAY.
DO WE NEED TO VOTE THAT WE'RE GONNA MOVE OR WE JUST, CAN WE JUST SKIP IT? ACTUALLY? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT TO POSTPONE ITEM NUMBER THREE? THREE,
[01:40:01]
YEAH.A MOTION AND A SECOND TO POSTPONE THE ITEM.
ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA MAKE A SECOND.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING ITEM NUMBER THREE.
TO THE NEXT MEETING DATE OR JUST INDEFINITELY UNTIL WE CAN GET A HANDLE ON.
ALRIGHT, SO OUR DISCUSSION AND
[5. Discussion and action to select Downtown Density Bonus Program projects from the past ten years to analyze outcomes. Sponsors: Chair Salinas and Vice Chair Meiners. ]
ACTION ITEMS, UH, WE'RE THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM TO SELECT, UH, ANOTHER DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM PROJECT FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS.UM, I KNOW WE'VE SEEN A LOT AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WE CAN SEE.
COMMISSIONER MEKI, SORRY, JUST TO STEP BACK, UM, IT'S MORE PROCEDURAL QUESTION MM-HMM
SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE ARE ON TRACK TO, UH, WE ARE COORDINATING OUR EFFORTS IN REACHING OUT TO OUR CITY COUNCIL PEOPLE? SHOULD WE HAVE THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR JANUARY? HOW DO WE REVIEW THE LETTER? WHAT'S THE MECHANISM THERE THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE? SO FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE, THE MECHANISM WOULD BE THE WORKING GROUP WOULD KIND OF WORK TOWARDS THAT DRAFT.
AND THEN ONCE WE GET TO THE, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, WE COULD PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT MEETING IF IT WORKS IN JANUARY.
SO GOING BACK TO THIS, THE REVIEW OF PROJECTS THAT WE, THAT WERE DONE IN THE LAST 10 YEARS.
I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S BEEN, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WE CAN GET FROM ANY NEW PROJECTS, UM, BUT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE GOING THAT PATH OR INTERESTED IN JUST TAKING THIS OFF THE AGENDA ALTOGETHER? COMMISSIONER HOWARD? UM, YEAH, SO I, I RECOMMENDED POSTPONING LA THE LAST TIME IT WAS ON THE AGENDA, AND I, UH, RATHER THAN JUST DELETING IT OFF THE AGENDA BECAUSE I WAS HOPING THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE OF A, LIKE A LESSONS LEARNED DISCUSSION.
UM, AND THAT DOESN'T, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE A CONTINUING SORT OF AGENDA ITEM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UM, TO MAYBE, UH, FOR US TO JUST KIND OF DEBRIEF EACH OTHER ON THAT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE TODAY, I MEAN, IT'S A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM, BUT, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, TO HIGHLIGHT THE KEY ISSUES THAT WE KEEP WE SAW AS REOCCURRING.
AND, UM, IDENTIFY, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE, UM, WHAT OUR DESIRED OUTCOME WOULD BE AND HOW WE MIGHT, HOW WE MIGHT PROPO, UH, PROMOTE THAT DESIRED OUTCOME FOR THOSE, UH, YOU KNOW, REOCCURRING CHALLENGES.
UM, AND THEN WE COULD EVEN REFLECT ON, SEE IF WE'VE DONE THAT EFFECTIVELY WITH THE DRAFT OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, UH, SO I GUESS THAT THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF THE, THAT SUMMARIZING SORT OF AGENDA ITEM THAT I, I, I KIND OF ENVISIONED WHEN I, WHEN I POSTPONED RATHER THAN SAID, LET'S COUNSEL THAT.
I HAVE A QUESTION, COMMISSIONER, UM, ON THIS ITEM, UM, HOW MANY HAVE WE SEEN SO FAR IN THE LIVES? DO WE KNOW, OR? I, I, I DON'T, I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OUR, UH, AGENDA.
I MEAN YEAH, OUR, OUR AGENDAS FROM THE PAST YEAR.
UM, I KNOW THERE WAS A FEW THAT WERE, WE PROBABLY LOOKED AT THREE MAYBE AT THE TIME.
UM, MY GOAL IS TO GO BACK TO THOSE VIDEOS AND, AND GET A SUMMARY OF, OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED, LESSONS LEARNED, AND TRY TO GET THAT ALL IN ONE DOCUMENT SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE IT AND GIVE IT TO THE WORKING GROUP.
YEAH, I MEAN, THE SAMPLE SIZE IS, I MEAN, IT, IT IS PRETTY LARGE, SO, UM, IT GOES, I MEAN, GOES BACK TO WHAT, 2007? SO, UM, BUT IF WE JUST KIND OF PAUSE IT AND THEN KIND OF GET CAUGHT UP, THEN WE CAN BRING IT BACK.
SO ARE WE VOTING TO, ARE WE, IS THERE A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO TAKE A PAUSE CHAIR I A MOTION, UH, THAT WE, UM, POSTPONE THAT ITEM INDEFINITELY? ALRIGHT.
[01:45:01]
ANY SECONDS? I, I WILL SECOND THAT.ALL IN FAVOR OF POSTPONING, POSTPONING THE ITEM INDEFINITELY.
[6. Discussion and action to select members for the Planning and Urban Design Working Group. Sponsors: Chair Salinas and Commissioner Howard. ]
AND ACTION.TO SELECT MEMBERS FOR THE PLANNING AND URBAN DESIGN WORKING GROUP.
SO THIS IS THE WORKING GROUP IN WHICH, UM, WE HAVE, WHEN PROJECTS COME TO SEE US, UH, WE, WE WOULD MEET WHO IS TYPICALLY A WEDNESDAY, IDEALLY TWO WEEKS BEFORE THEY WOULD SUBMIT.
I THINK WE HAVE A TWO WEEK REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAVE TO GET COMMENTS BACK TO 'EM.
UM, AND GIVE PRELIMINARY FEEDBACK TO ANY APPLICANTS THAT WERE COMING THROUGH, UH, TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
UH, CURRENTLY, I KNOW I'M ON THIS WORKING GROUP.
CAN'T REMEMBER WHO ELSE IS ON THIS WORKING GROUP.
COMMISSIONER HOWARD
SO WE HAVE ONE, WE NEED ONE MORE PERSON.
IF ANYBODY'S INTERESTED IN JOIN US.
THEY USUALLY TAKE PLACE, I'LL SAY A WEDNESDAY AT LUNCHTIME IN WHICH WE JUMP ON A ZOOM CALL AND WE LOOK AT THEIR PROJECT FOR AN HOUR.
IS ANYBODY INTERESTED IN JOINING THAT WORKING GROUP? CHERYL, JOIN THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE COMMISSIONER GILLI, IF I CAN GET A SECOND PLEASE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF COMMISSIONER GALLES JOINING THE WORKING GROUP UNANIMOUS DECISIONS TODAY.
UM, ALL RIGHT, WELCOME TO THE WORKING GROUP.
ALL RIGHT, SO COMMITTEE UPDATES
[7. Update from the representative of the Downtown Commission regarding the meeting on November 19, 2025.]
UPDATE FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REGARDING THE NOVEMBER 19TH MEETING.COMMISSIONER GALLES THANK YOU CHAIR.
UH, AT THE NOVEMBER 19TH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING, THE COMMISSION RECEIVED A PRESENTATION ON BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, WHICH HAS ALSO COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION, AND I BELIEVE WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, UH, THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY ISHA JOHNSON'S PLANNING TEAM REPORT ON THE CENTER CITY PLAN.
AND GIVEN SOME OF THE CONVERSATION HERE, I THINK IT'S TIMELY TO GIVE AN OUTLINE.
THIS IS A 10 YEAR BLUEPRINT FOR THE FUTURE GROWTH OF THE CENTER CITY AREA, WHICH IS A GEOGRAPHIC CONCEPT OF SORTS, WHICH INCLUDES DOWNTOWN AND ADJACENT DISTRICTS SUCH AS RAINY STREET, SEA HOME, EAST AUSTIN EDGES, PORTIONS OF SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, AND, UM, CERTAIN ACTIVITY CENTERS AND CORRIDORS NEAR THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE BOUNDARIES ARE SOMEWHAT FLUID, UM, NOT POLICY DRIVEN.
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE CENTER CITY IS, UH, AN OVERLAY IN WHICH THE DOWNTOWN CORE IS A PART OF.
THEY ARE IN THE PLANNING PHASE OF DEFINING THIS STRATEGIC, UM, FUTURE GROWTH PLAN THAT DETERMINES PRIORITIES FOR INVESTMENT WITHIN THIS CENTER CITY AREA.
THE PHASE THAT HAS RECENTLY CLOSED, UM, WAS A STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY PHASE THAT CLOSED ON DECEMBER 6TH, WHERE, UH, NEEDS AND A NEEDS AND GAPS ANALYSIS, UH, OH, SORRY, TAKE THAT PAUSE.
THE STAKEHOLDER ADVISORY MEETING TOOK PLACE ON THE THIRD, AND THAT WAS FOLLOWED BY A SURVEY, WHICH CLOSED ON THE SIXTH.
THE NEXT STEPS ARE TO, UH, FINALIZE A NEEDS AND GAPS ANALYSIS, AND THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN JANUARY WITHIN THE COMMISSION.
DISCUSSION FOLLOWED REGARDING THE TRANSPARENCY OF THIS PROCESS AND, UM, THE COMMISSION URGED THAT THIS GROUP WHO IS CARRYING OUT THE CENTER CITY PROJECT PLAN NEEDS FAR GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND URGED THAT THE GROUP SHARE THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDERS BEING ENGAGED WITHIN THE PROCESS TO GET BETTER INTEGRATED FEEDBACK FROM THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AS WELL, AS WELL AS OTHER CITY COMMISSIONS THAT ENDS THE REPORT ON THE CENTER CITY PLAN.
THE THIRD PRESENTATION WAS GIVEN ON CENTRAL HEALTH AND DIRECT HEALTHCARE.
UH, THIS IS A POSITIVE REPORT ON THE IMPACT
[01:50:01]
THAT SEND THE SEND HEALTH PLAN AND THE CENTRAL HEALTH FOUNDATION IS HAVING ON PROVIDING HEALTHCARE, UH, WITHIN OUR CITY.AND, UH, THEY ARE EXPECTING TO SERVE 210,000 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE HAM ORGANIZATION, MAP HOMELESS.
AND WITH A NETWORK OF OVER 10,000 PROVIDERS, IT IS THE HEALTHCARE BACKBONE THAT IS PART OF THE CITY'S RESPONSE TO HOMELESSNESS.
AND THAT WAS A VERY POSITIVE AND WELL RECEIVED REPORT THAT WAS FOLLOWED UP BY A PRESENTATION BY SAFE STREETS AUSTIN IN, UH, THEIR BID TO IMPROVE OUR ACCESS TO CITY OR THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
BY TURNING ONE WAY STREETS BACK TO TWO WAY STREETS, THE CITY IS WORKING ON AN AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND USING CASE STUDIES, UH, FROM PRESENTED BY THE SAFE, SAFE STREETS AUSTIN GROUP.
THESE CASE STUDIES SHOWED THAT ACCIDENTS FELL BY 49%, AND COMMERCE INCREASED BY 24%.
WHEN ONE WAY STREETS RETURNED TO TWO WAY STREETS, THE GROUP ENCOURAGED THAT THIS ACTION BE TAKEN IN DIRECTLY TO ADDRESS ISSUES ON SIXTH STREET.
[8. Update from the representative of the Joint Sustainability Committee regarding the meeting on November 19, 2025. ]
THE OUR LAST, UH, MEETING ON, UH, NOVEMBER 19TH, UH, WE PASSED THREE RESOLUTIONS.UH, ONE RESOLUTION WAS TO INVEST IN FARMLAND.
SO THE JSC RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY OF, UH, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL EARMARKED ONE-TIME ALLOCATION OF 15 MILLION TO THE 2026 GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND TO PILOT A FARMLAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM FOR REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, UH, FACILITATING FARMLAND PROTECTION, EITHER THROUGH CONSERVATION EASEMENTS OR THROUGH FEE SIMPLE PURCHASE THAT COULD BE LEASED TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS.
THE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE HAD WAS THE FUNDING FOR SOLAR ENERGY, FOR SOLAR AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY INVESTMENTS IN CITY FACILITIES.
SO THE JSC UH, RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO MOVE SWIFTLY TO ISSUE ONE OR MORE REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS TO INSTALL SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS ON ALL CITY OF AUSTIN FACILITIES THAT HAVE AT LEAST 1500 SQUARE FEET OF SPACE THAT IS VIABLE FOR SOLAR ENERGY INSTALLATION.
AND THAT THE CITY COUNCIL ESTABLISHES A REVOLVING CLIMATE BUILDING EFFICIENCY FUND TO COLLECT FINANCIAL SAVINGS RESULTING FROM THE SOLAR ENERGY INSTALLATIONS AND ENERGY EFFICIENT UPGRADES TO BE USED TO PAY FOR ADDITIONAL SOLAR ENERGY INSTALLATIONS AND EFFICIENCY UPGRADES.
UH, AND THE THIRD IS A JUST RECOMMENDATION TO STAFF CLIMATE ACTION RESILIENCE OFFICE.
UH, IN THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2026, UH, THE JSC RECOMMENDED THAT THE, UH, AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL RETAIN THE ENERGY PROGRAM MANAGER AND THE SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM MANAGER POSITIONS FOR THE CLIMATE ACTION AND RESILIENCE OFFICE IN THE FISCAL YEAR OF 2026.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. COMMISSIONER, WHICH DRUG? WE HAD AN ITEM, CORRECT.I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION, UH, FOR A STAFF, UH, FOR A, UM, UH, AGENDA ITEM OR UPCOMING MEETING, UH, TO ALLOW FOR A STAFF BRIEFING, UM, FROM THE RESPONSIBLE DEPARTMENTS ON THE, UM, UPDATES TO THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND, UM, HOW THE DESIGN COMMISSION CAN BE INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.
IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER MEKI.
ALRIGHT, SO WITH DISCUSSION, OPEN CHAIR, I'M, I'M HAPPY FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO ALTER THE WORDING OF THAT.
COMMISSIONER HOWARD, UM, I'D SUGGEST A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT JUST TO BE MORE SPECIFIC ABOUT WHAT STAFF, UM, 'CAUSE IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, ANYONE FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THEORETICALLY.
I THINK WE SPECIFICALLY WANT THE STAFF WORKING ON, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE, UM, RUNNING THAT PROJECT, UH, FROM THE DEPARTMENT.
CHAIR, I ACCEPT THAT AT FRIENDLY AND I SAW HIM TWITCH WHEN I MADE THE ORIGINAL MOTION COMM.
COMMISSIONER MARCUS, DO YOU ACCEPT THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT? YES.
[01:55:02]
AMENDMENTS? ALL RIGHT.ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION ON THE TABLE? UH, PARDON ME CHAIR.
AND SECOND FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, JUST AS SPONSOR AND CO-SPONSOR.
I'LL LIST ALL OF Y'ALL AS, UH, SPONSORS.
WAS THERE ANOTHER FUTURE AGENDA? COMM, COMMISSIONER, WI CHAIR? I'D LIKE TO SPONSOR AN, AN AGENDA ITEM, UM, AT THE UPCOMING MEETING, UM, UH, TO PRESENT A DRAFT LETTER TO COUNCIL FROM THE URBAN DESIGN, UM, UH, GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP, UM, PERIOD.
ALL RIGHT, YOU'LL SECOND THAT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? COMMISSIONER HOWARD? UM, I'D LIKE TO PUT A DISCUSSION ITEM ON THE AGENDA JUST TO, TO TALK ABOUT OUR, OUR, UM, OUR STRATEGY GENERALLY FOR, UM, PRIORITIZING URBAN DESIGN, UH, IN DENSITY BOAT BONUS PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, I, I CAN, I, I'D LIKE TO CONFIRM WITH NICOLE IS THE, THE GREAT STREETS, ARE THEY CONFIRMED FOR, UH, NEXT MONTH ON THE AGENDA OR NO, NOT GREAT STREETS, SORRY.
UM, SAFE STREETS WITH A TWO-WAY CONVERSION.
UM, I JUST EMAILED THEM EARLIER TODAY, SO HOPEFULLY I'LL HEAR BACK SOON AND GET THEM CONFIRMED FOR THE AGENDA IN JANUARY.
YEAH, THEY WERE, THEY WERE EXCITED TO COME PRESENT AND SO WE, WE SHOULD BE HEARING FROM THEM AS WELL.
SIR, IF I MAY, YES, JUST TO REMIND COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE PUT FORWARD ITEMS FOR NEXT MONTH'S MEETING THAT YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL BACKUP MATERIAL ON A TIMELY MANNER IF YOU WANT ANYTHING TO BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE COMMISSION.
COMMISSIONER, WE STRUCK, UH, CHAIR.
CAN WE GET A CLARIFICATION FROM STAFF WHAT THE DEADLINE FOR BACKUP MATERIAL IS NOW? I THINK THAT CHANGED STATEWIDE RECENTLY.
UM, YEAH, SO OUR AGENDA POSTING DEADLINE CHANGED, BUT THE BACKUP DEADLINE IS THE SAME AND IT'S 10 BUSINESS DAY, OR SORRY, NOT 10 BUSINESS DAYS, JUST 10 DAYS BEFORE THE MEETING.
BUT I CAN EMAIL REMINDERS AND PROVIDE THAT IN WRITTEN FORM.
ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO NEXT MONTH'S MEETING? ALL RIGHT, WELL WITHOUT, WITH ANY OBJECTION, I WILL ADJOURN.