[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
I'M CALLING THIS REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION TO ORDER.IT IS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4TH, 2026.
WE'RE IN THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER EVENT CENTER.
ROOM 14 0 5 6 3 1 0 WILLAMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
I'M GONNA START BY ESTABLISHING QUORUM.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION CHAIR? NO.
HAS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE PREVIOUS MEETING'S.I THOUGHT I MOTION ENTERTAINING A MOTION.
APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM LAST MEETING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[2. Presentation on Austin Watershed Protection’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Budget, Programs, and Projects Overview and approve recommendations for their FY27 budget. Presentation by Albert Castro, Financial Manager, and Janae Spence, Assistant Director, Austin Watershed Protection. ]
WE GO TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. NUMBER TWO, PRESENTATION ON AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTIONS FISCAL YEAR FY 2026.OVERVIEW AND APPROVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEIR FY 27 BUDGET.
BELL AL BY ALBERT CASTRO, FINANCIAL MANAGER AND JANAE SPENCE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION.
I'M THE FINANCIAL MANAGER FOR AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UH, TODAY I'M GOING TO GO OVER, UH, AN OVERVIEW OF OUR BUDGET AND, UH, OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JANAE WILL CONTINUE WITH CIP.
NEXT SLIDE, BASED ON DOING THAT.
ALL RIGHT, SO TODAY'S BRIEFING WILL COVER OUR MISSION, THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE, AND A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF BOTH OUR $127.9 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET AND OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
WE BEGIN WITH OUR FOUNDATIONAL PURPOSE AND HOW WE ARE ORGANIZED TO DELIVER SERVICES TO THE AUSTIN RESIDENTS.
OUR PRIMARY CHARGE IS PROTECTING THE LIVES, PROPERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT BY MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF FLOODING, EROSION, AND WATER POLLUTION.
WE ACHIEVE THIS THROUGH CRITICAL SERVICES LIKE DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, FLOODPLAIN MAPPING, AND STORM DRAIN ITEM RETRIEVAL.
WE ALSO DO MANAGE WATER POLLUTION AS WELL.
OUR ORGAN ORGANAL STRUCTURE IS PICTURED HERE.
WE HAVE, THIS YEAR WE HAVE 456.75 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES.
OUR LARGEST DIVISION IS OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION WITH 182 FTES FOLLOWING BY OUR, FOLLOWED BY OUR MODELING, MONITORING AND COMPLIANCE DIVISION, WHICH IS HAS 89 FTES.
OUR OTHER DIVISIONS INCLUDE PROJECT DESIGN AND DELIVERY, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND REVIEW BUSINESS ENTERPRISES AND OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR.
MOVING ON TO THE FINANCIAL DATA, FY 27 RO AND M BUDGET WAS 127.9 MILLION.
OF THAT 48.8 MILLION IS DEDICATED TO TRANSFERS.
AND 28 MILLION, I'M SORRY, 28% OR 35.3 MILLION IS, IS OUR OPERATIONS DIVISION'S BUDGET.
WHILE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY REVIEW ONLY MAKE UP 1% OF THE BUDGET, IT IS CRITICAL IN ENSURING OUR PROJECTS MEET LONG-TERM SUSTAINABLE GOALS.
AND ADDITIONALLY, THE OTHER DIVISIONS ARE LISTED THERE FOR REFERENCE ON THE FUNDING SOURCES.
OUR PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE COMES FROM THE DRAINAGE UTILITY CHARGE.
IT'S ASSESSED BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER ON A PROPERTY.
WE SAW A DRAINAGE UTILITY CHARGE INCREASE OF 5% ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2025, WHICH EQUATED TO 67 CENTS PER MONTH INCREASE FOR A MEDIAN RESIDENTIAL HOME WITH 3,100 SQUARE FEET IMPERVIOUS COVER AND 37% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
OUR CIP FUNDING IS CONSIST CONSISTS OF A MIX OF GEO BONDS GRANTS, TRANSFERS FROM THE DUFF AND FROM THE DUFF OF OUR OPERATIONS OF OUR O AND M BUDGET.
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MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE, 95% OR 118.6 MILLION COMES FROM THE DRAINAGE UTILITY CHARGE.THE OTHER 5% IS COMPRISED OF INTEREST INCOME.
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE DEVELOPMENT LICENSES AND PERMITTING FEES.
OUR EXPENSE CATEGORIES ARE LISTED BELOW.
ON THE SECOND GRAPH OF THE SLIDE, PERSONNEL MAKES UP THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE BUDGET COVERING 47% OR $60 MILLION.
HIGHLIGHTING WHY MAXIMIZING STAFF EFFICIENCY THROUGH OPTIMIZATION IS A TOP PRIORITY.
SO THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON CURRENTLY WITHIN THE O AND M SIDE, OUR PROGRAM ACTIVITIES, THIS SECTION, I'LL HIGHLIGHT OUR DAY-TO-DAY WORK THAT WE DO.
CORE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MAINTAINING OUR DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE AND DRAINAGE INFRASTRUCTURE, CLEANING OF TRASH AND DEBRIS FROM OUR WATERWAYS AND MANAGING LAND AND PONDS.
WE ALSO FOCUS ON POLLUTION PREVENTION, FLOODPLAIN MODELING TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT REVIEW AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH TO DRIVE DATA-DRIVEN DECISIONS.
LASTLY, WE ALSO, UH, DO STORM EVENT MONITORING, REPLENISHING OUR CREEK BENCH COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH AND OTHER AD HOC ACTIVITIES.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING HYDRO MANAGEMENT IN LAKE AUSTIN AS WELL.
AND NOW I WILL PASS IT OVER TO JANAE.
JANAE SPENCE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OVER PROJECT DESIGN AND DELIVERY.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS PART OF THE TRANSFER THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THAT GOES TO, UM, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
SO THIS IS FOR OUR CIPS, WHICH IS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, UH, PROJECTS.
AND THESE ARE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT ARE MORE INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES AND WATERWAYS.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE A HIGHER PRICE TAG AND A LONGER LIFESPAN VERSUS WHAT WE GET YEARLY WITH OUR OPERATING BUDGET.
AND SO THESE ARE NOT JUST INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT CAN ALSO BE VEHICLES, COMPUTERS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO DO OUR WORK BUT LAST LONGER THAN JUST A YEAR AND HAVE MORE OF A, A LONG-TERM LIFESPAN, LIKE I SAID.
SO HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE THESE? WE HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT TALKS ABOUT OUR METHODOLOGIES.
IT HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT FORMULAS IN IT.
UH, WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE DO MOST SEVERE PROBLEMS FIRST.
AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON OUR RAIN TO RIVER RIGHT NOW, WHICH WE'LL UPDATE THAT.
UM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED MIP.
IT'S THE MISSION INTEGRATION PROGRAM.
AND SO AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WATER QUALITY, EROSION FLOOD.
WELL, OUR MISSION INTEGRATION ALLOWS US TO, WHEN WE HAVE A PROJECT, UH, MEET ACROSS THE AISLE WITH OTHER PEOPLE FROM D DIFFERENT MISSIONS AND TRY TO SEE IF WE CAN INTEGRATE THAT.
SO IF WE HAVE AN EROSION PROJECT, WE CAN SEE, HEY, ARE THERE ANY WATER QUALITY BENEFITS THAT WE CAN DO WHILE WE'RE IN THIS AREA? UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
LIKE I SAID, WE ARE WORKING ON RAINS RIVER, WHICH I'M SURE YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD ABOUT AND HAD MULTIPLE UPDATES ON.
UM, BUT THIS IS OUR NEW STRATEGIC PLAN.
OUR CURRENT STRATEGIC PLAN IS VERY TECHNICAL AND REALLY HAS A LOT OF FORMULAS FOR HOW WE PRIORITIZE AND DO OUR WORK.
AND THE UPDATED STRATEGIC PLAN IS GONNA HELP GIVE US GUIDANCE ON HOW TO INCORPORATE SOCIAL DATA INTO OUR PROJECT PLANNING AND OUR SOLUTION IDENTIFICATION.
SO IT'LL HELP US REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE HAVE COMMUNITY FIRST AND HOW WE SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. IT'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT CAN BE PROGRAMMING OR OTHER SOLUTIONS, UM, TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY'S RESILIENCY.
UM, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THAT AS WE WORK ON IT.
I KNOW THIS MAP IS HARD TO SEE.
I CAN PROVIDE IT, UH, ZOOMED IN IF THAT'S HELPFUL.
BUT BASICALLY THIS IS JUST SHOWING THAT WE HAD 111 ACTIVE PROJECTS.
UH, IF YOU DO THE QUICK MATH, WHICH IS THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I SAW THIS, I NOTICED THAT THEY DIDN'T ADD UP.
THE REASON THAT ALL THE NUMBERS IN THE LEGEND DON'T ADD UP TO THE 111 IS BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT AREN'T MAPPABLE, LIKE THE VEHICLES I WAS TALKING ABOUT, MY COMPUTER, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ARE STILL CIP.
BUT WE DON'T REALLY PUT THOSE ON A MAP, SO THAT'S WHY THEY WON'T ADD UP.
UH, WE HAVE 43 THAT WERE IN DESIGN THAT ARE MAPPABLE IN DESIGN.
UH, SEVEN THAT ARE IN BID AND AWARD, 16 IN CONSTRUCTION AND 11 THAT WERE COMPLETED.
UC, IT SAYS NINE THAT WERE COMPLETED.
THAT'S 'CAUSE WE HAD TWO THAT WEREN'T MAPABLE.
UM, ONE OF THOSE INCLUDED SOME STUFF FOR OUR A TX FLOODS WEBSITE FOR OUR FLOOD EARLY WARNING SYSTEM.
THIS IS JUST A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE SAME 111 TO JUST KIND OF TELL YOU HOW THAT BREAKS DOWN BETWEEN OUR MISSION AREAS.
YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE, UH, ONE POP FOR VEHICLES.
WE HAVE BUILDING AND IMPROVEMENT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
THAT COULD BE THE FLOOD EARTHLY WARNING SYSTEM.
THAT COULD ALSO BE, UH, LIKE I SAID, THE COMPUTERS PLANS AND STUDIES.
THIS IS LIKE FLOOD PLAIN MAPPING TYPE OF STUFF.
WATER QUALITY PROTECTION, EROSION CONTROL, AND THEN DRAINAGE AND FLOOD RISK REDUCTION.
THIS IS HOW IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY THE PROJECT PHASE, JUST SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW IT MOVES THROUGH.
[00:10:01]
THE ONES THAT SAY IMPLEMENTATION ARE AGAIN, THE ONES THAT DON'T FOLLOW THE TRADITIONAL, UH, BIG INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT WHERE YOU HAVE DESIGN, BID AND CONSTRUCTION.UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION COULD BE, LIKE I SAID, COMPUTERS, VEHICLES, PLANS, STUDIES, UH, THE ALGAE, UH, TREATMENT THAT WE DO, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
THAT WOULD JUST BE AN IMPLEMENTATION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THAT SEPARATE PIECE.
AND THEN WE HAVE 43 THAT ARE IN DESIGN.
AND THIS WAS A SNAPSHOT AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, 43 THAT ARE IN DESIGN SEVEN THAT WERE IN BID AWARD AND 16 THAT WERE IN CONSTRUCTION, WHICH IS A PRETTY HIGH AMOUNT.
I'M SURE IF YOU'VE DRIVEN AROUND TOWN.
YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION LATELY.
I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW PROJECTS AND I THINK LAST TIME WE TALKED TO A FEW ABOUT A FEW OF THESE WITH YOU GUYS, BUT THEY'RE NOW COMPLETE.
AND SO THE FIRST ONE IS A LITTLE BEAR, UH, LITTLE BEAR CREEK RECHARGE ENHANCEMENT FACILITY.
IT'S A JOINT EFFORT BETWEEN US AND AUSTIN WATER.
UM, THIS IS IN WATER QUALITY PROTECTION LANDS IN HAYES COUNTY.
AND THE GOAL WAS TO DIVERT 30 TO 50% OF HIGH FLOW STORM WATERS FROM LITTLE BEAR CREEK INTO THE STONE LEDGE QUARRY.
THE, THIS WOULD ENHANCE THE FLOW TO BARTON SPRINGS DURING DROUGHTS, BOOST AQUIFER STORAGE AND IMPROVE DROUGHT RESILIENCE, UM, USING NATURAL FILTRATION.
THIS WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
AND THOSE, YEAH, SOME COMPLETED PHOTOS OF THAT WORK.
DICK NICHOLS AND BECKETT MEADOWS WAS ALSO ONE THAT WE RECENTLY COMPLETED.
THESE WERE TWO WATER QUALITY PONDS THAT WEREN'T FUNCTIONING AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED.
UM, WE DID A COMPLETE REHAB ON THESE TWO PONDS SO THAT THEY HAVE, THEY SERVE THEIR WATER QUALITY FEATURE, UM, AND DRASTICALLY IMPROVE THEIR, UH, USE IN THEIR, UH, PRODUCTION.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE NON MAPABLE ONES.
YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP THAT IT IS THE ENTIRE CITY.
UM, SO AS YOU GUYS ARE AWARE, NOAH GAVE US NEW RAINFALL DATA AS PART OF ATLAS 14.
AND WITH THAT NEW RAINFALL DATA, WE TAKE THAT TO REDO ALL OF OUR MAPPING SO THAT WE CAN SEE, UH, WHAT'S IN THE FLOODPLAIN AND KIND OF WHERE THOSE BOUNDARIES LIE BASED ON THE NEW DATA.
SO WE ARE MAPPING OVER 1,100 MILES OF STREAMS AND OVER 250 MILES OF COMPLETELY PREVIOUSLY UNSTUDIED STREAMS. AND SO THE LITTLE, YOU COULD SEE, WE BROKE IT DOWN INTO SECTIONS.
THAT'S TO SPEED IT UP SO THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ALL OF IT.
UH, WE CAN DO THE WHOLE CITY KIND OF AT ONCE VERSUS SLOWLY OVER TIME.
UM, SO THEY'RE BROKEN INTO SEVEN DIFFERENT STUDY AREAS AND THAT'S KIND OF THE PROGRESS OF EACH OF THE DIFFERENT STUDY AREAS.
AND THOSE WILL CONTINUE TO GO, UM, FOR A FEW YEARS.
NEXT, I'M SUPER PROUD TO TALK ABOUT ROY G. GUERRERO PARK.
THIS ONE WAS RECENTLY FINISHED.
WE HAD A RIBBON CUTTING TWO OR SO WEEKS AGO.
UM, THIS PROJECT ACTUALLY WON, UH, A PWAS PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CATEGORY FOR PROJECTS FROM 25 TO 75.
AND THIS IS FOR, UH, ALL OF TEXAS FOR LAST YEAR.
SO WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE A LOT OF CONCRETE IN THIS PICTURE,
UM, AND IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS DESIGNED REALLY WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE ECOSYSTEM IN MIND.
SO VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT WE, UH, RECENTLY REBUILT THE BRIDGE, GOT THE RIBBON CUTTING AND GOT PROJECT OF THE YEAR IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL CATEGORY FOR THIS PROJECT.
A HUGE PROPHE TO JANA REPRO FOR WORKING ON THIS PROJECT THROUGH ITS WHOLE LIFESPAN.
THIS PROJECT SHOWS THE DEPTH AND THE DIFFERENCES OF ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS WITHIN OUR CIP PORTFOLIO.
SO, UH, AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GIANT TUNNEL THAT GOES UNDER DOWNTOWN THAT IS A DIVERSION OF WALL WALLER CREEK.
AND THIS ALLOWS A LOT OF THE PROPERTIES ALONG WALLER CREEK TO BE OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN.
AND SO AS PART OF THAT, WE ALSO HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT TUNNEL, MAINTAIN, UH, ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MAKES THAT WORK.
AND SO PART OF THAT IS THE WET WELL, UM, MECHANICAL SCREENS PROJECT.
THIS ALLOWED US TO GET DEBRIS OUT EVEN DURING A STORM EVENT AND ALLOWED, UH, IMPROVED SAFETY FOR OUR, OUR OPERATIONS CREWS THAT WORK ON THIS.
AND SO THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE ALSO USE.
OUR CIP FUNDING ARE TO IMPROVE HOW WE DO OUR MAINTENANCE OF SOME OF THESE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE.
OLDLAND PASSES IS ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION AND HAS, UH, COME A REALLY LONG WAY.
THIS ONE WILL BE DONE IN ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS.
UH, THIS IS A DAM MODERNIZATION PROJECT.
SO TCEQ MONITORS ALL OF OUR DAMS, ESPECIALLY HIGH HAZARD, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE SAFE FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, AS A LOT OF THESE WERE BUILT A VERY LONG TIME AGO, THEY NEED MODERNIZATION, UH, TO UP TO UP THEM TO MODERN ENGINEERING, UM, AND MODERN STANDARDS FOR THE CITY.
AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT NEEDED SOME WORK.
IT WAS 12 AND A HALF MILLION AND IT WAS FUNDED BY MULTIPLE DIFFERENT FUNDING, UH, SOURCES, BUT IT'LL BE COMPLETE, AS I SAID IN ABOUT, UH, FOUR MONTHS OR SO.
I KNOW THIS IS SUPER TINY, SO I'M GONNA WALK Y'ALL THROUGH IT.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO, IF YOU CLICK ON THAT, YOU CAN GO SEE FROM CDS CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
I JUST WANNA GIVE Y'ALL A QUICK UPDATE ON HOW THE BOND HAS BEEN PROGRESSING.
I KNOW THAT AT SOME POINT, UH, LAST YEAR WE CAME TO YOU GUYS
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WITH OUR CRITERIA THAT WE WERE GONNA USE TO HOW, FOR HOW WE PRIORITIZE OUR BOND PROJECTS.SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN CRITERIA THAT THE B DIFF, UH, CAME UP WITH, WHICH IS THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE.
AND SO THAT BOND ADVISORY TASK FORCE DID THE, UH, CRITERIA FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT GROUPS.
SO EACH OF THESE TRANSPORTATION WATERSHED PARKS, WE ALL WENT TO THIS, UH, PROJECT REVIEW BOARD AND GOT SCORES.
AND THEN THEY, UH, SAID WHAT THEY WOULD, UH, SUGGEST WOULD BE OUR TOP KIND OF PROJECTS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA WALK Y'ALL THROUGH WHAT THAT BREAKDOWN LOOKS LIKE.
FOR WATERSHED, IT WAS 160 MILLION TOTAL.
UM, WE SAY 150 BECAUSE THE 10 MILLION THAT'S FOR OPEN SPACE, THAT'S REALLY A MULTI-DEPARTMENT BENEFIT AS YOU GUYS ARE AWARE.
UM, BUT WITH THE 150, WE HAD 125, THAT WOULD BE FOR NAMED PROJECTS.
SO THESE ARE AREAS THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WE ARE AT LIKE 90% DESIGN WORKING TOWARDS A, A PROJECT.
ONE OF THOSE MAPPABLE ONES, UH, THE REMAINING BUCKETS WERE FOR RESILIENCE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD EITHER DO BUYOUTS OR WE'RE ALSO INTERESTED IN DOING STRUCTURE RAISING.
SO OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN SOLVE THE FLOODING ISSUES WITHIN AUSTIN WITHOUT ALWAYS DOING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WAYS WE CAN IMPROVE THAT RESILIENCY ACROSS AUSTIN.
PARTNERSHIPS IS A, IS FOR DIG ONCE OPPORTUNITIES.
IF AUSTIN WATER IS ALREADY DOING SOMETHING ON THAT STREET OR PROJECT CONNECT IS OPENING UP THE WHOLE STREET, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO, UH, REPLACE OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, OUR UNDERSIDES INFRASTRUCTURE WHILE THEY'RE ALREADY THERE? SO THIS SAVES MONEY FOR WATERSHED AND IT ALSO, UH, MINIMIZES THE IMPACT TO THE COMMUNITY ON HOW OFTEN PEOPLE ARE THERE DOING CONSTRUCTION OUTSIDE THEIR HOMES.
SMALL SCALE AND ASSET MANAGEMENT.
THIS IS FOR OUR IDIQ CONTRACTS, WHICH IS INDEFINITE DELIVERY.
THIS ALLOWS US TO HAVE A CONTRACT THAT'S VERY MOBILE THAT WE CAN EASILY DO WORK ORDERS WITHOUT HAVING TO BID EVERY SMALL PROJECT.
SO THIS ALLOWS US TO DO PROJECTS THAT ARE SMALLER IN NATURE THAN THOSE ONES THAT YOU SAW, BUT THAT WERE CIP, BUT ALLOW US TO MOVE QUICKLY AND MOBILIZE CONTRACTORS.
AND THEN OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION.
THERE WAS 10 MILLION FOR THAT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, HAPPY TO ANSWER.
BUT I JUST WANNA GIVE KIND OF A HIGH OVERVIEW.
UM, I KNOW THAT THERE IS A QUESTION ON WHETHER THERE'S GONNA BE A 26 BOND.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UH, COUNCIL'S STILL DEBATING ON WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL FIND OUT IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, BUT WE'RE KIND OF WAITING TO SEE HOW THAT PANS OUT TO SEE HOW WE, HOW WE PLAN OUR CIP AND WHAT WE DO MOVING FORWARD IN OUR BUDGET AS WELL.
THESE ARE JUST SOME RESOURCES FOR YOU GUYS.
IF YOU CLICK ON THAT LINK, YOU CAN GO IN AND SEE, UH, ANY OF OUR PROJECTS.
THEY'RE, RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE, UH, SORTED BY WHAT TYPE OF, UH, PROJECT THEY ARE, IF THEY'RE LOCAL, FLOODING, CREEK FLOODING, EROSION.
UM, AND THEN YOU CAN LOOK IN THERE AND, AND SEE.
WE USED TO HAVE 'EM BY EACH OF THE PROJECT NAMES, BUT WE HAD TO CLEAN UP THE WEBSITE.
THEY'RE TIGHTENING UP HOW MANY DIFFERENT PAGES WE CAN HAVE.
UM, SO, UH, HOPEFULLY IT'S STILL NAVIGABLE, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, DON'T HESITATE TO REACH OUT.
THIS IS NOT JUST, UH, WATERSHED PROJECTS, IT'S ALL PROJECTS.
WE ARE UNDER THE WATER, UH, TAB IN THERE, BUT THIS IS FOR ANY PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU MAYBE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS OURS DOES, BUT IT GIVES YOU A BIT OF A HIGH LEVEL ON ANY PROJECT.
AND THIS ALSO HAS A MAP THAT IS PART OF THAT.
SO YOU CAN SEE BY MAP AND CLICK AROUND FOR ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS WITHIN AN AREA.
SO I THINK THIS IS A, A REALLY HELPFUL TOOL FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR YOU GUYS IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT PROJECTS ACROSS THE CITY.
UH, THIS I WAS GONNA PRESENT ON ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
UH, THERE WAS SOME INTEREST FROM SOME OF THE MEMBERS TO GET MORE PROJECTS SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
AND SO I WAS TRYING TO THINK OF WAYS WE CAN GIVE Y'ALL THAT REAL TIME DATA, UM, WHILE, WHILE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL.
AND SO FOR EACH OF OUR PROJECTS, WE HAVE DISTRIBUTION LISTS.
SO WHEN PEOPLE COME TO OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS, THEY SIGN UP WITH THEIR EMAIL AND WE SEND THEM UPDATES ON THE PROJECT AS IT PROGRESSES.
AND SO, UH, IT'LL EITHER BE, HEY, THERE'S ENOUGH COMING PUBLIC MEETING, OR IT'LL SAY, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME WE TALKED TO Y'ALL.
AND JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF UPDATE SO WE CAN ADD YOU GUYS TO THAT DISTRIBUTION LIST IF IT'S HELPFUL EITHER FOR CERTAIN, UH, TYPES OF PROJECTS FOR, UH, CERTAIN DISTRICTS OR WHATEVER, HOWEVER YOU GUYS WOULD WANT.
BUT THAT'S AN EXTRA WAY WE CAN GIVE Y'ALL MORE INFORMATION IN REAL TIME.
AND IT'S ALSO THE SAME INFORMATION THAT THE COMMUNITY'S GETTING.
SIMILARLY, UH, WE PRESENT TO THE PUBLIC REGULARLY ON OUR PROJECTS.
AND SO AFTER WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE, WE CAN SEND Y'ALL THE PRESENTATION.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC ON THE DUCK POND AT SHEFIELD, AND THEN Y'ALL ASK FOR AN UPDATE PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE COULD HAVE SENT YOU GUYS THAT RIGHT AFTER, AND IT WOULD, WOULD'VE BEEN VERY SIMILAR INFORMATION.
YOU MIGHT STILL WANT US TO COME TALK, WHICH IS TOTALLY FINE, BUT YOU GUYS ARE THEN SEEING EXACTLY WHAT THE COMMUNITY IS SEEING AND WOULD HELP YOU GUYS TO BE MORE INFORMED.
SO YEAH, AS I MENTIONED, JUST A COUPLE PROPOSALS FOR Y'ALL TO GIVE
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FEEDBACK ON IF YOU WANT.BUT WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS, UH, ADD YOU GUYS TO THE DISTRI DISTRIBUTION LIST.
YOU CAN OPT OUT IF YOU WANT OR IT'D BE ADDED TO PARTICULAR ONES.
AND THEN SHARE PRESENTATIONS FROM PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UH, THAT IS IT I THINK FOR BOTH OF US, BUT WE'RE BOTH HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM CHAIR? THERE ARE NO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR ITEM TWO.
WITH THAT WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS AND WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER FLURRY.
UM, I'LL TAKE YOU UP ON YOUR OFFER TO GET ON PROJECT DISTRIBUTION LISTS.
UM, I, I BLAME MYSELF MORE SO WHEN I MISS A PUBLIC MEETING, UH, A FEW MONTHS LATER, BUT I'M GRATEFUL WHEN I CAN FIND THE INFORMATION ONLINE.
UM, UH, YOU, YOU MAY HAVE TOUCHED ON THIS, BUT I'M, YOU ANY HIGHLIGHTS FROM OPEN SPACE ACQUISITIONS PROPERTIES, UH, THAT YOU, YOU COULD SHARE OR ACRES? I DON'T.
HOWEVER YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT IT.
OH, I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
UM, BUT WE HAVE SPENT ALL OF THE MONEY FROM OUR 2018 BOND FUNDING THAT WAS FOR, UM, OPEN SPACE.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY, UH, FUN FACTS.
UM, BUT WE ARE, I KNOW WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THAT 50 MILLION THAT WAS, UH, LAST YEAR THAT WAS GIVEN AND TRYING TO DO A, A JOINT EFFORT WITH OUR FOOD FOLKS AS WELL AS AUSTIN WATER AND REALLY, UH, PARTNERING WITH OCAR, UH, OFFICE OF CLIMATE AND RESILIENCY TO SEE IF WE CAN HIT MULTIPLE DEPARTMENT'S GOALS WITH THAT FUNDING.
IF THAT'S A MAP THAT Y'ALL ALREADY HAVE MADE, WE WE, WE'D LOVE TO SEE JUST RECENT ACQUISITIONS.
BUT DON'T NEED TO DO ANY EXTRA WORK IF IT'S NOT MADE YET.
UH, NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
JUST WANNA NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE HAVE, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN ON THE DAIS NOW REMOTELY.
WE'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER LUKI FOR QUESTIONS.
I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THE, THE, THE WET WELL, IS THAT WHAT IT WAS CALLED ON, ON, UM, WALLER CREEK? YEAH.
UM, IS THAT NEW TECHNOLOGY? I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
SO IT'S, IT GOES DOWN SIX STORIES.
'CAUSE THAT'S HOW, HOW DEEP IT IS.
AND IT'S BASICALLY A SCREEN THAT ALLOWS FOR ALL THE DEBRIS TO BE CAUGHT UP.
AND THEN IT'S PULLED UP KIND OF LIKE A, NOT LIKE A ESCALATOR, BUT ON, ON LIKE A PULLEY THING UP SO THAT THEY CAN CLEAN IT OUT WITHOUT HAVING TO BE ALL THE WAY DOWN IN THERE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S NEW TECHNOLOGY, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE REALIZE AFTER WE'RE SERVICING IT THAT WE NEED, YOU KNOW, THIS IS FAIRLY NEWER TO US TO HAVE WALL CREEK AND SO AS WE CONTINUE TO, TO UTILIZE IT AND MAINTAIN IT, WE FIND WAYS THAT WE CAN DO BETTER ARE, IS THIS THE ONLY ONE WE HAVE IN AUSTIN? YES.
IS THERE AN IDEA OF PUTTING THEM ANYWHERE ELSE OR A NEED FOR THAT? I DON'T THINK SO.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF, WALLER CREEK IS A VERY, UH, THE WAY THAT THAT FUNCTIONS IS VERY UNIQUE TO AUSTIN.
LIKE, WE DON'T HAVE A TON OF THESE HUGE, UH, INTAKE FACILITIES THROUGHOUT, UH, THE CITY.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, I AM AN AVID RUNNER AND RUN IN ROY G PARKFEST SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, SO THANK YOU.
LOVE IT SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THAT.
UM, I'M ALSO NEW TO, UH, THE COMMISSION, SO, UH, CURIOUS HOW THIS YEAR'S BUDGET COMPARES TO LAST YEAR AND JUST WHAT THE, UM, YEAH.
HOW MUCH THE BUDGET TENDS TO CHANGE FROM YEAR TIER? YEAH.
AS A WHOLE OR FOR CIP PROJECT SPECIFICALLY? UH, FOR THE WHOLE WATERSHED.
UH, ON SLIDE SEVEN THOUGH, THIS 127 NUMBER.
UH, SO LAST YEAR, UM, WE BROUGHT IN 122 MILLION.
WE DID A 5%, UM, INCREASE IN 2026.
AND SO WE PRETTY SURE WE CAN PROJECT OUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING IN, IN REVENUE, UH, IN 27.
AND SO THAT RESULTED IN, YOU KNOW, FIVE POINT, I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER RIGHT.
BUT JUST A LITTLE OVER $5 MILLION INCREASE.
BASED OFF TOTAL, TOTAL, UH, FOR THE DUFF YES.
ACROSS, BASED OFF WHAT YOUR PROJECTIONS ARE OF HOW MUCH THE REVENUE WILL INCREASE.
I MEAN, BUT WE, THE WAY THAT OUR REVENUE IS CALCULATED, WE ALREADY KNOW KIND OF, SO NOT TO GET INTO THE WEEDS ON THIS, BUT, UM, EVERY AUSTIN ENERGY CUSTOMER, YOU KNOW, THEY, WHEREVER THEIR PROPERTY IS, THEIR IMPERVIOUS COVER IS CALCULATED FOR THAT PROPERTY IS TACKED ONTO THAT BILL.
NOW WE DO HAVE A TEAM OR DUFF REVENUE TEAM WHO GO IN AND SO IF PEOPLE HAVE, IF CUSTOMERS HAVE ISSUES AND SAY, OH, THIS IS WRONG, OR MAYBE IT'S COUNTING A DECK THAT SHOULDN'T BE COUNTED OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE HAVE A TEAM THAT GOES IN, USES MAPS, TAKES PICTURES, REASSESS WHAT THAT IS, AND THEN WE'LL READJUST THAT CALCULATION FOR THAT PROPERTY.
AND SO THEY'RE UPDATED IN REAL TIME AND THAT UPDATE WILL BE CAPTURED IN THE NEXT MONTH.
AND SO WHEN WE PROJECT OUT FOR THE YEAR, IT'S, WE KNOW THE NUMBER OF HOUSES AND ALL WE'RE REALLY TWEAKING IS A VARIABLE OF HOW MUCH
[00:25:01]
NEW DEVELOPMENT WE'RE GONNA GET.BUT FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY IT'S DEVELOPED ALREADY.
AND SO WE ARE SURE ABOUT WHAT THAT IS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE, UH, COMMISSIONER QURESHI AND, UH, SULLIVAN AND I WERE SUPPOSED TO WORK TO PROVIDE A LITTLE IN DEPTH ANALYSIS OF THE BUDGET PROCESS OF, UH, WATERSHED AND WE FELL BEHIND ON THAT.
UH, AND SINCE I WAS IN CHARGE OF IT, IT'S MY FAULT AND WE HAVE NOT, UH, WE'RE NOT STEPPING AWAY FROM THAT.
WE'RE KIND OF FALLING A LITTLE BIT BEHIND ON IT.
SO I'D LIKE TO, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH JANAE AND, UH, ALBERT HERE, LET THEM KNOW WE CONTINUE, UH, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
IT, WE ORIGINALLY PLANNED, WE HAD HOPED TO GET SOMETHING MEANINGFUL TO YOU IN TIME, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO THIS.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND WE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
I WANTED TO GET OUT THAT FIRST, BUT I DO HAVE SOME, SOME, YOU KNOW, BRIEF QUE WELL BRIEFINGS.
I DO WANT TO BE ON YOUR DISTRIBUTION LIST.
I'M THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT SOMETIMES LIKES TO BE PROMPTED BECAUSE I'VE GOT SO MANY THINGS GOING ON THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, GETTING AN EMAIL SOMETIMES WAKES ME UP.
SO, UH, PLEASE PUT ME ON THAT, UH, DISTRIBUTION LIST FOR A PROJECT.
MY OTHER QUESTION HAS TO DO, NOT NECESSARILY WITH, UH, YOU FOLKS IN GENERAL, BUT, UH, SOME OTHER RESEARCH I'VE DONE WITH OTHER PROJECTS WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, WHEN YOU DO A-A-C-I-P EFFORT, UH, THESE ARE MOSTLY DONE WITH CONTRACTORS, RIGHT? I MEAN, CITY PERSONNEL ARE NOT THE LEAD WORKERS IN THIS.
I MEAN, THERE'S MAYBE SOME CITY PERSONNEL RUNNING AROUND, BUT YOU LET THE CONTRACT OUT TO SOME FIRM, IS THAT CORRECT? DEPENDS ON THE SIZE.
UM, SO WE DO A LOT OF IN-HOUSE AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE, UH, THE PROJECT DESIGN DELIVERY BRANCH HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HAS ENGINEERS AND WE DO SOME, UH, IN-HOUSE DESIGN IF IT'S OF A CERTAIN SIZE.
AND THEN WE HAND IT TO OUR OPERATIONS CREWS, WHICH WE HAVE ABOUT FOUR, UH, THAT DO CONSTRUCTION FOR CREWS.
AND I THINK LAST YEAR WE DID AROUND 44, 45 IN-HOUSE PROJECTS.
SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN BE NIMBLE AND QUICK AND RESPONSIVE, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY NEEDS.
AND THEN THE LARGER PROJECTS, WHICH IS THAT 112 THAT YOU SAW, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE HIRE DESIGN FIRMS AND WE'RE, WE'RE CALLED THE SPONSORS.
SO WE WRITE THE SCOPE, WORK WITH THE DESIGN FIRMS OR VIEW THEIR DESIGNS, CHECK THEM, QA, QC, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THEN WE HIRE A CON A CONTRACTOR FOR THOSE.
UH, SO DO YOU ALL MANAGE IT OR, OR DOES THEY WHAT? UH, CITY DELIVERIES? YEAH, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
THEY'RE THE PMS AND SO THEY'RE BASICALLY THE EXPERTS IN THE CONTRACTING AND LIKE THE PROCESS OF HOW A PROJECT MOVE MO MOVES THROUGH.
BUT WE'RE THE EXPERTS IN THE ENGINEERING OF THAT PARTICULAR WORK.
AND SO THERE'S, UH, PROJECT MANAGERS, THERE'S SPON THAT, THAT CDS PROJECT MANAGERS, THEN THERE'S SPONSORS, AND THAT'S THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT WHO SETS THE SCOPE AND MAKES THE DECISIONS ABOUT THE PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S LIKE INSPECTORS AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE PROJECT.
SO WHO PUTS OUT THE, UH, RFP, THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL? WE WORK, UH, WITH THE PM WE WORK ON THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE WANT AND THEN THE PM HELPS US CHECK IT, MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE RIGHT THINGS.
'CAUSE THEY'VE DONE A BUNCH OF R RFPS AND THEN THEY PUT IT OUT THROUGH CONTRACTING.
WE HAVE LIKE A CONTRACTING DEPARTMENT.
RIGHT, BUT IT'S CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.
WHO PUTS OUT THE RFP? YES, I THINK SO.
I'M NOT, I DON'T WANNA, BUT IT'S US.
WELL, I GUESS HERE'S WHERE I'M, YEAH, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE UNDERLYING, WHAT DO YOU GOT? WELL, YEAH, OKAY.
SO LET ME GET TO KIND OF THE BOTTOM LINE HERE.
WHAT I FOUND WHEN I LOOK AT SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAVE PUT, BEEN PUT OUT THE CITY, NOT YOURS, BUT OTHERS, IS SOMETIMES THERE'S A SINGLE BIDDING SINGLE BIDDERS ON IT.
AND, UH, IT'S MY PERCEPTION THAT BECAUSE THERE'S INDIVIDUAL BIDDERS ON, ON THESE PROJECTS MM-HMM
SOME OF THEM SOMEWHAT LARGE, THE SCALE OF THEM ARE SMALLER BECAUSE THE, THE NATURE OF THE PROJECT IS SMALLER.
THEY'RE NOT AS BIG AS THIS, BUT I'M CONCERNED THAT THE CITY MIGHT BE OVERPAYING BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY A SINGLE BIDDER ON ON THE TYPE OF THING.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU GETTING MULTIPLE BIDDERS ON IT SO THAT YOU CAN PICK AND CHOOSE BASED UPON THE CRITERIA, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU SCORE THE BIDS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S A SCORING PROCESS BY WHICH YOU GO THROUGH TO SELECT, UH, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE MULTIPLE QUALIFIED BIDDERS FOR THESE THINGS, IS THE QUESTION I'M ASKING? YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.
AND SO WE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THINGS FOR, THERE'S REQUESTS FOR BID, THERE'S REQUESTS FOR PROPOSAL, REQUESTS FOR QUALIFICATIONS.
AND SO SOME OF THOSE ARE FOR CONSULTANTS.
UM, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RE SPECIFICALLY LIKE REQUESTS
[00:30:01]
FOR BIDS FROM CONTRACTORS.SO IN MY EXPERIENCE, WE JUST DID ONE RECENTLY.
SO FIRST OFF WE GET AN OPCC, WHICH IS A OPINION OF PROBABLE COST FROM OUR DESIGN CONSULTANT OF LIKE HERE'S AROUND WHAT WE THINK IT WILL BE.
AND SO WHEN WE GET THOSE BIDS IN, WE'RE ALSO COMPARING TO THAT, THAT GETS US A GOOD PLANNING AMOUNT OF WHAT WE ARE EXPECTED TO DO.
AND THAT'S BASED ON OTHER BIDS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGHOUT THE CITY AS WELL.
SO WE KNOW A BIT OF WHAT TO EXPECT.
SO IF IT'S WAY OFF, WE CAN SEE THAT.
BUT MOST OF OUR PROJECTS GET AT LEAST FOUR BIDDERS.
AND IF IT EVER IS THAT WE HAVE LESS BIDDERS, WE COMPARE IT WITH OUR OPCC AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE OF SIMILAR NATURE TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MAKES SENSE.
I MEAN, WE DO ENOUGH OF THESE PROJECTS THROUGH CAPITAL DELIVERY AND WITHIN OUR OWN DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT WOULD BE.
AND IF THERE IS A CERTAIN LINE ITEM WITHIN THE BID THAT'S REALLY HIGH, WE CAN SAY, OKAY, IS THIS PROJECT DIFFERENT WITH LIKE CARE OF WATER BECAUSE IT'S IN A MAJOR WATERWAY OR IS THERE SOMETHING SPECIFIC THAT WOULD IMPACT THAT? UM, BUT FOR MOST OF OUR PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, UH, WE GET MULTIPLE BIDDERS.
SORRY I TOOK THE LONG WAY, BUT NO, THAT'S OKAY.
I MEAN, I NEEDED THE DETAIL AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT IN THE FUTURE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL, BUT THAT'S THE SHORT VERSION AND THAT'S TERRIFIC.
WELL, I'LL POINT OUT TOO THAT I'M ON THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE AND WE DO HAVE A WORK GROUP THAT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH WATERSHED ABOUT THIS.
UM, I'M JUST MAKING THAT OBSERVATION TO CLEAR UP THE EARLIER SLIDE, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS.
I FEEL LIKE THIS MIC IS SUPER FAR FROM ME, BUT I TRIED TUGGING IT WOULDN'T GO ANY FARTHER, SO WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP IT HOW IT IS.
UM, YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS, THIS PROJECT DISTRIBUTION LIST THAT Y'ALL HAVE, I SEE THIS EMAIL LIKE WTP D PIO@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV.
IS THAT LIKE A NEWSLETTER THAT LIKE THE PUBLIC CAN SUBSCRIBE TO THAT Y'ALL HAVE, LIKE LET'S SAY YOU'RE SOME KIND OF SICKO AND YOU WANNA SEE EVERYTHING THAT WPD EVER DOES FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
UH, IS THERE A POSSIBILITY OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT? OR IS THIS LIKE MORE LIKE A, ON A, LIKE A REGIONAL LEVEL? WHAT EXACTLY IS LIKE THE, THE MISSION HERE? YEAH, THEY, THEY ARE PROJECT SPECIFIC.
SO WHEN WE GO AND WE DO THAT ON PURPOSE BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET WHAT THEY WANT AND WHAT'S RELEVANT TO THEM.
SO WHEN WE GO TO A PUBLIC MEETING, WE SAY, HEY, PLEASE SIGN IN IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL EMAILS AND UPDATES ON THIS, LET US US KNOW.
SO WE DON'T FORCE PEOPLE TO HAVE IT, BUT MOST PEOPLE CHECK THAT.
AND SO WE DON'T WANT THEM TO GET STUFF ABOUT EVERY SINGLE PROJECT OR THEY MAY BE FRUSTRATED THEY'RE NOT GETTING WHAT YOU KNOW, IS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, BUT WHAT WE WOULD DO IS SIGN Y'ALL UP FOR ALL OF THEM AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL MEMBERS ASK ANYTHING IN MY DISTRICT, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS ASK FOR ANYTHING AT ALL.
UM, BUT YEAH, IT'S, IT IS PROJECT SPECIFIC THAT IT COMES FROM.
SO I GUESS IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO SIGN UP FOR IT, BUT LET'S SAY THEY'RE UNABLE TO MAKE A MEETING OR WHATEVER, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS FOR THAT? YEAH, SO IF YOU GO, UM, TO THE PROJECT WEBSITE, WHICH IS MAYBE TWO SLIDES BEFORE THAT, BUT IF YOU JUST GO TO WATERSHED AND LOOK AT THE PROJECTS WITHIN EACH ONE, IT'LL SAY SIGN UP FOR THE DISTRIBUTION LIST SO YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE.
IF SOMEBODY IS LISTENING AND WANTS TO GET ON ALL OF THEM, UH, VER YOU COULD JUST EMAIL US VERSUS DOING THAT AND WE COULD ADD YOU TO ALL OF THEM.
IF SOMEBODY IS DOING THAT, PLEASE JOIN THE COMMISSION.
UH, AND YEAH, THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL ARE FULLY FUNDED AND MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED FOR YOU ALL FOR THE BOND AS WELL.
UM, AND I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
SO THIS IS RECOMMENDATION NUMBER 2 0 2 6 0 0 4.
MAYBE I'LL PUT AN EXTRA ZERO ON THERE.
UH, 0 4 0 3 DASH ZERO ONE AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION FISCAL YEAR BUDGET RECOMMENDATION WE'RE AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS PRESENTED, AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTIONS FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET.
AND WE'RE, AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS PRESENTED IN AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION'S INITIAL 2026 BOND RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SUPPORTS THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS AS PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION.
UH, AND IF THERE ARE ANY FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS, THEN PEOPLE CAN, UH, PUT THOSE IN THERE.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND SECOND THAT.
ANY DISCUSSION? ANY ADJUSTMENTS? OKAY.
WITH A MOTION AND A SECOND, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT TO A VOTE.
COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN FOUR, COMMISSIONER FLURRY FOUR.
COMMISSIONER LUKI FOUR, COMMISSIONER MORRISON.
AND I'M ACTING CHAIR KRUEGER AND I'M FOUR.
[3. Name: Circuit Of the Americas (COTA) Planned Unit Development Amendment (PUD), C814 2018-0122.03 ]
[00:35:01]
TO GO TO PUBLIC HEARINGS.ITEM NUMBER THREE, WE HAVE THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS CODA, PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT, PUD C EIGHT 14 DASH 28 0 22 0 3.
THE APPLICANT IS ARMES AND BROWN, REPRESENTED BY MICHAEL WHALEN.
THE LOCATION IS 9 2 0 1 CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS BOULEVARD, AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION FROM LESLIE LILLY, ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM MANAGER.
UH, THANK YOU EVERYBODY AND GOOD EVENING.
UH, MY NAME IS LESLIE LILY, UH, WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION AND THIS EVENING I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS POD OR PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE.
AND THAT IS CASE NUMBER C 8 14 2 0 1 8.
SO GO BACK ON SLIDE
IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF I'D HAD THAT MEMORIZED THOUGH.
SO, UH, THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS, AS YOU MAYBE ARE ALL FAMILIAR, IS THE LOCATION OF AUSTIN'S F1 RACETRACK.
IT ALSO HAS THE LARGE, UH, EVENT VENUE, THE 360 AMPHITHEATER.
UM, IT'S LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, IN OUR FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION, BUT IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER, UH, RECHARGE ZONE, SO ON THE EAST SIDE OF AUSTIN.
SO THE, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO BRING SOME HISTORY OF THE SITE INTO OUR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT TO JUST THINK ABOUT HOW THE LAND USE OF THIS SITE HAS PROGRESSED SINCE, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE 19 HUNDREDS AND HISTORICALLY IT HAS BEEN USED BEFORE IT WAS A RACETRACK AS, UH, AGRICULTURAL LAND.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S A HISTORY OF, UM, CLEARING FOR THE USE OF AGRICULTURE AND DIFFERENT, UM, APPLICATIONS OF GRADING AND VEGETATION REMOVAL FOR THOSE PURPOSES.
UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THAT, UH, ACTIVITY IN THAT PICTURE ON THE UPPER RIGHT HAND SIDE FOR THE 1940S.
AND THEN IN THE 1970S, UM, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE LAND USE PLAN, THERE'S A PRETTY LARGE DAM RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROPERTY, UH, THAT DAMS UP A PORTION OF THE CREEK DRY, UH, DRY CREEK EAST THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE 1970S.
SO WHEN DID THE RACETRACK COME INTO FRUITION IN, UH, THE 2010, 2011, 2012.
THAT'S WHEN THE CITY ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH, UH, THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS TO DEVELOP THIS RACETRACK.
UM, AND AT THAT TIME THERE WAS SOME CONDITIONS THAT WERE AGREED TO SOME ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CONTINUE INTO, UH, WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY.
AND THAT RACETRACK STARTED CONSTRUCTION IN 2011.
UH, AND IT WAS PERMITTED UNDER A SITE PLAN THAT WE'RE STILL USING FOR, UM, LIKE REVISIONS FOR THINGS THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT INTO THE PROPERTY.
SO WHY WAS THERE A PUD NEEDED? UM, THERE WAS ORIGINALLY A, UH, YOU KNOW, A ZONING INTER INTERIM RURAL RESIDENTIAL THAT DIDN'T, AND, AND THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY THAT DIDN'T ALLOW FOR MORE DEVELOPMENT THAN, YOU KNOW, THE RACETRACK AND WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY AGREED TO.
ADDITIONALLY, THAT ZONING DOESN'T REALLY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HIGHER BUILDINGS AND THAT, UH, DEVELOPMENT NEEDED AND PROPOSED FOR THERE TO BE BUILDINGS IN EXCESS OF 60 FEET.
AND SO IT WAS DECIDED THAT POD ZONING WAS THE DIRECTION TO GO.
SO THE POD WAS DEVELOPED IN 2020 AND THERE IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THAT ARE WITHIN THE POD ORDINANCE AND A LOT OF THOSE, UH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.
SO THIS IS THE THIRD AMENDMENT, BUT THIS IS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT.
THE TWO PREVIOUS AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN SMALLER, UM, INCLUDING AN INCREASE IN HEIGHT.
ONE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE, UM, AMUSEMENT PARK, THE CODA LAND, WHICH IS ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT THAT IS ON THE PROPERTY AT THIS ONE TONIGHT, THOUGH, IS FOR A MUCH LARGER, UH, ACCOMMODATING A MUCH LARGER, UH, PROJECT TO BE ADDED TO THE SITE.
OKAY, SO WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMPONENTS AND OTHER LIKE REGULATORY, UH, CONSTRAINTS, UH, THAT ARE ON THE SITE INCLUDE? SO THE WHOLE PROPERTY IS 1,153 ACRES.
IT'S IN THE SUBURBAN WATERSHED.
IT'S IN DRY CREEK EAST WATERSHED, WHICH IS A SUBURBAN WATERSHED.
IT'S ALSO IDENTIFIED AS A DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
UM, SO THE CITY IS, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFIED THIS AREA OF AUSTIN AS A PLACE DESIRABLE FOR DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR.
UM, THERE ARE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES, AND IMPORTANTLY A MAJOR CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE THAT'S THE LARGEST OF OUR CLASSIFIED WATERWAYS, WHICH PUT A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE BUFFER.
[00:40:01]
UM, ON THIS SITE IT'S 300 FEET FROM THE CENTER LINE OF THE CREEK.UH, THERE IS A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP, THAT SYMBOLIZED AS KIND OF LIKE A, A DULL GREEN KINDA SEA FOAM GREEN, UH, THAT IS AROUND THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE THAT'S SYMBOLIZED IN BLUE.
UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL WETLAND CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES.
THOSE ARE THE KIND OF NEON GREEN AND THEY'RE CIRCLED BY ORANGE.
AND THAT IS THE BUFFER THAT PROTECTS THOSE FEATURES, UM, ESPECIALLY OF ONE VERY LARGE, UH, WETLAND, CEF IN THE CENTER.
AND THAT IS THE RESULT OF THE DAM THAT WAS CONSTRUCTED IN THE SEVENTIES.
AND THEN LASTLY, THERE'S SOME, YOU KNOW, TOPOGRAPHY OUT THERE WHEN YOU HAVE A CREEK AND YOU KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE TOPOGRAPHY.
SO LOTS OF SLOPES IN EXCESS OF 15%.
UH, ALL THINGS THAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT TONIGHT, 'CAUSE THOSE INCLUDE SOME OF THE, UM, CODE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE BEING REQUESTED WITH THE POT AMENDMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA DISCUSS.
UM, SO THIS IS JUST AN AERIAL OF THE PROJECT AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S OUTLINED.
THE, UM, UH, THE RACETRACK RIGHT IN THE CENTER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S CURRENTLY CONSTRUCTED.
THE, UH, THE DRY CREEK EAST ALONG THE WESTERN PORTION OF THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY, YOU KNOW, UNDEVELOPED.
UM, AND THE PORTION IN THE TOP, UH, NORTHEAST CORNER ALSO DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT THERE.
AND THOSE ARE THE PLACES THAT WE'RE GONNA REALLY FOCUS ON DISCUSSING RELATED TO WHAT IS PROPOSED IN THIS AMENDMENT.
SO WHAT IS PROPOSED IN THIS THIRD AMENDMENT? THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT IS PROPOSED AS A PART OF THIS AMENDED POD IS A LARGE HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER IN PROPOSED AND PLANNING AREA FOUR.
SO THAT'S THE NORTH, UH, WEST CORNER, UH, YOU CAN SEE A FOUR THERE.
THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT PLANNING AREAS AND A LOT OF THESE REGULATIONS AS THEY'RE WRITTEN IN THE POD, ESPECIALLY THE ENVIRONMENTAL ONES, APPLY TO THE DIFFERENT PLANNING AREAS.
SO PLANNING AREA FOUR WILL BE THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER.
IT IS THE LOCATION THAT'S KIND OF PURPLE ON THIS LAND USE MAP.
ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE HOTEL AND THE CONVENTION CENTER, THERE IS A PROPOSED GOLF COURSE WITHIN THAT OPEN SPACE ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY THAT WOULD EXTEND INTO PLANNING AREA FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX.
SO ALL OF THE PLANNING AREAS ALONG THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PLANNING AREA EIGHT, THAT, THAT, THAT'S THAT NORTHEAST, UH, RECTANGLE WOULD BE A PRACTICE RACETRACK, UH, TO BE DEVELOPED UP THERE.
AND THEN ALONG WITH THESE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENTS, UH, WOULD BE SOME WETLAND MITIGATION AND RIPARIAN RESTORATION, UH, INCREASES FROM WHAT IS CURRENTLY REQUIRED IN THE POD.
AND WE'LL GO MORE INTO THAT NOW.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NOW IS GO THROUGH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PROPOSED, UH, ENHANCEMENTS OR SUPERIORITY ITEM ITEMS, THOSE THAT EXIST IN THE POD, AND ANY POTENTIAL CHANGES FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
UH, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE SYMBOLIZED IN GREEN MEAN THAT THEY'RE, UH, SUPERIOR.
THOSE THAT ARE SYMBOLIZED IN ORANGE OR YELLOW AND RED, THOSE ARE CODE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE, UH, REDUCING OR CHANGING THE REGULATION THAT EXISTS FOR CURRENT CODE.
UM, SO THESE ARE ALL EXISTING AND PROPOSED, UH, SUPERIORITY ITEMS THAT INCLUDES, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY'S GREEN BUILDING, TWO STAR RATING THAT'S EXISTING AND THAT'S PROPOSED AS IT RELATES TO WATER QUALITY.
THE EXISTING POD REQUIRES A HUNDRED PERCENT GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALL, UH, WATER QUALITY REQUIRED AND IT BE ON SITE, INCLUDING THE WATER QUALITY TREATMENT FOR AN ASPHALT TRAIL THAT EXISTS.
AND THAT CONTINUES TO BE TRUE, UM, THAT, UH, WATER QUALITY, UH, THAT GREEN STORM WATER INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE ASPHALT TRAIL IS CURRENTLY BEING CONSTRUCTED IF IT'S NOT COMPLETELY FINISHED RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S SOME IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITATIONS, UH, 68% EXISTING AND THAT'S NOT PROPOSED TO BE CHANGED.
AND THEN THERE IS A, UH, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT IS A REQUIREMENT OF THE EXISTING POD AND IT IS ALSO PROPOSED AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE PROPOSED AMENDED PUD BECAUSE OF THE GOLF COURSE.
SO THE INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN WOULD BE DEVELOPED SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT FACILITY, UH, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, IT IS DEVELOPED AND, UH, APPROVED.
SO I WANTED TO SPEND A LITTLE TIME TALKING ABOUT WHAT THE GREEN BUILDING BASIC REQUIREMENTS ARE.
SO WHEN A PROPERTY IS REQUIRED TO MEET TWO STAR, UH, GREEN BUILDING RATING, THEY HAVE SOME MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS AND THAT INCLUDES EV CHARGING STATION REQUIREMENTS, UH, POTABLE WATER USE REDUCTION AND STRATEGIES TO ACHIEVE THAT, INCLUDING HAVING A HUNDRED PERCENT
[00:45:01]
NON-POTABLE, UH, WATER SUPPLY FOR WATER FEATURES.UH, BIKE PARKING, I MEAN, IT'S A GOOD LONG RIDE OUT TO CODA ON A BIKE.
UH, SO YOU NEED THE PARKING FOR IT, UH, YOU DESERVE IT IF YOU BIKE OUT THERE, UH, THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS AND THEN THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
THERE'S 10 TOTAL, AND I PUT A LINK IN THE DOCUMENT FOR THOSE RATING.
SO WHEN THE UH, PROJECT COMES IN FOR RATING, IT THEN HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACHIEVE ITS MAX, THE POINTS THAT IT'S REQUIRED TO GET THROUGH, UH, COMPLYING WITH LOTS OF DIFFERENT CRITERIA AT THIS TIME, THE PROJECT HASN'T IDENTIFIED ALL OF THOSE CRITERIA THAT IT WILL COMPLY WITH.
OKAY, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, UH, THINGS THAT ARE CHANGING IN THE PUD.
UM, I KNOW THAT I SENT, I CREATED A, YOU KNOW, PUT THIS ALL IN ONE SINGLE DOCUMENT THAT WAS SENT OUT TO COMMISSIONER.
SO, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE THAT IN, IN ONE SINGLE DOCUMENT, BUT WE'LL GO ONE BY ONE.
SO ONE OF THE PROPOSED CODE AMENDMENTS IN THIS, UH, NEW ITERATION OF THE PUD IS RELATED TO DRAINAGE.
SO THE EXISTING POD, UH, IS CURRENTLY REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH CURRENT CODE.
A MODIFICATION THAT IS PROPOSED IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE GOLF COURSE AND IT IS TO ALLOW FOR, UM, A COUPLE OF BATHROOMS AND A COUPLE OF MAINTENANCE STRUCTURES IN THE, UH, FLOODPLAINS.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF STRUCTURES THAT ARE ALREADY ALLOWED IN THE FLOODPLAINS.
UM, AND THESE ARE ADDING A, LIKE A LITTLE BIT LARGER SIZES FOR THE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES, NOT TO BE OCCUPIED BY PEOPLE, BUT JUST FOR MAINTENANCE FACILITIES IN THE GOLF COURSE AND A COUPLE OF RESTROOMS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ALREADY, YOU KNOW, ALLOWED TO BE IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
UM, AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS THAT, UM, AS WRITTEN IN THE, THE ORDINANCE ARE ACTUALLY ALREADY ALLOWED.
BUT, UH, JUST KIND OF ENHANCING, UH, THE THINGS THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED FLOODPLAIN MODIFICATION AS IT, UH, RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE OF FLOODPLAIN MODIFICATION.
THAT IS CURRENT CODE AND THERE'S NO PROPOSED CHANGES TO THAT, HOW CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES ARE DEFINED.
THAT IS CURRENT CODE AND THERE'S NO PROPOSED CHANGE TO THAT.
HOWEVER, THERE IS A PROPOSED CHANGE TO THE ALLOWABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
THE EXISTING POD DOES HAVE SOME LANGUAGE THAT SPECIFIES SOME TRAIL CROSSINGS AND A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS.
HOWEVER, THOSE ARE NOT CONSIDERED FROM A REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE OR SUPERIORITY PERSPECTIVE.
CODE MODIFICATIONS THAT DEVIATE FROM CURRENT CODE, IT JUST LIKE SPECIFIES THAT THOSE ARE ALLOWED.
BUT WHAT IS PROPOSED ARE TWO BIG, UM, COMPONENTS OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT'S NOT CURRENTLY ALLOWED IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
AND THAT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOLF COURSE ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
AND THEN ALSO THE CROSSING OF THE RACETRACK ON PLANNING AREA EIGHT.
THAT'S THAT, UH, PLANNING AREA THAT IS IN THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY.
THE, THE CROSSING AND PLANNING AREA EIGHT, UH, IT DOES SPECIFY THAT THERE WILL BE ONE TO ONE MITIGATION REQUIRED FOR EACH SQUARE FOOT OF THAT CROSSING.
THERE WILL BE MITIGATION TO BE DEVELOPED AT SITE PLAN, UM, UH, AT THE TIME THAT THAT, AND IF IT GETS PERMITTED.
UM, THERE IS NO PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS TO, UH, CURRENT CODE FOR WETLAND CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE MITIGATION.
BUT THERE IS A BIG PLAN AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT PLAN AND KIND OF TALK THROUGH SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING MADE.
BUT THERE IS NO PROPOSED MODIFICATION TO CURRENT CODE.
'CAUSE CURRENT CODE ALLOWS FOR ONE-TO-ONE MITIGATION FOR WETLANDS, AND THAT PLAN IS JUST BEING ADJUSTED.
OKAY, SO THIS, IT'S REALLY HARD TO READ, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT ON THE SCREEN, BUT THIS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL, YOU REALLY HAVE TO ACTUALLY GET UP PRETTY CLOSE TO READ ALL THE NOTES ON IT.
BUT THIS IS THE, UH, WETLAND MITIGATION PLAN.
SO AS I MENTIONED, AS WE SAW IN THE EXISTING CONDITIONS MAP, THERE ARE A LOT OF WETLANDS ON THE SITE AND THERE ARE SOME PROPOSED TO BEING MODIFIED OR REMOVED OR REPLACED OR BUILT.
UM, IMPORTANTLY THERE IS A TABLE AT THE VERY BOTTOM THAT TRACKS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE, UH, THE WETLANDS THAT YOU KNOW, WAS CREATED IN THIS AMENDMENT.
SO EVERY WETLAND, IF THE FEATURE ITSELF OR ITS BUFFER, UM, IS CHANGING, IT'S TRACKED AND WHERE THAT, UM, AREA IS BEING MITIGATED FOR IS ALSO TRACKED IN THAT TABLE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT IT CLOSELY, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, SEE WHERE EVERY, UH, PRETTY MUCH SQUARE FOOT OF MITIGATION IS GOING OR WHERE IT'S BEING ACCOUNTED FOR.
A LOT OF IT IS BEING ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A WETLAND IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE, OF THE SITE, WHICH WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES.
SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE OVERALL CHANGES.
THERE ARE SOME OTHER RED LINES ON HERE, BUT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL WETLANDS THAT ARE, UH, ARE BEING MITIGATED FOR OR
[00:50:01]
MODIFIED.SO THE RESTORATION REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE SOME OF THE, THE RESTORATION SUPERIORITY IS, UH, A PART OF THIS AMENDMENT THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UH, COLLABORATING WITH THE APPLICANT QUITE A LOT WITH.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL EXISTING REQUIREMENTS FOR RESTORATION, ONE OF THEM BEING 14.36 ACRES OF BLACKLAND PRAIRIE RESTORATION.
AND THAT RESTORATION IS CURRENTLY ONGOING AND IS FOR THIS BUFFER AROUND THE LARGEST, UH, WETLAND ON THE SITE, KIND OF RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE.
AND THEN, UH, A COUPLE OTHER SMALLER WETLANDS.
AND THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND STILL BEING PROPOSED, NO CHANGES TO LIKE A SMALL INCREASE IN THAT RESTORATION AREA ACTUALLY.
AND THEN THERE IS A REQUIREMENT IN THE EXISTING POD FOR NATIVE RESTORATION ALONG THIS ASPHALT TRAIL THAT ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE OF DRY CREEK EAST.
UH, THERE ARE DETAILS OF THAT RESTORATION PLANTING REQUIREMENTS AND KIND OF LIKE ENCUMBRANCES THAT PREVENT LIKE MOWERS FROM GOING INTO THE RESTORATION AREA.
AND THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND BEING PLANTED RIGHT NOW.
AND, UH, SO THAT'S STILL PROPOSED AND STILL, UH, OCCURRING.
AND THEN THERE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL RESTORATION SUPERIORITY PIECES THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THIS AMENDMENT, ONE OF THEM BEING RIPARIAN RESTORATION AS SHOWN IN EXHIBIT H.
SO THOSE RESTORATION AREAS, AND WE'LL LOOK AT A MAP ON THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT THOSE RESTORATION AREAS ARE WITHIN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
UH, THAT ON THE PLANNING AREA WHERE THE GOLF COURSE IS PROPOSED, WE USE A TOOL FOR, UH, RIPARIAN RESTORATION CALLED A FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF FLOODPLAIN HEALTH, WHICH IS AN ASSESSMENT OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT METRICS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, TELL US WHAT THE HEALTH OF A FLOODPLAIN IS.
IT INCLUDES CANOPY UNDERSTORY, UH, VEGETATION AND SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, SOIL COMPACTION.
SEVERAL OTHER THINGS THAT GIVE US A SENSE OF THE FLOODPLAIN HEALTH.
AND THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR FLOODPLAIN RESTORATION ARE AREAS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS BEING IN POOR OR FAIR CONDITION THAT CAN THEN BE RESTORED TO GOOD OR EXCELLENT USING PLANTINGS IN THE STRATEGIC WAY THAT, UM, WOULD ALLOW IT TO, YOU KNOW, INCREASE THE FLOODPLAIN HEALTH.
SO THAT IS ONE SUPERIORITY ITEM THAT'S BEING PROPOSED IN THIS AMENDMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS, UM, A SURPLUS WETLAND RESTORATION 0.87 ACRES OF ACTUAL WETLAND AND THEN 0.56 ACRES OF BUFFER.
THOSE ARE IN EXCESS OF WHAT IS MINIMALLY REQUIRED TO MEET THE ONE-TO-ONE MITIGATION.
SO THAT'S ONE SQUARE FOOT OF IMPACT TO ONE SQUARE FOOT OF RESTORATION OR MITIGATION.
UM, THEY'RE, UH, AS A PART OF THE SUPERIORITY OR GOING BEYOND THAT BY THE AR AREAS SHOWN IN THE TABLE.
SO THOSE ARE TWO ADDITIONAL SUPERIORITY ITEMS, UM, RELATED TO OPEN SPACE.
THIS IS A SUPERIORITY ITEM FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE THAT WE'VE KIND OF TAKEN OFF, WHICH THERE WAS ORIGINALLY 298 ACRES OF PUBLIC OPEN SPACE THAT IS NOW BEING REDUCED TO A HUNDRED ACRES OF OPEN SPACE.
THERE IS OFFSITE OPEN SPACE BEING PROVIDED AND THAT IS BEING NEGOTIATED AND DISCUSSED WITH, UM, AUSTIN PARKS AND REC.
UM, SO THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON THAT SIDE OF THINGS.
SO WE'RE NOT, UH, CURRENTLY CONSIDERING THAT AT IN OUR SUPERIORITY LIST FOR OUR CONSIDERATION FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
SO THESE ARE MAPS OF THE SPECIFIC RESTORATION, THE RIPARIAN RESTORATION THAT I MENTIONED USING THIS FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT TOOL IS SHOWN ON THE LEFT SIDE AND IT'S ABOUT 4.5, A LITTLE OVER 4.5 ACRES OF AREA.
UH, THESE AGAIN, ARE AREAS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED AS BEING POOR OR FAIR CONDITION FLOODPLAIN.
UH, THERE IS ACTUALLY A FAIR AMOUNT OF POOR OR FAIR CONDITION FLOODPLAIN THROUGHOUT, UH, THIS SIDE.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT IN THE CREEK CHANNEL THERE IS, YOU KNOW, A FAIR AMOUNT OF VEGETATION, BUT THERE'S SOME INTERESTING THINGS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE CREEK AND IN THE FLOODPLAIN OF, YOU KNOW, THROUGH, THROUGH SOME OF THESE AREAS, THESE ARE AREAS THAT WE THOUGHT COULD BE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY TO RESTORE AND, UH, IMPACT THE CHANNEL AND HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SUCCESS IN, YOU KNOW, RESTORATION.
ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE IS THE LOCATION OF THE WETLAND MITIGATION.
SO THIS IS A PRE, LIKE SEVERAL ACRES OF RESTORATION.
THERE IS A CHANNEL THAT RUNS THROUGH THAT IS NOT A CLASSIFIED WATERWAY, BUT DIRECTS WATER INTO THIS AREA.
AND THE PROPOSED RESTORATION WOULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, CHECK DAMS THAT WOULD CREATE WETLAND AREAS IN THE CHANNEL, AND THEN GRADING AND, AND RESTORING THE SOIL ON THE HEALTH SIDES, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY BARE
[00:55:01]
AND DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, YOU KNOW, NATIVE PLANTINGS OR TREES AND JUST DO A LOT OF PLANTINGS, UH, THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE AREA, UM, FOR THE WETLAND MITIGATION.NOW THESE ARE ALL, UH, CODE MODIFICATIONS, UH, AND THEY ARE RELATED TO CUT AND FILL.
NOW, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CUT AND FILL MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE BEING REQUESTED WERE REALLY SPECIFIC FOR THE THINGS RELATED TO THE NEW PROJECTS THAT THEY WEREN'T NECESSARILY, UH, ALLOWING FOR, YOU KNOW, CUT AND FILL FOR THINGS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT, BUT THAT THEY WERE REALLY SPECIFIC.
NOW WHAT IS CURRENTLY ALLOWED IS CUT AND FILL UP TO 20 FEET IN PLANNING AREA FOR, THAT'S THE AREA WHERE THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE HOTEL ARE PROPOSED TO BE.
NOW THOSE WERE NOT PROPOSED WITH THE HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER IN MIND.
SO THE NEW PROPOSED CUT AND FILL REQUIREMENTS ARE WITH THIS NEW PROJECT, UM, CONCEIVED OF WITHIN THE, THE SITE.
AND THE PROPOSED CUT AND FILL IS NOW UP TO 20 FEET FOR PLANNING AREA FOUR, FIVE, AND SIX.
NOW, I, TO SAVE SOME ROOM ON THE SLIDE, I WANNA SPECIFY THAT THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN IN THE ORDINANCE IS ONLY PROPOSED FOR THE CONVENTION CENTER, THE HOTEL AND THE GOLF COURSE SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE THINGS.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE CUT AND FILL FOR THE GOLF COURSE IS PROPOSED TO BE ALLOWED WITHIN THE CRITICAL BUT OUTSIDE THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE.
SO THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE IS A HUNDRED FOOT SETBACK FROM THE CENTER LINE OF THE CREEK.
AND SO FROM A HUNDRED AND A HUNDRED FEET TO 300 FEET, WHICH IS THE EDGE OF THE CRITICAL, THERE IS A PROPOSED CUT ALLOWED UP TO CUT AND FILL UP TO 10 FEET IN THAT AREA.
SO STILL A HUNDRED FEET AWAY FROM THE CENTER LINE OF THE CREEK, BUT WITHIN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS A PROPO AND, AND THAT'S JUST FOR THE GOLF COURSE.
JUST TO SPECIFY, ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE PROCESS PROPOSED.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THAT YOU GET IT, UH, IT'S THAT THERE WOULD BE AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE PROCESS THAT WOULD HAPPEN AT SITE PLAN THAT WOULD ALLOW REVIEW STAFF TO, UH, ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT THE VARIANCE IS NECESSARY FOR UP TO 20 FEET TO MATCH, UM, FOR, FOR OVER 20 FEET TO MATCH GRADING AND PLANNING.
AREA FOUR, WE'LL LOOK AT THAT IN A SECOND BECAUSE, UM, IT'S VERY SPECIFIC WHAT THAT, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED FOR THAT.
AND I WANT YOU TO SEE THE MAP.
AND THEN LASTLY, THERE IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE PROPOSED FOR UP TO 15 FEET OUTSIDE OF THOSE PLANNING AREAS WITH COMMENSURATE MITIGATION SPECIFICALLY FOR, UM, THE RACETRACK, THE PRACTICE RACETRACK PROPOSED IN PLANNING AREA EIGHT.
SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT WHERE THESE CUT AND FILLS ARE BEING PROPOSED.
SO THE GOLF COURSE ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, THAT WOULD BE AND INCLUDE THE, UM, CUT AND FILL PROPOSED UP TO 20 FEET OUTSIDE OF THE CRITICAL, AND THEN INSIDE OF THE CRITICAL, OUTSIDE OF THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE UP TO 10 FEET.
SO THAT'S FOR THE GOLF COURSE, THE CUT AND FILL PROPOSED TO MATCH THE GRADE FOR THE HOTEL.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS IN THE 20, UH, 11 20 10 WHEN THE ORIGINAL RACETRACK WAS BEING CONSTRUCTED, THERE WAS SOME REALLY SIGNIFICANT GRADING THAT WAS DONE GRADING THAT CREATED, I THINK THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICA STAFF, THEY CALL IT LIKE THE MOUNTAIN BECAUSE IT IS A VERY, VERY STEEP SLOPE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED THAT IS NOT THE NATURAL GRADE.
AND YOU CAN SEE RIGHT IN THIS, LIKE RIGHT NEAR THAT CIRCLE, THIS KIND OF PLANT, THIS, UM, PARKING AREA.
AND IT GOES VERY STEEPLY DOWN INTO, UH, THE FLOOD PLAIN AND, AND DOWN TO THE OPEN SPACE AREA.
AND THE PROPOSAL FOR THAT CUT IS ONLY CUT AND FILL IS ONLY TO MATCH THE GRADE, UM, FOR THE HOTEL SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST UP ON THIS ARTIFICIAL HILL.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST PIECE FOR UP TO 15 FEET FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE UP TO 15 FEET IS FOR THE PRACTICE TRACK THAT IS IN PLANNING AREA EIGHT, WHICH IS IN THAT NORTHEAST CORNER.
IF YOU REMEMBER ALL OF THOSE CUT AND FILL CODE MODIFICATIONS, YOU ARE THE WINNER OF THE DAY.
UM, SO THERE'S ALSO A FEW, UH, COMPONENTS OF CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES.
SO OUR CURRENT REGULATIONS, UH, RESTRICT CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES IN EXCESS OF 15%.
THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE EXISTING PUT ALLOWED IN PLANNING AREA FOUR.
THERE IS A PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THAT INTO
[01:00:01]
PLANNING AREA EIGHT, AND THEN ALSO AN ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE FOR CUT AND FILL ON AND CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES OF 15%.UM, SO JUST EXTENDING TO MOSTLY TO, YOU KNOW, PLANNING AREA EIGHT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE RACETRACK.
OKAY, NOW LET'S TALK ABOUT THE LANDSCAPING OF THE PROJECT.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, LANDSCAPING SUPERIORITY THAT ALREADY EXISTS IN THE CURRENT POD, AND IT INCLUDES, UM, ADDITIONAL 400 NATIVE TREES PLANTED.
THOSE TREES HAVE ALREADY BEEN PLANTED AND ACCOUNTED FOR.
UM, SO THEY STILL WILL CARRY OVER INTO THE PROPOSED PUD.
UM, THE COMPONENT OF SUPERIORITY THAT'S BEING PROPOSED IN THIS ITERATION OF THE PUT OR THE AMENDMENT IS AN ADDITIONAL 1000 CALIPER INCHES OF NATIVE TREES PLANTED WITH A MINIMUM ONE CALIPER, UH, REQUIREMENT.
SO IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AT LEAST ONE CALIPER INCH AND THEN IT, BUT IT COULD BE LARGER TREES EQUALING UP TO, UM, A THOUSAND CALIPERS TO BE REQUIRED FOR, UM, THE PROPOSED SUPERIORITY ADDITION.
ALL OF THESE TREES WOULD NEED TO BE NATIVE, UH, AS IDENTIFIED IN APPENDIX F.
ADDITIONALLY, ALL THE PLANTINGS, UM, NOW FOR THE HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER AND INTO THE FUTURE WOULD HAVE TO, THE REQUIRED PLANTINGS HAVE TO BE NATIVE OR ADAPTIVE PLANTS PER THE GROW GREEN GUIDE.
UM, THE TREES HAVE TO HAVE CENTRAL TEXAS NATIVE SEED STOCK AND THAT THERE WILL BE BENEFICIAL REUSE OF CONDENSATE WATER FOR IRRIGATION.
SO THAT IS A REQUIREMENT IN THE CURRENT P THE REASON THERE IS LANGUAGE THAT SAYS PENDING CONFIRMATION WITH AUSTIN WATER STAFF, AND I WANNA BRING ATTENTION TO THAT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN PASSED WATER FORWARD AND THAT ORDINANCE REQUIRED FOR LARGE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS TO COMPLY WITH ONSITE WATER REUSE.
SO, UH, CODA CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH ONSITE WATER REUSE AS REQUIRED IN THE WATER FORWARD ORDINANCE.
SO THE LANGUAGE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT, IT STRUCK AND WE'RE STILL KIND OF TALKING WITH AUSTIN WATER ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S ANY REASON TO PUT LANGUAGE IN THE P RIGHT NOW, NOW, BECAUSE THEY WILL ALREADY BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE ORDINANCE FOR ONSITE WATER REUSE.
UM, SO THAT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT THEY WILL NEED TO DO AND SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE INDICATED THEY WANT TO DO, ESPECIALLY FOR THE GOLF COURSE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WATER IS ACTUALLY VERY EXPENSIVE, SO YOU DEFINITELY WANNA REUSE IT.
OKAY, SO WITH THAT SAID, UH, STAFF RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THE PUT AMENDMENT, UH, AS PROPOSED WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, THAT THERE IS THE ADDITIONAL 0.87 ACRES OF WETLAND CEF RESTORED AND 0.56 WETLAND, CEF BUFFER ABOVE WHAT IS MINIMALLY REQUIRED FOR MITIGATION.
THAT AN ADDITIONAL 4.59 ACRES OF RIPARIAN RESTORATION WILL BE COMPLETED USING, UH, THE FUNCTIONAL ASSESSMENT OF FLOODPLAIN HEALTH TOOL TO ASSESS AND RESTORE THOSE AREAS IDENTIFIED IN EXHIBIT H.
AND THAT AN ADDITIONAL THOUSAND CALIPERS OF INCHES, CALIPER INCHES OF TREES WILL BE PLANTED IN ADDITION TO THE 400 TREES REQUIRED AND THAT AC CONDENSATE AND RATE OF WATER WILL BE USED FOR IRRIGATION.
UM, AND WITH THAT, UH, NEXT SLIDE, THAT IS MY PRESENTATION AND I AM HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THAT THE APPLICANT HAS A PRESENTATION AS WELL, AND WE'LL GIVE IT OVER TO THEM.
YEAH, WE'LL GO NEXT TO THE APPLICANT PRESENTATION.
I, UH, CHAIR THE APPLICANT WILL HAVE 10 MINUTES.
GOOD THING I THOUGHT IT WAS THREE.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, MICHAEL WHALEN REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT, UH, FOR THE CODE OF PUTT AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE.
WE'RE HERE AS JUST HEARD TO DISCUSS A PUTT AMENDMENT TO FACILITATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF A THOUSAND PLUS ROOM, UH, HOTEL CONFERENCE RESORT, AS WELL AS FUTURE DEVELOPMENT UNDER CONSIDERATION AT CIRCUIT OF AMERICAS.
UM, THE HOTEL, AS YOU HEARD, WILL INCLUDE A GOLF COURSE DRIVING RANGE AND A MID-SIZE CONFERENCE CENTER THAT WILL BE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF TIMES SMALLER, THREE AND A HALF TIMES SMALLER THAN THE DOWNTOWN CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPMENT.
THE RESORT WILL BE BUILT BY RITA DEVELOPMENT, WHOM I REPRESENT.
RITA WILL BE PURCHASING THE HOTEL SITE AND LEASING THE GOLF COURSE SITE FROM CODA
[01:05:01]
SEPARATELY FROM THE HOTEL.CODA IS LOOKING TOWARD FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS THAT MAY INCLUDE A SECOND PRACTICE TRACK THAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT IN THE NORTHERNMOST PLANNING AREA, PLANNING AREA EIGHT AND POSSIBLE SMALL SCALE, HIGH-END RESIDENTIAL NEAR THE TRACK.
THIS IS A $925 MILLION PROJECT, INCLUDING APPROXIMATELY $650 MILLION IN HARD CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
THE HOTEL RESORT IS PROJECTED TO GENERATE ROUGHLY $10 BILLION IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OVER 30 YEARS AND BRING SIGNIFICANT TAX REVENUE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT WILL HELP CLOSE, UH, A WELL-KNOWN GENERAL FUND DEFICIT.
OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, RITA HAS BUILT MORE THAN, HAS BUILT MORE 1000 PLUS ROOM HOTELS IN THE UNITED STATES THAN ANYONE ELSE.
THEY PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS.
THEY PARTNER WITH COMMUNITIES THEY ARE INVESTING IN AND HAVE EXPERIENCE MEETING ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS.
AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THEY JUST OPENED THIS, UH, 1600 ROOM GAYLORD RESORT IN CHULA VISTA, CALIFORNIA, JUST OUTSIDE OF SAN DIEGO, WHERE THEY WORKED WITH THE COASTAL COMMISSION IN OTHER REGULATORY BODIES TO BUILD AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SECURE PROJECT ON THE SAN DIEGO BAY.
UH, I DO WANT TO, BEFORE WE GET INTO MORE DETAILS, JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK OUR ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF, MANY OF WHOM ARE HERE OR WATCHING, WHO HAVE SPENT HOURS AS, UH, UH, YOU JUST HEARD IN MEETINGS AND ON SITE VISITS TO CREATE A PROPOSAL THAT BALANCES THE NEED FOR SOME FLEXIBILITY TO CREATE THIS IMPACTFUL PROJECT AND THE NEED TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE FEATURES.
UH, THIS HOTEL CONFERENCE RESORT WILL SERVE AS AN ECONOMIC ANCHOR FOR DELL VALLEY AND THE EASTERN CRESCENT, CREATING THOUSANDS OF JOBS FROM CONSTRUCTION TO OPERATION.
ON THE JOBS FRONT, WE'RE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT RITA IS WORKING WITH UNITE HERE, LOCAL 23, A HOSPITALITY UNION THAT MANY OF YOU MAY RECOGNIZE ON A LABOR PEACE AGREEMENT FOR THE HOTEL.
THIS WILL BE THE THIRD LABOR PEACE AGREEMENT THAT RITA DEVELOPMENT HAS ENTERED INTO WITH UNITE HERE, INCLUDING, UH, THE ONE IN CHULA VISTA, SAN DIEGO, 1600 ROOM HOTEL.
RITA HAS, UH, OBVIOUSLY MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE WITH PARTNERING WITH, UH, LABOR UNIONS AT THEIR HOTEL AND BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A RELATIONSHIP THAT, UM, WILL SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
WELL, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT, UM, SLIDE, AND I THINK I'M GONNA JUST TURN THIS OVER SINCE, UH, TO APRIL BROWN TO REVIEW.
APRIL ROMERO BROWN ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
UM, YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD ABOUT, I WASN'T SURE WHICH ORDER WE WERE GONNA PRESENT IN TONIGHT.
SO YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM LESLIE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AND SUPERIORITY COMPONENTS THAT ARE PART OF THIS PROPOSAL.
ON THE SCREEN, I ORGANIZE IT JUST IN, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE COLUMNS WITH WATER QUALITY AND WATER FORWARD HABITAT MITIGATION AND RESTORATION TREES, OPEN SPACE AND DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
THE CELLS THAT ARE MARKED WITH A GREEN CHECK MARK HAVE ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED.
UH, THE ONES WITH THE GREEN LEAF ARE NEW OR ENHANCED COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING INCREASES TO THE SMALL INCREASE TO THE TOTAL BLACKLAND PRAIRIE RESTORATION AREA, AND MORE MEANINGFUL INCREASES TO THE TOTAL CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE AND CEF BUFFER ACREAGES, AS WELL AS THE TOTAL CALIBER INCHES OF TREES THAT WILL BE PLANTED.
UM, AS LESLIE EXPLAINED, THE AC CONDENSATE IS ON THERE.
WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH MANY ITERATIONS OF THE P EVEN IN THE LAST WEEK.
UM, IT IS IN PROCESS WITH AUSTIN WATER, BUT WE HAVE IT IN THERE RIGHT NOW AND WE ARE, UM, IN AGREEMENT AND READY TO COMPLY WITH, UH, WATER FORWARD.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE CEF MITIGATION.
ONE OF THE ADDITIONAL PIECES OF THE RELOCATION OF THOSE AREAS IS THAT SOME OF THEM ARE OLD STOCK PONDS THAT OVER TIME BECAME HABITATS AS PART OF OUR MITIGATION.
AND ON OUR SITE VISITS, WE IDENTIFIED AREAS THAT WERE MORE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE WATERWAY, UM, AND WERE MORE BENEFICIAL TO THE, THE CREEK FLOW.
AND WE PAIRED THOSE NOT ONLY WITH THE BUFFERS, BUT WITH THE ADDITIONAL RESTORATION THAT LESLIE WALKED YOU THROUGH.
SO WE BASICALLY TOOK ISOLATED STOCK PONDS, PUT THEM, SOME OF THEM ISOLATED STOCK PONDS, PUT SOME OF THEM INTO THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AND PAIRED THAT WITH RESTORATION.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO, I'M SURE WE'LL GET INTO THE DETAILS AS WE GET THROUGH THIS DELIBERATION, BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, I WANTED TO FLAG AND EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT OFF THE BAT IS THAT I WANNA REITERATE THE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE VARIANCE FOR THE CUT AND FILL ABOVE 20 FEET IN PLANNING AREA FOUR IS SO THAT WE CAN MATCH GRADE FOR THAT ARTIFICIAL HILL THAT EXISTS.
UM, IT IS VERY LARGE AND THERE'S A BIG DROP OFF THERE.
[01:10:01]
AND THEN FOR THE SLOPES IN PLANNING AREA EIGHT, THE REASON THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES IS TO ACCOUNT FOR POSSIBLE DESIGN, UM, CHOICES THAT HAPPEN WITH FORMULA ONE TRACKS.THEY HAVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GRADING AS PART OF THEIR, THE CHALLENGE TO THE COURSE.
THAT'S WHY WE'VE REQUESTED THAT.
I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS.
WE ARE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER THOSE.
WE HAVE, UH, ENGINEER ON THE PHONE AS WELL AS, UM, ONE OF THE OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVES, AND WE ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
AND ALSO WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH STAFF CONDITIONS.
THANK YOU STAFF FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE'RE GONNA GO NEXT TO PUBLIC COMMENT CHAIR.
KAITLYN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
HI, CHAIR SECRETARY COMMISSIONERS.
I RESIDE IN AUSTIN'S DISTRICT FOUR, AND I'M HERE IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY AS A CONSTITUENT OF THE CITY.
UM, MY DAYTIME ROLES INCLUDE COMMISSIONER OF THE ZERO WASTE ADVISORY COMMISSION, A STAFF MEMBER OF THE UT AUSTIN OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY AND A BELCON CANYON LANDS MASTER NATURALIST.
THOUGH I AM NOT HERE IN ANY OF THESE ROLES AS CAPACITIES TODAY, UH, THOUGH I AM INTERESTED IN ONE OF THESE SEATS ON THIS COMMISSION IF YOU GUYS HAVE SOME AVAILABLE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THESE ROLES TO GIVE YOU A FLAVOR OF WHO I AM AND MY AREAS OF EXPERTISE.
UM, GIVEN ALL THE INFORMATION HERE TODAY, I, AS A CONSTITUENT URGE YOU TO REJECT THE AMENDMENT REQUESTED TODAY THAT PERTAINED TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A GOLF COURSE RESORT AND PRACTICE RACE TRACK IN THE CRITICAL WATER ZONE IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN ADJACENT TO THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS.
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT THIS IS, THIS WILL USE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WATER TO BUILD AND RUN THIS FACILITIES DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH WILL LEACH LITTER, FERTILIZER AND OTHER CHEMICALS INTO THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE AND DRAIN FROM OUR ALREADY DROUGHT STRESS, CENTRAL TEXAS WATER RESOURCES.
ONE OF THE LEGACIES OF AUSTIN IS THE WAY IN WHICH WE PROTECT OUR WATER.
A PRIME EXAMPLE OF THIS IS IN THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS MOVEMENT IN THE 1990S, WHICH WE CAN E WHICH CAN EVEN BE FOUND IN CODE ORDINANCE TODAY.
PLEASE REJECT THIS AMENDMENT TO PROTECT THE BLACKLAND PRAIRIE'S WETLAND, A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ECO REGION DUE TO DEVELOPMENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO DONATE THE REMAINDER OF MY TIME TO BECKY WOODWARD.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS BECKY WOODWARD.
BECKY, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES PLUS THE ADDITIONAL TIME OF A MINUTE AND 30 SECONDS.
I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE TEXAS SOCIETY FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION AND SERVE AS A BOARD ADVISOR TO THE KOTIS CANYON LANDS MASTER NATURALIST CHAPTER.
I ALSO WORK FOR TRAVIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
HOWEVER, TONIGHT I'M SPEAKING STRICTLY IN MY PERSONAL CAPACITY AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND NEIGHBOR ACTUALLY OF CODA.
I SHARE THESE AFFILIATIONS ONLY TO PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND.
I'M NOT REPRESENTING ANY OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
I HAVE A BIOLOGY DEGREE FROM TEXAS LUTHERAN, A MASTER'S DEGREE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SUSTAINABILITY HERE FROM ST.
I WORK FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AS A BIOLOGIST FOR OVER 10 YEARS, FOCUSED ON THE EDWARDS PLATEAU AND BLACKLAND PRAIRIE.
AND I WANNA BE CLEAR, I AM A SUPPORTER OF FORMULA ONE.
I'VE ATTENDED EVENTS AT THE CIRCULAR AMERICAS, AND I'VE EVEN MET THE CEO WHO IS KIND.
I UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL VALUE THIS FACILITY BRINGS TO AUSTIN, BUT ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
THE BENEFITS DO NOT OUTWEIGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COST OF THIS AMENDMENT.
I STRONGLY OPPOSE PUT AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE FOR CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS.
THIS AMENDMENT REDUCES, AS WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT, OPEN SPACE BY 200 ACRES, WEAKENS AND CONTRARY TO ALL OF THESE BEYOND MINIMUM RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THEY'VE SAID FOR RESTORATION, THEY'RE STILL DESTROYING A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ECO REGION BY DEVELOPING IT.
SO YOU CAN GO ABOVE AND BEYOND, BUT YOU'RE STILL DESTROYING THAT HABITAT EITHER WAY.
UM, IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, REDUCES THE BUFFER TO 75 FEET.
THAT'S ONE QUARTER OF A FOOTBALL FIELD, AND PERMITS IRRIGATED AND MANICURED VEGETATION WITHIN WHAT SHOULD FUNCTION AS A NATURAL ECOLOGICAL BUFFER.
A 75 FOOT BUFFER, ESPECIALLY WHEN DISTURBED BY GOLF COURSE INFRASTRUCTURE, CANNOT REPLICATE THE ECOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF INTACT NATIVE VEGETATION.
BLACKLAND PRAIRIE IS ONE OF NORTH AMERICA'S MOST ENDANGERED ECOSYSTEMS, FRAGMENTING OR WEAKENING RESTORATION COMMITMENTS.
HERE IS A LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL LOSS THAT
[01:15:01]
CANNOT BE EASILY MITIGATED.THIS LANDSCAPE LIES WITHIN THE CENTRAL TEXAS FLYWAY RATHER, THE CENTRAL FLYWAY EVERY SPRING AND FALL OVER A BEE WITH A BEE, I'M SORRY, BILLION WITH A BEE.
BIRDS MIGRATE ANNUALLY RIGHT HERE THROUGH AUSTIN, RELYING ON INTACT PRAIRIE AND RIPARIAN HABITAT FOR STOPOVERS BIRDS SUCH AS PAINTED BUNTINGS, GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLERS, AND BLACK CAT RIOS, AS WELL AS INSECTS LIKE MONARCH BUTTERFLIES DEPEND ON THESE HABITATS, FRAGMENTATION, LIGHTING, AND VERTICAL STRUCTURES AS, AS THEY'VE REQUESTED, UP TO 250 FEET DEGRADE THIS CRITICAL FUNCTION.
THIS IS AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE TO AN ALREADY APPROVED PUD INCREMENTAL AMENDMENT THAT ERODE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS WOULD NOT LIKELY BE APPROVED IF PRESENTED ALL AT ONCE.
THIS STRATEGY UNDERMINES PUBLIC TRUST AND THE INTENT OF NEGOTIATED SAFEGUARDS.
I PREVIOUSLY WORKED WITH SEBASTIAN VEL THROUGH TREE FOLKS ON LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES.
VEL IS A FOUR-TIME FORMULA, ONE WORLD CHAMPION, AND ONE OF THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED DRIVERS IN THE SPORTS HISTORY.
CITING CONCERNS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT OF FORMULA ONE.
IF EVEN LEADERS AT THE TOP OF THE GLOBAL MOTOR SPORT ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, AUSTIN SHOULD NOT BE MOVING BACKWARDS INCREMENTALLY.
WEAKENING ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE GROWTH, IT IS EROSION BY EXCEPTION.
I URGE YOU TO UPHOLD AUSTIN'S ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS AND DENY THIS AMENDMENT.
ONCE THOSE PROTECTIONS ARE GONE, THEY'RE GONE FOR GOOD.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ANN AGUIRE AGUIRE ANN, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, VICE CHAIR, KRUEGER AND COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A DISTRICT TWO RESIDENT AND IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR OF THE SOUTHEAST COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN CONTACT TEAM.
I'M ALSO THE, THE VICE, THE PAST CHAIR OF THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS COUNCIL.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE BOND ELECTION ADVISORY TASK FORCE.
AND I'M NOT HERE SPEAKING IN ANY WAY ON THE BEHALF OR REPRESENTING THE TASK FORCE.
THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW.
THIS AREA HAS BEEN HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED.
IT'S BEEN SUBJECTED TO FLOODING.
AND OUR COMMUNITY ADVOCATED FOR THE 2018 FUND BOND TO SUPPORT FIXING SOME OF THOSE ROADS.
WHEN THAT BECOMES WET, THAT BECOMES OUR IMPERVIOUS COVER.
AND ALSO, WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONES AND WHAT THAT MEANS TO LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC AREAS.
I HAVE ALERTED THIS IS, I FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS, UH, YESTERDAY.
I'VE ALERTED MY NEW RESIDENTS THAT I'M FAMILIAR WITH IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
I USED TO SERVE ON THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION AT THAT POINT.
I FULLY SUPPORTED THIS PROJECT WHEN IT BECA, UH, WHEN IT CAME BEFORE US.
AND THINGS TO REMEMBER IS THE REGULATIONS FOR THE CITY ARE DIFFERENT FOR THE ETJ.
EVEN THOUGH THIS IS OUT IN THE ETJ, WE ASK FOR EQUAL PROTECTION FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
ALSO, I'M NOT SURE I WANNA DOUBLE CHECK.
IT MAKES A REFERENCE TO THE A HUNDRED YEAR FLOODPLAIN.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALL THE ATLAS 14 FLOODPLAIN IS BEING APPLIED.
WHEN THIS DECISION IS BEING CONSIDERED.
THIS PUT AS IT IS NOT BEING PRESENTED, IT'S NO LONGER SUPERIOR.
IT REMOVES SOME CRITICAL ELEMENTS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
WE NEED THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PLEASE.
I KNOW THAT'S NOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN OUR AREA, PARKLAND.
ONCE IT'S GONE, IT IS PERMANENT.
SO PLEASE NO PEE IN L ANY PARKLAND THAT IS BOUGHT, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SHOAL CREEK IS NOT GONNA HELP THIS COMMUNITY.
IT'S NOT GONNA HELP THE KIDS THAT ARE GROWING UP IN THIS AREA.
AND THEN YOU HAVE A GOLF COURSE AND THEN WE JUST PLAINLY JUST NEED WATER.
THERE'S SO MANY SUBDIVISIONS IN EAST AUSTIN THAT DON'T HAVE WATER.
THEY'RE HAVING TO RELY ON WELL WATER OR SUBSTANDARD WATER.
DRAINAGE, THE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, THEY'RE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES.
ONCE WE LOSE THAT, THEY'RE NOT, WE, THEY'RE GONE.
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AND PREFERABLY FREE PUBLIC ACCESS WOULD BE IMPORTANT FOR US.AND I KNOW WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT IS ALSO PART OF ITS MISSION, IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
PLEASE CONSIDER OUR, OUR SAFETY IN EAST AUSTIN.
YOU KNOW, UM, AS FAR AS PARKLAND, I CANNOT EMPHASIZE WE HAVE FOOD DESERTS, PARK DESERTS, WALKABILITY, SCHOOL DESERTS, ALL OF THAT IN EAST AUSTIN.
PLEASE DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US.
WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH SUBSTANDARD.
PLEASE DON'T MAKE IT EVEN WORSE FOR US.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRIS FLORES.
CHRIS, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, MY NAME IS CHRIS FLORES AND I, UH, LIVE IN DISTRICT 10.
UM, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE APPLICANT PROPOSES TO REPLACE AN AGREED ON PLAN TO MAKE A PARK WITH A GOLF COURSE.
THIS IS MY MAIN REASON FOR OBJECTING TO THE PLAN.
I APPRECIATE THE TREE PLANTING.
IDEALLY, TREES SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLANTED EVERY YEAR OF CODA OPERATION, GIVEN HOW IT TAKES 30 TO 50 YEARS FOR PEOPLE TO ENJOY THE TREES SHADE.
I GOOGLE SEARCHED RACE CIRCUITS GLOBALLY THAT HAVE TREE SHADE.
THEY INCLUDE ALBERT PARK IN MELBOURNE IN MONTREAL, AND ZA IN ITALY.
APPARENTLY THE AUSTIN TREE PLANTING WAS IN RESPONSE TO SPECTATOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE OPEN SCORCHING TEXAS SUN.
A GOLF COURSE WILL NOT MITIGATE THE HEAT LIKE A PARK OF TREES.
WILL AUSTIN'S HEAT MAPS PROVE THIS.
THE HISTORICALLY COOLEST AREA OF AUSTIN IS SHOAL CREEK PEA PARK ZONE.
IF CODA COULD EMULATE THAT TYPE OF PARK, IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR AUSTIN CITIZENS AND GOOD FOR THE RACING BUSINESS AS WELL.
GOLF COURSES ARE NOTORIOUS WATER CONSUMERS AND OUR AQUIFERS AND OUR TEXAS, COLORADO RIVER CANNOT SUSTAIN MORE GOLF COURSES, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE REALLY IS NO ENVIRONMENTAL OR CULTURAL BENEFIT TO AUSTIN FROM YET ANOTHER GOLF COURSE.
I AM SORRY, I TURNED IT OFF BY ACCIDENT.
UH, ALCOHOL SALES IN SUCH A LARGE PARTY ZONE WILL MEAN ADDITIONAL POLICE AND EMS SERVICES, WHICH ARE A COST BORNE BY AUSTIN'S HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
1000 HOTEL ROOMS WILL MEAN 5,000 EVENTUAL SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN NEIGHBORING AREAS.
WHILE THESE ARE NOT ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS DIRECTLY, I'M BRINGING THEM UP BECAUSE THEY ARE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES THAT ARE NOT NOTED IN THIS PLAN.
I ASK YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO AUSTIN'S RESIDENTS WITH THIS PLAN? I SEE A FEW HUNDRED HOSPITALITY JOBS AND INCREASED TAXES TO AUSTIN RESIDENTS.
A RETURN ON INVESTMENT NEEDS TO BE CALCULATED AND DEBATED, I THINK IF THE CITY DECIDES TO INVEST IN THIS PROJECT.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS.
WE'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.
I WILL LET YOU KNOW THAT I DID, UH, SEND AN EMAIL TO THE CON TO THE, UM, APPLICANT ABOUT POSSIBLE CAPITAL METRO SERVICE TO THIS LOCATION.
UH, BECAUSE IN THE 2035 PLAN, THERE IS NO ROUTE THAT GOES NEAR THIS.
BUT IT, I DO BELIEVE IT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO CONNECT PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING INTO AUSTIN TO BE ABLE TO GO, UH, TRAVEL FROM THE AIRPORT TO THIS LOCATION.
OR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BRING THEIR KIDS TO THE, UH, UH, AMUSEMENT PARK, TO TRAVEL BY BUS TO GET THERE.
UH, SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT WHEN THERE ARE AMENDMENTS TO THIS.
UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THOUGH, COMMISSIONER FLURRY.
UH, YEAH, A COUPLE, UH, QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK I HEARD OR OR CAPTURED IN COMMENTS THAT THERE WERE, UM, PUBLIC MEETINGS WHEN THEY DID THE FIRST ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PUD, BUT NOTHING SINCE THEN HAS HAPPENED.
ARE, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC MEETINGS REQUIRED FOR UPDATING OF THE POD? WELL, UH, YES.
[01:25:01]
NEW POD AND A SUBSTANTIAL AMENDMENT TO THE PUD WOULD REQUIRE PUBLIC MEETINGS.SO THERE COULD BE MINOR AMENDMENTS THAT DON'T, BUT ANY SUBSTANTIAL ONE.
SO THIS IS A, A PUBLIC MEETING WHEN IT GOES TO ZONING AND PLATTING.
THERE WILL BE, AND THEN ANOTHER, OF COURSE, AT CITY COUNCIL.
SO I GUESS, UH, NOTHING SPECIFIC OUTREACH TO THE DE DELL VALLEY COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, I MEAN, PERHAPS, UH, THE CASE MANAGER CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT, WHO'S ON THE, UH, THE, UH, THE LIST WHO, UH, OF, UH, FOLKS WHO RECEIVE NOTICE.
UH, CASE MANAGER, UH, SHERRY TIS WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
SO AS FAR AS THIS AMENDMENT, AT THIS POINT, ONLY A NOTICE OF FILING HAS GONE OUT.
ONLY NOTICE OF FILING TO ALL THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND RENTERS AND REGISTERED NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN 500 FEET OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE HAVEN'T SCHEDULED IT FOR A COMMISSION HEARING YET.
WE'RE FOR CITY COUNCIL, OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HERE FIRST.
AND SO THOSE WILL BE ADDITIONAL NOTICES THAT WILL GO OUT.
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICES FOR THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION WHEN IT IS SCHEDULED.
AND THEN ONCE THEY HAVE MADE A RECOMMENDATION FOR CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO NOTHING IN THE AMENDMENT, BUT MAYBE ORIGINALLY THERE WAS SPECIFIC OUTREACH, UM, FOR THE, WHEN THE PUD WAS FIRST ESTABLISHED.
THE REQUIREMENTS OF CODE ARE THAT WE SEND OUT NOTICES OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO AGAIN, IT WOULD BE THE LAND USE COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL.
UH, I, I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT IS, UH, AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT TWO, UM, AND, AND, UM, BEING BOTH, UH, TAKING MY FAMILY TO THE CIRCUIT OF AMERICAS AS WELL AS, UM, KNOWING FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT LIVE AND WORK ALONG THERE KIND OF HAVE, UH, OPINIONS OF THE ARE GREAT OF CIRCUIT OF AMERICAS, BUT ALSO, UM, THE, THE FEELING THAT IT ISN'T REALLY FOR THE, THE RESIDENTS OF THE AREA, KNOWING THAT, UH, THE ROAD CONDITIONS, THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A PEDESTRIAN, TRYING TO GET FROM ONE SIDE, UH, TO THE OTHER IS, IS REALLY CHALLENGING.
AND SO, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UM, IS AS FAR AS IMPROVING THE ROADS AND CONNECTIVITY FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO CIRCUIT OF AMERICAS, IS THAT, UM, WHO'S WORKING ON THAT? SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT OUR A TPW, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UM, DID DO A TIA WITH THE INITIAL PUD.
SO A TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ANALYSIS WAS REQUIRED WITH THE INITIAL PUD AND A TIA COMPLIANCE MEMO IS GOING TO BE REQUIRED FOR THIS NEW AMENDMENT THAT HAS NOT BEEN DONE YET.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHEN THEY STUDY THE SURROUNDING ROAD PATTERNS CAPACITIES.
AND WHEN THEY LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE AREA AND THIS DEVELOPMENT.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, UH, SPECIFICALLY D GABRIEL COLLINS AND EIGHT 12 IS A VERY NARROW ROAD.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANY IMPROVEMENTS HAVE GONE INTO IT SINCE CIRCUIT OF AMERICA HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.
UM, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE PARK LANDS OR SOCCER FIELDS ARE REALLY ANYTHING HAS NECESSARILY IMPROVED THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
CAN YOU CORRECT ME? UH, UH, WHAT, WHAT HAS THE CITY OR THIS DEVELOPMENT DONE KIND OF TO, TO HELP BENEFIT THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD? I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE I DON'T REVIEW THE SITE PLANS AS THEY COME THROUGH.
WE JUST HANDLED THE ZONING, THE INITIAL ZONING.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU SAW WHAT WAS PROPOSED IN THE INITIAL ZONING WAS, YOU KNOW, 298 ACRES OF PARKLAND.
UM, THERE WAS OPEN SPACE REQUIREMENTS.
OBVIOUSLY YOU SAW THE CEFS AND THE SETBACKS AND, UH, PROTECTION ZONES FOR WATER QUALITY.
UM, THOSE WERE ALL ELEMENTS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE BACKUP THAT WERE LISTED IN THE ORIGINAL PUD ORDINANCE OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PUD.
SO IN THIS AMENDMENT, THEY'RE ASKING TO AMEND SOME OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO IF THE HOTEL AND GOLF COURSE WASN'T THERE BEFORE, WAS THERE ANOTHER PROGRAMS SPACE? SO THE ORIGINAL, UH, PUD DID ACTUALLY RECOMMEND TWO HOTELS AND SOME RESIDENTIAL.
OBVIOUSLY THE COMMERCIAL, THERE WERE SEVERAL ELEMENTS TO IT.
UM, THE GOLF COURSE IS NEW, OBVIOUSLY, AS WE'VE DISCUSSED WITH THIS DIS, YOU KNOW, AND ADDING A NEW PRACTICE TRACK WOULD BE NEW.
SO, UM, AND THE, THIS IDEA OF, UH, A HUNDRED ACRES OF OPEN SPACE, UH, UM, RIGHT NOW THE, IF I UNDERSTAND IT'S, IT'S CITY OWNED LAND, UM, BUT IT ONLY, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
SO THE OPEN SPACE, UH, WAS 11.37 ACRES, I BELIEVE WAS THE ACTUAL OPEN SPACE OR REQUIREMENT.
UM, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE OWNERSHIP OF THAT PROPERTY.
[01:30:01]
APPLICANT IS ASKING TO CHANGE THOSE REQUIREMENTS.IS THAT CORRECT? DOES THE CITY OF AUSTIN OWN THE LARGER TRACKED BOUNDARY THAT Y'ALL WERE SHOWING? OR, OR NO, MICHAEL WAYLEN ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT? UH, NO, IT'S NOT.
UM, IT'S, UH, IDENTIFIED AS AN AREA THAT WOULD BE ULTIMATELY OR COULD BE DEDICATED AS PARKLAND WITH TWO SOCCER FIELDS.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENED IS, UH, WE'VE MADE A MODIFICATION TO INCREASE THE ACREAGE.
'CAUSE THERE'S A DESIRE TO FIND LAND FOR A POSSIBLE REC CENTER, UM, WITHIN THREE MILES OF THE TRACK AND, UH, AND BUILD SOCCER FIELDS ON THAT AS WELL.
THERE IS AN OPTION TO ALLOW, UH, FOR FEE AND LEW TO BE PAID IN PART BECAUSE IF THERE'S A DISAGREE, WE'VE OFFERED TWO SITES ALREADY TO PARKS DEPARTMENT AND THEY'VE REJECTED 'EM.
AND SO, UH, WE CAN'T BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'VE BUILT A, AN EXTRAORDINARILY EXPENSIVE, UH, FACILITY AND WE CAN'T GET A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY BECAUSE THERE STILL IS DISAGREEMENT ABOUT WHETHER THE PROPERTY THAT WE HAVE FOUND, UH, UH, SATISFIES PARKS DEPARTMENT DISCRETION.
AND WE NEED TO HAVE AN ABILITY TO PAY FEE IN LIEU TO GET THE CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
BUT THE GOAL WOULD BE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR AND CONTINUE TO OFFER, UH, PROPERTY, UH, UH, 14 ACRES FOR A REC CENTER AND TWO SOCCER FIELDS.
AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD DID CONSIDER THIS INFORMATION, NOT THIS MONDAY, BUT THE PAST MONDAY, AND THEY DID NOT AGREE.
UM, I MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL STOP FOR NOW.
UM, I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT HOW MUCH WATER IS GONNA BE USED BY THE GOLF COURSE IN A YEAR'S TIME AND WHERE'S THAT WATER COMING FROM? DOES ANYBODY KNOW ANY, ANY OF THAT? IT IS IT AN 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE.
ANY ESTIMATES ON ACRE FEET OF WATER PER YEAR? YES.
APRIL ROMERO BROWN ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
WE DON'T HAVE ESTIMATES RIGHT NOW, BUT AS PART OF WATER FORWARD AND THE REQUIREMENTS, YOU HAVE TO DO WATER BALANCING AS IT IS.
SO WE'LL HAVE, UM, ACCOUNTING FOR HOW MUCH WATER IS USED.
AND WHERE DOES THAT WATER COME FROM? I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT RIGHT NOW.
I'M ASSUMING LIKE TRAVIS, I'M ASSUMING OUR, OUR WATER SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, UNLESS THERE'S SOME OTHER SOURCE, I THINK THEY SAID THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME, OR THEY'RE EXPLORING ONSITE WATER REUSE.
THERE WILL BE, I REMEMBER THAT CORRECTLY, NEED TO DO SOME AMOUNT OF, UH, USE FOR, UH, RECLAIMED WATER, UM, CONDENSATE OR OTHER, OTHER TYPE AS PART OF THE AUSTIN WATER OF REQUIREMENTS.
UM, OF COURSE, UH, WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE SOME, UH, PROHIBITIONS OF USING SOME OF THAT TYPE OF WATER IN CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES BECAUSE IT HAS HIGHER NUTRIENTS AND IT COULD BE DELETERIOUS TO THE WATER QUALITY.
SO WE'RE STILL WORKING THAT OUT.
BUT, UH, THEY, THEY WILL HAVE SOME LEVEL OF, OF REUSE REQUIRED.
WELL, TO REUSE IT, THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO USE IT THE FIRST TIME.
SO I'M STILL CURIOUS ABOUT WHERE IT STARTS, WHERE, WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? YEAH.
SO, UH, IS THERE A, THE POTABLE WATER WOULD BE COMING FROM LAKE AUSTIN.
BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE, HAVE AN IDEA OF, OF HOW MUCH THAT IS A THOUSAND ROOM RESORT AND A GOLF COURSE MUST BE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WATER ON IN A YEAR'S TIME.
UM, I GUESS I'M JUST SPECULATING HERE AS TO, UH, WHAT THAT DOES, UH, IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE'VE GOT REAL ISSUES WITH HOW MUCH WATER WE'RE GOING TO NEED IN THE FUTURE.
AND, UM, WE GOT REALLY LUCKY IN THIS PAST JULY WHERE THE LAKE GOT REFILLED IN A ONE LARGE STORM.
UH, AND THE DROUGHT THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW MAKES ME REALLY WONDER ABOUT
I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THAT MORE THAN ANYTHING BECAUSE, UH,
[01:35:01]
UM, OUR DAM SYSTEM WAS BUILT IN THE 1940S AND FIFTIES, UM, FOR A POPULATION THAT IS A MUCH SMALLER THAN THE ONE WE NOW HAVE.AND, UH, I FEEL LIKE WE REALLY HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THAT PARTICULAR REALITY.
AND HISTORICALLY SPEAKING, TEXAS CAN HAVE A DROUGHT THAT LASTS 15 YEARS, AND THE DROUGHT OF RECORD FROM THE 1950S ONLY LASTED SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS.
AND WE STILL REFER TO IT WHEN WE'RE DOING PLANNING TODAY.
BUT, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT, UH, GE GEOLOGICAL INFORMATION, THERE HAVE BEEN 30 YEAR DROUGHTS IN THIS AREA.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT.
UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, UH, TO THE FOLKS WHO SHARED THEIR PUBLIC COMMENTS AS WELL.
I, UH, I THINK MY SIMILARLY, MY MAIN TWO QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ARE BOTH AROUND THE, UH, WATER USE OF THE GOLF COURSE.
AND I DON'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT, UM, ABOUT HOW MUCH, TO YOUR POINT, HOW MUCH WATER IS ACTUALLY REQUIRED BY GOLF COURSES.
I KNOW THAT MODERN GOLF COURSES ARE A LOT MORE SUSTAINABLE AND TRY TO BLEND MORE WITH THE SURROUNDING, UM, ECOLOGY THAN TRADITIONAL GOLF COURSES.
BUT I AM CURIOUS WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, IRRIGATION ASSUMPTIONS ARE AND, UM, WHETHER THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN GOLF COURSE OPERATION AND CONSTRUCTION THAT CAN DO CHANGE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CALCULUS, UM, THAT LIKE MAYBE, UM, MAYBE A THING.
AND THEN THE SECOND IS ON THE OPEN SPACE REDUCTION.
IT WAS UNCLEAR TO ME IN THE PRESENTATION WHAT THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT OFFSITE OPEN SPACE IS.
LIKE, WHAT IS THAT? WHERE IS IT, WHAT DOES IT USED FOR, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? UM, HOW DOES IT COMPARE TO THE ONSITE OPEN SPACE THAT WOULD BE, UH, REDUCED? I WANNA MAKE, I THINK WHAT IS UNCLEAR, AND I'LL MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN WHAT IS DEFINED AS OPEN SPACE IN THE ORDINANCE AND WHAT IS DEFINED AS PARK LAND.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GETTING CONFUSED.
THE OPEN SPACE WAS, TO YOUR QUESTION EARLIER, IT'S JUST, IT'S NOT CITY OWNED.
IT WAS NEVER GOING TO BE, IT WAS ALWAYS GONNA BE THE PRIVATELY OWNED OPEN SPACE FOR RECREATION FIELDS OR TRAILS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE.
JUST OPEN SPACE PRIVATELY OWNED THE PARKLAND WAS A SEPARATE COMPONENT THAT IN THE ORIGINAL PUD WAS 11.38 ACRES TO BE DEDICATED TO THE CITY UP IN THAT NORTHERNMOST PLANNING AREA.
SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A REDUCTION IN THE PLAN, SHOWN OPEN SPACE FROM 2 98 TO 100.
BUT AS WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THIS PROJECT, AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT, UM, JUST WHERE WE ARE IN THE EARLY STAGES OF PLANNING, BUT THE GOLF COURSE ITSELF, WHICH DOES COUNT AS OPEN SPACE, IS RIGHT NOW PROJECTED TO BE OVER 200 ACRES.
SO IT IN REALITY WON'T BE THAT BIG OF A REDUCTION.
UM, IT JUST, THE WAY WHEN WE SUBMITTED THE P WE JUST HAVE IT IN THERE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THERE'S STILL QUESTION MARKS AS TO WHAT LAND WILL BE USED AND HOW MUCH OF IT WILL, THAT WILL BE.
NOW SWITCHING OVER TO THE PARKLAND, THE OFFSITE COMPONENT OF THAT WILL BE IT IS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR 14 OR MORE ACRES WITHIN A RADIUS OF THE CODA POD THAT WE WILL DEDICATE TO THE CITY.
AND IF THAT ON OFFSITE AREA IS FOUND, CODA WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR APPROXIMATELY $2 MILLION WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE A SOCCER FIELD, THE IRRIGATION THAT GOES WITH IT, A 50 SPACE PARKING LOT, A DRIVEWAY, YOU KNOW, ACCESS FOR ALL OF, FOR THAT, FOR THAT PARKING LOT.
UM, THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ONGOING AND AS MICHAEL MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PROPOSALS.
THAT IS THAT, IS THAT OFFSITE OPEN SPACE SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS KNOW EXISTS AND YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT SPACE AND LOCATION? OR IS IT STILL UP AN OPEN QUESTION AS TO WHETHER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SECURE THAT? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S, IT'S A YES AND A AND AN UNKNOWN.
WE KNOW THAT THAT LAND EXISTS.
PART OF THE CHALLENGE IS, IS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO FIND 14 CONTINUOUS ACRES THAT IS DEVELOPABLE
[01:40:01]
THAT WE, THAT SOMEONE IS WILLING TO SELL.UM, IT'S ALL ON THE, ALL, ALL ON THE PRIVATE SIDE OF THINGS.
AND THAT THE PARK LAND, UH, SORRY, THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WILL ACCEPT.
IF I JUST MAKE ONE MORE, THE OTHER STIPULATION THAT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT GAVE US IS THAT WE HAVE TO FIND FULL PURPOSE OR IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO FULL PURPOSE LAND.
SO IT'S ANOTHER PIECE OF WHY IT'S TAKING US SOME TIME TO FIND IT.
COMMISSIONER BRIMER, THANK YOU.
UH, YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK, UH, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE, UH, MR. WAYLON FOR HIS TIME, UH, EARLIER THIS WEEK.
UH, SPEAKING TO ME, GIVING ME A LITTLE BIT BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCOPE OF THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT, UH, HIS INPUT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF THE BIGGER PICTURE.
I KNOW FREQUENTLY WE GET KIND OF A LITTLE VERTICAL VIEW OF THINGS AND, UH, MR. WAYLAND'S, UH, INPUT WAS IMPORTANT AND, UH, MS. RETIS WAS IMPORTANT.
UH, SHE GAVE ME SOME EMAILS TODAY AND MS. LILY ALSO, UH, GAVE ME SOME EMAILS THAT HELPED FILL IN SOME, UH, QUESTIONS THAT I HAD.
SO I'D LIKE TO THANK THEM FOR THE, UH, INPUT THEY, THEY PROVIDED.
UH, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP BY SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
UH, I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE PREVIOUS AGENT FOR WHOEVER OWNED IT IN 2020.
UH, THAT WAS METCALF WOLF, STEWART WILLIAMS. UH, THEY MANAGED CONTACT NEIGHBORS AROUND THE AREA AND, AND OBTAINED FEEDBACK.
UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW BY WHICH, YOU KNOW, THEY, HOW THEY DID IT, BUT THEY MANAGED TO CONTACT AN HOA AND SOME SORT OF DELL VALLEY COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION AND OBTAINED FEEDBACK.
SOME OF IT WAS POSITIVE, SOME OF IT WASN'T, YOU KNOW, BUT THEY DID MANAGE TO CONTACT PEOPLE AND OBTAIN FEEDBACK.
THE 500 FEET, IF YOU LOOK AT A MAP, THERE'S LIKE DAKOTA, WHICH IS HERE, AND IF YOU DRAW 500 FEET, THERE'S NOT A CITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENCE WITHIN 500 FEET OF THAT AREA.
SO THERE'S NO ONE WITHIN 500 FEET THAT WILL HAVE GOTTEN A LETTER FROM THE CITY ABOUT ANYTHING.
SO NO ONE FROM THE CITY IS LIKELY TO GET ANYTHING UNLESS YOU GO TO THE TROUBLE AND SIGN UP FOR THIS STUFF.
NOW I DO, SO I GET ALL SORTS OF MAIL, BUT UNLESS YOU PROACTIVELY GO OUT AND SIGN UP TO GET MAIL FOR EVERYTHING, YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET ANYTHING FOR THIS BECAUSE YOU, NO ONE LIVES WITHIN 500 FEET.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE STORY WITH THAT.
NOW, WITH REGARD TO THE WATER FOR A GOLF COURSE FOR 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE, DEPENDING UPON A LOT OF VARIABLES, IS GONNA TAKE 20 TO 90 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER A YEAR TO WATER AN 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE.
NOW, EXPANDING A LITTLE BIT ON SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GOLF COURSE.
SOME PEOPLE, I, I DON'T KNOW, IT WAS REFERENCED PERHAPS BY ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GONNA GO NEXT TO A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
AND THERE WAS NO MENTION ABOUT HOW THINGS LIKE FERTILIZERS, HERBICIDES, PESTICIDES, ARE GONNA BE MANAGED TO KEEP THIS STUFF FROM DRAINING INTO THOSE THINGS.
NOW YOU CAN DESIGN A GOLF COURSE TO PREVENT THIS DRAINAGE, BUT THERE'S NO MENTION IN HERE ABOUT HOW THIS GOLF COURSE IS GOING TO BE MANAGED.
THIS ALSO SITS UPON, AND I'M NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET MAPS THAT OVERLAY PROPERLY, BUT THERE IS AN AQUIFER IN THAT AREA.
IT'S CALLED THE COLORADO RIVER, UH, ALLUVIAL AQUIFER.
IT ALSO FEEDS INTO THE CARRIZO, UH, WILCOX AQUIFER, WHICH RUNS FROM SOMEWHERE DOWN TOWARDS LAREDO ALL THE WAY UP TO TEXARKANA.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DRINK WATER OUT OF THAT THROUGH WELLS.
SO IF IT SEEPS INTO THE GROUND WITH PRO WITHOUT PROPER TREATMENT, YOU'RE KIND OF RISKING POISONING PEOPLE'S DRINKING WATER, DEPENDING UPON THE HYDROLOGY OF EVERYTHING.
AND I'M, IF YOU LOOK AT THE REPORTS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO US WHERE IT SAYS HYDROLOGY REVIEW, IT GOES NONE.
SO THERE WAS NO HYDROLOGY REVIEW DONE BY THE CITY ON THIS.
SO NO ONE REALLY HAS A CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH ANY OF THIS.
SO THAT'S ONE BIG ISSUE IS HOW IS THE GOLF COURSE GOING TO BE MANAGED? THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T HAVE A GOLF COURSE, BUT IT MEANS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO WATER FOR THIS.
[01:45:01]
RECYCLE THE WATER, YOU HAVE TO USE IT THE FIRST TIME.WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET IT? WELL, NO ONE HAS ANY CLUE.
AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO PLAN FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, CAPTURE LIKE OFF THE ROOFTOPS OF ANY OF THESE, UH, HOTELS OR ANYTHING.
THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S NO PLANS FOR ANYTHING FOR, YOU KNOW, USING THING.
THE EXISTING, YOU KNOW, P FOR RECYCLING THE WATER.
BUT IF YOU ARE RECYCLING TO USE IT FOR LANDSCAPING, YOU KNOW, WATERING THE EXISTING TREES AND SHRUBS AND WHATEVER IT IS, YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T USE THAT WATER AGAIN TO WATER THE GOLF COURSE.
'CAUSE IT CAN ONLY BE RECYCLED ONCE.
AND I SHARE THE CONCERNS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, HACKING AWAY THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE IN A BROAD SENSE, YOU KNOW, ALL OVER THE PLACE.
SO THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE WITH THIS WHOLE THING.
NOW THERE'S BEEN SOME MINOR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PARK ON FEBRUARY 23RD.
THIS WAS BROUGHT FOR THE PARKS BOARD.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT THE PARKS BOARD, WE DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT PARKS, BUT A PARK IS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO LET'S NOT MAKE ANY EXCUSES ABOUT THIS.
IT CON IT CONTRIBUTES TO CAPTURE OF, YOU KNOW, CO2 WHOLE BUNCH OF THINGS.
PARKS HAVE A CRITICAL PART OF CRITICAL PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT.
THE ORIGINAL PLAN CALLED FOR A PARK WITH TWO SOCCER FIELDS THAT'S GONE.
NOW, THE APPLICANT WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO A FEE IN LIEU OR PURCHASE LAND.
AND THERE'S SOME CONDITIONS ON THIS.
THE FEE IN LIEU IS $2 MILLION.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE OTHER OPTION IS TO BUY LAND WITHIN THREE MILES.
IF YOU DRAW THE CIRCLE AND THERE'S A SLIDE THAT WAS UP THAT SAW THAT CIRCLE, IF YOU LOOK AT THAT CIRCLE, THE AMOUNT OF CITY PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS WITHIN THAT CIRCLE IS PROBABLY ABOUT AS BIG AS THIS ROOM.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA BILL GET 11 ACRES, THAT'S GONNA BE A REAL TREAT.
AND THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS YOU HAVE TO FIND 11 CONTIGUOUS ACRES.
AND YOU DON'T KNOW, REALLY BY LOOKING AT THAT MAP, IF THERE'S 11 CONTIGUOUS ACRES AVAILABLE FOR SALE THAT IS QUALIFIED TO BE CON, YOU KNOW, PARKLAND.
NOW THE PARKS DEPARTMENT TURNED IT DOWN.
IF YOU GO WATCH THE VIDEO, YOU WATCH THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM AUSTIN PARKS AND REC.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S NO DEBATING THIS.
AND THE PARKS BOARD VOTED EIGHT TO ONE TO SHELL THIS THING.
OKAY? SO NOW IF YOU TAKE THE $2 MILLION AND SAY WE'RE GONNA SPEND THIS SOMEPLACE ELSE, THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS BEING PARKED IN THAT PART OF TOWN IS IT'S IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
IF YOU TAKE THE $2 MILLION AND YOU PUT IT SOMEWHERE ELSE, JUST WHERE ARE YOU GONNA PUT THIS IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN? WELL, NOWHERE.
AND IF YOU TAKE THAT $2 MILLION AND SAY, WELL, WE'LL BUY IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
OKAY, LET'S BUILD IT IN TARRYTOWN.
YOU KNOW HOW MUCH SPACE YOU'RE GONNA GET TERRYTOWN WITH $2 MILLION PROBABLY BE ABOUT FIVE SQUARE FEET.
SO IT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE.
YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY IS NOT GONNA GET A PARK IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW THERE'S SPACE.
AND THEY'RE GONNA BUILD A TRACK THERE FOR A PRACTICE TRACK.
NOW PART OF EXPANDING THIS DISCUSSION A LITTLE BIT FURTHER, THE DEFINITION OF A POD IS IT HAS TO BE DEMONSTRATIVELY SUPERIOR.
OKAY? SO IF YOU GO THROUGH WHAT IS DEMONSTRATIVELY SUPERIOR TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, YOU GO THROUGH THE NEW APPLICATION, THEY'RE REMOVING THE NUMBER OF BIKE PARKING SPACES.
SO YEAH, YOU'VE GOT BIKE PARKING SPACES, BUT NOW YOU'RE GONNA HAVE FEWER ONES.
THERE IS NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN MENTIONED FROM THE AIRPORT, BUT REALLY IT'S NICE TO GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO THERE.
BUT WHAT'S REALLY NICE IS PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE GOING TO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
THERE'S NO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
SO PEOPLE ARE GONNA GO, WANT TO GO OUT TO EAT TO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
THERE'S NO OPTION FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
THERE'S NO PLAN TO GET LIGHT RAIL OUT THERE.
[01:50:01]
COMMUNITY BENEFITS.WELL, YOU JUST TOOK AWAY THE PARK.
YOU DID AWAY WITH TWO THIRDS OF THE OPEN SPACE.
YOU DON'T HAVE CARBON SEQUESTRATION FOR THIS.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY NOISE ABATEMENT FOR ANYTHING OUT THERE.
FOR THE TRACK FOR THE AVIATION FACILITIES.
THIS HAS TO BE A POD, HAS TO BE A CLEAR IMPROVEMENT OVER EVERYTHING.
I SEE THE ENVIRONMENTAL CUTBACKS WE'RE GETTING WITH THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, THE INCLUSION OF A GOLF COURSE WITH TOXIC CHEMICALS BEING PLACED NEAR, YOU KNOW, ON THE GOLF COURSE NEAR THESE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES IN FLOOD ZONES.
AND BY THE WAY, WHO ACTUALLY BUILDS STUFF IN A 25 YEAR FLOODPLAIN IN A PLACE CALLED FLOOD ALLEY.
I MEAN, REALLY, LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS FOR A MINUTE.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE JUST A RESTROOM, REALLY FLOOD ALLEY.
LET'S START BUILDING SOMETHING IN A FLOOD ZONE.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, AND BELIEVE ME, I UNDERSTAND THE BENEFIT OF THIS AND I'M NOT OPPOSING THIS AT ALL, ALTHOUGH I'M HIGHLY CRITICAL OF IT.
I'M SAYING BEFORE WE APPROVE THIS, LET'S PUT SOME QUALIFICATIONS ON IT.
LET'S MAKE SURE THE GOLF COURSE IS DESIGNED NOT TO POLLUTE THE WATER WAYS.
THERE'S GONNA BE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.
YOU GO TO ANY MAINTENANCE FACILITY ANYWHERE, WHETHER IT'S YOUR CAR OR ANYTHING.
YOU LOOK AT THE DRUMS WITH THE SKULL AND CROSSBONES ON THERE.
WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR MANAGING TOXIC CHEMICALS INSIDE OF THESE MAINTENANCE AREAS? I DON'T SEE ONE, I DON'T SEE THAT THE PLAN FOR PUTTING UP PLACARDS, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING.
WHAT WE NEED IS TO HAVE A CONCRETE PLAN TO ADDRESS THESE THINGS.
AND WHEN I SEE THINGS LIKE, WELL, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED THIS YET, IT'S UNDER NEGOTIATION.
I ALWAYS LIKE HANDING A BLANK CHECK TO PEOPLE SAYING, WE'LL, THINK ABOUT THE PRICE LATER ON.
I NEVER HANG A BLANK, HAND A BLANK CHECK TO ANYONE.
COME BACK TO ME WHEN I KNOW, WHEN YOU KNOW THE PRICE.
AND THEN I'LL SIGN IT IF I LIKE THE PRICE.
I LIKE SPECIFIC COSTS, SPECIFIC ACTIONS.
SO I AM TOTALLY FOR THIS 100%.
I THINK THE BENEFIT FOR THE REVENUE FOR THE CITY, THE TAX REVENUE, THE HOTEL TAX, THE SALES TAX, THE JOBS, I THINK THESE ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO AUSTIN'S FUTURE.
ALSO, I THINK THE ENVIRONMENT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AS WELL.
I THINK THESE CAN BE BALANCED.
ALSO, THE CUT AND FILL, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE STOPPED CUT AND FILL AT 20 FEET, BUT NOW WE'RE GIVING ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL FOR MORE THAN 20 FEET.
IF IT'S THAT IMPORTANT, THEN WE CAN REVIEW IT ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND SAY, YEAH, IT'S GOOD.
I'M NOT SAYING NO, I'M SAYING LET'S APPROVE IT.
OUR JOB IS TO REVIEW CUT AND FILL CODE IS FOUR FEET.
WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CUT AND FILL TALLER THAN THIS ROOM.
COME ON, LET, LET'S GET A HANDLE ON THIS.
I UNDERSTAND PUDS ARE SUPPOSED TO GIVE SOME LEEWAY TO THE APPLICANT, BUT THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE CLEAR, DEMONSTRATED SUPERIORITY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OVER WHAT IS NORMALLY AVAILABLE TO ZONING.
AND I DON'T SEE THAT AT THIS TIME.
I AM GONNA GO BACK TO COMMISSIONER FLURRY, DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, DURING, UH, COMMISSIONER ER'S UM, COMMENTS,
[01:55:01]
I WAS REMINDED OF THE, UH, I THINK IT WAS A DISNEY MOVIE CALLED BLANK CHECK.AND I THINK IN THERE THEY HAVE A HAPPY ENDING, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT'S APPLICABLE TO THIS SITUATION.
UM, YEAH, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, SO I SEE HERE SOME OF THE, UH, AMENDMENTS IN THE, UM, WELL WHAT WAS THIS? THE, UH, THE ONE OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT WAS ATTACHED STAFF REPORT? YES, THE STAFF REPORT.
YOU KNOW, MY MIND IS BEING SCRAMBLED FROM ALL THESE WORDS ON THESE PAGES.
UM, AND SO WHEN IT SAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN ONE OF THE CASE MANAGER'S COMMENTS THAT ARE SORT OF AT THE TOP IN THIS REZONING APPLICATION, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO THE PUT LAND USE PLAN AND ZONING, UH, ORDINANCE.
SOME OF THE STUFF I WAS, UH, CONFUSED ABOUT, SO I WAS HOPING THAT I COULD GET SOME, SOME CLARIFICATION.
UH, ON, IN B IT SAYS TO CHANGE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS TO CHANGE BONUS AREA CALCULATIONS FOR A HOTEL MOTEL USE WZA.
IS THAT ME? I'M A VERY DUMB PERSON.
SO WHEN I SEE THIS, I JUST, MY MY EYES GO GOOGLY.
UM, CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN THIS, WHAT THIS MEANS? I THINK WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT THERE USED TO BE, UH, JUST JUDGING FROM, YOU KNOW, THE COMMENTS OF, OF, OF CITY STAFF HERE, THAT THERE USED TO BE, UM, SOME KIND OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
AND SO THAT'S WHEN THERE WAS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, AND SO NOW BECAUSE OF THE, THE HOTEL AND CONVENTION CENTER, UM, SOMETHING CHANGES CALCULATION WISE.
CAN, CAN I GET AN EXPLANATION ON THAT? PLEASE? APPRECIATE IT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE DRAFT ORDINANCE, THE RED LINE ORDINANCE, IT'S IN YOUR BACKUP.
IT'S ONE OF THE EXHIBITS IN YOUR BACKUP PART SEVEN, AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BASICALLY THE APPLICANT WANTS TO ADD LANGUAGE THAT SAYS, EXCEPT FOR HOTEL USE, WHICH SHALL BE CALCULATED ON A BASE OF ANY GROSS FLOOR AREA GREATER THAN, WHICH WOULD BE ACHIEVED WITHIN A FLORIDA AREA RATIO ALLOWED BY THE COMMERCIAL SERVICES ZONING DISTRICT.
SO YEAH, THEY WANT TO CHANGE THE CONDITIONS OF HOW AFFORDABILITY WILL BE, UM, MEASURED IN THIS P UM, SO I SPOKE WITH ROBERT ANDERSON WITH OUR HOUSING DEPARTMENT EARLIER TODAY.
UM, HE SAID IN HIS LAST CONVERSATION WITH THE APPLICANT APPLICANT, THEY INDICATED A PROPOSAL THAT WAS SIGNIFICANT, A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION, UH, TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BENEFIT TO WHAT IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE.
AND HE SAID THAT, THAT THEY DON'T SUPPORT IT AT THIS TIME.
YEAH, I WAS JUST LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE LAST THING I THINK OF WHEN I THINK OF, UH, A HOTEL BY CIRCULAR OF THE AMERICAS IS AFFORDABLE.
SO I WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, CURIOUS SORT OF WHAT THAT MEANT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I SEE HERE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SORT OF THE, UH, THE SOCCER FIELDS, RIGHT? AND SO, AND G RIGHT? IT SAYS, UH, REMOVAL OF THE COMMUNITY SOCCER FIELDS.
I THINK COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER FLURY STATED EARLIER THAT THERE ARE ALREADY SOCCER FIELDS THERE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, THAT THERE'S NOT SOCCER FIELDS.
AND I THINK THEY HAD PROPOSED SOCCER FIELDS.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THE APPLICANT COULD SPEAK ONTO LIKE WHY THEY FEEL LIKE THESE SOCCER FIELDS SHOULD BE REMOVED.
IS IT JUST 'CAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING THIS AMUSEMENT PARK HERE, SO WHY WE PUT SOCCER FIELDS? I MEAN, CLEARLY IT SAYS THAT THERE WAS A REQUIREMENT TO CONSTRUCT THEM.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, UH, SOME CONTEXT AS TO LIKE WHY THAT REQUIREMENT WAS INITIALLY THERE AND WHY THEY'RE ASKING THAT IT BE REMOVED NOW, OR ANYBODY, YOU KNOW, I CAN JUST MAKE SOMETHING UP.
I AM MICHAEL WHALEN ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
UM, FIRST, BEFORE I FORGET, I KNOW THERE'S A COMMENT ABOUT BIKES AND BIKE, UH, SPACES.
THERE'S, THAT'S AN A EGB REQUIREMENT AND THAT, UH, ANY REDUCTION, ANY OF THAT'S BEEN REMOVED, IT'S NOT IN THE, IN THE, UH, AMENDED PUD THEY'LL BE COMPLYING FULLY COMPLIANT WITH NUMBER OF BIKE SPACES, WHICH WILL BE A LOT.
UM, WITH REGARD TO THE PARK, THE SOCCER FIELDS, UH, ARE IN THE AREA THAT WAS GOING TO BE THE, ARE GOING TO BE A PARK ON SITE AND THE TWO SOCCER FIELDS.
IF A SITE CAN BE AGREED UPON BY, WITH PARKS DIRECTOR, YOU KNOW, THEIR DISCRETION, WHICH WE'VE DISCUSSED, THERE'LL BE THAT OBLIGATION WILL REMAIN TO HAVE TWO SOCCER FIELDS.
UH, ON THAT 14 ACRES, IT'S, I THINK THEY AVERAGE, THEY SAY IT'S ABOUT TWO ACRES PER SOCCER FIELD IS NEEDED FOR SPACE BETWEEN THE SOCCER FIELDS.
AND THEN THEY WANT TO HAVE 10 ACRES FOR A REC CENTER, UH, IN, UH, THE DELL VALLEY AREA.
IS THE, UH, IS THE REQUEST A A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO, UM, UH, OR E ADJACENT TO FULL PURPOSE OR IN FULL PURPOSE AS WAS ALREADY MENTIONED.
SO IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, THE IDEA IS TO REMOVE
[02:00:01]
THE REQUIREMENT TO CONSTRUCT TWO COMMUNITY SOCCER FIELDS HERE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT, THAT THE APPLICANT WILL, WILL BUILD THEM NEAR SOME KIND OF REC CENTER.WELL, NO, WE'LL BUILD A REC CENTER.
WE'LL THAT THE GOAL WOULD BE TO FIND 14 ACRES.
AND THE OBLIGATION WOULD BE TO BUILD TWO SOCCER FIELDS ON THAT 14 ACRES.
THE CITY THEN WOULD USE THE OTHER 10 ACRES TOTAL OF 14 TO, UH, HOPEFULLY BUILD A REC CENTER.
AND THIS WOULD BE LIKE CONTIGUOUS TO THE PROPERTY, OR THIS IS JUST LIKE IN THE AREA? NO, NO, IT'S, IT NEEDS TO BE IN FULL PURPOSE.
SO FULL PURPOSE CITY JURISDICTION OR ADJACENT TO THE FULL PURPOSE.
THE LAND, WHICH IS NOT THIS, THIS IS NOT THIS PROPERTY.
ALL THE LAND SURROUNDING THIS PROPERTY, UH, FOR LIKE ALMOST UP TO A MILE AND IN SOME, IN SOME DIRECTIONS IS ETJ.
IT'S NOT FOLKS THAT ARE PAYING TAXES OR, UH, VOTE, I MEAN, OR, UH, IN THE CITY ELECTION.
SO IT PUTS IT CLOSER TO, UH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHY PARKS DEPARTMENT, THAT IS THE ARTICULATED REASON.
'CAUSE THAT'S, UH, FOLK, THAT'S WHERE TAX DOLLARS ARE COMING FROM.
AND THEN YOU'RE INVESTING TAX DOLLARS THERE.
THAT'S WHAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS.
I GUESS, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, YOU KNOW, UH, USUALLY WHEN YOU THINK OF LIKE A POD, YOU THINK OF LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT, UH, AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY, I THINK, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF US LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT, THAT PEOPLE, THE GENERAL PUBLIC COULD USE, YOU KNOW, AND SO WITH THIS, IT'S JUST LIKE, THERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS OF WHAT IS THE VALUE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, RIGHT? OTHER THAN REVENUE, UH, THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN FUND I GUESS SOCIAL SERVICES OR WHATEVER, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, I'M A BIG FAN OF THE HOT TAXES, BUT, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE THE ACTUAL LAND ITSELF, WHAT, WHAT IS THE USAGE OF THE LAND, RIGHT? UH, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE, UH, HOW THE GOLF COURSE OR THE CONVENTION CENTER, UH, OTHER THAN FROM A JOBS PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? UM, BUT JUST FROM LIKE A, A LAND USE PERSPECTIVE, HOW, UH, THE, THE PUBLIC AND, AND THE RESIDENTS OF THIS AREA WOULD BENEFIT FROM IT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF THERE IS NO LONGER A REQUIREMENT TO CONSTRUCT ANYTHING THAT LIKE PEOPLE COULD USE, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, A PARK IS GREAT.
A PARK IN THE, IN THE FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION IS GREAT.
UM, NOT NECESSARILY SURE HOW THE, THAT RELATES TO LIKE THIS PARTICULAR LAND USE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE BIKE, THE BICYCLE PARK AND STUFF.
I GET, YOU KNOW, LIKE LESLIE POINTED OUT, ANYONE WHO BIKES HERE IS, UM, UH, PROBABLY NEEDS SOME, SOME HELP AS FAR AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, UH, TORTURING THEMSELVES.
UM, AND UH, YEAH, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, I WAS REALLY CONFUSED ABOUT THE KENNEL USAGE.
UM, WE'RE TALKING LIKE DOGS WE'RE TALKING LIKE, LIKE WHAT ARE WHAT LIKE HORSES, LIKE WHAT IS, WHAT IS WHAT ANIMALS IS THIS LIKE SOME KIND OF LIKE MOTORCYCLE OR CAR TERM THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF? LIKE ARE WE TALKING LIKE MICHAEL VICK, LIKE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE? LIKE, I WAS JUST CURIOUS.
APRIL ROMERO BROWN ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT, THAT, UM, REQUEST COMES FROM CODA.
THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT CREATING A DOG KENNEL SO THAT PEOPLE CAN BRING THEIR DOGS TO THE EVENTS AND HAVE A PLACE TO, TO PUT THEM.
'CAUSE PEOPLE ARE TRAVELING LONG DISTANCES.
I WOULD DEFINITELY BE WARY OF, UH, BOOKING THE BAJA MEN FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
UM, THAT'S A, WHO LET THE DOGS OUT JOKE FOR THOSE WHO DON'T REMEMBER? UM, YEAH, I GUESS, UM, LISTEN, MAN, IF THE RICH PEOPLE WANNA PAY TO BABYSIT THEIR DOGS, SCREW IT.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PAYING TAXES, RIGHT? UM, YEAH.
AND THEN THE AVIATION FACILITIES USAGE LIKE THIS IS, THIS WOULD BE LIKE A CHOPPER.
THIS WOULD BE LIKE A PRIVATE PLANES.
LIKE WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS? LIKE, I'M JUST, I'M JUST GOING THROUGH THE LIST AND ANYTHING I GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT, I'M JUST REALLY CURIOUS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
MICHAEL WHALEN ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT, UH, THERE, THERE IS CURRENTLY A HELIPAD, UH, OUT AT THE SITE.
SO THIS WOULD, THERE THERE IS ONE AND IT IS, IT DOES GET USED.
SO THIS IS LIKE, IT SAYS DD TO PERMIT THE AVIATION FACILITIES USE IN THE AREA FOR COMMERCIAL.
SO THIS WOULD JUST BE LIKE CONSTRUCTING A, A SEPARATE HELIPAD OR LIKE AN ADDITIONAL HELIPAD? NO, IT'S ALREADY THERE AND THEY'RE OKAY.
[02:05:01]
WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PLANS FOR A HELIPAD.I, I CAN FIND OUT IF YOU WANT.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO WHETHER IT'S REQUIRED WHEN YOU HAVE AN F1 TRACK FOR INJURIES, UM, AH, THAT, THAT OCCUR THERE.
IT IS ALSO USED FOR TRANSPORTATION, UH, PURPOSES, UH, IN ADDITION TO ANY INJURIES.
I WAS JUST, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, UM, YEAH, THOSE WERE THE, AND THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT STUFF, I MEAN, I GET IT.
FERRIS WHEELS, RIGHT? THEY TEND, NO ONE WANTS TO GO TO A SHORT FERRIS WHEEL.
YOU KNOW, SOMEONE'S PROBABLY LEARNED THAT ONE THE HARD WAY.
UM, AND YEAH, THOSE WERE PROBABLY MY ONLY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
ON, ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, I WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, LIKE TO RESPOND TO, WE, WE ARE ASKING FOR MORE HEIGHT, WHICH REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, FOR THAT HOTEL RATHER THAN HAVING IT SPRAWLING.
AND, UH, UH, THE CHANGE THAT WE ASKED FOR ON THE BASE, UH, BASELINE FOR THAT HOTEL IS THAT IT BE THE FAR RATHER THAN CALCULATING IT BASED ON HEIGHT, BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO REDUCE IMPERVIOUS COVER BY GOING UP.
THAT'S, UH, WHAT LED TO THAT, UM, ANALYSIS.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THERE IS A LOT OF MONEY BEHIND THIS PROJECT, UM, AND A LOT OF POWER AND INTEREST FROM A CERTAIN GROUP OF PEOPLE TO PUSH THIS FORWARD.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT MY ROLE HERE, MY INTEREST HERE IS TO THINK ABOUT THE PUBLIC BENEFIT, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, TO THINK ABOUT THE LAND, THE WILDLIFE, THE WATER, THE AIR WE BREATHE, THE THINGS THAT UNDERLIE ALL OF OUR VERY SURVIVAL.
UM, SO I THINK I'M COMING IN WITH A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN THE APPLICANT, WHICH IS OKAY, WE'RE BOTH HERE TO, YOU KNOW, TALK OUR, OUR DIFFERENT SIDES.
AGAIN, MY PERSPECTIVE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A THOUSAND ACRES, UM, THAT HAVE A CERTAIN ZONING DESIGNATION.
AND SO I'M HEARING, YOU KNOW, CITY STAFF AND THE APPLICANT SAYING WE'RE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND WITH 0.87 ACRES OF WETLAND MITIGATION OF 0.56 ACRES OF CEF BUFFER.
THINK ABOUT 0.87 ACRES AND A THOUSAND ACRES SPACE.
LIKE, I'M SORRY, THAT IS, THAT IS A PITTANCE.
UM, AND THAT THOUSAND ACRES RIGHT NOW IS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S MORE THAN 50% UNDEVELOPED, BUT A LARGE PORTION OF IT IS AND IS OPEN SPACE.
SO I THINK WHERE A DEVELOPER SEES, UM, A PIECE OF LAND THROUGH THE LENS OF, WELL, THERE'S THIS MUCH DESIGNATED FROM IMPERVIOUS COVER THIS MUCH DESIGNATED FOR THIS, I'M SEEING THE LAND AS IT IS RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS PROVIDING HABITAT, WHICH HAS A HISTORY OF, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING FARMLAND, ARABLE LAND.
WE TALK SO MUCH ON THIS COMMISSION ABOUT, UM, THE EVER SHRINKING OPEN SPACE IN OUR CITY.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ABOUT THE FOOD DESERT, UM, IN, IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN, BUT IN OUR CITY WRIT LARGE.
AND IT WAS CONCERNING TODAY WHEN WE WERE HEARING THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER FLURRY ASKED DIRECTLY, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR PURCHASING NEW, YOU KNOW, LOTS OF LAND? AND I DON'T, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY RIGHT NOW.
AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE AMOUNT OF LAND THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR OUR OWN FOOD PRODUCTION, FOR WILDLIFE HABITAT, FOR, UM, OUR AQUIFER HEALTH IS SHRINKING RAPIDLY.
AND WE ARE IN WHAT IS NOW DESIGNATED AN EXTREME DROUGHT.
AND IT'S SO HARD TO BE SOMEONE WHO SEES THAT AND CARES DEEPLY.
UM, AND THEN TO BE POSITIONED AS SOMEONE WHO PERHAPS DOESN'T CARE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, JOBS FOR PEOPLE OR PUBLIC BENEFIT, I CARE ABOUT OUR SURVIVAL.
LIKE WE HAVE TO BE SO REAL ABOUT THE CONDITION OF, OF OUR DRINKING WATER IN THIS, IN THIS TOWN.
AND SO IT IS REALLY CONCERNING TO ME WHEN I THINK ABOUT WHAT IS THE HIGHEST AND BEST PUBLIC USE FOR THIS LAND, TO ME IT WOULD BE ENSURING THAT OUR WATERWAYS STAY SAFE AND CLEAN, ENSURING THAT WILDLIFE HAS A HABITAT, ENSURING THAT THE COMMUNITY IN SOUTHEAST AUSTIN WHO HAS BEEN OVERLOOKED AND OPPRESSED AGAIN AND AGAIN HAS ACCESS TO GREEN SPACE, TO RECREATIONAL SPACE.
AND THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT A THOUSAND ROOM HOTEL WITH A HELIPAD AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE, YOU KNOW, A SWIMMING POOL WITH NON-NATIVE PALM TREES, LIKE THAT'S SERVING OUT OF TOWN RESIDENTS, IT'S, IT'S NOT SERVING THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST AUSTIN.
SO I UNDERSTAND WE GAIN SOME TAX
[02:10:01]
BENEFIT FROM IT, BUT I THINK ABOUT, UM, THE INDIGENOUS CREE PROVERB THAT SAYS, ONLY WHEN THE LAST TREE HAS WITHERED AND THE LAST FISH HAS BEEN CAUGHT AND THE LAST RIVER HAS BEEN POISONED, WILL WE REALIZE WE CANNOT EAT MONEY? WE CANNOT.UM, AND SO FRANKLY IT'S TAKING COURAGE FROM ME IN THIS MOMENT TO SPEAK UP, UM, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE TERM $2 BILLION IS BEING THROWN AROUND AND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
BUT I, I HAVE TO THINK ABOUT ALL OF OUR WELLBEING.
AND SO I HAVE REALLY DEEP CONCERNS ABOUT THIS.
I HAVE RESPECT FOR EVERYONE HERE.
I UNDERSTAND OUR DIFFERENT MOTIVATIONS, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND MY ROLE IN THIS COMMISSION, UM, AND, AND MY VALUE SYSTEM, I JUST, I HAVE TO STAY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT.
ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS IS THE SHRINKING OF THE OPEN SPACE FROM 298 ACRES TO A HUNDRED ACRES OF OPEN LAND.
AS ONE OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENTERS POINTED OUT, THAT IS ENDANGERED HABITAT.
THE BLACK LAND PRAIRIE IS NOW AT 1% OF ITS ORIGINAL ECO REGION.
IT IS THE MOST ENDANGERED HABITAT IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S CRAZY THAT WE DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT ON A DAILY LEVEL.
THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT PROTECTING THE AMAZON, I MEAN, THINGS THAT, THAT RISE TO THE TOP.
WE'RE LIVING, WE'RE LIVING IN THE MOST ENDANGERED ECO REGION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT.
UM, SO I WANNA, I WANNA MAKE SPACE FOR THAT TONIGHT.
UM, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, BRINGING UP THE QUESTIONS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING I HAD THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE ADDITIONAL ILLUMINATED SIGNAGE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN BROUGHT UP, UM, IN CONNECTION TO OUR NIGHT SKIES.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF CITY STAFF HAS ANY ADDITIONAL POINTS REGARDING THE ADDITIONAL ILLUMINATED SIGNAGE.
UH, LESLIE LILY WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE IS ILLUMINATE SIGNAGE, WE DID SPEAK WITH THE APPLICANT ABOUT COMPLYING WITH, UM, UH, LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION CRITERIA AND, AND, AND BIRD COLLISION DETERRENCE CRITERIA FROM THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, UH, CRITERIA IS A PART OF THEIR RATING.
AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CONSIDER IT, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, UM, AGREE TO IT RIGHT NOW.
THAT WOULD APPLY TO SIGNAGE IN ANY OTHER KIND OF LIGHT SOURCES ON THE PROPERTY.
I'M ALSO CURIOUS WITH THE GOLF COURSES, HOW MANY GOLF COURSES ARE WITHIN 10 MILES OF CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS? I, I, 'CAUSE LOOKING, LOOKING AT A GOOGLE MAP, I COUNTED ABOUT SIX.
UH, I AM NOT SURE OF THAT ANSWER.
SO THERE AGAIN, I JUST THINK IF PEOPLE CAN REASONABLY ACCESS GOLF COURSES WITHIN 10 MILES, THEY HAVE THEIR PICK OF THE LOT.
DO WE REALLY NEED ANOTHER GOLF COURSE, UM, IN A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE? NO, I, I DON'T THINK WE DO.
I DON'T, I DON'T SEE THE PUBLIC BENEFIT FOR THAT.
UM, AND YEAH, TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY OTHER, WELL, NO, I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
UM, PLANNING AREA FOUR IS THAT IN THE FLOOD ZONE, IS THIS IS THE ENTIRETY OF THIS? PUD THE ENTIRETY IS NOT IN THE, THE FLOODPLAIN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING ITSELF WILL BE OUT.
UM, BUT IT IS A VERY, THE FLOODPLAIN IS A VERY LARGE PART OF IT.
SO YEAH, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF CUT AND FILL OF, OF ALLOWING A CUT AND FILL VARIANCE WITHIN A FLOOD PLAIN.
I WOULD THINK THAT THE, YEAH, POTENTIAL RISKS ARE GREATER THAN ELSEWHERE, RIGHT? SO WE ARE NOT WAIVING REQUIREMENTS TO DEMONSTRATE NO ADVERSE IMPACT.
AND SO ANY GRADING THEY WILL HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THROUGH MODELING THAT THERE'S NO CHANGE, NO RISE IN THE FLOODPLAIN.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF THEY FILL, THEY'LL HAVE TO CUT SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH GOLF COURSES, THERE'S A LOT OF KIND OF UNDULATING HILLS AND, AND WHATNOT.
SO ALL OF THAT WILL HAVE TO BALANCE.
SO IT CAN'T BE, THEY CAN'T IMPORT, FILL, UM, INTO THE FLOODPLAIN BEYOND, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT MAKING IT BALANCE.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTERS ASKED IS THE ATLAS 14 FLOODPLAIN BEING APPLIED HERE? YES.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS I'M WONDERING ABOUT HOW REALISTIC IT IS TO FIND, I'VE HEARD 11 ACRES, I'VE HEARD 14 ACRES FOR PARKLAND WITHIN THE GIVEN RADIUS.
[02:15:01]
OR REALISTICALLY, ARE WE DEFINITELY LOOKING AT A FEE IN LIEU OF 2 MILLION OR ANOTHER AMOUNT? YEAH.UM, I DON'T BELIEVE I WOULD BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
THAT IS A QUESTION FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THAT IS ALL I HAVE FOR NOW.
UM, ARE THERE ANY, BEFORE WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, DO ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR EITHER CITY STAFF OR THE APPLICANT? IF SO, NOW'S THE TIME.
COMMISSIONER BRIMER, UH, WITH REGARD SIGNED, THIS CAME UP A MEETING OR TWO AGO WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE INFORMATIONAL SIGNS THAT WERE GONNA GO UP.
AND ONE OF THE POINTS OF DISCUSSION WAS THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRICITY IT WAS GONNA BE CONSUMED BY THOSE.
AND, UH, I THINK THE APPLICANT FOR THOSE THINGS WAS SAYING IT WAS GONNA BE, EACH ONE OF THEM WAS GOING TO CONSUME A REFRIGERATOR, A DAY WORTH OF ELECTRICITY.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT IS, BUT YOU KNOW, THE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE AN INCONSEQUENTIAL AMOUNT PER SIGN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO BE FROM AN, YOU KNOW, UH, AN ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE TO BE CON, YOU KNOW, DISCUSSED AS WELL.
AND SOMETHING THAT WAS ONLY ALLUDED TO BRIEFLY BY ONE OF US HAD TO DO WITH THE AMOUNT OF LIQUOR BEING SOLD IN AREA FOUR.
UH, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY THERE WAS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF AREA WHERE LIQUOR COULD BE SERVED, AND THAT SEEMED TO BE FAIRLY REASONABLE.
BUT THE WAY I UNDERSTAND AND READ THE DOCUMENT, WE'RE BASICALLY OPENING ALL OF AREA FOUR FOR LIQUOR SALES, AND THAT SEEMS TO BE A BIT UNUSUAL.
I MEAN, DO WE REALLY NEED THAT MUCH SPACE FOR LIQUOR SALES? UH, SOMEONE POINTED OUT IN ONE OF THE, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, VIDEOS THAT I WATCHED OF A MEETING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A SPECIAL EVENT ON THE CITY OR YOU KNOW, THE APPLICANT OR YOU KNOW, THE OWNER OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PUT IT, CAN COME TO THE CITY AND ASK FOR A PERMIT FOR THAT PERIOD OF TIME TO GET, YOU KNOW, SALE OF LIQUOR FOR, YOU KNOW, THAT WEEK OR I DUNNO, WHATEVER IT IS.
AND TYPICALLY THAT TYPE OF THING IS GRANTED AND GIVEN THE SIZE OF THIS FACILITY, THESE THINGS ARE NOT SPUR OF THE MOMENT THINGS.
I MEAN, YOU JUST DON'T CALL UP CIRCUIT OF AMERICANS AND SAY, WELL, TOMORROW I'M GONNA HOST A PARTY FOR 8,000 PEOPLE.
SO THESE ARE WELL PLANNED IN ADVANCE.
SO IT SHOULDN'T BE ADMINISTRATIVELY CHALLENGING TO COME BEFORE THE CITY AND REQUEST A LIQUOR PERMIT FOR A FEW DAYS, YOU KNOW, OVER AN EXPANDED AREA.
I THINK IT'S INAPPROPRIATE TO GRANT A LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA LIQUOR PERMIT.
IT CAN CAUSE NOTHING BUT UNHAPPINESS IN A LARGE SENSE.
I, I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I, I DID THINK OF ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER BRIER BROUGHT UP NOISE ABATEMENT.
ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR THAT AT EITHER THE PRACTICE TRACK OR THE EXISTING TRACK, LIKE A SOUND WALL OR ANYTHING? I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY PLANS FOR NOISE ABATEMENT.
COMMISSIONER MORRISON, JUST A PROCEDURAL QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THE APPLICANT HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS IN RESPONSE TO THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING, UH, TONIGHT, OR IS THIS THE ONLY TIME THAT WE WILL BE, UM, CONSIDERING THIS AMENDMENT FOR A VOTE AS A COMMISSION? THIS WILL BE THE ONLY TIME THAT THE, UH, COMMISSION WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADD RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO IF YOU HAVE, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADD TO STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENTAL SUPERIORITY, NOW WOULD BE THE TIME.
AND THEN, UM, THEN THE NEXT STEP IN THE APPROVAL PROCESS WOULD BE, UH, THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
THEY WILL HEAR THIS AND MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT RECOMMENDATION WILL CONSIDER ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONS THAT HAVE HEARD THIS ON PARKS BOARD, UM, AND THEN CITY COUNCIL.
SO ALL OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS KIND OF TRAVEL AND WILL BE PART OF THE, THE PACKAGE THAT CITY COUNCIL SEES.
YEAH, COMMISSIONER LUKI, I COULDN'T FIND IT IN, IN THIS REPORT.
HOW TALL IS THIS BUILDING SUPPOSED TO BE? THIS HOTEL CONFERENCE CENTER.
WELL, I GUESS WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IF,
[02:20:01]
IS THERE ANY, UM, THOUGHT TO, UM, MIGRATING BIRDS, UH, DESIGN OF THE BUILDING? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY THERE? SO, YEAH.UM, MS. LIZ LILY, UH, DID, UH, KIND OF ALLUDE TO THAT.
THAT IS A DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD AND IT IS A, UM, AN OPTION FOR ONE OF THE GREEN BUILDING POINTS THAT THE A APPLICANT IS CONSIDERING.
UM, THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO, UH, CONFIRM IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THEY WILL DO OR NOT AT THIS TIME.
YOU ANY OTHER QUESTION? I HAD A QUESTION.
OH YEAH, COMMISSIONER FLURY, UM, RELATED TO NOISE ABATEMENT AND THE CUT AND FILL.
UM, SO WE'RE CUTTING A BUNCH OF SOIL ON THE SITE.
IS THAT STAYING ON THE SITE? ARE WE REMOVING IT? SO IN THE FLOODPLAIN, OF COURSE, THEY WILL HAVE TO BALANCE.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW IF THEY HAVE THE, UH, THE TOTAL CUT AND FILL BALANCE DONE YET SINCE THEY DON'T HAVE THE SITE PLAN.
OF COURSE, IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE TO EITHER BRING INFILL OR HAUL IT OFF.
SO MOST SITES TRY TO STRIVE FOR THAT BALANCE.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION YET BECAUSE AT THIS STAGE I JUST ENVISIONED, YOU KNOW, WITH SUCH BIG CUTS BEING ABLE TO CREATE EARTH AND BERMS TO DEADEN THE NOISE, UH, AROUND, UH, AS PART OF THE DESIGN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR CITY? OH, YES.
WELL, I, IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIMING IS FOR THIS, BUT I'VE HEARD IT SO MANY QUESTIONS ASKED TODAY THAT IT SEEMS LIKE A POSTPONEMENT WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY.
LIZ, DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON THAT? UM, I WILL DEFER TO THE APPLICANT ON THEIR TIMELINE.
I, SO OF COURSE THERE IS NO OTHER, UH, COMMISSION MEETING IN MARCH.
THE NEXT AVAILABLE WOULD BE IN THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL.
AND WE DON'T KNOW WHEN THIS IS GOING BEFORE COUNCIL OR MIKE WILL LET US KNOW.
DID, DID WE CANCEL THE, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST MEETING? UH, NO.
THERE'S, IT LANDED DURING SPRING BREAK, SO THAT ONE WAS NEVER SCHEDULED.
MICHAEL WHALEN, UH, ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT, UH, THE PLAN WAS TO GET TO COUNSEL IN APRIL.
SO, UH, I THINK THERE'S AN APRIL 10TH, THE, UH, 14TH, 14TH, 15, 16TH MEETING.
I DON'T HAVE IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT, UH, UH, APRIL, I HEARD APRIL 9TH.
APRIL 9TH OR THE MEETING RIGHT AFTER THAT IS THE, IS THE PLAN OF ACTION.
UM, YOU KNOW, CANDIDLY, A LOT OF THE FEEDBACK'S BEEN GREAT AND, UM, IT IS PRIVATE PROPERTY.
I NOTICED YOU MENTIONED IT BEING PUBLIC PROPERTY, BUT IT IS PRIVATE PROPERTY AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST WAY THAT, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE THE DIFFERENT INTERESTS AND, UH, CERTAINLY WELCOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO, UH, CONSIDER AS WE MOVE TO ZONING AND PLATTING COMMISSION, UH, AND THEN COUNSEL.
UM, SO WELCOME, YOU KNOW, WOULD, YOU KNOW, WELCOME, WELCOME THOSE CERTAINLY.
UH, AND ON THE, THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE, THE ONLY REASON FOR THAT WAS IT IS GONNA BE A HOTEL THAT'S GONNA BE ACTIVE.
AND THERE WAS, UH, IT WAS, WE WEREN'T GETTING CLARITY FROM STAFF, FROM LAND USE STAFF, WHETHER SOMEBODY COULD WALK AROUND THE PREMISES OF THE, UH, UH, HOTEL OR THE GOLF COURSE WITH AN OPEN CONTAINER.
THAT'S THE ONLY REASON FOR THAT.
IT ISN'T LIKE PARTY TOWN USA, IT'S A GOLF COURSE AND A, UH, A CONFERENCE RESORT HOTEL.
UH, AND INSTEAD OF GOING FOR A SPECIAL PERMIT EVERY SINGLE DAY, WHICH IS WHAT WOULD'VE BEEN REQUIRED BECAUSE OF THIS, UH, AMBIGUITY, THIS JUST CLARIFIES THAT.
JUST TO CLEAR, I AM, I AM AWARE IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY.
JUST WANNA SAY THAT MY ROLE HERE IS TO THINK ABOUT THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
UM, SO THAT'S THE POINT I WAS, I WAS WANTING TO MAKE.
UM, I APPRECIATE COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, YOUR SUGGESTION OF A DELAY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE GOING TO COUNCIL APRIL 9TH, SO THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER MEETING IN BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
I'M SURE WE HAVE AN AGENDA, BUT JUST WANNA DO A QUICK STRAW POLL IN TERMS OF OUR PEOPLE FEELING READY TO MAKE A DECISION TONIGHT, OR DO WE FEEL LIKE, UM, IT COULD BEHOOVE US TO HAVE THE APPLICANT CONSIDER SOME OF THE COMMENTS TONIGHT? OH, YES.
UM, JUST, UH, TO NOTE THAT THEY ALSO HAVE TO SCHEDULE THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION BE, YOU KNOW, AFTER THIS, BUT BEFORE COUNSEL.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A, AN AVAILABLE TIME AND YOU KNOW, BETWEEN, THERE NEEDS TO BE TIME BETWEEN THE ZAP MEETING AND COUNSEL FOR LEGAL STAFF TO WRITE THE ORDINANCE.
[02:25:01]
OKAY.SO IT SOUNDS LIKE, AND I WILL STATE AS STAFF, THE APPLICANT JUST SUBMITTED AN UPDATE MONDAY NIGHT, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO STAFF FOR REVIEW, AND THAT USUALLY TAKES AT LEAST TWO WEEKS.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER THIS UPDATE? NO, IT'S FOR STAFF COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
THAT WE HAD, THAT WE SENT A MASTER REPORT TO THE APPLICANT IN FEBRUARY MM-HMM
UM, WITH OUTSTANDING REVIEWS FROM SOME OF THE DIFFERENT REVIEW DISCIPLINES.
COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, HOW ARE YOU FEELING OR THINKING AFTER HEARING THAT? WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S, UH, A SEQUENCE THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PLANNED AND SO IT MIGHT NOT BE VERY CONVENIENT TO POSTPONE, BUT IN A BETTER WORLD, I'D MOVE EVERYTHING AHEAD A, A MONTH AND GIVE US MORE TIME TO CONSIDER EVERYTHING THAT WE HEARD TONIGHT.
WELL, UM, WE ARE STILL IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, SO I WANNA JUST ASK ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR THE APPLICANT? AND IF NOT, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION, UM, AND THEN JUST DISCUSS AMONGST OURSELVES.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR CITY STAFF OR THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
AND THAT CASE, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALRIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.
SO THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
UM, AND I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THIS IS RECOMMENDATION NUMBER 2 0 2 6 0 4 0 3 DASH ZERO TWO, CIRCUIT THE AMERICAS POD, AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE, CASE NUMBER C EIGHT 14 DASH 2 0 8 DASH 0 22, WHERE AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE APPLICANT, AMERSON BROWN, PLLC IS REQUESTING AN AMENDMENT TO A PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT PUD.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS LOCATED IN SUBURBAN WATERSHED, DRY CREEK, EAST WATERSHED, AND ENVIRON DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THIS PLAN U AND DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENT NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE CODA PUT AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE WITH FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
THERE'S STAFF CONDITIONS WHICH THEY OUTLINED PREVIOUSLY.
IN ADDITION, NO 0.87 ACRES OF WETLAND CEF, WHICH I BELIEVE IS CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, FEATURE AND 0.56 WETLAND, CEF BUFFER WILL BE RESTORED ABOVE WHAT IS MINIMALLY REQUIRED FOR MITIGATION.
UM, AC CONDENSATE AND CONDENSATE AND RAINWATER WILL BE USED FOR IRRIGATION.
4.59 ACRES OF RIPARIAN RESTORATION WILL BE COMPLETED AND AN ADDITIONAL 1000 CALIBER INCHES OF TREES PLANTED IN ADDITION TO THE 400 TREES REQUIRED.
IN ADDITION, THESE ARE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONDITIONS.
I SAY SOME, IT'S ACTUALLY A LOT, UH, RESTRICT ENVI ADMINISTRATIVE CUT SLASH FILL APPROVALS TO 15 FEET THROUGHOUT THE P MAINTAIN SQUARE FOOT FOOTAGE RESTRICTIONS ON COCKTAIL ENGINE AND LIQUOR CELLS WITHIN AREA FOUR OF THE POD AND 258 ACRES.
ALTHOUGH, I MEAN, GIVEN WHAT WE JUST HEARD, MAYBE WE CAN HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT REMOVING THAT.
REMOVING THE FEE IN LIEU OPTION OF PARKLAND REQUIRE EACH CUT AND FILL APPROVAL IS EXCEEDING 15 FEET TO BE REVIEWED AND SPECIFICALLY APPROVED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION THROUGHOUT THE P MAINTAIN EXISTING REQUIREMENT FOR 298 ACRES OF OPEN SPACE IN AREA EIGHT, INCLUDING TWO SOCCER FIELDS RELATED TO MANES AND PUBLIC ACCESS.
EASEMENT REQUIRE CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE 25 YEAR FLOOD ZONE TO MEET CURRENT CITY CODE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, REQUIRE CODA TO DEDICATE 11.38 ACRES TO THE CITY WITHIN THE PUD TO RETAIN EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING REQUIREMENTS.
MAINTAIN EXISTING BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE REQUIREMENTS.
MAINTAIN 30 FOOT EASEMENT TO PARKLAND.
WORK WITH CAP METRO TO ESTABLISH BUS LINES TO COLOR FACILITIES FROM DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AND THE AIRPORT.
PREVENT CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE CRITICAL WIRE QUALITY ZONE WITHOUT SPECIFIC APPROVAL OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
MAINTAIN 200 FEET BUFFER FOR CRITICAL WIRE QUALITY ZONES PER CITY CODE PROHIBIT CRITICAL WIRE QUALITY ZONE BUFFER AVERAGING, PROHIBIT ELIMINATED SIGNS PROHIBIT MOBILE HOMES WITHIN THE P PROHIBIT.
SHORT TERM RENTALS WITHIN THE PUD REQUIRE NOISE MITIGATION ACTION TO BE TAKEN AROUND ANY PRACTICE TRACKS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO RACE TRACKS, KENNELS, AVIATION FACILITIES, OR ANY OTHER FACILITIES WHOSE NORMAL OPERATION MAY EXCEED NOISE LIMITS SPECIFIED IN THE CITY'S NOISE ORDINANCES PROHIBIT OPERATIONAL PRACTICE TRACKS AND AVIATION FACILITIES BETWEEN 9:00 PM AND 7:00 AM.
LOCAL TIME ERECT ACOUSTIC MONITOR MONITORS AROUND RACETRACKS, KENNELS AND AVIATION FACILITIES TO CAPTURE NOISE DATA IN REAL TIME.
RETAIN AREA EIGHT FOR PARK USE.
RETAIN THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT FOR AMUSEMENT PARK WISE AREA OF FIVE AND SIX TO TWO 60 FEET AND DO NOT EXTEND TO AREAS FOUR AND SEVEN.
[02:30:01]
NOT USE CITY WATER FOR WATER AND GOLF COURSE AREAS.TAKE ALL NECESSARY MEASURES TO PREVENT FERTILIZER AS PESTICIDES, HERBICIDES, AND OTHER RELATED SUBSTANCES FROM RAINING OFF OF THE GOLF COURSE AND INTO DRY CREEK AND MILE CREEK IN ANY AREA WHERE TOXIC AND OR HAZARDOUS MATERIALS WILL BE USED.
STORED OR MAINTAINED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO MAINTENANCE AREAS, CAR CLUB DISTRICTS, AVIATION FACILITIES, BUILDING MAINTENANCE AREAS, REPAIR, UH, EQUIPMENT REPAIR AREAS REQUIRE EACH MITIGATION TO BE SPECIFICALLY LISTED IN WRITING PRIOR TO APPROVAL.
PROHIBIT CORRECTIONS TO BE ALLOWED FOR SITE PLANS OF SECURITY HAS BEEN RETURNED.
REQUIRE ALL CONSTRUCTION TO MEET BIRTH FRIENDLY REQUIREMENTS.
MAINTAIN ALL WATER QUALITY REQUIREMENTS.
PROVIDE SUPERIOR ONSITE SOIL MANAGEMENT, RESTORE UPLAND HABITAT AREAS, PLANT TREES THAT PROVIDE HABITAT VALUE UTILIZING TREE HEALTH A EGB INNOVATION POINTS.
INCORPORATE LIGHT, PRODUCE LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION CRITERIA IN COMPLIANCE WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, GREEN BUILDING ST SEVEN LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION CRITERIA.
INSTALL EV CHARGING STATIONS, INCORPORATE RENEWABLE OR ALTERNATIVE ENERGY PRODUCTION ON SITE AND PARKLAND REQUIREMENT.
MUST BE SATISFIED PRIOR TO HOTEL PERMITTING.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY BRIMER.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE NOW OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, ANY THOUGHTS? YOU WERE UNMUTED SO I THOUGHT I MIGHT AS WELL GO TO YOU.
WELL, DID THE UH, HEIGHT RESTRICTION THAT YOU MENTIONED, DID THAT APPLY TO THE HOTEL OR JUST TO THE AMUSEMENT PARK? UM, YEAH, I THINK IT SAYS, UH, RETAIN THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT FOR AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES.
SO I WOULD ASSUME GIVEN THIS CURRENT, UH, WORDING, THAT WOULD APPLY JUST FOR THE AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES AND NOT FOR THE HOTEL.
'CAUSE THERE'S ALREADY A, UH, A FERRIS WHEEL THAT'S ON SITE THAT YOU CAN SEE ON GOOGLE EARTH, SO YEAH, I FELT LIKE, UH, LIKE THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT ONE, YOU KNOW, THAT ONE CAN POSSIBLY GO.
I FEEL LIKE THE SQUARE FOOTAGE RESTRICTIONS ON THE, UH, THE LIQUOR SALE ONE, THAT ONE CAN, CAN GO, GIVEN WHAT WE HEARD FROM THE APPLICANT, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY OPEN TO GETTING RID OF THOSE IF THERE'S NO, UH, UM, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER RESI, CAN YOU SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THE MICROPHONE? OH YEAH, MY BAD.
I, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE NICE IF I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID.
I'M, I'M JUST MUMBLING TO MYSELF.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M CERTAINLY OPEN TO GETTING RID OF THE, UH, THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT, UH, FOR AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES, UM, REC, UH, CONDITION AS WELL AS THE, UH, REMOVING THE, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE RESTRICTION ON THE COCKTAIL LOUNGE AND LIQUOR SALES WITHIN AREA FORCE, SORT OF GIVEN WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD HEARD FROM THE APPLICANT AND ALSO FROM, UH, YOU KNOW, AS COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN POINTS OUT, IF THAT MAXIMUM HEIGHT HAS ALREADY BEEN, UH, EXCEEDED, THEN, YOU KNOW, IS THERE EVEN A A POINT IN, IN THAT PARTICULAR, UH, CONDITION, HAPPY TO HEAR OPINIONS FROM, FROM FOLKS ABOUT THOSE.
DO WE, DO WE NEED A FORMAL MOTION FOR AN AMENDMENT? IT MIGHT HELP IF, IF, AND UNLESS SOMEBODY HAS A OBJECTION, IF SOMEBODY DOES HAVE AN OBJECTION, THEN I THINK YOU SHOULD VOTE ON THAT.
YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T IF OBJECT NOW OR FOREVER.
SO, SO REMOVED AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I DID HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT PROHIBITING MOBILE HOMES WITHIN THE POD OR SHORT TERM RENTALS WITHIN THE PI MEAN, TECHNICALLY WOULDN'T WE ALSO WANT TO LIKE PROHIBIT, UH, YOU KNOW, STR OR MOBILE HOMES, UH, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO, LIKE A CERTAIN RADIUS AROUND THE PUT AS WELL, RIGHT? BECAUSE LIKE, YEAH, OKAY.
YOU CAN, WELL I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THAT'S NOT UP TO THE, UH, TO THE DEVELOPER PER SE.
SO MAYBE I JUST ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION IN REAL TIME.
IT COULD ONLY BE WITHIN THE AREA, RIGHT? THAT WE'RE UNDER CONSIDERATION TONIGHT.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY, ANY COMMENTS? IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN, SO DON'T, YOU KNOW, I CERTAINLY CAN'T BLAME ANYBODY FOR BEING SILENT.
COMMISSIONER BRIER? YEAH, I PUT A LIST OF ALL THAT STUFF AT EVERYONE'S DESK PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
I BELIEVE, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN SHOULD HAVE AN EMAIL.
SO YOU KNOW, THERE, SO YOU CAN READ ALL THAT, ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE THERE.
[02:35:01]
QURESHI INSERTED THEM OR MOST OF THEM OR SOMETHING.YEAH, I MEAN, I, I'VE AGREED WITH, WITH A LOT OF IT FOR SURE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY, WITH THAT WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, UM, WHICH MEANS WE'RE READY TO GO FOR A VOTE.
EVERYONE IS CLEAR ON THE RECOMMENDATION THAT'S BEING CONSIDERED.
NO NEED FOR CLARIFICATION ON THESE CONDITIONS.
ALRIGHT, SO I'M GONNA START WITH COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN AND I'M IN FAVOR, COMMISSIONER FLURRY IN FAVOR, COMMISSIONER LUKI IN FAVOR, COMMISSIONER MORRISON IN FAVOR.
UH, SECRETARY KSI IN FAVOR? UM, I SUPPORT THE CONDITIONS, BUT ON PRINCIPLE I'M GONNA VOTE NO, BUT I BELIEVE THE MOTION STILL PASSES.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING.
AND THAT CLOSES ITEM NUMBER THREE.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS THAT PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW? WELL, YOU KNOW, SINCE I DIDN'T HEAR ANYBODY JUMPING TO IT, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I BROUGHT UP AT THE JSC RECENTLY.UM, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH Y'ALL PAY ATTENTION TO OUR NEIGHBORS SOUTH OF US IN BEXAR COUNTY, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY CITY COUNCIL, THE MAYOR AND SOME, SOME CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD LOOKED INTO POSSIBLY, UM, SUBSIDIZING, BASICALLY PROVIDING FREE FARE FOR THE CITY'S MOST FIVE USED, UH, MOST USED BUS ROUTES BY RIDERSHIP.
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY JSC HAS, HAS, YOU KNOW, SORT OF CAPACITY TO LOOK INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WOULD THAT FALL INTO THE PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION? YOU KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PASS A RECOMMENDATION FOR? DOES THAT FALL INTO WHAT WE DO? I FEEL LIKE IT'S TECHNICALLY NOT LIKE A WATERWAY OR LIKE A LAND USE THING, SO I WAS KIND OF UNSURE ABOUT THAT.
COULD YOU REPEAT THE FIRST PART OF THAT? I'M NOT GOING TO.
UH, YEAH, SO BASICALLY, UM, SO THE, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THEY HAD LIKE CONVERSATIONS, UH, STARTED BY CITY COUNCIL WHERE THEY BASICALLY ASKED VIA, WHICH IS LIKE THEIR VERSION CAP METRO, UH, HEY, CAN WE PROVIDE FULLY FREE FARE FOR LIKE OUR FIVE HIGHEST RIDERSHIP BUS ROUTES? UM, VIA ENDED UP SAYING THE, VIA THE BOARD FOR VIA ENDED UP SAYING NO.
'CAUSE THEY WERE LIKE, WELL IF WE DON'T BRING ENOUGH MONEY THEN IT, IT, IT JEOPARDIZES OUR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THESE RAPID LINES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
UH, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN WE'VE TRADITIONALLY HAD THE DILLO, RIGHT? WHICH IS LIKE A, A FREE DOWNTOWN CIRCULATOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, STUFF IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT HERE.
WE HAVE A LOT MORE FREE FAIR PROGRAMS FOR LIKE, YOU KNOW, UNIVERSITY STUDENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE, UH, WHAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, IF YOU PROVIDED FREE FAIRS FOR YOUR FIVE MOST, YOU KNOW, ROAD, I GUESS, UM, BUS ROUTES, RIGHT? DOES THAT INCLUDE STUDENTS? DOES THAT NOT INCLUDE STUDENTS? RIGHT.
HOW YOU DO THE METRICS ON THAT.
BUT UM, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS AN INTERESTING MM-HMM
SORT OF, UH, SUGGESTION THAT THEY TRIED TO IMPLEMENT.
IT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T GET VERY FAR, BUT I WAS WONDERING, YOU KNOW, I BROUGHT IT UP AT THE JSC AND I WAS WONDERING LIKE, DOES THAT FALL INTO THE PURVIEW OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION? TECHNICALLY IT'S NOT LIKE A, A LAND USE OR LIKE WATER QUALITY THING.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS GROUP IS, YOU KNOW, TRADITIONALLY MORE, UM, CONCERNED WITH NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION, HOWEVER, IT IS PRETTY BROAD.
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU COULD, UH, YOU COULD BRING IN, YOU KNOW, A PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION YEAH.
IT'S BASICALLY LIKE AN EMISSION REDUCTION YEAH.
QUESTION, RIGHT? AND SO JOINT SUSTAINABILITY IS A LITTLE BIT MORE THERE, RIGHT? AND, AND PLANNING COMMISSION.
UM, HOWEVER, I THINK IF YOU HAD A, A, LIKE A SPECIFIC QUESTION, I THINK WHAT WE, I WOULD RECOMMEND IS, UM, SEND US A, A REQUEST FOR A, YOU KNOW, FOR INFORMATION AND WE CAN COORDINATE WITH FOLKS IN OUR TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS MM-HMM
AND THEN YOU CAN MAYBE GO FROM THERE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PRESENTATION MAY BE OR IF YOU GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED VIA EMAIL, UM, SO BE IT.
BUT MAYBE WE COULD KIND START THAT WAY.
LISTEN MAN, THE MORE PEOPLE I GET TO HARASS ABOUT FREE BUS FARE, THE BETTER.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S BASICALLY MY MENTALITY.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NOW, THE TIME WE HAD, OH, I'M SORRY.
WELL, UH, I THINK IT WAS COMMISSIONER FLORY AND I HAD BOTH ASKED ABOUT, UM,
[02:40:02]
DATA CENTERS.UM, SO WILL THAT BE ON A FUTURE AGENDA? UM, SO THERE'S SOME DISCUSSION HAPPENING, UM, AT HIGH LEVEL, UH, RELATED TO DATA CENTERS.
AND SO, UM, THE CITY IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON A, UM, A, A POLICY OF SORTS.
AND SO, UM, RIGHT NOW I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANYONE SPECIFICALLY WHO CAN COME AND TALK, BUT THAT POLICY WILL BE UNDER DEVELOPMENT IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS AND MONTHS.
AND SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, YES.
HOWEVER IT COULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, LATER THIS YEAR.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? ALRIGHT, HEARING NOW, THE TIME IS 8:43 PM AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.