[CALL TO ORDER ]
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PRESENT WITHIN COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
AND NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AT 6:00 PM FIRST, LET'S TAKE ROLE.
PLEASE LET US KNOW YOU'RE HERE WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.
COMMISSIONER AHMED IS NOT WITH US THIS EVENING.
COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE DOES NOT LOOK TO BE WITH US THIS EVENING.
I JUST WANNA CHECK IN WITH STAFF THAT WE DON'T HAVE ANY COMMERS ONLINE AT THE MOMENT.
AND I ALSO WANNA WELCOME OUR NEW BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS CHAIR, JEFFREY BOWEN, WHO'S JOINING US THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
AS USUAL, TONIGHT'S MEETING WILL BE HYBRID, ALLOWING FOR A VIRTUAL QUORUM AS LONG AS THE COMMISSIONER SERVING AS CHAIR IS PRESENT IN CHAMBERS.
THEREFORE, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS HERE AT CITY HALL AND POTENTIALLY IN ATTENDANCE VIRTUALLY.
SIMILARLY, SPEAKERS CAN PRESENT HERE FROM COUNCIL CHAMBERS OR PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY.
WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY FULL AGENDA THIS EVENING AND OUT OF RESPECT FOR EVERYONE WHO IS HERE TO SPEAK AND OUR PLANNING STAFF'S TIME, I WANNA MAKE A FEW REQUESTS TO KEEP US MOVING EFFICIENTLY.
MS. GARCIA WILL BE ANNOUNCING THE SPEAKERS DURING PUBLIC HEARINGS.
FOR CASES WITH A LOT OF SPEAKERS, SHE'LL BE CALLING THREE SPEAKERS AT A TIME.
SO WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE COME ON DOWN AND SIT IN THE FRONT HERE IN FRONT OF A MICROPHONE TO BE READY TO SPEAK WHEN IT IS YOUR TURN.
IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM AND WANT TO WAVE YOUR TIME, YOU DO NOT NEED TO COME DOWN.
JUST GIVE ME A WAVE AND I'LL KNOW THAT YOU'RE PASSING.
ALSO, PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO DONATION OF TIME FOR SPEAKERS ON CONSENT.
AGENDA ITEMS, COMMISSIONERS, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE GET ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS ON THE VARIOUS CASES ANSWERED.
UH, SO TO KEEP US MOVING QUICKLY, PLEASE BE READY WITH YOUR QUESTIONS AND WHEN YOU STATE WHO YOUR QUESTION IS FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, A STAFF LIAISON APPLICANT OR A DIFFERENT SPEAKER, PLEASE START ASKING YOUR QUESTION AS THEY'RE MAKING THEIR WAY UP TO THE MICROPHONE.
WE'LL TAKE A SHORT BREAK AT SOME POINT, BUT COMMISSIONERS, AS ALWAYS, IF YOU NEED TO LEAVE THE DAIS, FEEL FREE TO DO SO.
PLEASE JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST SEVEN COMMISSIONERS PRESENT ONLINE AND IN PERSON ANYTIME.
AND FINALLY, IF WE NEED TO EXTEND THE MEETING PAST 10:00 PM WE'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DO SO.
THANK YOU ALL MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, OUR CITY STAFF, AND MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS FOR BEING HERE AND ENGAGING WITH THIS PUBLIC PROCESS.
SO WITH THAT, MS. GARCIA, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO.
[ Consent Agenda]
ITEM ON THE CONSENT AGENDA IS THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 14TH MEETING.DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY EDITS TO THOSE MINUTES? OKAY, SEEING NONE THOSE ITEMS, THOSE MINUTES WILL BE ADDED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
OUR FIRST ACTIVITY TONIGHT IS TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEMS THAT ARE CONSENT APPROVAL, DISAPPROVAL, POSTPONEMENTS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS OR NON-DISCUSSION ITEMS. VICE CHAIR HANEY WILL READ THE PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA AND SPECIFY THOSE THAT ARE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT AND NON-DISCUSSION.
AND AFTER THIS COMMISSIONERS, YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST ANY CONSENT ITEMS BE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
VICE CHAIR, WOULD YOU MIND READING THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR US? ABSOLUTELY.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT.
UH, 2 0 2 4 DASH 0 8 0 1 7 0 0 3 7 0 0 5 AND 7 0 0 7 GUADALUPE STREET REZONE IN DISTRICT FOUR.
THAT ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO MAY THE 12TH.
ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A REZONING C ONE FOUR DASH 20 0 2 4 DASH 0 3 6, WHICH IS ALSO 7 0 3 7 5 AND 7 0 7 GUADALUPE STREET REZONE IN DISTRICT FOUR.
THAT IS ALSO UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO MAY THE 12TH.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2 0 2 6 20 SH ROWAN VEIL IN DISTRICT NINE.
THAT IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY THE 12TH.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2026 SH ROWAN VALE IN DISTRICT NINE.
THAT IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY THE 12TH.
ITEM NUMBER SIX IS NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2 0 2 5 0 2 0 4.
CONGRESS VIEWS IN DISTRICT TWO.
UM, THAT IS UP FOR PLANNING COMMISSION POSTPONEMENT TO MAY THE 26.
ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS REZONING C ONE FOUR DASH 20 25 0 0 9 6 CONGRESS VIEWS AND DISTRICT TWO THAT IS UP FOR PLANNING COMMISSION POSTPONEMENT TO MAY THE 26TH.
ITEM NUMBER EIGHT IS A REZONING C FOUR DASH 20 26 0 2 SOUTHEAST AIRPORT, MLK REZONING AND DISTRICT ONE THAT IS UP FOR NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TWO MAY THE 12TH.
ITEM NUMBER NINE IS A REZONING C FOUR DASH 2 0 25 DASH 0 1 23 0 1 NORTH LAMAR IN DISTRICT NINE.
ITEM NUMBER 10 IS A REZONING, UH,
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C ONE FOUR DASH 2 0 26 DASH 0 0 0 6 HW WEST SIX RESTAURANT, UH, IN DISTRICT NINE.THAT ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.
ITEM NUMBER 11 IS A REZONING C FOUR DASH 2024 DASH 0 1 47 14 0 5 EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE IN DISTRICT NINE.
THAT IS UP FOR APPLICANT INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM NUMBER 12 IS A RESTRICTED, A RESTRICTED COVENANT TERMINATION, C ONE FOUR DASH ZERO SIX DASH 0 1 1 7 RCT 1317 AND 1405 EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE IN DISTRICT NINE.
ITEM NUMBER 13 IS RESTRICTIVE CO IS A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT TERMINATION C 14 DASH SEVEN TWO DASH 29 9 RRC, T 1 3 1 7 AND 1 4 0 5 EAST RIVERSIDE DRIVE IN DISTRICT NINE.
ITEM NUMBER 14 IS THIS HISTORIC ZONING C 14 H DASH 2026 DASH 0 0 1 8 HILL THOMPSON HOUSE IN DISTRICT ONE.
THAT IS ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT.
ITEM NUMBER 15 IS A CONDITIONAL USE PERMITS PC DASH 2 0 26 DASH 0 0 5 2 A GIRL SCHOOL OF AUSTIN CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IN DISTRICT 10.
THAT ITEM IS UP FOR, UH, DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM NUMBER 16 IS AN EV VARIANCE SP DASH 2 0 24 DASH 0 3 8 1 C POINT SH RUNDBERG MULTIFAMILY AND DISTRICT FOUR.
ITEM NUMBER 17 IS AN LDC AMENDMENT C TWO ZERO DASH 2 0 24 DASH 0 0 4.
THAT ITEM IS UP FOR DISCUSSION.
AND ITEM NUMBER 18 IS AN LDC AMENDMENT C TWO DASH 20 0 26 DASH 0 0 3 AMENDMENTS RELATED TO TRANSIT SYSTEM PROJECTS.
THAT ITEM IS ALSO UP FOR DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, VICE CHAIR.
I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COMMISSIONER AHMED HAS JOINED US AS WELL.
DO ANY COMMISSIONERS NEED TO RECUSE OR ABSTAIN FROM ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? MS. GARCIA, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THE CONSENT ITEMS? YES, CHAIR.
BEGINNING WITH ITEMS TWO AND THREE, THESE ITEMS ARE OFFERED FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 12TH.
WE'LL FIRST BE HEARING FROM, WE'LL BE HEARING FROM OUR FIRST SPEAKER, ANNA REE.
ANNA, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES MOVING FORWARD TO ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE.
THESE ITEMS ARE OFFERED FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO MAY 12TH.
WE'LL FIRST BE HEARING FROM OUR SPEAKERS IN FAVOR, STARTING WITH THE APPLICANT, ABBY TAKO.
AND THEN WE'LL BE HEARING FROM DAVID GOSS, WHO WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY AND CARLY GRATTON, WHO WILL BE HEARING US VIRTUALLY, BUT OR BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
BUT FIRST, WE'LL BE HEARING FROM ABBY TECO.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES, MS. TECO ISS WAIVING HER TIME.
LOOKS LIKE OUR ONLINE FOLKS ARE NOT WITH US, BUT WE'LL COME BACK IF THEY JOIN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKERS IN FAVOR ARE PATRICK ROSE, ADAM WEISBERG, WHO WILL BE JOINING VIRTUALLY AND CANDACE MCT, WHO IS ALSO JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
YOU'LL EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES START BEGINNING WITH PATRICK.
MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE ROBIN STALINS, DON GARNER, AND ALLISON HARMON.
YOU'LL EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES, BEN STUBY WHO'LL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY SHIVA MAYER AND CHRISTOPHER GOODPASTER.
YOU'LL EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES MOVING FORWARD AND WE'RE HEARING FROM THOSE IN OPPOSITION, WE HAVE SUSAN GOLDBERG, MARTHA NEWMAN, AND ANDREW WEINBERG.
WE HAVE S WINCHESTER, DIANA PHILLIPS AND DAVID PHILLIPS.
WE HAVE PATRICK MCKENNA, BARBARA SEALEY, AND PAULA KAUFMAN.
MS. KAUFMAN, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
WE HAVE S WINCHESTER, DIANA PHILLIPS AND DAVID PHILLIPS.
MA'AM, ARE YOU THERE? WE HAVE,
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WE HAVE PATRICK MCKENNA.WE WILL COME BACK TO MS. KAUFMAN.
MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE LYNN COX, MARCH, MARK HUTCHINSON AND GRETCHEN SCARDINO.
WE HAVE DANIEL SCARDINO, TINA CURRY, AND MICHAEL BREEN, KIMBERLY MEAD, WILLIAM COATES, AND ANN COATES.
ANITA CHER MARK MIX, AND MICHELLE CONNORS, PAIGE HAUSER, DREW ZECK AND FRANCESCA PAI.
AND SIR, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES THANK YOU.
PLANNING COMMISSION FOR HEARING US HERE IN TRAVIS HEIGHTS.
MY NAME IS PAIGE HOUSER AND I LIVE WITH MY FAMILY ON BRACKEN RIDGE STREET CATTYCORNER TO THE POTENTIAL ROWAN VALE SITE.
TO BE CLEAR, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THE INTENTION TO IMPLEMENT ANY MEASURE TO ADDRESS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY.
I ALSO REALIZE THAT OUR PROXIMITY AS A NEIGHBORHOOD SITS AT A NEXUS FOR INCREASED DENSITY AND DEVELOPMENT AND HAS BEEN THAT WAY FOR A LONG TIME.
THE CLARITY THAT I'M SEEKING IS WHY IF THERE'S A NEW NORMAL FOR US, WHY CAN'T THERE BE MORE PROFOUND DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW DESIGN GOOD AND BAD IMPACTS EVERYTHING, EVEN COMMUNITIES? BY THE NATURE OF THIS PROJECT, IT SPEAKS TO THE CORE OF WHY YOU WANT TO BUILD HERE, INCLUDING NEW FOLKS TO OUR COMMUNITY, SCHOOLS, STREETS AND PARKS.
WE HAVE A GREAT PLACE HERE AND WE LIKE ITS VIBRANCY, OUTSPOKENNESS, AND OUR PASSION FOR EVERYTHING EMANATING FROM GLEN CREEK ENC.
CLOSING BUILDING HERE MEANS THAT YOU HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME.
IF THAT IS INDEED THE CASE, THEN THAT MEANS YOU ALSO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO NOT DISHONOR THE SPIRIT OF YOUR CHOSEN SURROUNDINGS BY BEING COGNIZANT OF PROPORTION AND DESIGN BUILD PRINCIPLES THAT ARE APPROPRIATE TO THE SIZE OF THE LOT AND BUILDING ENVELOPE.
MOVING FORWARD, WE HAVE SEAN ROSENBERG, CECILIA ROMMAN, AND MELINDA STEELE.
IF YOUR NAME WAS PREVIOUSLY CALLED, FEEL FREE TO GO AHEAD AND START YOUR COMMENTS, SIR.
MY, MY NAME IS FRANCESCO PASANTE AND I LIVE IN THE TRA HEIGHTS NEIGHBORHOOD ON KENWOOD AVENUE.
AND I'M SPEAKING AGAINST THE PROPOSED REZONING.
UH, THE CHARACTER OF TRA SITES, SINGLE FAMILY, SEMI-RURAL.
HISTORIC IS AN ASSET TO AUSTIN, JUST LIKE SILK PARK IS.
IT IS CENTRAL TO ITS LONG-TERM ATTRACTIVENESS AS A PLACE TO LIVE.
THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF, UM,
[00:15:02]
ROWAN VA, UM, IS WAY TOO BIG AND INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.AND THE TWO ARGUMENTS PUT FORWARD TO DEFEND THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT.
HOUSING, AFFORDABILITY AND PROXIMITY TO THE SOUTH CONGRESS CORRIDOR ARE NOT, DO NOT JUSTIFY, UNDERMINING THE CHARACTER OF TRACIS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR AUSTIN.
THEY MUST BE RECONCILED, BUT THEY CANNOT SIMPLY OVERRIDE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THE, THIS PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT IS COMPLETELY OUT OF CHARACTER WITH THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IT'S GOING TO BE IN.
OUR FINAL THREE SPEAKERS ARE DAVID SWAN, MELINDA STEELE, AND MICHAEL YBARRA.
UM, SO I THINK I DID NOT EXPECT TO SPEAK TODAY.
UH, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP WAS TOLD BY STAFF THAT THIS ITEM WOULD BE POSTPONED DUE TO TECHNICAL, UH, DIFFICULTIES.
AND SO THE DOZENS OF FOLKS WHOSE NAMES YOU'VE HEARD ARE NOT HERE THIS EVENING.
UM, AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT BEFORE ANY DECISION IS MADE THAT THEIR VOICES DO GET HEARD.
UM, HAVING SAID THAT, I HAVE A FEW NOTES HERE.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME'S MIKE LEE BARRA.
I HAVE DONE SOME WORK IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I KNOW THIS DEVELOPER HAS A, HAS A GOOD REPUTATION IN THE COMMUNITY, IN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY.
HAVING SAID THAT, IF THEY WERE A COUPLE BLOCKS OVER, THIS WOULD BE A NO-BRAINER AS IT IS GRANTING THIS REZONE AS IT'S PROPOSED, WOULD TAKE IMAGINE AUSTIN AND THROW IT IN THE DUST BIN.
IMAGINE AUSTIN EXISTS FOR A REASON.
IT'S SUPPOSED TO TRANSITION THAT DENSITY OUT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, IT DOES SO AT THE COST OF NOT ONLY THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTER THAT FOLKS HAVE TALKED ABOUT, BUT ALSO THE HISTORICAL CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS OF COURSE PROTECTED.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY WHO, WHO DOES WORK A LITTLE BIT IN THIS, NOT IN THE LAND USE PART, BUT ADJACENT, UM, AT THE VERY MOST, THIS IS A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY SORT OF SITUATION.
MAYBE THERE'S A ONE-OFF WHERE IT HAS, UH, SPECIAL DISPENSATION, BUT THERE ARE COMPROMISES IN TERMS OF THE SETBACKS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE THESE VERTICAL WALLS AND OTHERWISE INTEGRATE IT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD TO OUR NEXT ITEMS, WE DID HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION, ELIZABETH COUCH.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE BACK TO ONE OF OUR VIRTUAL SPEAKERS WHO LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE IN OUR QUEUE.
MS. KAUFMAN, YOU ARE UNMUTED, SO FEEL FREE TO BEGIN WHENEVER YOU'RE READY AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
WE DID HAVE ONE MORE SPEAKER AND ELIZABETH COUCH.
I'M SPEAKING AGAINST THE 64 UNIT AND ONE AND ONE, UM, AND ONE LESS ONE ACRE.
AND I HAVE THE SRCC, UM, UNMUTED.
SO FEEL FREE OUR, UM, OUR POSITION BECAUSE THIS, THIS POSITION WAS VOTED ON BY ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THEREFORE, IT SHOULD CARRY A LOT OF WEIGHT.
FIRST OF ALL, WE, UM, SUPPORT, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALONG OUR CORRIDORS OF CONGRESS AVENUE AND, UM, IH 35 RIVERSIDE AND BEN WHITE.
AND IN BRECKENRIDGE ARE NOT CORRIDORS.
[00:20:01]
THE PROJECT SHOULD BE MOVED.POINTS NUMBER THREE, PRESERVATION, DEMOLITION.
AND POINT NUMBER FIVE, AFFORDABILITY ARE INTERRELATED BECAUSE AS OUR CC HAS NUMEROUS AFFORDABLE UNITS AND OLDER HOMES, ADUS AND MULTIFAMILY HOMES TODAY, IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE AFFORDABLE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHY NOT PROVIDE TAX CREDIT TO LANDLORDS OFFERING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TODAY, RATHER THAN DEVELOPERS WHO MUST BUILD IT.
OVER THE NEXT YEARS, SAN ANTONIO PROVIDES SUCH CREDITS TO SMALL LANDLORDS OFFERING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
POINT NUMBER FOUR, FLOODING AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO RIGOROUSLY PROTECT OUR PROPERTY VALUES.
THE CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE LIKELY WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN THE DENSITY OF 64 UNITS ON LESS THAN ONE ACRE.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN CANNOT AFFORD LITIGATION EXPENSES THAT PROPERTY OWNERS SUE FOR DAMAGES SUFFERED BECAUSE OF OVERDEVELOPMENT, THE PROJECT SHOULD BE MOVED OR BILL FEWER UNIT.
AND FINALLY, COMPATIBILITY THE PROJECT IS NOT COMPATIBLE IN THE CENTER OF A BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD.
AS CITY STAFF CONCE, THE PROJECT SHOULD BE MOVED.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE.
MOVING FORWARD TO ITEMS SIX AND SEVEN, THESE ARE BEING OFFERED FOR AS A PLANNING COMMISSION POSTPONEMENT TO OUR MAY 26TH MEETING.
WE'LL BE HEARING FROM BRAD MASSENGALE, WHO WILL BE SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION.
BRAD, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES AS MR. MASSENGILL COMES UP, I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE HAS JOINED US AS WELL.
UM, I'M BRAD MASSENGILL, SPEAKER.
I'M, I'M ON THE, UH, BOARD OF THE SOUTH BOSTON CREEK ALLIANCE AS WELL AS, UH, ON THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.
BUT I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE, UH, SOUTH CONGRESS NEIGHBORHOOD COMBINED CONTACT TEAM.
UM, THIS, THIS PROPERTY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL, UH, POSTPONING THIS 'CAUSE, UH, THE CONTACT TEAM IS, IS AGAINST THE ZONING CHANGE TH THIS PROPERTY.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, BACK AND FORTH WITH THE DEVELOPER AND CITY STAFF, UH, HAVING TO DO WITH THE, THE 40 SOME ODD UNITS THAT WERE ON THIS PROPERTY.
IT WAS A QUITE AFFORDABLE, DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, THERE'S BEEN NO EFFORT TO TO REPLACE THESE UNITS, ONE FOR ONE.
UM, IT'S BEEN DRAGGING ON FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UH, TEXAS HAS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE LIVING IN MOBILE HOMES AND WE HAVE VERY LITTLE MOBILE HOME ZONING LEFT IN THIS, IN THE CITY HERE.
SO, UH, WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO PROTECT THIS.
UM, IT'S STILL THERE, STILL LAID OUT.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE'S STILL THERE, THE METERS, EVERYTHING IS STILL THERE.
IT'S A NICE LITTLE PARK, YOU KNOW, WITH LANDSCAPING AND THE WHOLE DEAL.
SO, UH, TURNING IT INTO DENSITY BONUS HOUSING AT THIS POINT AS A REWARD FOR A, UH, UH, OWNER THAT HAS NOT BEEN FORTH WITH AND, AND WORKING WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE CITY OR THE, UH, CONTACT TEAM.
UH, I DON'T THINK THEY NEED TO BE REWARDED WITH THE, UH, EXPENSIVE UPZONING.
UH, WE'VE WORKED A LOT WITH OTHER PROJECTS UP AND DOWN CONGRESS AND WE'RE LOSING AFFORDABILITY.
AND THIS, THIS PARTICULAR PLACE, IT WAS LIKE A BLOCK AWAY FROM PLEASANT HILL SCHOOL AND RIGHT ON THE BUS LINE.
MOVING FORWARD TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT.
THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO OUR MAY 12TH MEETING.
WE'LL FIRST BE HEARING FROM THE APPLICANT VICTORIA HASSI VICTORIA, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
MS. HASI IS WAIVING HER TIME MOVING FORWARD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS RON THROWER.
RON, YOU WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
MR. THROWER IS WAIVING HIS TIME.
WE'LL NOW BE HEARING FROM THOSE SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION.
AGAIN, THIS IS BEING POSTPONED TO MAY 12TH.
WE'LL FIRST BE HEARING FROM OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER OR OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION, DR. DEBORAH L. MURPHY.
DEBORAH WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY, MA'AM, YOU'LL HAVE FI OR YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
LOOKS LIKE SHE'S NOT IN OUR QUEUE, BUT WE WILL COME BACK AND CHECK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAURA WEAND.
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HAVE TWO MINUTES.MS. WEAND IS WAVING HER TIME MOVING FORWARD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NADIA, BARB.
NADIA WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
NADIA, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEXANDRIA ANDERSON.
ALEXANDRIA, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES MOVING FORWARD.
SHIRLEY, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
LOOKS LIKE NEITHER OF OUR VIRTUAL SPEAKERS ARE IN OUR QUEUE, SO WE'LL MOVE FORWARD TO ITEM NUMBER NINE.
THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
WE'LL FIRST BE HEARING FROM THE APPLICANT LINDSAY WALKER.
LINDSEY, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I'M A LAND PLANNER WITH HUSH BLACKWELL.
I'M REPRESENTING THE PROPERTY OWNER, UH, FOR 3 0 1 NORTH LAMAR STREET.
I BELIEVE I HAVE A PRESENTATION.
IF IT'S ON CONSENT, THAT'S OKAY.
THIS ITEM IS BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
WE'LL FIRST BE HEARING FROM THE APPLICANT LEAH BOJO.
LEAH, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
WE'LL NOW BE HEARING FROM OUR SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION, TREY ALLISON.
TREY, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
MY NAME IS TREY ALLISON REPRESENTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD REGARDING THE TERMINATION OF THE 2008 SCHULER FAMILY PUBLIC, UH, COVENANT.
FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY WE ARE A PRO DEVELOPMENT NEIGHBORHOOD AND A PRO TERM, AND WE ARE PRO TERMINATION OF THIS PUBLIC AGREEMENT.
IT'S JUST ABOUT THE ORDER OF OPERATIONS.
WE'VE GOT A CART BEFORE THE HORSE SITUATION HERE.
IN 2008, THIS PUBLIC COVENANT WAS NEGOTIATED AND EXECUTED ALONGSIDE ITS SISTER DOCUMENT, OUR PRIVATE COVENANT.
THESE TWO DOCUMENTS WERE DESIGNED TO WORK AS A PAIR.
I'M NOT LONE IN BELIEVING THIS.
MS. BOHO HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS FACT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.
SHE HAS DISCUSSED PRESERVING ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC COVENANT IN THE PRIVATE AGREEMENT, AND HAS STATED MANY TIMES THAT WE MUST NEGOTIATE AND FINALIZE THE PRIVATE COVENANT BEFORE THE SITE CAN BE DEVELOPED.
MS. BOHO EVEN RECENTLY WITHDREW A ZONING CASE ON THIS PROPERTY, TERMINATING THE PUBLIC COVE COVENANT NOW OR MOVING FORWARD WITH ANY FUTURE ZONING CHANGES BEFORE AMENDING THE PRIVATE AGREEMENT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.
THE PRIVATE AGREEMENT SUPERSEDES THE PUBLIC AGREEMENT IN ANY FUTURE ZONING CHANGES IS ULTIMATELY THE FI FINAL LAYER DETERMINING HOW THE SITE CAN BE DEVELOPED.
LUCKILY, LUCKILY, FOR THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM, WE ARE PRO DEVELOPMENT AND EXCITED FOR THIS INVESTMENT.
WE HAVE ALREADY PROPOSED AMENDING THE COVENANT TO ACCOMMODATE AN UNLIMITED HEIGHT DEPARTMENT TOWER, SUBJECT TO APPLICABLE ZONING RESTRICTIONS, OF COURSE, SOMETHING THE AGREEMENT DOES NOT CURRENTLY PERMIT.
WE ALSO PROPOSED A DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT WOULD YIELD MORE BUILDING VOLUME THAN THE DEVELOPER ORIGINALLY PRESENTED TO US.
WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE DEVELOPER SO WE ALL CAN WIN TOGETHER.
OUR ASK IS SIMPLE, PUT THE HORSE BEFORE THE CART, RECOMMEND TO CITY COUNCIL THAT THE TERMINATION BE CONTINGENT ON A AMENDED AND EXECUTED PRIVATE COVENANT.
THIS ITEM IS ALSO BEING OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
WE'LL FIRST BE HEARING FROM THE APPLICANT.
AND WE'LL NOW BE HEARING FROM OUR SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION.
MR. TREY ALLISON, I'M SO SORRY TO MAKE YOU COME ALL THE WAY BACK UP.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, I GUESS I'LL FIND ANOTHER TWO MINUTES OF CONTENT HERE.
UM, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT MS. BOJO HAS ARGUED THAT, UH, THAT WE NEED TO TERMINATE THE PUBLIC AGREEMENT IS BECAUSE OF SB EIGHT 40.
UM, SHE CLAIMS IT SUPERSEDES CERTAIN ELEMENTS IN THE PUBLIC AGREEMENT, BUT THE REALITY OF IT IS, IS SB EIGHT
[00:30:01]
40, UM, IS ONLY REGARDING UNILATERAL AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY AND THE CITY.IT'S NOT A, UH, MULTILATERAL, IT DOESN'T PERTAIN TO MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS, WHICH THIS PUBLIC COVER COVENANT IS BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE, UH, PARTY, UH, THE SCHULER PARTY.
UM, THIS IS A LEGAL GRAY AREA AND IT HASN'T BEEN ADJUDICATED.
AND I RECOMMEND WE AT LEAST TAKE SOME TIME TO FIGURE OUT IF IT'S, EVEN IF THIS IS A VIABLE ARGUMENT.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT YOU HAVE A WILLING AND READY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT UNDERSTANDS ALL THE INS AND OUTS OF THESE AGREEMENTS AND THESE COMPLEX PROPERTIES.
THESE PROPERTIES ARE UNUSUAL BECAUSE THEY ABUT DIRECTLY UP AGAINST OUR HOMES, THESE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
THERE'S NO STREET, THERE'S NO NOTHING.
IT'S RIGHT UP AGAINST OUR HOUSES.
AND WE ARE LIKE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE RESTAURANTS AND BARS AND, AND NEW NEIGHBORS AND EVERYTHING.
WE'RE NOT AGAINST DEVELOPMENT.
WE ARE, WE, WE LITERALLY SAID, HEY, BUILD A UNLIMITED HEIGHT SKYSCRAPER, OR AT LEAST WHATEVER YOU CAN GET THE CITY TO ALLOW YOU TO BUILD.
SO WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE PRO DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS AS A NEIGHBORHOOD TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A, A PLAN THAT WE CAN ULTIMATELY BAKE INTO A PRIVATE COVENANT, WHICH WE ALREADY HAVE WITH THIS PROPERTY.
UM, WE WOULD JUST LIKE A LITTLE MORE TIME BEFORE WE TERMINATE THIS PUBLIC AGREEMENT TO TAKE THE SPIRIT OF WHAT'S IN THE PUBLIC AGREEMENT AND ALL THE PAPERWORK THAT ALREADY EXISTS.
AND WE HAVE THE CURRENT LAY OF THE LAND AS IT IS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ALL OPERATE IN GOOD FAITH TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET THIS RESOLVED ASAP.
SO PLEASE ENCOURAGE MS. BOHO AND HER TEAM TO WORK WITH US ON THIS PRIVATE AGREEMENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND WITH NO LINGERING VIRTUAL SPEAKERS LEFT IN OUR QUEUE.
THAT CONCLUDES SPEAKERS FOR THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DO ANY COMMISSIONERS WANT TO PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION OR OTHERWISE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY.
SEEING NONE, IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING? MOTION BY VICE CHAIR, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, THAT ITEM PASSES AND THIS CONCLUDES THE CONSENT AGENDA.
SO WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR FIRST AND
[15. Conditional Use Permit: SPC-2026-0052A - Girls' School of Austin Conditional Use Permit; District 10 ]
ONLY DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT CASE FOR THE EVENING.THIS IS ITEM 15, GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN, CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
THIS IS A POSTPONEMENT REQUEST BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO JUNE 9TH, AND THE APPLICANT IS OPPOSED.
JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING AND SPEAKERS ARE NOT TO DELVE INTO THE MERITS OF THE CASE.
UM, JUST SPEAK ON THE POSTPONEMENT REQUEST AND WE'LL HEAR FIRST FROM THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT IS JAMES CHI.
JAMES WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
JAMES, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
LOOKS LIKE HE'S NOT CURRENTLY IN OUR QUEUE, BUT WE WILL CHECK AGAIN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WE'LL BE DOING THE THREE SPEAKERS AT A TIME.
AGAIN, EVERYBODY WILL BE RECEIVING TWO MINUTES.
SO AGAIN, IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT, SARAH GILBERT, MARIA ARGA, AND SUE SHIER.
SO ALL THREE SPEAKERS, PLEASE COME UP AND TAKE A SEAT AND YOU CAN GET STARTED IN WHATEVER ORDER YOU COME UP.
BUT LET'S HAVE ALL THREE SPEAKERS COME UP, PLEASE.
BEFORE I BEGIN, I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE AND COMMITMENT COMMISSIONERS.
AND I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT I SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL EFFORTS TO EMPOWER GIRLS TO BE AMBITIOUS IN THEIR DREAMS AND ACTIONS IS IMPORTANT WORK, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE IN BALANCE WITH THE SURROUNDING ECOSYSTEM AND ENVIRONMENT.
I LIVE AT 2002 BREMAN STREET WITH THE, WITH MY HUSBAND JOSE.
WE ARE ONE BLOCK WEST OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
WE MOVED IN WHEN THE GIRLS SCHOOL WAS STILL OPERATING AS DILL SCHOOL.
WE'VE RAISED OUR DAUGHTERS ON BREMAN STREET, OUR HOUSES, OUR FOREVER HOME.
MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE GIRLS SCHOOL IMPACT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STARTED IN 2009.
THE TRAFFIC STEADILY INCREASED AS THE SCHOOL WAS GROWING.
IN 2012, THE GIRLS SCHOOL WAS READY TO SUBMIT THEIR FIRST CUP TO THE CITY.
AND IN TO ENSURE SUPPORT FROM THOSE OF US WITHIN 500 FEET, THEY PROMISED A CAP ENROLLMENT TO 150 STUDENTS.
THAT WAS THE CAVEAT TO GET US TO AGREE TO THE CUP.
SO HERE WE ARE TODAY, AS IF THERE WAS NO MEANING TO THAT AGREEMENT IN 2 20 12.
WHILE THAT WAS MANY HEADMASTERS AND GIRLS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AGO WITH NO RECOGNITION OF THAT AGREEMENT, WE NEIGHBORS REMEMBER, AND WE FEEL THE TRAFFIC EVERY DAY ON OUR STREETS WITH ALL THE CUTTING THROUGH.
IT'S, IT'S JUST, IT'S VERY DISRUPTING.
[00:35:01]
UM, I I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW I DON'T SUPPORT THE REQUEST OF THE 30 PLUS PERCENT ENROLLMENT EXPANSION WITH MEANS MORE STUDENTS, MORE TRAFFIC, MORE STAFF.I WANT TO SHARE THAT COMMISSIONERS TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THE GIRLS SCHOOL LEADERSHIP STUDENTS AND PARENTS COME AND GO AS DO THEIR IDEAS AND INTERESTS IN MANAGING THE RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
MEANWHILE, THOSE OF US IN OUR HOMES YEAR AFTER YEAR ARE LIVING THE SCENARIOS WE SHARED IN OUR LETTERS.
PLEASE DO NOT CONSENT TO THIS CUP AS CURRENTLY PRESENTED.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE SUSTAINABLE ACCOUNTABLE TRAFFIC MITIGATION SOLUTION.
I JUST WANNA REMIND SPEAKERS THAT THIS IS A DISCUSSION ON WHETHER OR NOT THE CASE WILL BE POSTPONED THIS EVENING IF WE DO HEAR THE CASE.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE JUST SPEAKING ON, ON THE NEED TO HEAR THE CASE TONIGHT OR IN THE FUTURE AND NOT DELVING INTO THE MERITS OF THE CASE AT THE MOMENT.
IF WE DO HEAR THE CASE, YOU'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK ON THE MERITS OF THE CASE.
SO WE'LL JUST HEAR FROM THE LIST OF SPEAKERS AT THE MOMENT ON THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT, AND IF WE HEAR THE CASE, WE'LL SPEAK ON THE MERITS OF THE CASE.
UM, SO MY NAME IS SUE AND, UM, UH, I JUST KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT THAT THE NEIGHBORS, I BELIEVE, UM, WE WANTED, UM, A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME AS FAR AS, UM, EVALUATING SOME OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION.
I THINK, UM, WE HAD A THIRD PARTY INDIVIDUAL WHO WAS, UM, UH, INTERESTED IN GIVING FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW THE IMPACT OF THIS EXTRA TRAFFIC WOULD, UM, UH, AFFECT, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND AROUND THE SCHOOL.
SO I THINK, UM, WE RESPECTFULLY WANTED TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, UM, TO GET, GATHER MORE DATA ON OUR SIDE, UM, AND GET A POSTPONEMENT.
UM, SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD TO OUR NEXT THREE SPEAKERS, IS MS. SARAH GILBERT PRESENT? OKAY, MOVING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT THREE SPEAKERS.
AGAIN, EVERYBODY WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES, AND THESE NEXT THREE ARE ALSO IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT.
WE HAVE SARAH COLEMAN, NICHOLAS BERNARD, AND JOSE, AKA EVERYONE.
SEEMS LIKE THOSE THREE SPEAKERS ARE WAIVING THEIR TIME.
AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT IS MS. DARCY GARDNER.
AND THEN OUR NEXT TWO SPEAKERS THAT ARE OPPOSED TO THE POSTPONEMENT, YOU CAN BEGIN COMING FORWARD.
VICTORIA HASSI AND RON THROWER.
I, HI, MY NAME IS DARCY GARDNER.
UM, I'M REPRESENTING THE WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
I SIT ON THEIR LAND MATTERS COMMITTEE.
UM, WE SUPPORT THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPORTS THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
UM, WE ARE, HOWEVER, ASKING FOR A SIX WEEK POSTPONEMENT TO ALLOW ALL THE PARTIES TIME TO COLLABORATE ON SOLUTIONS.
THERE JUST HASN'T BEEN ENOUGH TIME REGARDING HOW BIG THIS ISSUE IS AND HOW IT CAN GROW TO REALLY ADDRESS THAT.
UM, YESTERDAY, APRIL 26TH MARKED THE FIRST PRODUCTIVE COLLABORATIVE MEETING BETWEEN THE GIRLS SCHOOL AND THE NEIGHBORS.
UM, WE THANK COMMISSIONER HILLER AND COMMISSIONER AHMED FOR HELPING FACILITATE THAT.
I THINK IT GAVE A LOT OF HOPE TO ALL THE NEIGHBORS THAT THEY ARE BEING HEARD.
UM, AND THIS WILL BE A COLLABORATION TO MAKE IT BETTER FOR EVERYONE.
UM, THE ADDITIONAL TIME THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR WILL HELP THE NEIGHBORS IN SEVERAL WAYS.
THE FIRST ONE IS THEY HAVE ENGAGED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING RESEARCH.
UM, THAT GROUP WAS OUT ON FRIDAY.
THEY WANT TO COME SEE THE FLOW.
THEY WANT TO ACTUALLY KIND OF SHOW UP IN THE MORNING AND SHOW UP IN THE AFTERNOON.
UM, AND THEY JUST NEED MORE TIME TO REALLY PUT TOGETHER A CONCRETE QUEUING, ROUTING, UM, AND, AND MITIGATION MEASURES.
UM, AND I THINK THEY WILL COME UP WITH A ROBUST ANALYSIS THAT HELPS EVERYONE COME TO A CONCLUSION THAT THIS REALLY CAN BE A WIN-WIN FOR EVERYONE.
UH, THE CURRENT CUP RELIES HEAVILY ON TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MEASURES.
THEY'RE NOT CLEARLY DEFINED OR ENFORCEABLE.
A POSTPONEMENT WOULD ALLOW THOSE MEASURES TO BE REFINED INTO SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE AND ENFORCEABLE CONDITIONS.
UM, THERE'S NO VIABLE STAFF PARKING SOLUTION THAT'S BEEN IDENTIFIED.
UM, WEST AUSTIN, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR UNDERUSED PARKING FACILITY.
UM, IT'S ALL WITHIN A FIVE MINUTE WALKING DISTANCE, AND WE WANT THEM TO EXPLORE THOSE OPTIONS, AND THAT HASN'T HAPPENED TO
[00:40:01]
DATE.IT'S A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ONGOING STAFF PARKING.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS VICTORIA HASI WITH RAILROAD DESIGN.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT TOOK QUITE A BIT OF EFFORT AND COORDINATION TO GET THE PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT.
A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE BEING, UM, THE STUDENTS THAT GO TO SCHOOL AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF BOSTON.
AND, UM, A SIX WEEK DELAY FOR THIS CASE MEANS THAT THAT'S GOING TO PUSH INTO THE SUMMER SCHEDULE.
AND AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, A LOT OF THESE KIDS' SCHEDULES ARE PACKED ALREADY WITH THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING, SUMMER CAMPS, VISITING FAMILY, GOING OUT OF TOWN.
THIS HAS BECOME A VERY IMPORTANT EVENT FOR THESE GIRLS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE COMMISSION ABOUT WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THEM.
AND SO WE WOULD ASK THAT IT BE HEARD TONIGHT.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS SOUGHT OUT AN ADDITIONAL, UH, REVIEW OF THIS SITE AND THE TRAFFIC, UH, PATTERNS AND CONSIDERATIONS BY, UH, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
UM, BUT I WILL SAY THAT I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE ALSO GIVE A FAIR BIT OF, UH, IMPORTANCE TO THE PROFESSIONALS WHO HAVE, ARE SEASONED IN WHAT THEY DO.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE DELAY IN WAITING FOR THAT INFORMATION IS GOING TO RESULT IN ANYTHING DIFFERENT OR, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT OR DIFFERENT AT ALL TO WHAT HAS BEEN PRODUCED AND HAS BEEN REVIEWED BY, UH, TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERS THAT ARE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC SECTOR.
SO, UM, FURTHER, I I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS NOT A SMALL ENDEAVOR.
EVEN EVEN WITH THE REQUEST OF AN ADDITIONAL 50 STUDENTS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 200 STUDENTS.
SO AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WHILE IT'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT, UH, CAMPUS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO BUILD, IT'S A BIG DEAL TO THIS SCHOOL.
AND SO A DELAY EVEN AS MUCH AS SIX WEEKS IS A BIG DELAY THAT JUST, UM, GROWS AS TIME GOES ON.
AND SO WE WOULD REQUEST THAT IT BE HEARD TONIGHT.
WE'RE GONNA GO BACK TO A SPEAKER WHO WAS IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT, JOSE AKA.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME HERE TONIGHT AND LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS.
I AM HERE AS A NEIGHBOR OF THE GSA, THE GIRLS CALLED
I HAVE NO PROBLEMS WITH EDUCATION.
WE HAVE THREE GIRLS AND, UH, THEY ALL WENT TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN OUR AREA.
SO THIS IS NOT THE ISSUE WE'RE ARGUING.
WE'RE WE'RE NOT AGAINST EDUCATION AT ALL.
WE JUST WANT TO BE IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
WE WANT TO LIVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND THIS IS A PRIVATE BUSINESS, IS AN ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, SO I WENT TO SCHOOL IN, UH, BACHELOR'S OF ENGINEERING AT THE CIVIL ENGINEERING IN THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
I ALSO HAVE A MASTER'S DEGREE OF, UH, STRUCTURAL AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY.
BEEN WORKING HERE FOR, UH, SEVERAL DECADES.
AND, UH, I DO BELIEVE THERE ARE SERIOUS CONCERNS TO WHAT THESE ACTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SOLUTION BRINGS UP.
AND, UH, I DON'T THINK THEY'D HAVE A LEVEL OF COORDINATION, STAFFING, AND BEHAVIORAL COMPLIANCE THAT WOULD BE ACTUALLY REQUIRED OR ENFORCEABLE UNDER THE EXISTING CUP.
SO WE NEED TO EVALUATE THIS MORE SERIOUSLY.
IT WILL BRING EVERLASTING CHANGES TO A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD.
LET US HAVE SIX WEEKS GET THE REAL EXPERTS TO WORK ON THIS FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THEIR INVESTIGATIONS TO, UH, HIRE, UH, PRIVATE COMPANIES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
UH, PLEASE HELP US IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHAIR.
UH, RON THROWER, OBVIOUSLY AGAINST THE POST MEMO REQUEST.
WE'RE READY TO MOVE FORWARD TONIGHT.
I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THERE'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A LONG LIST OF NAMES THAT HAVE TO BE READ INTO THE RECORD.
THEY'RE ALL GONNA WAIVE THEIR RIGHT TO SPEAK OTHER THAN ONE PERSON THAT DOES WANT TO SPEAK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION TO THE POSTPONEMENT IS LEE KOSKI.
AND LIKE MR. THROWER SAID, WE'RE JUST GONNA GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE NAMES.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, YOU ARE WELCOME TO, BUT YOU'RE ALSO WELCOME TO WAIVE YOUR TIME.
[00:45:01]
BRETT SMITH AND UBA.UH, I DIDN'T COME HERE PLANNING TO SPEAK.
UH, I'VE TAUGHT ONLY AT PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I TAUGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
NOW I TEACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
THAT'S TO SAY WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE THINK OF OUR SCHOOL AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THAT'S THE SAME SPIRIT, UH, IN WHICH THE GIRLS SCHOOL OPERATES.
AND, UH, I DIDN'T COME PLANNING TO SPEAK BECAUSE I DIDN'T COME PLANNING TO SPEAK TO THE UNDERLYING MERITS.
BUT WHEN I REALIZED THAT WHAT WAS ON THE TABLE TODAY WAS THE QUESTION ABOUT DEFERRAL, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING UP A POINT THAT WASN'T RAISED BY SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPOKEN ALREADY.
UH, AND THAT IS THAT, UH, WHAT ANYBODY WHO GOES TO THE SCHOOL WILL TELL YOU IS THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST SIX MONTHS HAS BEEN A PERIOD OF EXPERIENCED ESCALATION AS WE DROP THE GIRLS OFF AT SCHOOL AND NOW WE'RE SUBJECT TO REGULAR DISRUPTIONS FILMING BY PEOPLE IN THE STREETS.
OUR GIRLS ARE STARTING TO ASK US QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING, WHY PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING THEM.
AND SO TO CREATE SPACE FOR THAT TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR DISRUPTS EVERYBODY.
IT MAKES GIRLS FEEL LESS SAFE.
AND UNLESS THERE'S SOME EXPECTATION THAT SOMETHING TANGIBLE IS GONNA COME OUT OF THIS ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC REPORT BY, UH, WHAT I UNDERSTAND TO BE STUDENTS, THEN I DON'T THINK THERE'S A REASONABLE REASON TO POSTPONE THIS ANY FURTHER.
BECAUSE, UH, BY RULING ON, UH, BY REJECTING THE MOTION TODAY, YOU WOULD GIVE THE SCHOOL THE CLOSURE IT NEEDS TO MAKE EVERYBODY FEEL SAFE AND MOVE ON WITH UH, THEIR LIVES.
OUR NEXT SET OF THREE SPEAKERS, AGAIN, IF YOU DO WISH TO COME UP, YOU PLEASE ONLY SPEAK TO THE MERITS OF THE POSTPONEMENT, MS. MELINDA MADURA, ROBIN BIRCHFIELD, AND KIMBERLY DAVIS.
THOSE THREE SPEAKERS ARE WAIVING THEIR TIME.
TED HUGHES, CLAIRE HUBERMAN, AND DENISE BEAL.
THOSE SPEAKERS ARE WAIVING THEIR TIME.
DREW CARMEN, CARRIE TOWSLEY STEWART, AND LEANNA ROWE.
THE SPEAKERS ARE WAIVING THEIR TIME.
I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE LIST.
AND IF YOU HEAR YOUR NAME AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME UP, PLEASE DO SO.
SARAH ORMAN, M BAUER, ALIANA, CORVETTE, RACHEL NEN, ROBIN MABRY, BRAD HUFFMAN, ERIN ORMAN, KELSEY BANISTER, LINDSEY HARRIS, CHANDLER, YANKEE, MARIA, DMA, DATU, BRIE, TRISTAN, HEATHER, GO, BRANDON WARD, ASHLEY WHITMORE, RALPH DAVIS, GIAS BENU, JESSICA SANCHEZ, KRISTEN HURLEY, REBECCA PAR, PAREO, SIENNA PAREO.
HANNAH MA, KIMBERLY FTI, CCY BLUNT, SARAH PETRI, SARIAH NRI, JEREMY KIMBALL, DIXIE KIMBALL, ADAM ORMAN, JENNY SPARKS, LAUREN TODO, PATRICK O'DONNELL, RYAN DAVIS, FREDDIE MARSHALL, KATIE HEISENBERG, JASON BALLANTINE TARA ABOUT VALENTI POPPY BALLANTINE AND MONICA SANTOS AND CHAIR.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON DISCUSSION.
I KNOW OUR PROCESS CAN BE A LITTLE CONFUSING ON THESE ITEMS, BUT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS ON BOTH SIDES UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE DO HEAR THIS CASE, WHETHER IT'S IN THE FUTURE OR THIS EVENING, YOU'LL STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SPEAK ON THE MERITS OF THE CASE.
BUT FOR NOW, WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO OUR REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION ROUND ROBINS.
THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING ITEM.
WE DON'T NEED TO VOTE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT AS A REMINDER TO COMMISSIONERS ONLY ASK QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP YOU MAKE A DECISION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT WE POSTPONE THIS CASE THIS EVENING.
SO WE HAVE SPOTS FOR EIGHT COMMISSIONERS AT FIVE MINUTES EACH.
WHO WOULD LIKE TO START US OFF? YES, GO AHEAD.
UH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT AND PROBABLY THE APPLICANT'S REPRESENTATIVE.
UM, DO YOU HAVE A ROUGH TIMEFRAME THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ARRIVE TO COUNCIL? IF THIS WAS PUSHED FORWARD FROM PLANNING COMMISSION? UM, YES, THAT WOULD, WE WOULD LIKE THAT TO ARRIVE AT COUNCIL BEFORE THEY GO ON SUMMER BREAK, SO THAT WOULD BE MAY 28TH.
THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? YES, GO AHEAD.
COMMISSIONER HILLER, SORRY FOR THE APPLICANT.
UM, IN, IN LIGHT OF THE REQUEST FOR A SIX WEEK POSTPONEMENT, WHAT, IS THERE A TOLERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FROM A POSTPONEMENT STANDPOINT THAT YOU'D BE WILLING TO COMPROMISE ON?
[00:50:02]
NO.UH, IN TERMS OF WHAT ARE THE ISSUES THAT WAS RAISED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN TERMS OF OFFSITE PARKING, HAS THERE BEEN ANY, UH, SUCCESS AT REACHING, UM, PROPERTY OWNERS NEARBY THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO, TO OFFER THAT? NO, WE'VE, WE'VE NOT, UH, ENGAGED IN THAT JUST YET.
COMMISSIONER, OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? DID ONE SECOND, MAY, MAY I ADD TO THAT RIGHT QUICK? YOU MAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE OVERALL CONTEXT OF WHAT IT TAKES TO GET 50 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS ON THIS PROPERTY.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A YEAR LONG PROCESS OR LONGER FOR A SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT, AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION THAT'S GONNA OCCUR.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE TWO YEARS OUT AT A VERY MINIMUM BEFORE WE ACTUALLY NEED THE ADDITIONAL PARKING.
WE HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO WORK ON IT.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MAXWELL? OH, I WAS JUST GONNA ASK THE APPLICANT SOMETHING, BUT THEY SAT BACK DOWN
WELL, OKAY, I JUST, I WANNA JUST CONFIRM THAT, UM, GIVEN YOUR TIMELINE FOR COUNSEL, THAT DOES INDICATE THAT THERE'S AT LEAST A MONTH BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN YOU WOULD POTENTIALLY HAVE THIS COUNSEL IF WE WERE TO ACTUALLY HEAR THIS CASE THIS EVENING.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
AND I ASSUME THAT GIVEN THAT THERE WERE SOME PRODUCTIVE, UH, CONVERSATIONS THIS WEEK FACILITATED BY SOME PLANNING COMMISSIONERS THAT YOU WOULD HOPE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE CONVERSATIONS IN A REALLY THOUGHTFUL WAY BETWEEN NOW WHEN WE THIS WOULD COME TO COUNCIL, IS THAT CORRECT? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I ASSUME THAT THE NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT ARE OUTSTANDING, IT SOUNDS LIKE, HAS NARROWED SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS WEEK BY WEEK, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS RELATED TO THE POSTPONEMENT? OKAY, WITH THAT, I WILL LOOK FOR A MOTION.
UH, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE GO AHEAD AND HEAR THIS CASE TONIGHT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR DEBATE BY CHAIR.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? UM, YEAH, I, UH, APPRECIATE, UH, WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS TO SAY.
I APPRECIATE, UH, ALL OF THE SIGNIFICANT BACKUP THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HAD.
UM, UH, AND I I THINK WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST PUBLIC RECORD.
WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, FULL GROWN ENGINEERS THAT HAVE LOOKED AT THE TRAFFIC, UH, ANALYSIS ON THIS.
I, I THINK, UM, THERE'S, THERE'S JUST NOT REALLY A WHOLE LOT NEW THAT COULD COME TO LIGHT, UH, WITH A SIX WEEK POSTPONEMENT AND THEN ANOTHER MONTH FOR COUNCIL.
I THINK, UH, OFTEN AS WE SEE, UH, WITH OUR CASES WHEN, UH, THEY LEAVE THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND MOVE TOWARDS COUNSEL, THAT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT YOU SEE, UM, UH, A LOT OF TIMES IN LEGAL CASES WHERE IT'S LIKE RIGHT BEFORE YOU'RE GOING BEFORE THE JUDGE.
YOU KNOW, THOSE THINGS REALLY KIND OF, KIND OF HAPPEN.
UH, AND SO I'M, I'M FINE WITH MOVING THIS FORWARD AND, UH, I'M SO GLAD TO SEE AS MANY PEOPLE HERE PARTICIPATING.
I, I'VE NEVER SEEN THE ROOM THIS FULL.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT REALLY SPEAKS TO THE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAVE.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL, UM, UH, WHAT, UH, WHAT, WHAT THAT SCHOOL IS DOING.
AND, UM, AS A FORMER RESIDENT OF, YOU KNOW, HALF A MILE AWAY, I'VE DRIVEN BY IT ENOUGH TIMES THAT, UH, UM, I SEE WHAT, WHAT GREAT STUDENTS THEY HAVE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY ORDERLY FROM WHAT I CAN SEE.
ANY COMMISSIONERS WISH TO SPEAK AGAINST THE MOTION? OTHERS FOR I'LL SPEAK YOU SPEAK AGAINST GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER KELLY.
I, UH, AS FAR AS IT GETS THE MOTION, I'M, I'M, I, I MOVE BY THE DURATION OF IT.
I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING THAT WAS LESSER WOULD BE IDEAL, BUT I ALSO FEEL LIKE GIVING THE, UM, APPLICANT AND THE COMMUNITY MORE TIME HAS MERIT AND I TOO WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE RESULTS OF A THIRD PARTY FOR BOARD FORMATION.
UM, SO ANYWAY, IN LIGHT OF THAT, I STAND AGAINST.
ANYONE ELSE SPEAKING FOR I, I'LL SPEAK JUST BRIEFLY TO THE MOTION.
I TEACH A CLASS ON PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AT UT AND WE TALK A LOT ABOUT HOW THE FORUMS THAT WE HAVE FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ARE ACTUALLY REALLY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS.
AND I SEE THAT WE HAVE SO MANY SPEAKERS HERE TONIGHT ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS CASE.
IT'S A BIG DEAL TO COME OUT AT SIX O'CLOCK NOW, SEVEN O'CLOCK ON A TUESDAY EVENING.
AND I REALLY WANT TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROCESS.
AND I THINK WHEN WE ASK PEOPLE TO SHOW UP AGAIN AND AGAIN TO THESE MEETINGS, UM, WE ARE NOT NECESSARILY MAKING IT AS EASY AS WE CAN TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION.
I ALSO AM REALLY HEARTENED TO SEE ALL OF THE YOUNGER SPEAKERS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT.
SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THEY HAVE A CHANCE TO BE HEARD AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE US TO HEAR THIS CASE THIS EVENING FOR THAT REASON.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS AGAINST THE MOTION? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND
[00:55:01]
TAKE A VOTE.SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY VICE CHAIR HANEY TO HEAR THIS CASE THIS EVENING.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL.
ALL RIGHT, THAT MOTION PASSES 11 ONE.
SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND HEAR THIS CASE THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE NO OTHER DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT CASES, SO WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR ZONING CASES AND KIND OF WITH THE SAME, UM, SENTIMENTS IN MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT WE TAKE UP OUR CASES OUT OF ORDER THIS EVENING AND GO AHEAD AND HEAR ITEM 15 AS OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING CASE, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF YOUNGER SPEAKERS HERE WHO I'M SURE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO BED A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THAN WE ALL WILL BE THIS EVENING.
I'M HEATHER CHAFFIN WITH AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, REPRESENTING THIS CASE.
AGAIN, GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN.
THE SITE IS 2.31 ACRES, UM, IN THE JOHNSON CREEK WATERSHED.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW PRIVATE PRIMARY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND PRIVATE SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES INCREASING FROM 150 TO 200 STUDENTS ON THE PROPERTY.
THIS IS A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT ONLY.
NO PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS ARE PROPOSED WITH THE APPLICATION AT THIS TIME.
STAFF, UH, RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE CUP WITH THE CONDITION THAT ANY FUTURE SITE DEVELOPMENT, ANY IMPROVEMENTS FOR THIS SITE BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS MEMORANDUM THAT HAS BEEN PREPARED BY STAFF.
UH, SO IT HAS A HANDFUL OF CONDITIONS IN THERE.
STAFF ALSO RECOMMENDS, UH, FIVE CONDITIONS BE APPROVED AS PART OF THE CUP.
THESE ARE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY BEEN APPLIED TO THE SITE AND THE APPLICANT HAS PROPOSED CONTINUING WITH THESE, UH, BEING APPLIED TO THE SITE.
AND THOSE INVOLVE DUMPSTER PICKUP BETWEEN SIX AND NINE, 6:00 AM AND 9:00 PM MAINTENANCE WORK BETWEEN SEVEN AND 9:00 AM EXCEPT FOR EMERGENCIES DROP OFF AND PICK UP TIMES TO BE STAGGERED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
ATTENDANCE LIMITED TO 200 STUDENTS INSTEAD OF THE EXISTING 150.
AND AGAIN, LIMITED TO, UH, PRIVATE AND PRIVATE PRIMARY AND PRIVATE SECONDARY K THROUGH EIGHT.
THE PROPERTY IS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF WINDSOR ROAD AND THE EAST SIDE OF MCCALL ROAD.
AS FRONTAGE ON BOTH OF THOSE STREETS.
IT'S ZONED SF THREE NMP AND MOST OF THE SITE IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPED WITH THE EXISTING GIRLS SCHOOL.
AND THE REMAINDER OF THE PROPERTY IS AN ADJACENT LOT THAT HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
IT PREVIOUSLY WAS USED FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE.
SO THAT IS THE AREA THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND INTO PROPERTIES IN THE AREA IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
NORTH SOUTHEAST WEST ARE ALSO ZONED SF THREE MP AND ARE ZONED AND ARE OCCUPIED BY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL USES.
UM, THE APPLICANT SUBMITTED DATA FOR A NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS.
THIS WAS NOT REQUIRED BY THE CITY, BUT THE APPLICANT ELECTED TO PROVIDE THIS INFORMATION SINCE THEY KNEW THERE WOULD BE, UH, QUESTIONS ABOUT, UH, POSSIBLE TRANSPORTATION IMPACT.
A MEMORANDUM FROM CITY STAFF WITH ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATIONS IS IN THE BACKUP IS EXHIBIT E.
I ALSO HAVE TRANSPORTATION STAFF AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, VIRTUALLY THE CONDITIONS THAT WOULD BE INCORPORATED AS PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT THESE ARE FOR ANY FUTURE PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE SITE.
UH, DURING A SITE PLAN REVIEW, IT'S RECOMMENDED THE DEVELOPER RETRIP THE CROSSWALK AT THE INTERSECTION OF MCCALL IN WINDSOR.
IT'S RECOMMENDED THE DEVELOPER RETRIP THE CROSSWALK AT MCCALL AND HORN LANE, UM, NOTING THAT THE REQUIRED RIGHT OF WAY FOR WINDSOR ROAD IS 72 FEET AND RIGHT OF WAY REQUIRED FOR MCCALL ROAD RANGES FROM 58 TO 64 FEET, WHICH MAY MEAN A, UH, RIGHT OF WAY DEDICATION IN THE FUTURE.
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CHANGE, THEN OF COURSE THE CALCULATIONS AND THE ANALYSIS WOULD CHANGE AND THE NTA WOULD HAVE TO BE, UH, REASSESSED.THE SITE WOULD BE SUBJECT TO A STREET IMPACT FEE.
UM, AGAIN, IT, THIS IS BASED ON THE PROPOSED USES, NOT FOR OTHER USES.
ANY CHANGES IN THE ASSUMPTIONS WOULD REQUIRE, UH, ANOTHER LOOK AT THE NTA.
UM, AND THE NTA DOES NOT GRANT OR GUARANTEE APPROVAL OF ANY PROPOSED DRIVEWAY TYPES OR LOCATIONS.
AND THOSE WILL BE RE REVIEWED AT TIME OF ANY SITE PLAN APPLICATION OR ANY PHYSICAL SITE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THE PROJECT HISTORY, AS A LOT OF YOU KNOW, THIS WAS FORMERLY IN A ISD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND IT WAS STILL ELEMENTARY UNTIL THE EARLY TWO THOUSANDS.
AND A ISD SOLD THE PROPERTY IN ABOUT 2002, 2003.
AND IT BECAME A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
AND A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WAS APPROVED AT THAT TIME TO ALLOW PRIVATE PRIMARY EDUCATION.
SO, UH, K THROUGH SIX IN 2009, THEY ADDED PROPERTY INTO THE SITE AND A NEW CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WAS ISSUED, WHICH ADDED PRIVATE SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL, WHICH GOT THEM TO HIGHER GRADES WITH THE FOLLOW WITH SOME CONDITIONS THAT, UM, THE TWO NOW 2009 CUP LIMITED, UM, TO PRIVATE PRIMARY AND PRIVATE SECONDARY AND PRE-K THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE.
AND NO MORE THAN 50% OF THE STUDENTS IN GRADES FIVE THROUGH EIGHT AND THAT SCREENING OF WASTE COLLECTION AND LOADING AREAS BE MATCHED TO PRINCIPAL BUILDING MATERIALS.
THOSE, THOSE WERE ALL CHANGE OF USE.
NO PHYSICAL CHANGES TO THE SITE, NO PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SITE.
IN 2012, A CUP WAS SUBMITTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT THAT INCLUDED SITE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO IT HAD SOME CONDITIONS THAT WERE RELATED TO THE LAND USE, BUT ALSO TO PHYSICAL SITE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THAT WAS THE DUMPSTER PICKUP THAT I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER.
THE MAINTENANCE WORKERS FROM SEVEN TO NINE NEIGHBOR NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR EVENTS, NO ATTENDED UNATTENDED PUBLIC RECYCLING DROP OFF AND PICK UP TO BE STAGGERED EXISTING DRIVEWAYS TO REMAIN PARKING SPACE TO HAVE CONCRETE CURBS AND ATTENDANCE LIMITED TO 150 STUDENTS.
MOST OF THOSE HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE NEW REQUEST AND NEW RECOMMENDATION, EXCEPT FOR THE PHYSICAL CHANGES BECAUSE THERE IS NO PHYSICAL SITE PLAN WITH THIS.
UM, AGAIN, K THROUGH EIGHT STUDENTS AND NO MORE THAN 50% OF THE STUDENTS IN GRADE FIVE THROUGH EIGHT.
SO THAT'S, THAT WAS THE EXISTING, THAT'S THE EXISTING CONDITION CONDITIONS AS OF TODAY.
THE CURRENT APPLICATION SEEKS TO INCORPORATE THAT ADDITIONAL LOT AND HAVE THE PRIVATE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES ON THE ENTIRE 2.31 ACRE PROPERTY.
INCREASING ENROLLMENT FROM 150 TO 200 STUDENTS.
AND AS I SAID, THE THE FIVE CRITERIA THAT I LISTED AT THE BEGINNING ABOUT DUMPSTER PICKUP, PICKUP, MAINTENANCE, DROP OF PICK OFF BEING STAGGERED, PICK UP DROP OFF AND PICK UP BEING STAGGERED.
UM, AND THEN K THROUGH EIGHT STUDENTS.
UM, THERE IS STAFF, UM, AGAIN WITH THE NTA, UH, MAKING THAT PART OF THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL.
STAFF, UH, SUPPORTS THE REQUEST AND, UM, YOU'LL SEE IN YOUR BACKUP THE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, CORRESPONDENCE IN SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION TO THE PLAN.
NOW I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
WE'LL NOW BE HEARING FROM THE APPLICANTS THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING UP THEIR TIME TOGETHER.
SO VICTORIA HASSI AND RON THROWER, THEY WILL BE RECEIVING FOUR MINUTES OF TIME OF DONATED TIME FROM DENISE BEAL AND LEONNA ROWE.
ARE Y'ALL BOTH PRESENT? PERFECT.
YOU BOTH WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF NINE MINUTES.
VICTORIA HASSI WITH ROWER DESIGN.
UM, I COULDN'T BE MORE PROUD, UM, TO BE STANDING HERE IN FRONT OF YOU REPRESENTING WHAT I'VE COME TO KNOW AS A SMALL BUT VERY MIGHTY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION.
UM, PRESENTATION, UM, AS I NORMALLY START OUT, OUR PRESENTATIONS, UM, GIVING YOU SOME CONTEXT TO OF THIS PROPERTY TO IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ELEMENTS AND CAP METRO, UH, TRANSIT SERVICE.
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AS HEATHER SAID BEFORE, THIS SITE IS FORMALLY THE DILL SCHOOL.IT WAS BUILT IN THE 1950S AND A ISD SOLD IT TO THE GIRLS SCHOOL IN 2003.
THE SITE HAS ALWAYS BEEN ZONED SF THREE AS LONG AS ZONING HAS EXISTED IN AUSTIN AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN EDUCATIONAL USE.
EDUCATIONAL USES ARE PERMITTED IN SF THREE ZONING.
AND AS YOU TRANSITION FROM A PUBLIC TO A PRIVATE USE, A CUP IS REQUIRED, WHICH IS WHERE YOU SEE THE 2003 CUP COMING INTO THE MIX.
IN 2009, THERE WAS A SUBSEQUENT CUP, UH, WHERE THE SCHOOL ADDED IN THE WINDSOR LOT, ALSO KNOWN AS LISA'S HOUSE.
AND THAT, UM, DIDN'T, DIDN'T PROPOSE ANY SITE IMPROVEMENTS.
AND THEN 2012 CUP WAS A TOTAL REDEVELOPMENT OF THE CAMPUS.
AND THOSE ARE THE 10 ITEMS THAT YOU HEARD HEATHER TALK ABOUT JUST A BIT AGO.
SO WITH THE SCHOOL ACQUIRING THE PROPERTY AT 1913 MCCALL, IT ALLOWED THEM TO EMBARK ON AN ENVISIONING, UH, OF HOW THEY COULD USE THIS LAND TO FURTHER THE MISSION OF THE SCHOOL.
LAST FALL, THERE WAS A TEAM OF PROFESSIONALS PUT TOGETHER TO FORM A MASTER PLAN, AND THEY INTERVIEWED STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, BOARD MEMBERS, PARENTS, UM, WE TALKED TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE WAS A LOT OF DATA COLLECTION THERE.
AND ALL OF THAT CULMINATED INTO THE SITE PLAN.
THAT IS A PORTION OF THE CUP THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING.
THE VISUALS THAT YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE ARE SOME OF THE DRAWINGS, RENDERINGS, ARTWORK THAT THIS GIRLS PRODUCED AS PART OF THEIR ENVISIONING SESSION IN THE FALL.
SO AS PART OF THE CUP, THERE ARE TWO MAIN COMPONENTS, AND THAT IS TO ADD IN THE PROPERTY AT 1913 MCCALL, UH, TO BE A PART OF THE CAMPUS FACILITY.
AND THEN ADDING AN ADDITIONAL FI 50 STUDENTS TO THEIR, UH, SCHOOL.
AS PART OF THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE ENGAGED WITH THEM STARTING IN OCTOBER.
UM, THE FOLLOWING REQUESTS WERE SUBMITTED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR CONSIDERATION.
THE GSA HAS AGREED TO MORE THAN HALF OF THESE ITEMS, AND THERE'S PARTIAL AGREEMENT, OR AT LEAST WILLINGNESS FOR SEVERAL OTHERS.
AND THE FOLLOWING IS A CONCISE LIST OF AGREEMENTS, ACTIONS, EFFORTS, AND THE DISPOSITION OF EACH.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S 25 ITEMS WHERE THERE IS AGREEMENT AND A HANDFUL THAT WERE CONSIDERED, BUT ULTIMATELY ARE NOT ATTAINABLE.
AS MENTIONED BEFORE, THE CUP REQUESTS 50 STUDENTS, UH, AN INCREASE IN 50 STUDENTS AND ADDITION OF 1913 MCCALL.
IT ALSO, THE, THE PLAN THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE SHORTLY ADDS IN THE AMENDMENTS TO THE EXISTING BUILDINGS, AMENDMENTS TO PARKING LOT INTERNAL DRIVES, NEW BUILDINGS, NEW OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS AND PLAY AREAS.
BUT I DO WANNA NOTE THAT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NOT, UM, THAT ARE BEYOND THE SCOPE OF THE CUP THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT.
THE CUP IN FRONT OF YOU TONIGHT IS FOR THE 50 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS AND THE ADDITION OF 1913 MCCALL.
THIS IS THE, THE CONCEPT PLAN THAT WAS PRODUCED BY MCKINNEY YORK ARCHITECTS AND IT IS THE CULMINATION OF GREAT EFFORT OVER THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS.
UM, AND I WANNA CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT IT IS ZONED SF THREE PROPERTY, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY HAVE TO ABIDE BY NOT ONLY THE HEIGHT RESTRICTION OF 35 FEET, BUT ALSO THE IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITATION OF 45%, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT LIMITING FACTOR TO, UH, THE CAMPUS.
ALSO, I WANNA TALK ABOUT, UM, WHAT THIS CONCEPT PLAN PROPOSES IS A BYPASS LANE, UH, WHICH IS, DOESN'T CURRENTLY EXIST TODAY.
AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG IMPROVEMENTS THAT IS PROPOSED TO HELP, UH, WITH THE THROUGHPUT OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THE SITE, WHICH WILL ALSO HELP WITH THE QUEUING ISSUES ON MCCALL ROAD.
UM, IT ALSO CREATES A NEW PARKING LOT, AS YOU CAN SEE AT THE SOUTHERN MOST SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE SITE.
UM, INCREASING THAT OR PUTTING IN THAT BYPASS LANE, UM, AT THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL CAUSED FOR SOME OF THOSE PARKING SPACES TO BE TAKEN OUT.
AND SO WE'RE REPLACING THOSE PARKING SPACES DOWN SOUTH.
AND THEN THERE'S NEW ACADEMIC BUILDINGS ON THE SOUTHERNMOST PORTION OF THE PROPERTY.
UH, THE PROPERTY THAT IS 1913 MCCALL.
THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL PLAYGROUND AREAS, OUTDOOR CLASSROOMS, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MODIFICATIONS TO EXISTING BUILDINGS.
UM, AND ONE OF THOSE IS TO THEIR GYM FACILITY.
SO THEY WILL ACTUALLY HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE A FULL HALF COURT FACILITY ALLOWING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN ORGANIZED SPORTS.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA PASS IT ON TO RON COMMISSIONER RUN THROWER REPRESENTING MR. THROWER.
COULD YOU TURN YOUR MICROPHONE ON IT? THANK YOU.
RUN THROWER PROUDLY REPRESENTING GIRLS SCHOOL.
I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A LOT OF TECHNICAL STUFF AND I'M GONNA TALK FAST 'CAUSE I GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION TO COVER.
SO, ORIGINALLY, AS WAS NOTED, WE HAD TO BEG THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO PERFORM A NE NEIGHBORHOOD TRAFFIC ANALYSIS FOR THIS.
WITH THAT, THE CITY OF AUSTIN GAVE US THEIR
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INFORMATION THAT THEY WANTED US TO GO DO DATA COLLECTION ON ONLY THREE LOCATIONS.AND ON THE THREE DAY PERIOD, WE RECOGNIZED WE NEEDED TO CAST A WIDER NET TO DO, TO LOOK AT MORE, UH, STREETS IN THE AREA TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS.
SO WE WENT OUT AND COUNTED EIGHT LOCATIONS ACROSS FOUR DAYS.
AND WITH THAT WE ALSO GATHERED SOME, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPEEDS, WHICH THE CITY OF AUSTIN DID NOT REQUIRE.
UM, THE, THE, UH, FINDINGS FROM THE NTA ARE THAT THERE'S NO IMPACT.
HEATHER HAS ALREADY READ THE CONDITIONS.
I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH THAT.
SO THEN LOOKING AT THE QUEUING ANALYSIS THAT WAS PERFORMED BY DKS, UH, BASICALLY THEIR, THEIR FINDINGS ARE THAT UNDER THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, THE SCHOOL IS OPERATING EFFICIENTLY TODAY DUE DUE TO STAFF PRESENCE, COORDINATED LOADING PROCEDURES AND STAGGERED DISMISSAL SCHEDULES.
AND WHAT THEY'RE SEEING IS THAT THE 95TH PERCENTILE OF Q IN THE STREET IS SEVEN VEHICLES.
AND THAT WAS WITNESSED BY NOT ONLY THEM ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.
I WITNESSED IT ONCE ON THE MANY DAYS THAT I'VE BEEN OUT THERE AND ON, ON, UH, DAYS THAT VICTORIA'S ALSO BEEN OUT THERE WATCHING THE PICKUP OPERATIONS OCCURRING.
WE OFTEN SEE FAR LESS THAN SEVEN, SOMETIMES NO CARS IN THE STREET.
SO THE FINDINGS WILL CERTAINLY SHOW THAT IF WE DO NOTHING TO THE SITE, THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE AN IMPACT TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS MUCH AS 26, UH, CARS QUEUED UP, DOWN, UM, A CALL WITH THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS AS ENVISIONED WITH THE SITE PLAN AND THROUGH THE, UH, THE QUEUING ANALYSIS, THERE'S NOT GONNA BE AN IMPACT OF THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY OF THE STREETS IN THE AREA.
WE ARE PUTTING IN THE, UH, BYPASS LANE, THE DROP OFF ZONE, WHICH IS GONNA HAVE A TREMENDOUS BENEFIT TO THE THROUGHPUT ON THE SITE, AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MONITOR IT OVER TIME.
SO IN THE PROPOSED CONDITIONS, WE'RE LOOKING AT A SITUATION WHERE THE 95TH PERCENTILE REMAINS THE SAME WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS SO THAT THE, THE, THE 95TH PERCENTILE ONLY SHOWS SEVEN CARS, WHICH IS EQUAL TO THE EXISTING CONDITIONS.
AND THIS IS NOT A SYSTEM FAILURE, IT'S A FUNCTIONING SCHOOL.
MANY OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN OUT THERE AND Y'ALL HAVE SEEN THE QUEUING THAT'S GOING ON.
AND SO THE FINDINGS, I'M GONNA JUST GLOSS OVER THE SPEEDING, BUT YOU'LL CERTAINLY SEE THAT THE GIRLS SCHOOL IS NOT THE CAUSE OF THE SPEEDING THAT'S GOING ON IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
A LOT OF THAT IS THE NEIGHBORS THEMSELVES.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS IS NOT A STATIC PROPOSAL.
WE HAVE A NOTE ON THE PLAN THAT IT, THAT SAYS THAT THE SCHOOL WILL REASSESS THE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THOSE OVER TIME.
SO IF GSA SEES A A FAILING CONDITION, THEY WILL BE REASSESSING THIS EVERY EVERY SIX MONTHS.
AND SO WITH THIS FROM A TRAFFIC AND LAND USE POSITION, TRAFFIC IS FINE.
IF, UH, WE, WE LOOKED AT AN ADDITIONAL 17 ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOLS AROUND AUSTIN THAT HAVE ACCESS TO LOCAL, UH, LEVEL ONE STREETS JUST AS GIRLS SCHOOL.
AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING FROM A POPULATION STANDPOINT, WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL, THAT THE A ISD SCHOOLS OPERATE AT ABOUT 150 STUDENTS PER ACRE.
GSA IS PROPOSING 85 STUDENTS PER ACRE, 58% OF WHAT IS NORMAL WITH A ISD SCHOOLS.
SO BEFORE YOU AS A SCHOOL THAT ASKS FOR MORE ANALYSIS THAN REQUIRED, IT'S A SITE PLAN THAT'S GUIDED BY ENGINEERING ANALYSIS.
IT'S A COMMITMENT TO ONGOING MONITORING AND ADJUSTMENTS.
A SCHOOL THAT'S OPERATING EFFICIENTLY TODAY, A SCHOOL THAT'S GONNA OPERATE EFFICIENTLY TOMORROW AND THE SURROUNDING STREETS HAVE THE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, WE ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT THE PROJECT BASED OFF OF SOUND ENGINEERING, THOUGHTFUL DESIGN, AND A COMMITMENT FOR CHANGE ALONG THE WAY.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS REBECCA KONO.
SHE'LL BE RECEIVING FOUR MINUTES OF TIME FROM SARAH ORMAN AND M BAUER.
ARE Y'ALL BOTH PRESENT? REBECCA, YOU'LL HAVE SIX MINUTES.
A GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I'M REBECCA KONO AND I'M THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN.
I WANTED TO START WITH JUST A SHORT THOUGHT EXPERIMENT FOR THE GROWNUPS IN THE ROOM.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL? I WANT YOU IN YOUR MIND TO PICK THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE HOW YOU EXPERIENCED IT OR HOW REMEMBERING IT MAKES YOU FEEL.
IN SEVENTH GRADE, I ATTENDED PORTER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL AN A ISD SCHOOL.
IF THAT DOESN'T RING A BELL, IT'S BECAUSE IT CLOSED IN 2006 TO PAVE THE WAY FOR THE ANN RICHARDS SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS, LIKE MOST MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SEVENTH GRADE, I HAD NEW NEEDS, NEW INTERESTS, AND I WANTED A NEW SOCIAL CIRCLE.
I ATTENDED A ISD SCHOOLS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH 12TH GRADE, AND AFTER GRADUATING FROM UT, I SPENT 40, SORRY, 34 YEARS IN EDUCATION AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR ACROSS SEVEN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE.
I CAN TELL YOU, NO OTHER SCHOOL EVEN COMES CLOSE TO GSA IN PROVIDING HIGH INTELLECTUAL RIGOR STARTING IN KINDERGARTEN AND KNOWING AND SUPPORTING EACH CHILD AND HER FAMILY.
BECAUSE I HAVE SPENT MORE THAN HALF MY CAREER EDUCATING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, IT IS MY CALLING TO KNOW WHAT OUR STUDENTS NEED, AND IT'S MY
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JOB TO OPERATIONALIZE HOW WE MEET THOSE NEEDS.GSA IS ASKING YOU TO APPROVE OUR REQUEST TO GROW OUR STUDENT BODY BY UP TO 50 STUDENTS.
AND SPECIFICALLY, WE ARE PLANNING TO GROW OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL IN OUR CURRENT FORMAT WITH ONLY ONE SECTION PER GRADE.
WE HAVE A RIGOROUS AND WELL-DEFINED ACADEMIC PROGRAM IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
YOUNG WOMEN BEGIN TO DEVELOP THEIR IDENTITIES IN MORE COMPLEX AND MAGNIFIED WAYS, PHYSICALLY, COGNITIVELY AND PERSONALLY.
THEY'RE READY FOR AND CURIOUS ABOUT NEW INTERESTS AND NOVEL IDEAS.
IN ORDER TO DELIVER ON STUDENTS' INTELLECTUAL NEEDS, GSA MUST OFFER A WIDER VARIETY OF CLASSES, LEVELS AND PROGRAMS. AND WE WANT TO HAVE THE STUDENTS TO ENROLL IN THESE CLASSES IN ORDER TO ADDRESS STUDENTS' NEEDS FOR MORE SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ALSO NEED TO BE ABLE TO RECONFIGURE CLASS ROSTERS THROUGHOUT THE DAY SO THE GIRLS WILL SPEND TIME WITH EACH OTHER IN DIFFERENT GROUPINGS.
THE CURRENT CLASS SIZE LIMIT ACROSS THE SCHOOL IS 18 STUDENTS.
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS NEED A LARGER COHORT.
HAVING 30 STUDENTS PER GRADE IN THESE GRADES, MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES ALLOW US TO RECONFIGURE CLASS ROSTERS AND INCREASE THE DIVERSITY OF PERSPECTIVES.
THEY WILL HAVE A BIGGER POOL OF POTENTIAL FRIENDSHIPS AND SOCIAL CONCERNS IN THEIR EARLY, EARLY ADOLESCENT YEARS.
COMMISSIONERS, YOU BRING YOUR EXPERTISE IN CITY DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION, ARCHITECTURE, PUBLIC WORKS, AND TRAFFIC ENGINEERING TO YOUR ROLE IN SERVICE TO THE CITY.
IN MY ROLE AS HEAD OF SCHOOL, I'M EXPECTED TO HAVE DEEP KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CURRICULUM AND PEDAGOGY.
I HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT.
ULTIMATELY, MY JOB IS TO MAKE SURE THAT SCHOOL OPERATIONS SUPPORT THE MISSION AND THE TEACHING AND LEARNING THAT HAPPENS ON OUR CAMPUS.
THIS SCHOOL YEAR, I'VE ALSO HAD TO DO A DEEP DIVE INTO THE INS AND OUTS OF TRAFFIC ENGINEERING
I HAVE INVESTED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME AND ENERGY INTO LEARNING ABOUT TRAFFIC AND CITY POLICY AND ANALYZING TRAFFIC FLOW AND EFFICIENCY, AS WELL AS PAYING ACUTE ATTENTION TO WHAT THE NEIGHBORS NEED.
BECAUSE DOING THOSE THINGS ARE VITAL FOR THE GSA TO CONTINUE OUR UNIQUE MISSION.
IN OCTOBER, 2025, WE ASKED OUR ASKED OUR FAMILIES TO REVISE THEIR ROUTE TO THE SCHOOL ENTRANCE TO REFLECT THE 2012 AGREEMENT THE GSA MADE WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND WE SAW AN IMMEDIATE REDUCTION IN THE TIME IT TOOK FOR DROP OFF AND DISMISSAL.
IT ALSO STREAMLINED THE FLOW OF RESIDENT VEHICLES BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MCCALL AND WINDSOR ROADS.
LATER IN OCTOBER, GSA INVITED OUR NEIGHBORS TO CAMPUS SO WE COULD BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT OUR INTENT TO APPLY FOR A NEW CUP TO BETTER SERVE OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
THAT EVENING NEIGHBORS SHARED THAT THE CHANGE TRAFFIC PATTERN HAD CREATED NEW PROBLEMS AND THAT THEY WERE HIGHLY CONCERNED ABOUT ADDITIONAL STUDENTS ADDING TO THE TRAFFIC AND PARKING ISSUES.
AT THAT TIME, OUR NEIGHBORS OFFERED SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE COULD MITIGATE THOSE ISSUES SO THAT IN THE SUBSEQUENT WEEKS AND MONTHS, WE IMPLEMENTED MANY OF THEIR SUGGESTIONS, INCLUDING HAVING ADMINISTRATORS ON MCCALL ROAD TO DIRECT TRAFFIC, CHANGING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL DISMISSAL TIME FROM 4:00 PM TO 3 55 TO REDUCE WAIT TIME.
LAUNCHING A COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE GSA DRIVERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF DRIVING MORE SLOWLY, LOADING CARS MORE EFFICIENTLY AND BEING RESPECTFUL WHEN PARKING IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ONE RESULT, BOTH LOWER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL DISMISSAL TIME HAVE BEEN REDUCED BY UP TO EIGHT MINUTES EACH.
OUR PARENTS AND STAFF HAVE MADE IT A PRIORITY TO BE RESPECTFUL OF THE NEIGHBOR'S NEEDS WHEN DRIVING TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND PARKING ON THE SURROUNDING STREETS.
WE HAVE BEEN USING OUR CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING SKILLS AS WELL.
OUR STAFF NOW HAVE CAR TAGS, SO THEY ARE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE.
WE RECENTLY PUT TRAFFIC CO CONES OUT ON THE CALL TO PREVENT CARS FROM STANDING DURING DROP OFF AND PICKUP, AND WE ARE REACHING OUT TO NEARBY PARKING LOT OWNERS TO ASK PERMISSION TO USE THEIR PROPERTY UNTIL LAST YEAR, WE BORROWED THE COMMANDER'S LOT AT 2002 SHARON LANE.
WITH THE RECENT CHANGE OF COMMAND, WE HAD TO MEET NEW REQUIREMENTS AND ARE CURRENTLY WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM FOR PERMISSION TO RE RESUME USE OF THAT LOT FOR STAFF DURING SPECIAL EVENTS.
OUR SCHOOL HAS BEEN AT THE CORNER OF MCCALL AND WINDSOR ROADS FOR 24 YEARS.
WE ARE TARRYTOWN NEIGHBORS, WHILE OUR STUDENT BODY DOES INDEED INCLUDE FAMILIES FROM 37 DIFFERENT ZIP CODE CODES.
16% OF OUR FAMILIES LIVE IN THE 7 8 7 0 3 ZIP CODE, AND NEARLY A THIRD OF OUR FAMILIES LIVE IN DISTRICT 10 31%.
THE GSA IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO PROVIDE OUR GIRLS WITH THE BEST ROLE MODELS FOR HOW TO BE GOOD CITIZENS AND GOOD NEIGHBORS.
THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN IS PROVIDING AN EXCEPTIONAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY FOR GIRLS OF OUR CITY AT A TIME WHEN EDUCATING AND SUPPORTING GIRLS IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.
VOTING TO APPROVE OUR REQUEST TO INCREASE OUR ENROLLMENT LIMIT TO 200 STUDENTS IS A VOTE FOR THE GIRLS OF AUSTIN.
I'M GONNA CALL UP THE NEXT THREE SPEAKERS IN FAVOR.
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HUBERMAN, ALIANA CORBETT AND ERIN ORMAN.PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT AND YOU WILL EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO US THIS EVENING.
I'M AN OB GYN PHYSICIAN AND MY DAUGHTER EMMA, IS A THIRD GRADER AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
I LIVE THREE BLOCKS FROM THE SCHOOL AND I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF TERRYTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE I WAS 1-YEAR-OLD.
I FULLY RECOGNIZE THAT I'M ABLE TO LIVE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE INVESTED AND BELIEVED IN SUPPORTING MY EDUCATION BECAUSE OF THAT.
I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN AND EXPANDING THEIR CAPACITY OF 200 STUDENTS.
THERE IS CONCERN, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD REGARDING TRAFFIC PATTERNS WITH THE PRESENCE OF THE SCHOOL AND INCREASING THE CAPACITY.
BUT THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS BEING ADDED THROUGH THIS REQUEST SEEMS MINIMAL COMPARED TO WHAT WE MIGHT BE PROVIDING AS A COMMUNITY TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIRLS EDUCATION.
AS YOU'VE HEARD, THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN HERE SINCE 1955 WITHOUT A VERY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CAPACITY DESPITE A RAPIDLY GROWING CITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD.
ANDREW'S AND
AND I ADJUST MY SCHEDULE OR ROUTE BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN SCHOOL DROP OFF AND PICK UP ARE, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE.
AND OCCASIONALLY THERE IS AN URGENCY IN GETTING TO THE HOSPITAL, CATCH A BABY.
IT SEEMS THERE'S LESS URGENCY IN DRIVING DOWN MCCALL ROAD TO EXIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND A LONG ESTABLISHED SCHOOL ALSO.
AND YOU AND I WOULD A SACRIFICE THAT ONE WOULD THINK A HOMEOWNER WOULD UNDERSTAND WHEN BUYING A HOME NEAR A LONG ESTABLISHED SCHOOL.
ALSO, IT'S AUSTIN, YOU CAN'T GET RID OF THE TRAFFIC, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THE DROP OFF AND PICKUP PROCESS IS CONSTANTLY BEING ASSESSED WITH STUDENTS AND STAFF HELPING, HELPING LOAD AND UNLOAD CARS TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY.
I WOULD ASK THAT WE ALL TAKE A MOMENT, SLOW DOWN AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE MAKE THESE ADJUSTMENTS IN OUR LIFE SO THAT WE CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE GREATER GOOD OF SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE.
I'M SURE THAT YOU CAN THINK OF THAT TEACHER THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO YOU, THAT COMMUNITY THAT HELD YOU UP AND SUPPORTED YOU.
FOR MY DAUGHTER THAT IS THE GSA COMMUNITY WHERE SHE AND THE OTHER GIRLS FEEL LOVED AND SUPPORTED.
THE STAFF AT THIS SCHOOL HAVE BEEN HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THESE GIRLS IN MIND.
AND I SINCERELY HOPE THAT EVERYONE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ALSO HAS THESE GIRLS' BEST INTEREST IN MIND AND HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS UNIQUE AND VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE TO MORE PEOPLE.
FOR ME, I'M GRATEFUL TO CALL THE GSA MY NEIGHBOR.
AND I, I LIKE KNOWING THAT I HAVE TRUSTED MEMBERS OF MY COMMUNITY RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
AND SINCERELY, HOPE THIS PLAN IS APPROVED.
WE WANTED TO START OFF OUR TIME BY TAKING A SECOND TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
WE'RE BOTH GRADUATING EIGHTH GRADERS AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN.
I'VE BEEN AT THE GSA SINCE THIRD GRADE, AND I'VE BEEN AT THE GSA SINCE SIXTH GRADE.
WE EACH SPEND PART OF OUR WEEKDAY MORNINGS DRIVING TO SCHOOL.
PERSONALLY, I TAKE ABOUT 15 MINUTES TO GET TO SCHOOL.
I TAKE A WHOPPING 40 OUT OF THAT TIME.
WE SPEND ABOUT TWO MINUTES AT MOST IN THE DROP OFF LINE.
WE SPEND EIGHT HOURS LEARNING, MAKING MEMORIES, LAUGHING AND MAKING AN IMPACT ON THE GIRLS YOUNGER THAN US TOO.
RIGHT NOW, WE ONLY HAVE 17 PEOPLE IN OUR WHOLE GRADE.
ON ONE HAND, IT PROVIDES A CLOSE-KNIT COMMUNITY THAT EVERYONE IS FAMILIAR WITH.
ON THE OTHER HAND, WE DON'T GET AS WIDE OF A VARIETY OF GIRLS AND THERE'S LESS FLEXIBILITY WITH CLASSES AND ACTIVITIES.
THERE ARE 25 TO 26,000 GIRLS WHO CAN GO TO K THROUGH EIGHT SCHOOLS IN AUSTIN.
WE HAVE 37 ZIP CODES ATTENDING OUR SCHOOL, INCLUDING OUR OWN.
THAT MEANS THAT THERE ARE GIRLS DRIVING FROM AROUND 35 DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS TO GET TO SUCH A BRILLIANT SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
EACH OF THOSE GIRLS ARE BENEFITING EVERY SINGLE MINUTE THEY SPEND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WHILE AT SCHOOL, OUR GIRLS VOLUNTEER AROUND THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PAYING BACK THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITIES THEY GET.
WE GO HAVE PE FUN WITH THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
WE PROVIDE RESOURCES AND MATERIALS FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT ST.
WE DONATE AND VOLUNTEER AT AUSTIN CREATIVE REUSE AND WE VOLUNTEER OUR HELP AT FARMS AND ANIMAL SHELTERS AROUND THE CITY, INCLUDING URBAN ROOTS AND SAFE IN AUSTIN.
PART OF TERRY TOWN'S COMMUNITY IS THE AUSTIN ASSISTED LIVING CENTER.
WE GO THERE TWICE A YEAR FOR A CONCERT TO GIVE PEOPLE THERE LIVING THERE.
EXPANDING THE GSA MEANS GIVING MORE GIRLS MORE OPPORTUNITIES, MORE KNOWLEDGE, MORE MEMORIES, AND MORE OF POSITIVE EXPERIENCE.
EVEN IF SOME MAY FEEL THAT THE TIME SPENT GETTING TO SCHOOL OR WAITING IN THE DROP OFF LINE, BEING TYPICALLY UNDER 30 MINUTES IS INCONVENIENT.
WE BELIEVE IT IS A REASONABLE AND WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT INVESTMENT TO GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANT POSITIVE IMPACT IT HAS ON THESE GIRLS.
THE NEXT GENERATION OF GIRLS DESERVES A CHANCE TO GET TO EXPERIENCE THIS TYPE OF EDUCATION.
AND BY EXPANDING OUR SIZE, WE'RE ALSO EXPANDING THE AMOUNT OF STRONG, CAPABLE, INDEPENDENT, INTELLIGENT, CREATIVE, TALENTED, THOUGHTFUL, ADVENTUROUS YOUNG WOMEN.
WE HOPE THAT BY MAKING IT LARGER, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE MAKING MORE ROOM FOR MORE BRIGHT FUTURE THINKERS.
AS YOU CAN TELL, THE SCHOOL MEANS THE MOST TO US, AND WE HOPE YOU TAKE THIS SPEECH INTO DEEP CONSIDERATION.
[01:25:01]
YOUR TIME.THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
OUR NEXT THREE SPEAKERS, ALL IN FAVOR ARE DREW, CARMEN, ROBIN BIRCHFIELD, AND BRAD HEIN.
I'M A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT AND A PLANNER, UH, HERE IN TOWN.
AND, AND MY DAUGHTER GOES TO THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
UM, I I I JUST WANNA KIND OF STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT AND KINDA LOOK AT THIS FROM A BROADER, UH, UH, KIND OF URBAN PLANNING STANDPOINT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS USE A HUNDRED PERCENT ALIGNS WITH, UH, THE CITY'S KIND OF CORE, UH, PLANNING VALUES.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS IS GOOD INFILL GROWTH.
UM, YEAH, THEY CAN UTILIZE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
IT'S, UH, IT'S KIND OF HITS ALL THE, UM, ALL THE POINTS.
UM, BUT SORRY, WAS THAT ME THAT NO, YOU CAN KEEP GOING.
UH, BUT I, I'M NOT GONNA BELABOR THE, UM, TRAFFIC ISSUE.
WE'VE, YOU KNOW, HEARD FROM STAFF AND, UH, MR. THROWER AND IT'S, UH, I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD IDEA ABOUT, UH, UH, THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, WHAT I WANTED TO UH, POINT OUT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CUP IS A PLANNING TOOL.
THIS IS LIKE EXACTLY WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE USED FOR.
YOU KNOW, LIKE APPROPRIATE CONTEXT SENSITIVE GROWTH WITH SOME CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, I, I JUST THINK THIS PLANNING TOOL IS DOING A GOOD JOB.
BUT I GUESS THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS, IS THIS.
IF WE LOOK AT THIS FROM A, NOT A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, BUT A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, THE GIRLS SCHOOL AND ALL SCHOOLS, THEY, THEY PROVIDE REAL MEANINGFUL BENEFITS TO, TO OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, AND I, I'LL TAKE THIS DIRECTLY FROM THEIR, OR PARAPHRASE THEIR MISSION STATEMENT, AN INSTITUTION WHERE YOUNG WOMEN CAN LEARN TO BECOME CONFIDENT, ENGAGED CITIZENS, RIGHT? UH, AND LEAD INTELLECTUALLY VIBRANT LIVES AND FULFILLING LIVES.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK GIVING 50 MORE GIRLS THAT OPPORTUNITY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, A REALLY WORTHWHILE EFFORT.
UM, SO THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT AND I HOPE YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS CUP.
I ALSO WANNA THANK EVERY GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN, FAMILY TEACHER, BOARD MEMBER, AND COMMUNITY SUPPORTER WHO'S HERE TONIGHT.
YOUR PRESENCE SPEAKS VOLUMES AND I WANNA THANK THOSE HERE WHO ARE HERE IN OPPOSITION.
IT TAKES ENGAGED, COMMITTED CITIZENS TO SHOW UP FOR THESE CONVERSATIONS.
AND I BELIEVE THAT AT THE HEART OF ALL THIS, WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING.
A VIBRANT, THRIVING AUSTIN THAT GETS IT RIGHT.
I HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE GIRL SCHOOL COMMUNITY AS A PARENT, AS A BOARD MEMBER, AND NOW AS A STAFF MEMBER.
AND THROUGH MY DAUGHTER, I HAVE SEEN THE OUTCOME OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL EDUCATION FIRSTHAND.
SHE IS A CONFIDENT, CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVER WHOSE INTELLECT IS MATCHED BY HER ABILITY TO LISTEN, EMPATHIZE, AND LEAD CHANGE.
SHE'S A YOUNG WOMAN WHO KNOWS THAT REAL LEADERSHIP IS NOT ABOUT OVERPOWERING A ROOM, OVERPOWERING A ROOM.
IT'S ABOUT ELEVATING EVERYONE IN IT AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN.
WE DON'T JUST TEACH THAT WE LIVE IT.
AND THAT IS PRECISELY HOW WE HAVE APPROACHED THIS EXPANSION.
WE PARTNERED WITH TRAFFIC ENGINEERS, CIVIL ENGINEERS, AND LAND USE CONSULTANTS.
WE CONDUCTED RIGOROUS ANALYSIS OF PEAK DROP OFF AND PEAK AND PICKUP CONDITIONS.
WE ENGAGED IN MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH NEIGHBORS AND CITY LEADERSHIP.
WE LISTENED CAREFULLY AND WE AGREED TO PERMIT ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THE RESULT WAS A SITE PLAN THAT TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND AUSTIN'S FUTURE COMMISSIONERS BEHIND THIS APPLICATION ARE FAMILIES, TEACHERS, STAFF, AND GIRLS.
GIRLS WHO WILL LEAVE THE GIRLS' SCHOOL CONFIDENT IN WHO THEY ARE AND CURIOUS ENOUGH TO NEVER STOP ASKING QUESTIONS BECAUSE THE WORLD THAT THEY ARE INHERITING DEMANDS EXACTLY THAT.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I WANT THEM READY.
AND THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN MAKES THEM READY.
I ASK THAT YOU APPROVE THIS APPLICATION.
COULD YOU STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE? ROBIN BIRCHFIELD.
[01:30:01]
HELLO COMMISSIONERS.MY NAME IS BRAD HEFFER AND I'M THE PARENT OF TWO STUDENTS AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN BELLAMY, WHO'S IN FIRST GRADE.
THEY ACTUALLY WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO COME UP HERE, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE SORT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THE GIRLS SCHOOL AND GENDERS, I WISH THEY COULD READ THIS FOR ME.
UM, TO ECHO WHAT THE OTHERS HAVE SAID, MY DAUGHTERS HAVE HAD AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE AT GSA, IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE THAT BUILDS CONFIDENT, THOUGHTFUL, AND CAPABLE GIRLS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL PARENTS AT THE SCHOOL WHO ARE EDUCATORS THEMSELVES AT OTHER SCHOOLS, AND THEY CHOOSE TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN NOT TO THE SCHOOL THAT THEY WORK AT.
BUT TO GSA, THAT'S ENTIRELY BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED.
MY WIFE AND I ARE ALSO STRONG BELIEVERS IN GIRLS ONLY EDUCATION.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THESE EN ENVIRONMENTS CAN HELP GIRLS BUILD CONFIDENCE, TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES, AND PURSUE FIELDS LIKE STEM, WHERE GIRLS OFTEN FALL BEHIND BOYS IN CO-ED SETTINGS.
THIS TYPE OF EDUCATION IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT DURING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS WHEN CONFIDENCE OFTEN DROPS AND SOCIAL PRESSURES INCREASE.
THERE'S A REAL DEMAND FOR THAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT IN AUSTIN TODAY.
AND ALL THE FAMILIES THAT YOU SEE HERE TODAY ARE NOT HERE BECAUSE IT BENEFITS US.
MY KIDS ALREADY GO TO THE SCHOOL.
WE WANT MORE GIRLS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME OPPORTUNITY THAT OURS HAVE HAD.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEIGHBOR'S CONCERNS ABOUT TRAFFIC.
I UNDERSTAND THAT FRUSTRATION.
OUR HOUSE IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE FORMER ROSEDALE SCHOOL SITE, AND I LIVE FOR YEARS WITH EXACTLY THE SAME TYPE OF TRAFFIC THAT THE NEIGHBORS ARE TALKING ABOUT.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT SCHOOL TRAFFIC IS INHERENTLY CONCENTRATED DURING SHORT WINDOWS.
WHEN MY KIDS WENT TO HYDE PARK BEFORE THEY WENT TO GSA, THE PICKUP LINE ALSO SPILLED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND BLOCKED INTERSECTIONS THAT HAPPENS AT MOST SCHOOLS.
BUT I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT THIS PARENT GROUP IS VERY CONSCIENTIOUS OF OUR IMPACT ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE STRIVE TO MINIMIZE IT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT MY GIRLS ARE VERY HAPPY TO TELL ME WHEN I'VE MISSED THE PROPER PICKUP ROUTE.
ULTIMATELY, THIS COMES DOWN TO BALANCE.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOES HAVE REAL CONCERNS, BUT THERE'S ALSO A CLEAR AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
EXPANDING FROM 150 TO 200 STUDENTS ALLOWS MORE FAMILIES TO ACCESS THIS.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL RESPECTIVELY SUPPORT THE PERMIT.
THANK YOU EACH FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKERS, WE HAVE BRANDON WARD, WHO WILL BE RECEIVING TWO MINUTES OF TIME FROM MELINDA MADURA.
MELINDA, ARE YOU PRESENT? OKAY.
AND THEN ALSO COMING TO THE FRONT WILL BE KIMBERLY DAVIS AND THEN CCY BLUNT, WHO WILL BE RECEIVING TWO MINUTES OF TIME FROM TED HUGHES.
TED, ARE YOU PRESENT? PERFECT.
AND WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME SO WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS THEIR ACCOMMODATED TIME.
I TEACH FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE HUMANITIES AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.
UM, SIX OR SEVEN YEARS BEFORE COMING TO GSA THOUGH I WAS TEACHING SECOND GRADE, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, UH, STUDENTS, I WAS TEACHING SECOND GRADE AND I REMEMBER ACTUALLY TEACHING A SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON ABOUT COMMUNITIES.
AND I BROUGHT IN MY GUITAR ONE DAY, AND I STILL REMEMBER THE CHORUS OF THE SONG I SANG.
AND IT WAS PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES LIVE, WORK AND PLAY PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
AND, UH, THAT COURSE HAS STRANGELY STUCK WITH ME ALL OF THESE YEARS.
AND AFTER MOVING FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL, UH, AFTER A FEW YEARS, GSA FINALLY BECAME THE SCHOOL AND THE COMMUNITY WHERE I GOT TO PUT DOWN ROOTS.
AND I'M VERY THANKFUL FOR THAT.
I FOUND A SCHOOL THAT I COULD POUR MYSELF INTO AND WAS EQUALLY POURED INTO BY THE ENDLESS SUPPORT AND CARE FROM THE TEACHERS, THE OTHER TEACHERS, THE OTHER PARENTS, AND THE STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL.
IT'S A PRIVILEGE AND HONOR TO SIT NEXT TO STUDENTS THAT I'VE TAUGHT IN FIFTH GRADE AND SIXTH GRADE, AND TO HEAR THEM SPEAK THIS EVENING AND LOOK FORWARD TO, TO TEACHING, UH, IN THE COMING YEARS.
UH, AND SO THIS WAS A COMMUNITY.
THIS WAS A PLACE WHERE I COULD BELONG AND FIT.
THIS WAS A PLACE WHERE I COULD LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.
AND SO HERE ARE JUST A FEW MOMENTS TO ADD ON WITH, UH, ALIANA AND AARON THAT SHARED A FEW MOMENTS OF WHAT THEY DID IN THE COMMUNITY.
HERE'S SOME THINGS THAT I DO IN THE COMMUNITY.
IF I'M NOT TEACHING, YOU'LL FIND ME WALKING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, OR RUNNING ON A GOOD DAY.
UH, TARRYTOWN TEXACO RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FROM US HAS HELPED ME OUT WITH A DEAD BATTERY PLENTY OF TIMES, AND A FLAT TIRE.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO CARE FOR OUR LITTLE, ONE LITTLE SCHOOL BUS THAT WE HAVE, AND THEY'VE CARED FOR IT EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
UH, MANY OF OUR STAFF WAS VERY EXCITED WHEN LITTLE FIELDS POPPED UP 'CAUSE IT ACTUALLY GAVE ME A DESTINATION TO WALK TO INSTEAD OF JUST WALKING CIRCLES.
MY KIDS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN FOSTERING, UH, ANIMALS, AND SO WE HAVE VISITED AUSTIN PETS ALIVE FAR TOO MANY WEDNESDAYS IN A ROW, AND WE'RE RIGHT THERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD DOING THAT.
OUR PE COACH, COACH SPARKS IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT.
SHE, UH, TAKES OUR STUDENTS OVER TO TRIANGLE PARK, UH, FOR P ACTIVITIES AND GAMES.
UH, AND ONCE A ONCE A YEAR OR ONE ONE YEAR, I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO RECEIVE AN INVITATION TO THE HALLOWEEN PARTY THAT HAPPENS IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT WAS VERY THRILLING AND EXCITING.
MAYBE, MAYBE, UH, NEXT OCTOBER,
[01:35:01]
UM, EVERY YEAR I TAKE MY STUDENTS UP TO THE TEXAS MILITARY MUSEUM UP AT CAMP MAYBERRY.UH, THE FIREFIGHTERS FROM FIRE STATION 10 HAVE COME OUT TO OUR SCHOOL ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, TALK FIRE SAFETY, AND TO TO HONOR THEIR SERVICE.
ONCE A MONTH, I TAKE MY STUDENTS OVER TO THE HOUSING LIBRARY TO VISIT MISS MARYBETH.
I COULD KEEP GOING AND GOING EASILY, EASILY ABOUT MANY MORE MOMENTS AND EXPERIENCES THAT WE HAVE, UH, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT MAKE IT SPECIAL.
AND TRUTHFULLY, GSA FEELS LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES THE G THAT THAT TERRYTOWN NEIGHBOR SPECIAL.
UM, IN A WORLD WHERE THERE IS JUST SO MUCH GOING ON, I BELIEVE IT'S AS IMPORTANT AS EVER TO TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER.
THAT IS RIGHT THERE IN OUR SMALL COMMUNITIES WHERE WE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
I BELIEVE THAT INVESTING IN THE GROWTH OF GSA IS INVESTING IN STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO CARE ABOUT THE WORLD AND THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND IT REALLY HAS BEEN THE PROFESSIONAL JOY OF MY LIFE TO BE A PART OF THIS AMAZING SCHOOL AND THIS FANTASTIC NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I'M SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE GSA CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
I'M A RESIDENT OF THE TERRYTOWN NEIGHBORHOOD.
I LIVE AROUND THE CORNER FROM THE GIRLS SCHOOL, UM, ON FOREST TRAIL.
UM, OUR DAUGHTER, NINA, HAS ATTENDED THE GSA STARTING IN FALL OF 2018 IN THE FIRST GRADE, AND SHE'S NOW IN THE EIGHTH GRADE AND SHE'S HERE WITH ME TONIGHT.
SHE'S IN THE SAME CLASS WITH ERIN AND ALIANA AND CECE.
UM, WE'VE BEEN SO GRATEFUL THAT THIS SCHOOL HAS BEEN IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE WALK NINA TO SCHOOL EVERY MORNING FOR THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, AND IT'S REALLY BEEN A WHOLESOME AND MEANINGFUL RITUAL IN OUR FAMILY.
NOW THAT SHE'S AN EIGHTH GRADER, WE'VE ALLOWED HER TO WALK HOME FROM SCHOOL OR SOMETIMES TO THE NEARBY JUICE LAND WITH FRIENDS AFTER CLASS.
UH, THE EIGHTH GRADERS ALSO LIKE TO MEET FOR BREAKFAST AT VERACRUZ AT, UH, LITTLEFIELD, OR GO TO ZBS IN CAIS VILLAGE AFTER SCHOOL EVENTS.
AND FOR NINA'S RECENT BIRTHDAY, ALL OF THE EIGHTH GRADERS WALKED DOWN THE STREET TO OUR HOUSE AFTER SCHOOL FOR A PARTY.
UM, THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO MOVE AROUND OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WITH AUTONOMY AND INDEPENDENCE HAVE CONTRIBUTED MEANINGFULLY TO NINA'S MATURITY AND TO THAT OF HER FRIENDS.
THESE ARE THE TYPES OF EXPERIENCES THAT WE WANTED FOR OUR DAUGHTER WHEN WE CHOSE GSA AND WE HOPE THAT MORE YOUNG WOMEN CAN HAVE THE GREAT FORTUNE TO GO TO SCHOOL IN TERRYTOWN.
UM, ALSO AS SOMEONE WHO'S LIVED NEAR THE GSA FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, I WALK AND DRIVE DOWN MCCALL MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY TO TAKE HER TO SCHOOL, TO PICK HER UP, TO WALK THE DOG.
UM, AND I CAN SAY THAT I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED OVERWHELMING TRAFFIC.
THE BACKUP IS BRIEF AND ORDERLY.
UM, AND TO BE CLEAR, WE WOULD NEVER LET NINA WALK HOME IF WE THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF SPEEDING HAPPENING ON MCCALL.
UM, SOMETIMES THE GSA DOES HOST EVENTS FOR THE GIRLS, LIKE THE RECENT TALENT SHOW OR STRINGS CONCERT, AND THERE ARE CARS LINING THE STREET.
BUT WE THINK OF THIS AS BEING PART OF A THRIVING AND BUSTLING COMMUNITY, UM, AND A COMMUNITY THAT HAS SPACE FOR GIRLS AND SCHOOL CHILDREN, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE GIRLS WHO ATTEND GSA.
MY NAME IS CECE BLUNT AND I'VE BEEN AT THE SCHOOL SINCE KINDERGARTEN.
WE CALL OURSELVES THE GIRLS SCHOOL FOR A REASON.
EVERY STUDENT HERE, INCLUDING ME, IS A PART OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
THAT MEANS EACH INDIVIDUAL GIRL IS IS NOT ONLY A PART OF ONE OF THE 37 ZIP CODES THAT OUR STUDENTS CALL HOME, BUT THE TARRYTOWN COMMUNITY TOO.
COMMUNITY SERVICE IS SOMETHING WE ARE INVOLVED IN.
FROM THE VERY FIRST YEAR AT GSA THIS PAST YEAR, THE EIGHTH GRADE CLASS SPEARHEADED A VERY LARGE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT.
THE ENTIRE SCHOOL WAS INVOLVED, WHETHER IT WAS A LARGE CONTRIBUTION OR SMALL, THE MISSION OF OUR SCHOOL STATES, THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN PROVIDES AN ACADEMICALLY CHALLENGING EDUCATION FOR GIRLS IN A COMMUNITY THAT FOSTERS CREATIVE LEARNING AND PERSONAL EXCELLENCE.
OUR MISSION IS TO DEVELOP CONFIDENT YOUNG WOMEN WHO LEAD IN, WHO LEAD INTELLECTUAL VIOLENCE AND FULFILLING LIVES.
WITH THE GIRLS THAT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS SCHOOL, THEY'RE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE WITH COUNTLESS ORGANIZATIONS IN SCHOOLS AROUND AUSTIN, SUCH AS TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED, THE SAFETY AND AUSTIN FARM.
OUR CHAMBER ENSEMBLE PERFORMS ANNUALLY FOR THE RESIDENTS AT THE AUSTIN STATE ASSISTED LIVING CENTER.
AND WE COLLECT BOOKS EACH YEAR FOR BOOK SPRING.
IN ADDITION, WE LEARN FROM THE CITIES AROUND US BY VISITING COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE BOB BULLOCK MUSEUM, LAGUNA GLORIA, THE BLANTON, ZACK THEATER, AND THE TEXAS STATE CEMETERY.
BY EXPANDING THE SCHOOL, WE ARE GIVING 50 MORE GIRLS THE RESOURCES TO CHANGE THE FUTURE.
AND BY ALLOWING THIS PERMIT, IT WILL GIVE, IT WILL ALLOW THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO INVEST IN THOSE GIRLS TOO.
OUR NEXT THREE SPEAKERS IN FAVOR ARE CARRIE TOWSLEY STEWART BRETT SMITH, WHO WILL BE RECEIVING FOUR MINUTES OF DONATED TIME FROM RACHEL NEN AND ROBIN MABRY.
ARE Y'ALL BOTH PRESENT? PERFECT.
[01:40:01]
AND THEN KELSEY BANISTER, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME WHENEVER YOU START SPEAKING SO WE CAN MAKE SURE EVERYBODY HAS THEIR TIME.HI, I AM CARRIE TOUSLEY AND I LIVE AT 29 12 WINDSOR ROAD.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE MY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AS SOMEBODY THAT WALKS TO SCHOOL.
MY DAUGHTER PIPER AND I HAVE CROSSED BREMAN AND MCCALL OVER 600 TIMES THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
AND I HAVE PERSONALLY SEEN A HUGE CHANGE IN THE WAY THAT THE TRAFFIC FLOW IS GOING.
SO ONCE WE REROUTED OUR TRAFFIC TO GO AROUND KINDA SOME NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, WHAT WE'VE NOTICED AS, AS WE'RE WALKING IS THAT THERE'S NO LONGER A LINE AT MCCALL GOING DOWN, WINDSOR WAITING TO RUN US OVER AT ALL.
THERE'S ALMOST ZERO CARS WAITING.
UM, THERE'S ALSO OUR WALK FROM BREMAN TO MCCALL IS NOW LINED WITH HANDS OUT THE WINDOW WAVING TO US, TELLING US HELLO, GOOD MORNING.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
WE WERE SEEING THE TRAFFIC FLOW ROUTE CHANGE.
UM, I WANTED TO NOTE THAT OF COURSE THERE'S GONNA BE A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY INTENTIONALLY VIOLATING ANY RULES, BUT THEY'VE BEEN MAKING THESE TURNS FOR SIX OR SEVEN YEARS AND THAT'S MUSCLE MEMORY THAT WE'RE JUST GONNA ALL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH.
I THINK SOMETIMES THE INVISIBLE SUCCESS OF REROUTING TRAFFIC TAKES QUITE A WHILE TO BE FELT THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, ULTIMATELY TERRY TOWNS WIN IS OUR WIN AS OUR ENROLLMENT GROWS.
SO DOES OUR FOCUS ON THE, AND OUR INVESTMENT ON GETTING THIS RIGHT.
AS A PARENT, I REALLY APPRECIATE NO MORE AWKWARD MERGING OR NO MORE GRIDLOCK TRAFFIC ON THE WAY TO SCHOOL.
AND, UM, I'M ALSO EXCITED TO SEE GSA TAKE THIS PROBLEM ON AS THE PROBLEM SOLVERS THAT THEY ARE WITH A LOT OF EXCITEMENT.
AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN ROBIN SO EXCITED TO TELL ME ABOUT HOW MANY CARS WE'VE REDUCED IN OUR CAR LINE.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN COMMIT TO GOING FORWARD AND UM, WE HAVE A HUNDRED PERCENT COMMITMENT INTERNALLY.
COMMISSIONERS, IF I CAN JUST GET YOUR ATTENTION REAL QUICK, UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS ON THE LIST, UM, BUT I JUST BEFORE OUR LAST SPEAKER, BRETT, WHO'S SITTING NEXT TO ME COMES UP, I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE'S SO MANY ADDITIONAL SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE GONNA FORFEIT THEIR TIME TO SPEAK, BUT I DO WANNA ASK ALL OF THE GSA, UH, STUDENTS, STAFF, PARENTS TO STAND UP, UM, TO MAKE IT THEIR PRESENCE.
AND THEN WITH THAT, I'LL LEAVE IT TO BRETT TO BE THE LAST SPEAKER AND SUPPORT.
UH, I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.
UH, I'VE GOT TWO KIDS THAT WENT TO THE GSA, UH, LILY IS A SOPHOMORE AT DEPAUL UNIVERSITY IN CHICAGO, AND CHARLOTTE IS A JUNIOR AT AUSTIN HIGH.
AND, UH, I CAN CERTAINLY SAY THAT GSA HAS HAD AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON OUR LIVES AND ON AND ON THEIR LIVES.
I CAN IMAGINE THAT YOU PROBABLY HAVE A PRETTY CHALLENGING JOB.
IT'S SOMEBODY COMING TO ASK YOU FOR SOMETHING ELSE AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE ASKING YOU NOT TO GIVE IT TO 'EM.
AND YOU'VE GOTTA SORT THROUGH A LOT OF INFORMATION TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF ALL OF THE REQUESTS THAT YOU GET AND HOW TO PUT IT IN ITS PROPER CONTEXT.
SEEING FROM THE BROADEST PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER.
THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CITY AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
WE'D LIKE TO PRODUCE MORE THOUGHTFUL, WELL-ROUNDED AND ENGAGED, ENGAGED CITIZENS TO BE A PART OF THIS COMMUNITY.
IN SHORT, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A BIGGER IMPACT.
IT'S ONLY AN ARTIFACT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS HERE THAT GSA IS THE REQUESTER.
THIS IS THE SORT OF THING THAT CITIES ASK SCHOOLS TO DO ALL THE TIME.
THEY ASK PEOPLE TO INVEST THEIR MONEY, THEIR TIME, THEIR LABOR TO EDUCATE MORE KIDS.
SO IT'S ONLY A FUNCTION OF THE WAY THAT WE DO CITY PLANNING THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS ASK.
THIS IS NOT A DEVELOPER TRYING TO SQUEEZE EXTRA LOTS OUT OF A SITE SO THEY CAN MAKE THEIR NUMBERS WORK WITH A BANK.
THIS IS NOT AN OVERZEALOUS HOMEOWNER ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS FOR THE EXTRA THOUSAND SQUARE FEET THEY ADDED ONTO THEIR HOUSE.
THIS IS NOT A CORPORATION TRYING TO MAXIMIZE THEIR SHAREHOLDER VALUE BY PUSHING THE LIMITS OF THE BUILDING CODE.
IT IS NOT GROWTH FOR GROWTH SAKE.
WE'RE NOT JUST TRYING TO GROW THE SCHOOL 'CAUSE WE BOUGHT SOME LAND AND WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN.
RECALL WHAT MISANO TOLD YOU, IT IS A PEDAGOGICAL IMPERATIVE.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CHILDREN REQUIRE SOMETHING
[01:45:01]
DIFFERENT AND IN ORDER TO DELIVER THAT TO THEM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT POPULATION.IT IS THE POPULATION THAT OPERATIONALIZES OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER ON THE PEDAGOGICAL IMPERATIVE.
THOSE TWO THINGS ARE INTIMATELY TIED TOGETHER.
PART OF THE REASON I WANTED TO BE ON THE GIRLS SCHOOL BOARD BEYOND JUST THE MUSCLE MEMORY OF DRIVING THERE EVERY DAY, IS BECAUSE I WANTED TO SPEND MY TIME AROUND INTENTIONAL, FOCUSED, EARNEST PEOPLE THAT REALLY GET IT.
THIS IS NOT A QUESTION ABOUT JUST DOING SOMETHING 'CAUSE WE CAN, THIS IS DOING SOMETHING BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO BE EFFECTIVE AT WHAT THE MISSION OF THE SCHOOL IS.
SO WHAT ARE WE ASKING? UH, I THINK RON KIND OF WENT THROUGH IT A LITTLE TOO FAST, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT RON POINTED OUT THAT I THINK'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IS HE CITED, I THINK IT WAS 11 SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND HE HAS A RATIO OF NUMBER OF KIDS TO NUMBER OF ACRES.
AND I, I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER BUT YOU GUYS HAVE IT IN YOUR PACKET.
SO FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ALREADY CONSIDERED HOW THEY TAKE THIS APPROACH.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW MANY KIDS PER ACRE DO WE PUT ON SCHOOLS LIKE THIS IN SIMILAR NEIGHBORHOODS ON SIMILAR STREETS.
THAT'S A FRAMEWORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN CONSIDERED, ALREADY BEEN DECIDED, IS ALREADY OPERATIONAL.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS REALLY NO DIFFERENT THAN PREVIOUS DECISIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN CONSIDERED.
NOW, IT'D BE FAIR TO ASK WHETHER OR NOT WE'VE DONE THE WORK.
HAVE WE LISTENED? HAVE WE BEEN CONSIDERATE? HAVE WE BEEN INTENTIONAL IN THE APPROACH THAT WE'VE TAKEN? I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A WHOLE SET OF NOTES HERE ABOUT ALL THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN IN, BUT I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE MEETINGS WE'VE BEEN IN.
WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I'VE PERSONALLY SAT IN AT MEETINGS AT THE CITY AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN TONS OF EMAILS, PHONE CALLS AND LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU MUCH, MUCH OF THAT CONVERSATION HAS BEEN EXTREMELY PRODUCTIVE.
WE, WE COMMISSIONED A TRAFFIC STUDY THAT WAS WAY PAST WHAT WE HAD TO DO.
AND WE DIDN'T DO IT JUST 'CAUSE IT WAS FUN AND WE FELT LIKE SPENDING EXTRA MONEY.
WE DID IT BECAUSE THESE ARE INTENTIONAL, THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE WHO TAKE THEIR OBLIGATIONS SERIOUSLY.
AND THEY HEARD THAT TRAFFIC WAS A CONCERN.
NOW, I'M NOT A PLANNING COMMISSIONER, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE THE PLANNING COMMISSION PLAYS IS THAT YOU GUYS ARE THE PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL FILTER THROUGH WHICH GOOD IDEAS HAVE TO PASS.
I'M SURE LOTS OF PEOPLE COME UP WITH GOOD IDEAS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU ALL HAVE PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUNDS THAT ARE INFORMED ON HOW WE BEST MAKE THESE KINDS OF DECISIONS.
AND SO HOW DO WE MAKE SENSE OF THE IMPACT THAT THIS DECISION MAKES? THERE'S A DEPENDENT AND INDEPENDENT VARIABLE RATE.
THERE'S A CUP AND WHAT DOES THE IMPACT ON THE TRAFFIC, HOW DOES THIS CHANGE? AND SO FOR THAT ANSWER, WE DO WHAT PROFESSIONALS DO, WHICH IS WE ASK THE PROFESSIONALS.
SO WE TURN TO THE TRAFFIC REPORT AND WE ASK OURSELVES, WHAT DO THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERS TELL US ABOUT THE IMPACT? RECALL RON'S SLIDE, NO IMPACT.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DECISION HERE THAT CAN HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF IMPACT FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY QUESTIONS WHETHER, WHETHER OR NOT THE GIRLS SCHOOL PRODUCES HIGH QUALITY CITIZENS AS AN IMPACT FOR THE CITY.
WE'VE DONE THE HOMEWORK TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE TRUE IMPACT FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND THE RESULT OF THAT STUDY IS RELATIVELY CLEAR.
SO AGAIN, THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS CITY AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
WE'D LIKE TO PRODUCE MORE THOUGHTFUL, WELL-ROUNDED, ENGAGED CITIZENS.
WE'D LIKE TO DEVOTE OUR TIME, OUR MONEY AND OUR LABOR TO DOING MORE.
THE CUP ALLOWS US TO HAVE MORE IMPACT ON THIS CITY WITHOUT HAVING REAL IMPACT ON TRAFFIC.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS WHO HAVE SPOKEN SO FAR, AND TO MS. HASI FOR HELPING US MOVE THIS PROCESS ALONG.
FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH AND READ OFF ALL OF OUR REMAINING SPEAKERS IN FAVOR.
AND IF AS ALWAYS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP YOUR TIME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME UP WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
SO GOING DOWN THE LINE, WE HAVE KELSEY BANISTER, LINDSAY HARRIS, LEE KOSKI, CHANDLER YANKEE, MARIA DTO, BRIE TRISTAN, HEATHER GOM, ASHLEY WHITMORE, RALPH DAVIS, GIAS BENU, JESSICA SANCHEZ, KRISTEN HURLEY, REBECCA PARILLO, SIENNA PARILLO, HANNAH MA, KIMBERLY FTI, SARAH PETRI.
SO SARIAH NARI, ADAM ORMAN, JENNY SPARKS, EMMA BOWER, LORNA TODO, PATRICK O'DONNELL.
[01:50:02]
YES.AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME WHEN YOU'RE READY TO SPEAK.
DO I HAVE TO CLICK IT? I'M ON.
I, UH, WASN'T REALLY SURE IF I WAS GONNA SPEAK OR NOT, BUT I CAN'T STOP TALKING.
MY STUDENTS COULD TELL YOU THAT.
SO I TEACH MATH AT THE GIRLS' SCHOOL.
THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR AT THE GIRLS' SCHOOL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HOPEFULLY I CAN SAY SUCCINCTLY IS THIS HAS BEEN A LIFE CHANGING POSITION TO WORK IN, TO WORK WITH THESE GIRLS.
AND IT MAKES ME WONDER IF I HAD GONE TO A SCHOOL LIKE THIS MYSELF WHEN I WAS BUT A WE KID
UM, SO FOR US HERE AT THE GIRLS SCHOOL, SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS AMAZING IS I DON'T THINK I EVER WOULD'VE GONE TO CITY HALL EVER.
UM, I KNOW I LIKE TO VOTE, BUT THIS SCHOOL IN MY EMPLOYMENT AT THIS SCHOOL HAS CAUSED ME TO COME AND SPEAK TO YOU AND STAND UP AND BE A LITTLE BIT SHAKY AND A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS.
UM, I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT NUMBERS.
I CAN RAMBLE AND I DON'T USE, UH, FULL SENTENCES, SORRY.
SO ALL THAT GOES TO SAY ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I'M HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE I NOTICE MY STUDENTS ARE HERE.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR THEM.
AND THE IDEA THAT I COULD HAVE MORE THAN JUST 17 KIDS LEARNING ALGEBRA ONE FROM ME 'CAUSE THEY LOVE IT SO MUCH.
UM, THAT SOUNDS AMAZING TO ME AND I THINK THAT WOULD MAKE A VERY BIG IMPACT.
RESUMING WITH OUR LIST, WE HAVE FREDDIE MACHO, KATIE HEISEN, HEISENBERG, JASON BALLANTINE, TARA BALLANTINE, POPPY BALLANTINE, MONICA SANTOS.
AND WE'LL NOW BE HEARING FROM OUR SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION, BEGINNING WITH OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION, DARCY GARDNER.
DARCY, YOU'LL HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
UM, I, I THINK WHAT'S BEING MISSED IN ALL OF THIS IS THIS IS A WELL LOVED SCHOOL.
THE NEIGHBORS LIKE THEM THERE, THEY WANT THEM THERE.
THIS IS NOT AN US AGAINST THEM.
THIS IS NOT, THE NEIGHBORHOODS DON'T WANT THEM THERE.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR A SOLUTION.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR THE NEIGHBORS OR FOR THE SCHOOL TO COME FORWARD AND SAY, WE RECOGNIZE THERE'S A PROBLEM.
UM, I THINK YOU'VE RECEIVED 25 LETTERS FROM NEIGHBORS JUST IN THE VICINITY RIGHT AROUND THE SCHOOL.
AND IF THERE'S NOT AN EXISTING PROBLEM, I DON'T BELIEVE 25 NEIGHBORS WOULD BE WRITING IN SAYING, HELP US.
HOW CAN WE RESOLVE THIS? UM, THE NEIGHBORS ARE FULLY INVESTED IN FINDING A SOLUTION.
UH, THEY HAVE THE GIRLS SCHOOL AND REPRESENTATIVES HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT THEY'VE MET WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
THEY MET WITH WEST DAWSON NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.
THERE'S BEEN NO COLLABORATION.
UM, THE NEIGHBORS HAVE STATED THEIR CONCERN, BUT THERE HASN'T BEEN COLLABORATION.
UM, THE NEIGHBORS DID PUT FORTH A MAP OF A SOLUTION THAT THEY THOUGHT COULD BE A TALKING POINT, COULD BE A STARTING POINT, AND THAT WAS DISMISSED AS IT WAS TOLD IT WAS NOT PART OF THE MISSION OF THE GIRLS' SCHOOL.
SO THEY WANT THE SCHOOL TO BE THERE, BUT THEY ALSO WANT THE STREETS TO BE SAFER.
THEY WANT TO BE ABLE TO LEAVE SCHOOL TO TAKE THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL ON TIME.
THEY WANT THEIR KIDS TO WALK IN THE STREET.
SO THIS IS REALLY A SITUATION WHERE THEY NEED HELP FIGURING OUT THIS SOLUTION.
UM, THERE'S A COUPLE MORE SPEAKERS COMING ON.
UM, JAMES HILL SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC STUDY AND THEY DID DO OVER AND, AND AND ABOVE.
BUT WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS THAT SOME OF THE STREETS WERE CLOSED DURING THE TRAFFIC STUDY.
WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS THEY DIDN'T ANALYZE PEAK HOURS OR PEAK TIMES WHEN THE ROADS ARE BACKED UP FURTHER THAN THE STUDY SHOWS YOU.
SO THERE'S PIECES HERE THAT ARE MISSING THAT I THINK IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE IF WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE ARE PRO SCHOOL, THEY ARE GREAT NEIGHBORS TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE IS A TRAFFIC SITUATION THAT IS UNSAFE FOR EVERYONE.
THEY PURCHASED, UM, THE ADJACENT LOT.
THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR THE NEIGHBORS AS WELL.
AND IT'S JUST NOT BEING MET THAT WAY.
THIS ISN'T PART OF THE MISSION.
UM, WE CAN'T DO THE THINGS WE WANNA DO.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS HOLISTICALLY.
AND I THINK WHAT I WANT EVERYBODY HERE TO UNDERSTAND, AS THE NEIGHBORS CAME TO WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, TRYING TO BE COLLABORATIVE, THEY CAME TO US BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T BEING HEARD.
SO THERE IS REAL OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A DYNAMIC SITUATION WHERE THE SCHOOL GETS WHAT THEY WANT, WHICH IS WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD WANTS, BUT THE NEIGHBORS ALSO CAN LIVE AND EXIST AND, AND HAVE SAFE STREETS FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN.
SO I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A A, A SEVERAL PRONG APPROACH.
[01:55:01]
AND ONE IS FOR THEM TO USE THIS SITE AS A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A WAY FOR TRAFFIC TO FLOW BETTER ON SITE AS WELL AS AROUND, UM, THE AREA.SO THAT'S WHAT THE NEIGHBORS ARE ASKING FOR THIS.
THEY LOVE THE SCHOOL, THEY WANT THEM THERE.
THEY THINK THEY'RE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, BUT THEY ARE REALLY CAUSING SOME DANGEROUS ROADS FOR OTHER FAMILIES THAT LIVE THERE AND OTHER GIRLS AND BOYS THAT GO TO SCHOOLS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE.
THE OTHER THING I WANNA POINT OUT, STATISTICALLY, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
THIS IS NOT A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.
THIS USED TO BE A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL THAT ALL THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN WALKED TO SCHOOL.
THIS IS A VERY BUSY DROP OFF, A VERY BUSY PICKUP.
AND IT WOULD BE AMAZING IF, IF THEY WOULD WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORS TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR THIS.
I THINK, UM, THIS ISN'T AN US AGAINST THEM FROM THE NEIGHBOR'S PERSPECTIVE.
THIS IS LET'S GO TO THE TABLE AND FIGURE OUT A REALLY AMAZING CREATIVE WAY TO GIVE EVERYBODY WHAT THEY WANT.
UM, AND I THINK THE NEIGHBORS ARE FEELING LIKE THIS ISN'T COMPLETELY COHESIVE IN, IN WHAT THEY'RE ASKING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT, YOU GUYS.
UH, WE'LL GO THROUGH THREES AGAIN.
SO OUR NEXT THREE SPEAKERS ARE JAMES SHAY, SARAH GILBERT AND MARIA ARGA.
YOU'LL EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES AND JAMES SHAY WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY AGAIN.
JAMES, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
I'M NEIGHBOR TO THE SCHOOL AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT REQUEST.
I WANNA BEGIN BY THANKING YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I PHYSICALLY SERVED AS PLANNING COMMISSIONER UNDER MAYOR ADLER.
I UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF TIME, ATTENTION, AND JUDGMENT THESE CASES REQUIRE.
YOU'RE OFTEN ASKED TO BALANCE COMPETING INTERESTS IN SITUATIONS WHERE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES ARE VERY REAL AND I RESPECT THE WEIGHT OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
I WANNA FOCUS MY COMMENTS ON THE ROLE OF THE COP ITSELF.
A CONDITION USE PERMIT IS NOT A STATEMENT OF INTENT OR COOPERATION.
IT'S AN ENFORCEABLE LAND USE TOOL.
IT ONLY WORKS IF THE CONDITIONS ATTACHED TO A CLEAR, MEASURABLE AND ENFORCEABLE BY THE CITY.
IF SOMETHING IS NOT WRITTEN IN COP OR TIED TO ENFORCEABLE APPROVAL, THEN EFFECTIVELY DOESN'T EXIST.
FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT, THIS IS WHERE THE CONCERN LIES.
IN THIS CASE, THE SCHOOL IS ALREADY OPERATING AS IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AND SAFETY ISSUES ARE ONGOING.
UNDER CURRENT ENROLLMENT, THE EXPANSION BEING REQUESTED WOULD AN INTENSIFY THOSE IMPACTS AT THE SAME TIME.
MUCH OF WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY, BOTH IN TERMS OF CURRENT OPERATIONS AND TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, APPEARS TO RELY ON ACTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT.
THAT MEANS PARENTS ARE BEING ASKED TO FOLLOW THEIR RULES.
STAFF ACTIVELY DIRECTING TRAFFIC.
PARENTS GENERALLY COMPLYING WITH A LEVEL OF COORDINATION THAT HELPS THINGS FUNCTION MUCH BETTER, WHICH WE APPRECIATE GREATLY WITH WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
BUT THAT LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT IS NOT REQUIRED BY THE COP, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT SHOULD BE THE NEIGHBORHOOD THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS EXPERIENCED.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OPERATIONS FALL BACK TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY ENFORCEABLE UNDER THE COP ALONE? AND IN THOSE SITUATIONS, THE IMPACTS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE.
THERE'VE BEEN REAL SAFETY CONCERNS AS WELL AS REPEATED CONFLICTS BETWEEN PARENTS AND PARENTS AND NEIGHBORS.
THIS ISN'T SUSTAINABLE OR APPROPRIATE CONDITION IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA.
SO THERE IS A DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT IS BEING ASSUMED, WHAT IS ACTUALLY ENFORCEABLE.
IF THIS COMMISSION IS GONNA RELY ON ACTIVE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AS PART OF ITS REASONING FOR APPROVAL, THEN THAT MANAGEMENT MUST BE REQUIRED IN A WAY THAT THE CITY CAN ENFORCE.
OTHERWISE IT BECOMES OPTIONAL OVER TIME AND THE BURDEN SHIFTS ONTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO DEAL WITH THE CONSEQUENCES.
THE SAME IS TRUE FOR PHYSICAL DESIGN.
MOST RELIABLE WAY TO MANAGE THESE IMPACTS IS NOT THROUGH INFORMAL COORDINATION, BUT THROUGH BUILT-IN SITE AND ACCESS DESIGN THAT CONTROLS HOW TRAFFIC MOVES WE'RE ACCUSED AND HOW IT INTERACTS WITH THIS.
UM, I JUST WANNA START AND APOLOGIZE.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THIS PROCESS WORKS, SO IT'S NO PROBLEM HERE.
I'M MARIA REGA AND I LIVE AT 2002 BREMOND STREET.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY I FEEL LIKE THE CARDS ARE STACKED AGAINST US GIRLS SCHOOL.
UH, THIS IS A, UM, WE'RE JUST A GROUP OF NEIGHBORS.
WE DON'T HAVE A PAID ADVOCATE LIKE THROWER TO HAVE SCHEDULED MEETINGS FOR WEEKS WITH ALL OF YOU GUYS.
WE DON'T HAVE FUNDS TO DO OUR OWN THIRD PARTY OBJECTIVE STUDY TO STU TO DO, TO TRAFFIC, TO LOOK AT THE TRAFFIC.
AND WE ALSO FULLY SUPPORT THE MISSION OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
IT'S, IT'S, THIS IS NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.
I MEAN, I LOVE HEARING THE STORIES ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF THESE GIRLS.
I I MEAN, I TOLD Y'ALL BEFORE, I HAVE THREE OF MY OWN DAUGHTERS.
WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE JUSTIFIED REASONS FOR THE CONCERN OF THE
[02:00:01]
EXPANSION OF THE SCHOOL.PLEASE READ THEM BEFORE YOU MAKE A DECISION.
I THINK IT'S REAL IMPORTANT TO, TO SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
I WANNA MENTION THAT I DID MY OWN RESEARCH AND ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS, THERE ARE FOUR NON PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS IN TRAVIS COUNTY THAT ARE SIMILAR IN SIZE AND SCOPE TO THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
AND ALL FOUR OF THESE, OR NONE OF THESE FOUR, WHICH ARE KIRBY HALL HEADWATERS, PARAGON PREP, AND SCHOOL IN THE HILLS.
NONE OF THEM ARE IN A, A NEIGHBORHOOD ZONED FOR SINGLE FAMILY ON FOUR SIDES.
THEY ALL, UH, KIRBY HALL NEAR UT HEADWATERS ON BRODY PARAGON PREP AT ANDERSON AND, AND GREAT NORTHERN AND AND SCHOOL IN THE HILLS AT RIVER PLACE IN 2222.
IT'S JUST, THIS IS A VERY DIFFERENT SCENARIO AND THAT'S PART OF WHY WE'RE HERE.
AND YES, WE HAD TO GET SCRAPPY ABOUT THE UT STUDENTS, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY ARE FULL GROWN ENGINEERS.
THEY JUST DON'T HAVE THEIR PE LICENSES YET.
THESE PEOPLE ARE GRADUATING WITH THEIR MASTER'S DEGREES.
WE, WE JUST HAD TO DO WHAT WE COULD.
AND UM, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT THREE IS MS. SARAH GILBERT HERE.
MOVING ON TO OUR FINAL THREE SPEAKERS OF THE EVENING.
ON THIS ITEM WE HAVE JOSE REGA SU, SHE AND SARAH COLEMAN, WHO WILL BE RECEIVING TWO MINUTES OF DONATED TIME FROM NICHOLAS BERNARD.
NICHOLAS, ARE YOU PRESENT? PERFECT.
WHENEVER Y'ALL ARE READY, PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT.
AND SARAH, YOU'LL BE GIVEN FOUR MINUTES.
UH, I WANTED TO STRESS A FEW COMMENTS.
UH, I'M OPPOSING TO THE EXPANSION PLANS OF THE GSAI LIVE A BLOCK AWAY.
WE LEAVE THEIR TRAFFIC, WE LEAVE THEIR TRAFFIC, UH, WE LEAVE THEIR NOISE.
THERE IS ALL SORTS OF PROBLEMS WHEN THERE IS, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS FOR PARKING.
SO IN GENERAL, MY OPPOSITION HAS FOUR GENERAL ISSUES, FIRST, NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY ISSUES.
SECOND CONFLICTING PEAK HOUR TRAFFICS, THIRD PARKING INVASION ON PEAK DAYS, AND FOURTH, INCREASED POLLUTION.
IN REGARDS TO NEIGHBORHOOD AND COMMUNITY ISSUES.
IT'S BEEN CLEAR THERE'S A DISTINCT, UH, DIFFERENCE OF VIEWS BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THEY EVEN BO THEY EVEN ANNOUNCED THAT THEY COME FROM 35 DIFFERENT ZIP CODES.
ALL THIS IS TRAFFIC GENERATED TO THE SCHOOL AND IT'S POLLUTION, NOISE AND TRAFFIC, UH, INCREASED VOLUME IN THE CITY STREETS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE'S NOT A SINGLE SIGN THAT I HAVE SEEN THAT LIKE YOU SEE IN BREER WOODS OR IN CAIS WHERE THEY SUPPORT THEIR SCHOOL.
THERE'S NOT A YARD SIGN LIKE THAT.
SO THIS IS NOT A VERY HAPPY SITUATION.
THERE'S A FEW PARENTS THAT HAVE THEIR KIDS HERE.
I'M SURPRISED THEY'RE PROBABLY UNDER 5% OF THIS, UH, POPULATION.
WE HAD TO RAISE OUR VOICE LOUDLY BEFORE THEY CAME IN AND STARTED TO PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY.
THEY IGNORE A LOT OF OUR PREVIOUS COMMENTS.
PLEASE DON'T SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL.
UH, LET US HAVE MORE TIME IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
LET US HAVE MORE TIME FOR THEM TO REVIEW THEIR SITUATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS CHE AND I LIVE DIRECTLY NEXT DOOR TO GROVE SCHOOL AT THE CORNER OF WIND HALL.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION AND TO THE PROPOSED EXPANSION.
I WANNA START WITH SAYING IT'S NOT ABOUT OPPOSING THE SCHOOL ITSELF.
WE VALUE EDUCATION AND WE UNDERSTAND THE ROLE THE SCHOOL PLAYS.
UM, I HAVE KIDS, I'M A PEDIATRICIAN.
UM, BUT WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN SIZE IN STUDENT POPULATION WILL HAVE REAL IMPACTS ON THOSE OF US WHO LIVE HERE EVERY DAY.
UM, DURING DROP OFF AND PICKUP.
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS HAVE BECOME CONGESTED, UNPREDICTABLE.
UM, TRAFFIC CAN BE BLOCKED WHEN THEY DON'T FOLLOW THE INTENDED DIRECTIONAL PATTERNS.
DRIVEWAYS CAN BE BLOCKED BY QUEUED VEHICLES.
UM, WE SEE A LOT OF FRUSTRATION, BUT MOST CONCERNING IS THE SAFETY RISK.
STUDENTS ARE SOMETIMES DROPPED OFF, UM, AT THE STREET IN
[02:05:01]
DARDEN.TRAFFIC AND NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN ARE WALKING AND BIKING TO LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORS ARE OUT WALKING EVERY DAY.
UM, A FEW YEARS AGO, THIS BECAME VERY REAL FOR MY FAMILY.
MY SON WAS RIDING HIS BIKE ON MCCALL IN FRONT OF OUR DRIVEWAY WHEN HE WAS HIT BY A CAR ENTERING THE SCHOOL DRIVE.
THE DRIVER RETURNED FROM WINDOR ON MCCALL AND MADE A WIDE LEFT TURN INTO THE SCHOOL ENTRANCE WITHOUT EVER ENTRANCE, WITHOUT EVER SEEING HIM.
BUT THAT MOMENT MADE IT CLEAR HOW VERY, UM, HOW DANGEROUS CONDITIONS COULD BE.
THERE HAVE BEEN EFFORTS AT TIMES TO IMPROVE TRAFFIC FLOW, BUT THEY'VE BEEN INCONSISTENT.
WHAT GETS PUT IN PLACE ONE YEAR DOESN'T ALWAYS CARRY OVER WHEN LEADERSHIP CHANGES AT THE SCHOOL AND OVER TIME THINGS SLIP AND WE GET BACK TO THE SAME PROBLEMS. THAT MAKES IT HARD FOR US TO TRUST ADDING MORE STUDENTS AND MORE TRAFFIC.
UM, BECAUSE IT COULD ALL DEPEND ON WHO'S RUNNING THE SCHOOL AT THE TIME.
A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IS MEANT TO ENSURE THAT A USE REMAINS COMPATIBLE WITH ITS SURROUNDINGS.
UM, GOOD FAITH EFFORTS BY GIRLS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS TO STREAMLINE, STREAMLINE TRAFFIC FLOW WHILE APPRECIATED, ARE NOT CODIFIED OR ENFORCEABLE IN THE SITE PLAN AND CAN BE EASILY FORGOTTEN OR NEGLECTED.
SO IF NEW LEADERSHIP COMES TO THE SCHOOL, IF THE SCHOOL EVER CHANGES HANDS TO A NEW ENTITY IN THE FUTURE, THERE'S NOTHING TO PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD FROM THESE CHAOTIC AND DANGEROUS TRAFFIC PATTERNS TO RISE AGAIN.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION FURTHER MY PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TIME, UH, TO TALK WITH YOU TODAY.
I LIVE ON MCCALL AND GRISWOLD.
UM, I WANNA FOCUS TONIGHT ON ONE SPECIFIC ISSUE, WHICH IS THE SCHOOL DISMISSAL QUEUE.
UM, TO START UP FROM THE TOP, I AM ALSO AN EDUCATOR.
I HAVE A DAUGHTER, AS YOU CAN TELL, UH, WHO ALSO WALKS IN BIKES AND SCOOTERS ALL THE TIME, UP AND DOWN MCCALL, RIGHT? SO THIS ISSUE HITS REALLY HOME HERE FOR ME AS WELL.
UM, WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO THE GIRLS SCHOOL IN ITS EXPANSION.
IN FACT, THE NEIGHBORS ACTUALLY SAID EARLIER IN OCTOBER WHEN WE REACHED OUT TO THEM, WE'RE WANNA WORK WITH YOU AND WE WOULD SUPPORT A 200 CAP, UH, AN INCREASE IN THE CAP TO 200 IF YOU WOULD FIND US WITH SOME PHYSICAL SITE IMPROVEMENTS TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION.
AND THAT WAS DEEMED QUOTE, NOT IN MISSION WITH THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
UM, THE APPLICANT'S I WANNA FOCUS PARTICULARLY ON THIS TRAFFIC STUDY.
SO THE APPLICANT'S TRAFFIC CONSULTANT CONDUCTED A QUEUING STUDY, AS WAS MENTIONED.
UM, AND ACCORDING TO THEIR ANALYSIS, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL VEHICLE Q EXTENDS ONLY TO THIS MAIN POINT HERE ON THE CORNER OF HORN AND MCCALL, TWO CARS SOUTH, AND THEY TREAT A SINGLE MAXIMUM OBSERVATION OF SEVEN VEHICLES ON ONE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS THE 95TH PERCENTILE, UH, CONDITION.
IN THE LAYMAN'S TERMS, FOR THE REST OF US, THE WORST 5% CASES, THEY SAY THE LANE, THE LINE ONLY GOES THIS FAR, BUT THE, WHAT THE RESIDENTS FIND, HOW DO I GO TO THE NEXT ONE? THERE SHOULD BE A BUTTON ON YOUR, OKAY.
UM, THESE PHOTOS ARE ALL TAKEN FURTHER SOUTH ON MCCALL THAN WHERE IT SAYS, IN FACT, THEY'RE ALL TAKEN ON MCCALL AND GRISWOLD, RIGHT, WHICH IS A TWO BLOCKS SOUTH.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE QUEUE DOES NOT STOP WHERE THE CONSULTANTS SAY IT DOES.
THESE ARE NOT RARE, EXCEPTIONAL DAYS.
AND THANKS TO COUNCIL MEMBER DUCHENNE'S RECOMMENDATION, WE HAVE BEEN TAKING PICTURES OF THIS CONDITION SO THAT YOU ALL HAVE A VISION OF WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCING.
NOW, CONSIDER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GO TO THE IDEA WHERE YOU'RE GONNA DOUBLE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE STUDY SUGGESTS THE QUEUE COULD EXTEND ALL THE WAY TO HERE, TO THE CORNER OF GRISWOLD AND MCCALL, BUT AS WE KNOW FROM OUR CURRENT EXPERIENCES AND SEEN IN THE PICTURES, IT ALREADY DOES THAT.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS IN SHOWING YOU IS THAT THE REAL WORLD QUEUE EXTENDS FURTHER, RIGHT? THE LOGICAL CONCLUSION IS THAT THE POST EXPANSION QUEUE OF AN ADDITIONAL 50 CARS COULD EXTEND EVEN FURTHER.
COULD IT GO TO THE FIVE POINT INTERSECTION? AND THE MAP ON THE RIGHT SHOWS YOU WHERE FOREST TRAIL WOODMONT MCCALL ALL MEET BLINDLY ON PAGE TWO OF THE OF THE SCHOOL'S.
I WANNA FOCUS TO YOU AT ON ONE LAST PART OF THIS, ON PAGE TWO OF THE SCHOOL'S QUEUING ANALYSIS.
THE REPORT ITSELF SAYS, QUOTE, THE PRIMARY CONSTRAINT AFFECTING Q PERFORMANCE IS INTERNAL SITE CIRCULATION.
AT THE SCHOOL'S OWN ANALYSIS SAYS THAT WITH THE PROPOSED PLAN, QUOTE, CONCENTRATED ARRIVAL DEMAND COULD STILL EXCEED PEAK CAP CAPACITY AND THE LOADING AREA DURING PEAK DISMISSAL.
THE APPLICANT'S OWN TRAFFIC ANALYSIS IDENTIFIES THE SITE ENTRANCE AND LOADING AREA AS INSUFFICIENT TO HANDLE PEAK DEMAND.
THE Q SPILLS OUT, THEY KNOW INTER INTERNAL CIRCULATION IS THE PROBLEM, BUT THE PROPOSED SITE PLAN DOES NOT INCLUDE MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS TO ADDRESS IT.
[02:10:01]
CAR BUMP OUT IS THE ONLY PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENT TO THE SITE.AND WHEN NEIGHBORS ASKED THIS WEEK FOR DATA ON HOW IT IMPROVED QUEUING, THE APPLICANT WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE ANY QUANTITATIVE DATA AS TO HOW IT SAYS, QUOTE, OUR EXPECTATION OF ITS SUCCESS IS SUPPORTED BY OUR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE.
OPTIONAL RELIANCE IS A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN FOR NEIGHBORS AS WELL.
NEARLY EVERY FAVORABLE FINDING IN THE QUEUING MEMO IS CONDITIONED ON SUSTAINED NEAR PERFECT EXECUTION OF VOLUNTARY OR INFORMAL PRACTICES.
FAMILIES USING PLACARDS, PARENTS NOT USING HORN LANE STAFF DEPLOYED ON PUBLIC STREETS INDEFINITELY.
GRADE RELEASE SCHEDULES BEING RETUNED REGULARLY OVER TIME, AND FAMILIES VOLUNTARILY SWITCHING TO WALKING AND BIKING.
NONE OF THESE HAVE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS. NON-COMPLIANCE WAS DIRECTLY OBSERVED EVEN DURING THE OBSERVATION PERIOD AND NOTED IN THE TRAFFIC STUDY, NEIGHBORS ARE NOT OPPOSED TO EXPANDING THE GIRLS SCHOOL, BUT WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR IS AN EXPANSION THAT PARTNERS WITH MEANINGFUL PHYSICAL SITE IMPROVEMENTS TO ADDRESS QUEUING AS PART OF THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, AND WE WILL NOW BE HEARING FROM OUR APPLICANTS FOR A TWO MINUTE REBUTTAL.
SO I WOULD INVITE YOU TO, UM, BELIEVE THAT SCHOOLS BELONG IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHETHER YOU'RE A PRIVATE SCHOOL OR YOU'RE A PUBLIC SCHOOL.
SCHOOLS BELONG IN NEIGHBORHOODS.
WHETHER YOU CAN WALK TO THAT SCHOOL OR YOU HAVE TO BE DRIVEN TO THAT SCHOOL.
I MEAN, THE REALITY IS, IS THAT NEIGHBORHOODS CHANGE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
KI KIDS LEAVE THE HOUSE, THEY GO TO COLLEGE, THERE'S EMPTY NESTERS, THERE'S A CYCLE, A NATURAL CYCLE TO NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE TYPICALLY FOUND.
AND SOMETIMES THAT REQUIRES THAT SCHOOLS THEN GET THEIR ENROLLMENT FROM AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO I DO BELIEVE, AND I THINK A MAJORITY OF US BELIEVE THAT SCHOOLS BELONG IN NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT'S NO DIFFERENT FOR THE GIRLS SCHOOL OF AUSTIN.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT WE ARE MEMORIALIZING AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN THE CUP.
IT IS TRUE THAT THE CURRENT CUP, UM, IS ONLY LOOKING AT, UH, UH, STUDENT LIMITATIONS, UH, NUMBER ON LIMITING STUDENTS AS WELL AS INCLUDING THE ADDITIONAL PROPERTY.
THERE ARE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT ARE PROPOSED IN THE CONCEPTUAL SITE PLAN, AND THOSE ARE ELEMENTS THAT WHILE ARE NOT NECESSARILY APPROVABLE IN THIS CUP, UM, THEY ARE PUT FORWARD AS A, AS TRANSPARENT EFFORT TO PHYSICAL SITE CHANGES.
THOSE PHYSICAL SITE CHANGES MAY NOT BE TO THE DEGREE THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS REQUESTED, BUT THEY ARE PHYSICAL SITE CHANGES THAT ARE SHOWN WILL MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO NOT HAVING ADDITIONAL, UM, ISSUES WITH REGARDS TO TRAFFIC IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND PERHAPS EVEN PROPOS OR EVEN ALLOWING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WAY THE CURRENT TRAFFIC EXISTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S GONNA BE AN ADDITION OF 50 STUDENTS.
SO, UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I THINK THAT THERE IS, UM, MEMORIALIZING THIS AGREEMENT FOR A TRAFFIC PATTERN THAT WAS ONCE LOST.
IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE ANYONE CAN FIND, UM, AN ACTUAL DOCUMENT OF THAT AND THAT WILL BE MEMORIALIZED IN THE CEP THIS TIME AROUND.
AND CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM.
AND TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS ITEM, I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER POWELL, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER ROSN.
WITHOUT OBJECTION, THAT ITEM PASSES.
SO WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR ROUND ROBIN AND WE HAVE SLOTS FOR EIGHT COMMISSIONERS TO ASK QUESTIONS OF ANYONE HERE, WHETHER THAT'S STAFF, THE APPLICANT, OR ANY OF OUR SPEAKERS FOR FIVE MINUTES EACH.
IT LOOKS LIKE COMMISSIONER POWELL, YOU'D LIKE TO START US OFF.
I'D LIKE TO START WITH THE QUESTION FOR THE HEAD OF SCHOOLS.
SO FIRST OFF, UH, THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME.
THANK YOU TO ALL OF Y'ALL FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE A PART OF THIS TONIGHT.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK YOU, YOU SHARED THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE OPERATIONS SIDE OF TRYING TO IMPROVE THIS.
CAN YOU TELL US A BIT OF KIND OF THE SPECIFIC POINTS AND, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY THE LAST YEAR OR SO THAT Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WORKING ON? SURE.
SO STARTING WITH REROUTING THE TRAFFIC SO THAT THERE'S THE TRAFFIC FLOW GOES IN ONE DIRECTION WITH A SINGLE POINT OF ENTRY ONTO MCCALL.
UM, WE HAVE NOTIFIED THE PARENTS IN MULTIPLE WAYS AND ASKED THEM, I'VE STILL ON THE CORNER MYSELF,
UM, WE HAVE ADDED STAFF AT THE CURB TO FACILITATE DROP OFF AND DISMISSAL.
WE HAVE KIDS IN THE MORNING WHO OPEN CAR DOORS SO THAT WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE OUT THERE.
UM, EVERY DAY AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL DAY WHEN THERE'S DISMISSAL
[02:15:01]
FOR LOWER SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, ONE OF THE ADMIN TEAM MEMBERS, USUALLY JESSICA SANCHEZ OR RALPH DAVIS OR I GO OUT TO THE CURB, UM, TO DIRECT TRAFFIC AND TO WAG A FINGER AT THE PEOPLE WHO WENT THE WRONG WAY OR DOWN THE WRONG STREET.UM, THOSE, THOSE ARE THE MAJOR WAYS IN ACTION.
WE ALSO, UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN INVESTIGATING PARKING OPTIONS.
UM, IN THE PAST YEARS WE'VE USED THAT COMMANDER'S LOT, AND THIS YEAR WE ARE HAVING TO, TO RENEGOTIATE THAT.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION, UH, I HEARD THE PARKING PIECE.
ARE THERE SOME OTHER AREAS WHERE, YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AS AN ADMINISTRATOR THAT Y'ALL ARE LOOKING TO IMPROVE AS, AS THINGS CURRENTLY ARE? SURE.
SO, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, TWO WEEKS AGO WHEN WE HAD OUR TALENT SHOW, WE REALLY PUT IT OUT THERE FOR PARENTS TO CARPOOL AND RIDE SHARE SO THAT THEY COULD FACILITATE, YOU KNOW, LESS TRAFFIC AND LESS PARKING ON THE STREETS.
WE ALSO, UM, WERE RECOMMENDED BY, BY, UM, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS, UH, A COMPANY CALLED, IS IT MOVE MOVABILITY TO FACILITATE CARPOOLS AMONGST THE PARENTS.
WE HAVE PAR, YOU KNOW, WITH THE NUMBER OF ZIP CODES, WE HAVE PARENTS COMING FROM LITTLE AREAS AROUND TOWN, AND WE CAN FACILITATE COMMUNICATION WITHIN A ZIP CODE TO HELP FAMILIES KNOW WHO LIVES NEAR THEM AND, AND CARPOOL MORE.
UM, I GOT A LETTER FROM A FOURTH GRADER SUGGESTING THAT WE USE OUR BUS TO GO PICK UP KIDS FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, THAT'S A POSSIBILITY AS WELL.
UM, SO WE ARE EXPLORING AS MANY OPTIONS AS WE CAN.
AND THEN AS YOU LOOK TO, YOU KNOW, IF THIS CP PASSES EXPAND BY 50 STUDENTS, OTHER THAN KIND OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT OPERATIONALLY, WHAT ARE Y'ALL LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF ACCOMMODATING THAT INCREASED STUDENT POPULATION? SO THE SITE PLAN SHOWS THE NEW BUILDING, WHICH ADDS SIX CLASSROOMS. RIGHT NOW.
OUR CLASSROOMS ARE FULL 90% OF THE TIME.
UM, AND SO THAT THOSE SIX CLASSROOMS ARE THE MAIN GIST OF THE SITE PLAN TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE STUDENTS ON CAMPUS.
UM, TO MY POINT ABOUT ACCOMMODATING MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, UM, OUR GYM IS NOT MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT SIZED
UM, THE VOLLEYBALLS HIT THE ROOF ALL THE TIME, UM, WHEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS ARE IN THERE.
SO WE REALLY WANT TO EXPAND THE GYM SIZE SO THAT IT'S, UM, MORE CAPABLE OF HANDLING THOSE SHOTS THAT GO STRAIGHT UP IN DIGGING A LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY, I MEAN, OPERATIONALLY IN TERMS OF THE TRAFFIC CONSIDERATIONS.
SO THAT, THAT DROP OFF LANE IN THE, THE SITE PLAN IS A MAJOR PIECE OF THAT DUAL LANE SUGGESTION THAT WAS MADE.
UM, BEING ABLE TO LOAD THE KIDS, SMALLER KIDS WHO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, THE KIDS WITH THEIR STRING BASES, THAT'S THAT DROP OFF LANE IS REALLY A BIG PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO USE TO, TO FACILITATE TRAFFIC.
THE OTHER PIECE THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW IS THAT PRIOR TO MY TAKING THE HELM OF THE GIRLS SCHOOL FOUR YEARS AGO, UM, IT WAS KIND OF A SCRAPPY NEW LITTLE SCHOOL.
THERE WAS A HEAD OF SCHOOL WHO, UM, WE CAN, UM, HONOR TO SAY MADE THE GIRLS SCHOOL A REAL SCHOOL.
AND THEN WE HAD DURING COVID TIME A LITTLE BIT OF TUMULT IN LEADERSHIP.
SINCE I'VE TAKEN ON THE HEADSHIP OF THE SCHOOL, IT'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME TO PUT INTO POLICY THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT YOU'VE HEARD TODAY.
THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE LEFT TO JUST WORD OF MOUTH AND INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY.
WE WANNA CODIFY WITHIN THE SCHOOL, UM, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, THESE TRAFFIC CHANGES THAT YOU'VE SEEN, SO THAT IF I GET ABDUCTED BY ALIENS, THE NEXT HEAD OF SCHOOL KNOWS WHAT WE'VE DONE.
SO IT'S NOT JUST, WELL, HOW DOES THIS WORK? RIGHT? THE TEACHERS SHARED WITH US, UM, WE'VE ADDED WALKIE TALKIES TO THE MIX.
WE'VE ADDED, THERE'S LOTS OF CHAT ON THE, ON THE CHAT, BUT ALL OF THAT'S GONNA GO INTO THE POLICIES.
AND THEN ONCE SUPER QUICK, FINAL QUESTION.
UH, IF WE HAVE A SLOT, WE CAN COME BACK TO YOU.
WE'LL COME BACK TO, WE GOTTA KEEP MOVING THIS EVENING.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? GO AHEAD.
COMMISSIONER BRETON, UH, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE HEAD OF SCHOOL AND THEN HOPEFULLY ONE LAST FOR MS. HASI.
HOPE YOU DON'T GET TRIPPED THERE.
YOU WON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ALIENS ABDUCTING YOU.
SO, UH, IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, UH, AS BEING A PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, HAVE THERE BEEN SOME IMPACTS, UH, AROUND YOU, UH, TO TRAFFIC THAT MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO THE PERCEPTION THAT TRAFFIC HAS BEEN CAUSED BY THE GIRLS SCHOOL PICKUP OR DROP OFF? SURE.
SO OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS RE UM, RENEWING THE WATER AND WASTEWATER LINES.
[02:20:01]
THE PAST TWO YEARS, ROADS AROUND US HAVE BEEN CLOSED INTER INTERMITTENTLY FOR EITHER TEARING UP THE ROADS AND REPLACING THOSE WATER LINES AND WASTEWATER LINES, UM, DETOURS THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.WINSTED WAS CLOSED FOR MOPAC ACCESS AND DIRECTED ONTO SHARON, WHICH HAS EXPERIENCED A LOT OF SPEEDING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WORKED WITH US TO DO THE WORK ON MCCALL IN THE SUMMER WHEN SCHOOL WAS OUT, BUT THAT DIDN'T PREVENT A LOT OF TRAFFIC ISSUES BECAUSE OF THOSE DETOURS AND CLOSED ROADS.
THANK YOU FOR ILLUMINATING THAT.
UM, SO HAS THERE BEEN WORK DONE WITH THE ADJACENT NEIGHBORS ON TRAFFIC? I SAW A LIST OF, OF SOME THINGS KNOCKED OFF.
COULD YOU ILLUMINATE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT? I HAVE SOME FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TOO.
UM, SO WHEN WE HAD THAT MEETING IN OCTOBER, UM, OUR INTENT WAS TO TALK ABOUT THE CUP PROCESS AND THE NEIGHBORS DEFINITELY CAME WITH THEIR TRAFFIC CONCERNS.
AND SO IN THE, IN THE TIME INTERVENING, WE'VE MET WITH THE NEIGHBORS HERE AT CITY HALL.
UM, WE HOSTED A NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING TO, TO INTRODUCE THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND EXPLAIN HOW IT WAS CONNECTED TO OUR MISSION.
UM, RON SHARED THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PLAN THAT THE NEIGHBORS PROPOSED, AND IT, IT DOESN'T SUPPORT OUR MISSION.
IT WOULD, IT WOULD USE SO MUCH OF OUR PROPERTY JUST FOR TRAFFIC WHEN WE'VE, WE PREFER THOSE PRACTICAL, RELATIONAL, UM, STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVING TRAFFIC.
UH, SO, UH, FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
IF THE CUP IS APPROVED, WHAT'S THE TIMELINE FOR NEW STUDENTS ON CAMPUS? THE ADDITIONAL STUDENTS ON CAMPUS? SO WE WOULD START WITH THE SIXTH GRADE AND ADD INCREASINGLY AS THOSE STUDENTS MOVED UP, JUST FUNNELING KIDS IN THROUGH THE SIXTH GRADE.
UM, THE SOONEST WE WOULD BE ABLE TO EVEN START THAT PROCESS WOULD BE FOR THE FALL OF 28, UM, WITH GETTING THE SITE DEVELOPMENT, THE CONSTRUCTION PLAN APPROVED, RAISING MONEY FOR THAT, UM, GETTING THE WORD OUT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO WE WOULD, IT WOULD BE AT THE SOONEST THE FALL OF 28.
SO, UH, IN THAT INTERVENING TIME, CONSIDERING THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE SINCE OCTOBER AND OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT MORE PROGRESS COULD BE MADE TO KNOCK OFF SOME OF THE THINGS ON THE LIST THAT YOU ARE STILL IN CONSIDERATION ABOUT? ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP
WE'RE CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVERS.
IT'S WHAT WE MODEL FOR THE KIDS.
I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION BECAUSE THAT WAS A LONG LIST OF THINGS WITH A, A BUNCH APPROVED AND SOME OF THEM STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION AND SOME NOT REALLY, UH, ABLE TO DO AT THIS TIME.
UH, ARE SOME OF THOSE GONNA BE REDUCING THE NUMBER IN SOME WAY OF DRIVING, UH, PARENTS DROPPING THEIR KIDS OFF, MAYBE BIKING OR USING TRANSIT? EXACTLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S TRICKY BECAUSE OF WHERE TRANSIT LANDS RELATIVE TO OUR SCHOOL, BUT I HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR CARPOOLING.
I HAVE VERY HIGH HOPES FOR PROVIDING SOME TRANSPORTATION AND USING SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY PROVIDES.
YOU HEARD THE GIRLS TALKING ABOUT OUR INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CITY, UM, AND IT BEHOOVES THE SCHOOL AS AN INSTITUTION TO DO THE SAME.
OKAY, MY LAST QUESTION, I'VE GOT ONE MINUTE LEFT.
UH, FOR MISS HASI, UH, WHAT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISMS DOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THESE ISSUES WITH THE GIRLS SCHOOL AS A PART OF THE PROCESS? THE CUP, IF IT'S, UH, APPROVED, THERE YOU GO.
UM, THE SCHOOL IS ALWAYS THERE, UM, TO TAKE QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, AND I KNOW REBECCA HAS FIELDED A FAIR SHARE OF THOSE NOT OVER, NOT JUST OVER THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS, BUT EVEN PRIOR.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S ALWAYS, THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAT THE GIRLS SCHOOL WANTS THEM TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO FOSTER THAT RELATIONSHIP.
SO JUST BECAUSE THE, IF THE CCP GETS APPROVED AND, AND THE SCHOOL GETS TO MOVE FORWARD AND, AND DOING ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY'VE PROPOSED, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THIS IS THE END OF ANYTHING.
AS, AS WE NOTED EARLIER, THE SCHOOL'S COMMITTING TO REVIEWING TRAFFIC AS IT FLOWS THROUGH THE SITE BI-ANNUALLY AND, AND EVEN, EVEN MORE FREQUENTLY THAN THAT, BUT IN THE LEAST BI-ANNUALLY, THEY WANNA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
THEY, THEY DON'T WANNA CAUSE ISSUES.
IF I CAN JUST ADD ONE OTHER THING.
WE DID LOOK AT DATA IN TERMS OF WHAT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THERE WERE 12 HOUSES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER ROEN, GO AHEAD.
UH, I'D LIKE TO, UH, ASK A COUPLE QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT.
I AM INTERESTED IN HEARING THE REST OF YOUR RESPONSE ABOUT THE, UH, HOUSES THAT HAVE HAD TROUBLES, UM, UM, TO THE POINT THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UM, CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING IN THIS AREA WITH THE IMPROVING THE WATER AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE,
[02:25:01]
BUT ALSO TOO, WE WERE LOOKING AT THINGS, UM, EVEN BEYOND THAT AND IN THIS AREA SURROUNDING THE SCHOOL, WE NOTICED THAT THERE HAS BEEN ABOUT 12 PROPERTIES OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN UNDER EITHER COMPLETE, UH, TEAR DOWN AND, AND BUILDING NEW CONSTRUCTION OR MAJOR REMODELS.SO AS YOU KNOW, LIVING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, YOU'RE GONNA GONNA HAVE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.
SO THOSE ARE ALSO THINGS THAT ARE ADDING TO, UM, THE ISSUES ON THE STREET IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO GET THROUGH, UM, AND NAVIGATE THE STREETS.
UM, SO, UH, ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
SO I'M A FATHER OF TWO MYSELF AND I AM CRAZY AS I THINK MOST PARENTS ARE, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE HOURS OF THREE TO 5:00 PM EVERY NIGHT BECAUSE SOCCER FIELDS AND MUSIC SCHOOLS ARE LOCATED IN THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CITY AND IMPOSSIBLE TO NAVIGATE TO, WE'RE NOT USING OUR BEST MINDS WHEN WE'RE DRIVING TO PICK UP OUR KIDS.
WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT GETTING THEM TO PRACTICE AND DOING OTHER THINGS, MAKING SURE THEY GET HOME, MAKING SURE DINNER GETS PUT ON THE TABLE, ET CETERA.
WITH ALL THAT IN MIND, THERE IS CONCERN, I THINK, FROM THE NEIGHBORS AS THEY'VE EXPRESSED ABOUT THE, THE LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THE TRAFFIC IMPROVEMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IMPLEMENTED ON THE SITE.
AND I THINK YOU'VE TOUCHED ON THIS ALREADY, WHAT EXACTLY CAN BE PLACED IN THE FUTURE, UM, CUP DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD MEMORIALIZE THIS, UM, SO THAT THERE IS A TRIGGER IN THE FUTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS IMPLEMENTED WHEN THE ALIENS DO EVENTUALLY COME FOR OUR HEADMISTRESS AND, AND INSTALL THEIR OWN LEADER.
SO I, UM, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE WAS A TRAFFIC FLOW PATTERN THAT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2012, AND NO ONE'S BEEN ABLE TO PRODUCE AN ACTUAL DOCUMENT OR A MAP AS TO WHAT THAT WAS DECIDED TO BE BACK AT THAT TIME.
AND SO THE GOAL WITH THE CUP, WHILE THE CUP DOESN'T PRESCRIBE A TRAFFIC FLOW, UM, TO IT, WE WANT THAT DOCUMENTED, WHETHER IT'S SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE CEP AS A NOTE, WE'RE, WE'RE ADDING SOME OTHER NOTES TO THE CEP THAT THAT AREN'T, AREN'T NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL ARE PROVING AS PART OF THE CEP, BUT WE DON'T WANT THEM LOST.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE IDEA IS THAT WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO POINT BACK TO SOMETHING TO SAY, HEY, REMEMBER THIS IS WHAT WAS AGREED TO.
UM, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THAT, THAT THAT DOCUMENTATION.
WOULD THE APPLICANT BE WILLING TO CONSIDER SOMETHING LIKE A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THAT JUST MAKES IT A SLIGHTLY MORE FORMAL DOCUMENT AND AGREEMENT ABOUT THAT TRAFFIC PLAN? ABSOLUTELY.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE PLAN, WOULD THE APPLICANT AND THE SCHOOL BE WILLING TO CONSIDER DEVELOPING A, A TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PLAN? SO I, UH, IN FACT, ONE OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS SPOKE EARLIER ABOUT MOVABILITY AND MOVABILITY IS A NONPROFIT THAT, UH, LITERALLY WORKS TO WORK WITH EMPLOYERS AND SCHOOLS TO FIND WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR EXPERIENCE RIGHT OPERATIONALLY WITHOUT BUILDING MORE PAVEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT'S A BIG PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE OF, SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IS, WILL THE SCHOOL COMMIT TO BUILDING AND MAINTAINING THIS TDM, WHICH WILL MEMORIALIZE NOT JUST THE WHERE THE CARS SHOULD GO, BUT HOW WE CAN, WHAT ARE THE TOOLS NECESSARY TO INCREASE WALKING TO SCHOOL, BICYCLING, CARPOOLING AND SUCH? I DEFINITELY KNOW THAT THE GIRLS SCHOOL WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING INTO, UH, A TDM.
UM, I PERSONALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL IS INVOLVED IN, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHING THAT AND I SUSPECT THE GIRLS SCHOOL DOESN'T EITHER.
UM, BUT I KNOW RON CAN HELP US WITH THAT.
I I THINK IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT CONCEPT BECAUSE IT WOULD MEMORIALIZE THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION SO THAT BOTH THE SCHOOL AND THE NEIGHBORS ARE, UH, DON'T LOSE TRACK OF WHAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO HERE.
I, I GUESS I HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO BRING UP YOUR PRESENTATION? I WANNA UNDERSTAND A BIT OF THE ANALYSIS A BIT FURTHER.
IS THAT SOMETHING STAFF CAN DO? DID I CATCH YOU OFF GUARD? THIS IS, UH, APPLICANT'S PRESENTATION.
IT, IT, IT REALLY WAS THE DKS TRAFFIC NUMBERS.
[02:30:03]
ONE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS WAS MADE, UH, THAT, UH, BY THE, ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS THAT SAID THAT THESE TRAFFIC NUMBERS DIDN'T CAPTURE THE PEAK.AND I, I KIND OF WANNA UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
I, I KNOW WHERE THE COUNTERS WERE PLACED, BUT I I HOW LONG WERE THEY IN PLACE AND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY MEASURED? COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE? UH, JUST RIGHT QUICK.
OUR TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER JAMES SCHWARTZBERG IS HERE TONIGHT.
UH, WELL, I'M HAPPY TO ASK THAT QUESTION.
JAMES, IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE US MAYBE A MINUTE, TWO MINUTE OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE COUNTING PROCESS, UH, LOOKS LIKE.
UH, JUDGE SCHWART IS THIS, THAT'S A DIFFERENT ZONING CASE THAT IS POSTPONED? NOPE.
AND YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND DESCRIBE THE PROCESS AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE THE, THE NUMBERS, UH, TO DO THE T UM, ANALYSIS FOR THIS.
WE, I GUESS THE CITY ASKED US TO DO THREE LOCATIONS.
WE EXPANDED A LITTLE BIT MORE TO EIGHT LOCATIONS.
UH, ESSENTIALLY WE WERE LOOKING AT, UH, COUNTING THE A DT AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING OVER 24 HOURS OVER THAT FOUR DAY PERIODS, ALONG WITH THE DOCUMENTING THE SPEECH THAT WERE HAPPENING DURING THAT TIME AS WELL.
SO THAT WAS BASICALLY THE, THAT IT WAS COLLECTED FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD ZONING ANALYSIS.
FORGIVE ME FOR DIVING INTO THE WEEDS FOR A MINUTE.
I, I DON'T SEE WHERE THE TIME IS, BUT, SO Y'ALL MEASURED A DT, SO TOTAL DAILY TRAFFIC, AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC? IT WAS DOCUMENTED.
IT'S, THEY COLLECTED ABOUT EVERY 15 MINUTES.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT A 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
SO YOU BOTH, YOU HAVE THE TIME SERIES DATA AS WELL? CORRECT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WAS USED TO DEVELOP YOUR ESTIMATES OF Q HOW LONG? THE, THE PEAK QUEUING, UH, PEAK QUEUING WAS BASED MORE ON OUR OBSERVATIONS.
THIS IS GOING OUT AND SEEING WHAT'S OUT THERE, WHAT WE ACTUALLY SAW IN REGARDS TO, BASED ON HOW MANY STUDENTS THERE ARE NOW, LOT EXPANDING THAT KNOWING, UH, AN ADDITIONAL 50 STUDENTS WOULD BE ADDED.
WHAT DO WE ANTICIPATE THAT KIND OF IMPACT IS GONNA BE? UM, HONESTLY, THE COUNTS RELATED TO THAT, UH, DO NOT HAVE AN IMPACT IN REGARDS TO THE ACTUAL QUEUING PART OF THAT.
I GUESS THE OVERALL TOTAL VOLUMES ARE RELATIVELY LOW.
THANKS COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE, YOU NEVER HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR DIVING INTO THE WEEDS.
COMMISSIONER GANNON, GO AHEAD.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT.
THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY ENGAGING CONVERSATION AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE STUDENTS WHO ARE STILL HERE FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
THIS IS A HUGE THING TO DO, SO I WANNA GIVE EVERYONE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, ESPECIALLY THE STUDENTS.
UH, I LOVE TO SEE THE YOUTH COMING OUT AND, UH, LAYING THEIR VOICES BE HEARD.
UM, I DO HAVE A QUESTION FOR, AH, AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FORGIVE ME, MARIA
SO TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT, I'M SO SORRY.
CAN YOU TURN THE MICROPHONE ON? I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE CAPTURED FOR THE RECORD.
SO TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY SCRAPPY WITH HOW DO WE COME AT THIS WITH SOME OBJECTIVE OBSERVATION ON THE TRAFFIC AND QUEUING.
AND SO I WORKED FOR THE COCKLE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING FOR 15 YEARS AND I GOT LOTS OF CONTACTS THERE.
AND SO I CONTACTED, UM, UH, MY CLOSE COLLEAGUE, UM, WHO IS A DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH.
AND I SAID, DO YOU HAVE SOME STUDENTS WHO MIGHT TAKE THIS ON AS A PROJECT BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE MONEY TO PAY FOR AN OFFICIAL STUDY, NOR DO WE HAVE THE TIME, RIGHT? I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, RIGHT.
I MEAN, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT THIS HEARING WAS COMING UP.
AND SO HE IDENTIFIED SOME STUDENTS WHO TOOK THIS ON AS, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST, THEY DONATED THEIR TIME, BUT THEY WERE, THEY'VE BEEN IN THE MIDDLE OF FINALS AND SO THEY HAVEN'T HAD ENOUGH TIME TO DO ALL THE WORK THAT THEY WANTED TO DO, BUT, BUT THEY AREN'T PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS.
THEY DON'T HAVE THEIR PE LICENSES YET.
SO THEY CAN OFFER SOME REALLY GOOD SUGGESTIONS OF HOW TO BE MORE THOROUGH WITH,
[02:35:01]
UH, CREATING PHYSICAL SOLUTIONS, BUT THEY CAN'T SIGN OFF ON IT WITH CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS AND ALL THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT OFFICIALLY LICENSED.AND I, YEAH, I, I APPLAUD THE SCRAPPINESS, I THINK IS AS OFTEN AS WE CAN.
I, I LOVE USING THE UNIVERSITY, WHICH IS IN OUR TOWN AND A GREAT RESOURCE.
I THINK, UH, WE SHOULD ALL BE REACHING OUT TO THE UNIVERSITY TO CRUNCH NUMBERS LIKE THIS AND FOR EXACTLY THIS REASON.
UM, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOLLOW UP THEM AND, AND SEE IF THE STUDENTS DO COME UP WITH AN INNOVATIVE IDEA.
UM, IT STUDENT WORK IS NEVER A REPLACEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL, UH, WORK.
UM, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE'S A PLACE FOR IT, AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF INNOVATIVE IDEAS LIE IN STUDENT WORK.
SO I WANNA APPLAUD YOU AND, AND, UH, ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
UM, AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT, UH, AND IT, IT, UH, RELATES TO THE UT STUDY AND IF THERE IS A EXTREMELY INNOVATIVE SOLUTION THAT THE STUDENTS FIND, UM, IF THIS IS APPROVED TONIGHT, IF THE CUP IS APPROVED TONIGHT, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WOULD PROHIBIT THE INCLUSION OF THOSE SOLUTIONS THAT ARE FOUND IN STUDENT WORK, IN TRAFFIC PLANNING OR, OR, OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT SO LONG AS, I MEAN, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT SOLUTIONS COULD COME FORWARD.
UM, AND SO LONG AS THOSE SOLUTIONS AREN'T CAUSING FOR THE GIRLS' SCHOOL TO, UM, LOSE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, WHICH IS A, A BETTER CAMPUS AND SCHOOL, UH, EXPERIENCE FOR THE GIRLS, UM, I DON'T SEE WHY THEY WOULD OPPOSE ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UH, YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR MS. OI, DON'T GO ANYWHERE
UM, A COUPLE QUICK THINGS TO FOLLOW UP.
YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR PRESENTATION THAT YOU ALL HAD LOOKED AT SOME OTHER SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HAD TRAFFIC WHO ARE LOCATED IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND HAVE GOOD TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE? UM, YES, ACTUALLY I FLEW AROUND, UH, ON THE COMPUTER QUITE A BIT LOOKING AT, UH, A ISD DATA AND ACTUALLY LOOKING AT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CITY.
SO WITHIN ALL 10 DISTRICTS, COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
AND, UM, WE FOUND A GOOD DEAL OF SCHOOLS THAT ARE SITUATED JUST LIKE THIS AND HAVE A FAIR LARGER AMOUNT OF STUDENTS AT THEIR SCHOOL.
UM, UH, ADMITTEDLY I DIDN'T GO OUT AND OBSERVE TRAFFIC AT ALL OF THOSE SCHOOLS, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE KIDS, I, MY DAUGHTER USED TO GO RIGHT HERE TO BECKER ELEMENTARY AND UM, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE CRAZINESS THAT HAPPENS WITHIN THAT 10 MINUTES OF UH, PICKUP AND DROP OFF.
AND UM, I THINK THAT'S JUST TO A DEGREE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO EXPECT.
UM, THAT IS ACTUALLY, I'M SO GLAD YOU MENTIONED BECKER BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS A SCHOOL SUMMIT US ARE FAMILIAR WITH BEING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD LIKE BOLDEN AND THAT THEY HAVE, I BELIEVE AT ONE POINT THEIR, UM, POPULATION PEAKED AT 500 KIDS AND THEIR SITE IS PROBABLY OF A SIMILAR SIZE, I WOULD IMAGINE MAYBE SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE FOR THE GIRLS SCHOOL, BUT THEY'VE MANAGED TO SORT OF EFFICIENTLY MOVE THEIR KIDS THROUGH A SORT OF PICKUP AND DROP OFF LINE, SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING FOR THE CUP, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
I ACTUALLY THINK, UM, GIRLS SCHOOL IS GONNA DO MUCH BETTER JOB AT IT.
I GUESS MORE GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, YOU, WE'VE SEEN THAT THESE TYPES OF SORT OF HANDS-ON SOLUTIONS HAVE WORKED ATIS USE WITH SCHOOLS WITH LARGER ENROLLMENTS.
ANOTHER EXAMPLE MIGHT BE ZILKER WHERE WE HAVE A VERY NICE BIKE LANE IN FRONT OF IT, BUT THEY HAVE TO MANAGE MAKE SURE THE KID THAT THE CARS DON'T GO INTO THE BIKE LANE.
SO SORT OF THAT UM, HANDS-ON APPROACH, UM, HAS REALLY WORKED.
UM, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO ENSURE IS IT SOUNDS LIKE IT WOULD BE MEMORIALIZED AND IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA DISAPPEAR OVER TIME NECESSARILY.
UM, AND THEN I GUESS, UH, FINAL QUESTION JUST TO SORT OF CLARIFY SOMETHING, UM, MY UNDERSTANDING, AND BASED ON THE CROWD THAT'S HERE TONIGHT, THERE'S A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT GO TO THE GIRLS SCHOOL.
SO IF YOU HAD 50 ADDITIONAL STUDENTS, YOU WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE TALKING ABOUT 50 EXTRA FAMILIES OR 50 EXTRA CARS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, YES.
SO WHEN THE ENROLLMENT INCREASES, WE WOULD ACTUALLY EXPECT SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS TO POTENTIALLY STAY AND HAVE YOUNGER SIBLINGS IN THE OLD YOUNGER GRADES AND THAT WE WOULD SEE NOT A COMPLETE INCREASE OF 50 ADDITIONAL FAMILIES.
THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HOPING FOR.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER AHMED.
UH, I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS SKIDMORE HAD, SO I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE TRAFFIC STUDY.
SO I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT THE TRAFFIC STUDY INCLUDED KIND OF AN ANALYSIS OF THE TRAFFIC IN 15 MINUTE
[02:40:01]
INCREMENTS, IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.AND SO TO BE CLEAR, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE DAY, INCLUDING THE PEAK TRAFFIC TIMES IN THE MORNING AND AFTERNOON, UH, THERE WERE NO TIMES DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY WHERE YOU SAW TRAFFIC LEVELS THAT WERE UNREASONABLE WHEN YOU WERE RECORDING THESE TRAFFIC LEVELS IN 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS.
IS THAT CORRECT? I WOULD'VE TO GO BACK TO LOOK AT THE DATA TO COMPLETELY VERIFY THAT, BUT IN THE, WHAT WE DID SEE IN IT, I DON'T BELIEVE WE EVER SAW ANYTHING THAT WAS COMPLETELY, UH, OUTTA LINE OR, OR UNUSUALLY HIGH.
I JUST WANT TO CONFIRM THAT THIS WASN'T JUST AGGREGATE NUMBERS, TOTAL NUMBER OF CARS DURING THE DAY, BUT IT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE 15 MINUTE INCREMENTS DURING THOSE TIMES AS WELL, CORRECT? YEAH, WE LOOKED AT IT THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
SO IT STARTS AT, YOU KNOW, MIDNIGHT AND RUNS THROUGH MIDNIGHT THE NEXT, UH, LOOKING AT EACH OF THESE AND AVERAGE THEM.
THAT'S THE ONLY QUESTION THAT I HAD.
SLOT COMMISSIONER HILLER, GO AHEAD.
I'M GONNA LEAD THE WITNESS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, PRESUMING THE VOTE GOES IN YOUR FAVOR ON THIS THIS EVENING, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP? UM, IF THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE UT STUDENTS PRODUCE.
I DON'T THINK IT'S BEYOND THE SCHOOL TO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE COULD BE SOME GOOD IDEAS THAT COME OUT.
I DON'T THINK THE DATA'S GONNA SHOW ANYTHING DIFFERENT, BUT PERHAPS THERE COULD BE SOME OTHER IDEAS THAT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED WITH THE CUP AND THE CONSTRUCTION ELEMENT SITE PLAN.
SO I'M, THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE ARCHITECTS WERE GONNA START WORKING ON THEIR ASPECT OF THE PLAN AND WE WILL START WORKING ON OUR ASPECT OF THE CONSTRUCTION SITE PLAN, WHICH BASICALLY IS TURNING EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAW IN THAT PRETTY PICTURE INTO, UM, A FORMAL CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENT.
SORRY, YOU'LL HAVE TO BEAR WITH ME.
I'M KIND OF SAYING THIS FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S BENEFIT, WHAT WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP FORMALLY IN TERMS OF PASSAGE OF THIS THROUGH THE, THE CITY PERMITTING PROCESS? SO LEAVING HERE, WE WOULD GO NEXT TO CITY COUNCIL.
RIGHT? UM, IF IT'S APPEALED TO CITY COUNCIL, YES.
SO THERE'S A OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE AND MAKE REQUESTS? THAT'S CORRECT.
MAYBE PERHAPS IN THAT TIME, IF THE UT STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE SOMETHING THEN THAT, YOU KNOW, TO REPEAT MR. GANS POINT ABOUT THERE BEING INCORPORATION OF THAT IF IT'S A GOOD IDEA? YEAH.
I JUST WANNA TAKE A QUICK STRAW POLL.
ARE THERE OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT HAVE BURNING QUESTIONS THAT DID NOT GET ANSWERED IN OUR ROUND OF EIGHT VICE CHAIR AND WE HAVE CHAIR BOWEN.
ANY OBJECTION TO ADDING TWO ADDITIONAL QUESTION SLOTS AT THE MOMENT? OKAY, WE'LL HEAR FIRST FROM VICE CHAIR AND THEN WE'LL COME TO YOU CHAIR BOWEN.
UM, I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
GOD FORBID, UM,
UM, SO THE RECOMMENDATION NUMBER FIVE, UM, IS THE REASSESSMENT TRIGGER.
IT'S TIED TO THE IT, UH, HEADCOUNT.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, IF THE OBSERVED QUEUING OR LIKE 3 1 1 COMPLAINT VOLUME OR SOME SOMETHING LIKE THAT SHOWS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S MODELED, WHAT MECHANISM WOULD TRIGGER A REASSESSMENT OR, OR IS THERE SUCH A MECHANISM? IT, IT WOULD BE TIED TO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.
SO IT, WHAT IS BEING PERMITTED AT THAT TIME AND HOW IT IS DESIGNED AT THAT TIME? UM, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A POST-CONSTRUCTION 3 1 1 ASPECT OF IT UNLESS IT BECOMES A SITUATION WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE IS A PERMITTED USE ON A SITE, BUT THEY GO ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT THEY WERE, UH, ALLOWED TO DO.
HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, WITH BARS AND RESTAURANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SUDDENLY THERE'S A PATIO AREA THAT WASN'T THERE BEFORE.
THOSE KINDS OF THINGS CAN BE ADDRESSED THROUGH THREE ONE, BUT THE NTA AND THE CUP ARE DESIGNED TO APPLY AT THE TIME OF THE DESIGN AND PERMITTING AND WHAT'S SHOWN AT THAT TIME.
AND IF THEY CONTINUE TO COMPLY WITH THAT, THEN IT SHOULD STAY WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS.
UM, THE LANGUAGE IN THERE I THINK IS TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE NTA IS REVIEWING WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US NOW, BUT IF THE PLAN THAT COMES IN IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT, THEN THEY MAY HAVE TO
[02:45:01]
REEXAMINE IT.NOW I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT.
UM, SO WE GOT ROBUST, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ON THIS AND, UM, BOTH SOME OF THE, THE FOLKS, UM, FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UM, SPEAKING HERE TONIGHT AS WELL AS IN LETTERS, UH, WERE EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY FELT LIKE THEY WEREN'T REALLY HEARD DURING THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PROCESS WITH THE SCHOOL DURING THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO HEAR KIND OF, UH, I I I KNOW IT WAS A ROBUST, UH, DISCUSSION THAT Y'ALL HAD AS WELL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO HEAR KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE, UM, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, MAKING EVERYONE FEEL THAT THEY'VE BEEN HURT AND, AND THAT YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, TAKEN AND STUDIED AND COME BACK TO SAY, YEAH, WE, WE LOOKED AT THIS CLOSELY, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE X MAKE SENSE? YES.
UM, I'LL JUST POINT OUT THAT WHEN WE PRESENTED THE CONCEPT SITE PLAN TO THE NEIGHBORS, UM, I THINK ON, ON THE GIRLS SCHOOL SIDE, EVERYONE WAS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT WAS PRODUCED AND OUR PRESENTATION OF THAT TO THE NEIGHBORS REALLY FOCUSED ON LOOK AT THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AT THIS CAMPUS.
AND, UM, PERHAPS IT GOT A LITTLE LOSS ON US THAT, I DON'T WANNA SAY THE NEIGHBOR DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THEY HAVE STATED TONIGHT THAT THEY DO CARE ABOUT THE GIRLS SCHOOL AND THEY CARE ABOUT THE EDUCATION THAT THE GIRLS ARE GETTING.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT THEY WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT.
AND SO THERE WAS A RECOGNITION OF THAT AND, UM, MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO KEEP CONVERSATION REALLY TO, TO JUST THAT ISSUE BECAUSE THAT IS THE ISSUE THAT THEY CARE A LOT ABOUT.
UM, WHAT WAS THE SECOND HALF OF YOUR QUESTION,
IT, IT WAS A MEANDERING QUESTION.
UM, I GUESS THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
UM, I JUST GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS ACTUALLY ONE FOR, FOR STAFF.
'CAUSE I, I'M READING SOME OF THE REPORTS HERE AND IT TALKS ABOUT THEY WERE GOING TO DO A TRAFFIC CALMING ON WINDSOR ROAD AND IT SAID THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DONE BY MARCH.
I KNOW THIS IS PROBABLY NOT IN YOUR, IN YOUR, UH, WICK SO TO SPEAK, SINCE YOU'RE NOT A TP.
UM, BUT IT SAYS THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO START A PROJECT ON THAT.
IS THERE ANY STATUS ON THAT TRAFFIC CALMING THE APPLICANT STATED THAT IT HAS BEEN DONE.
ALSO, SO ONE OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS WAS REALLY, UM, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF NEIGHBORS BASED UPON THE MAPS IN HERE, UM, I I GUESS YOU HAVE YOUR STUDENTS THAT COME IN, BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORS.
HOW DO THEY REALLY ENGAGE WITH THE FACT OF GOING AGAINST THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS? BECAUSE I NOTICED ONE OF THE OTHER COMMENTS IN HERE WAS, UH, SOME OF THE CROSSWALKS BEING RE REMARKED TO THOSE TYPE OF ISSUES, WHICH I THINK THAT WOULD REALLY FALL BACK ON THE CITY VERSUS ON YOU GUYS.
BUT IN TRYING TO FOLLOW UP WITH THOSE ISSUES AND ALSO TRYING TO DEAL WITH NEIGHBORS THAT ARE LIKE, I GOTTA GET OUT, I GOTTA GET IN AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A COLLABORATIVE TYPE THING AND NOT DEALING WITH IT.
SO ARE YOU ASKING HOW WE ADDRESS THE ISSUES IN, IN PRACTICE? YES.
SO THAT'S PART OF WHY WE HAVE ADMIN STAFF OUT ON THE STREET, UM, DURING DISMISSAL.
UM, SO THAT I THINK THE, THE PARENTS ARE PRETTY WELL AWARE THAT THAT, THAT COMING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY FOR, FOR OUR NEIGHBORS IS AN ISSUE.
OUR DISMISSAL TIME, UM, OFTEN COINCIDES WITH OUR NEIGHBORS TRYING TO GO PICK UP THEIR OWN CHILDREN FROM OTHER SCHOOLS.
AND SO WE ARE OUT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THAT WHEN NEIGHBORS COME OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAYS THAT OUR TRAFFIC IS PAYING ATTENTION AND CAN MOVE OUT OF THE WAY.
WELL, AND, AND KIND OF, I'M, I'M REALLY KIND OF CONCERNED WITH THE FACT OF WE'RE WANTING TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN AND THAT, UM, THE NEIGHBORS THAT ACTUALLY LIVE THERE IN THEIR OWN SINGLE FAMILY HOMES HAVE GOT JUST AS MUCH RIGHT TO THE STREETS AND BEING, YOU KNOW, COGNIZANT OF THAT.
THAT PARTICULAR, THAT PARTICULAR
[02:50:01]
THING ADDING, YOU KNOW, SOME EXTRA TRAFFIC.AND I, I THINK YOUR CONCEPT FOR YOUR THE SCHOOL IS GREAT.
I JUST, UH, I'M JUST KIND OF SEEING, I JUST SEE SOME ISSUES WITH NOT HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY TRYING TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS IN THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AND WORKING TOGETHER.
SO, UM, WHAT I'LL TELL YOU IS THE REASON WE CHANGED THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC WAS BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC COMING INTO THE SCHOOL DRIVEWAY WAS BLOCKING TRAFFIC.
THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT WHETHER EMERGENCY VEHICLES COULD GO THROUGH.
WE HAD HEARD FROM THE NEIGHBOR WHO LIVES DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM OUR DRIVEWAY THAT IF SHE WAS OUT AND ABOUT DURING OUR DISMISSAL TIME, SHE WOULDN'T BOTHER TO TRY TO COME HOME.
AND WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE, SHE HAS LET US KNOW THAT SHE IS NOW ABLE TO GET IN AND OUTTA HER DRIVEWAY.
UM, OUR CARS WILL, THE PARENTS, WHEN YOU WATCH THEM IN THE QUEUE, UM, THEY STAY CLOSE TO THE CURB IN THE RIGHT OF WAY SO THAT CARS GOING UP AND DOWN THE STREET CAN GET PAST THEM ON THE ROAD.
SO IF THERE'S A CAR PARKED PARALLEL PARKED ON MCCALL, THE TRAFFIC LINE WILL SAN GO AROUND THAT CAR UNTIL THERE'S ROOM FOR SOMEBODY TO MOVE FORWARD.
HAS ANYBODY THE CITY ACTUALLY APPROVE THE, THAT CHANGE IN FLOW OF THE TRAFFIC TO WHERE, I MEAN, Y'ALL JUST COME UP WITH THIS ON YOUR OWN, OR WAS SOMEBODY AT, AT AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION OR SOMEBODY ELSE COORDINATED WITH YOU GUYS TO SAY, WE WANT TO DO THIS SO THAT THIS WASN'T JUST Y'ALL'S? SO THIS GOES BACK TO THE QUESTION OF WHAT HAS BEEN MEMORIALIZED.
UM, I HAD GONE THROUGH THE OLD PARENT STUDENT HANDBOOKS AND FOUND THAT, THAT THAT TRAFFIC FLOW WAS LISTED THERE.
I COULD NOT FIND ANYWHERE, UM, AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I COULDN'T FIND IT ANYWHERE IN THE CITY RECORDS THAT THERE WAS AN AGREEMENT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I HAD JUST HEARD HEARSAY FROM THE NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE DRIVEWAY FROM US AND SEEN IT IN THIS, IN THE PARENT STUDENT HANDBOOK.
SO WHEN WE WERE HEARING THAT TRAFFIC WAS BACKING UP BECAUSE THEY WERE COMING FROM THREE DIRECTIONS, WE MADE THE DECISION TO GO AROUND THE BLOCK AND HAVE IT ALL COME FROM ONE DIRECTION.
BUT YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING, I JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO SURE GET IT MEMORIALIZED, BUT ALSO GET IT TO WHERE IT'S KIND OF LIKE THIS IS ACCEPTED BEHAVIOR OR WHATEVER THE CASE IS.
BUT YOU ARE DEALING WITH TWO A TWO LANE, UH, RESIDENTIAL STREET.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND LOOK FOR A MOTION ON THIS ITEM.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MOVE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION, LOOKING FOR A SECOND.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE, WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR DEBATE.
COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START BY SPEAKING TO YOUR ITEM? UM, YEAH, I'M VERY DELIGHTED TO SEE THE ENGAGEMENT TONIGHT AND PARTICULARLY BECAUSE I AM A PRODUCT OF ALL GIRLS SCHOOL EDUCATION, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.
YOU CAN BE A FUTURE PLANNING COMMISSIONER
BUT, UM, I ALSO WANNA SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS MADE ABOUT KEEPING NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS OPEN.
WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A REAL ISSUE RIGHT NOW IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND MORE GENERALLY THAT I THINK THAT SOME OF YOU MAY SEE ME GET A LITTLE EMOTIONAL.
I HAVE A MIDDLE SCHOOLER, SADLY A BOY, NOT A GIRL
BUT, UM, THE GIRLS SPEAKING HERE TONIGHT ARE SO IMPRESSIVE AND I THINK JUST SPEAK TO EXACTLY WHAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THIS SCHOOL AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT IT BOTH INTERNALLY, AS YOU KNOW, AS WE WORK THROUGH THE SITE PLAN, BUT ALSO AS PLANNING COMMISSIONERS AND PEOPLE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT OUR CITY AND WHAT WE WANT OUR CITY TO LOOK LIKE.
SO I'M HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS AND HAPPY TO MAKE THIS MOTION BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT STEP FORWARD FOR THE GIRLS SCHOOL AND FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION.
ANYONE SPEAKING AGAINST ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK FOR THE MOTION? COMMISSIONER GANNON, I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT THIS.
UM, AND UH, JUST REAL QUICK, JUST PERSONALLY, I HAVE THREE KIDS.
THEY'RE IN DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, UH, THAT HAVE DIFFERENT START TIMES AND DIFFERENT DROP OFF TIMES, AND SO I'M INTIMATELY AWARE OF THE CHALLENGES OF TRYING TO GET MULTIPLE KIDS TO MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WITHIN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, THROUGH VERY CROWDED STREETS.
UM, UH, I'M ALSO, UH, EXTREMELY ENCOURAGING OF CHILDHOOD INDEPENDENCE AND PUTTING MY KIDS ON BIKES AND PUTTING THEM OUT ON THE STREETS IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
AND THE SAFETY OF OUR STREETS IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UH, PARAMOUNT AND I WANT TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THE PARENT WHOSE, WHOSE KID WAS HIT.
THAT'S A, AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE SITUATION.
UM, AND I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT THE KID WAS ALRIGHT.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I I THINK THAT EVERY PARENT HERE CAN, CAN RELATE TO THAT FEAR.
AND, AND, UH, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS THE CITY, THE OKAY, THE GOOD NEWS IS THE TRAFFIC IS BAD EVERYWHERE.
UH, BUT IN A WAY IT'S, IT'S AN ISSUE THAT THE, THAT THE CITY IS REALLY TRYING TO TAKE ON.
[02:55:01]
UH, THERE IS PROGRAMS LIKE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS AND THE LIVING STREET INITIATIVE AND, UH, THERE'S LOTS OF REALLY, UH, EAGER AND CAPABLE PEOPLE AT THE CITY WHO, WHO, UH, WHO ARE CHALLENGING THIS, THIS, UH, TRAFFIC PROBLEM.AND HOW DO WE GET OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL AND HOW DO WE BUILD CHILDHOOD, UH, INDEPENDENCE? SO FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND REACHING OUT TO THE CITY, UH, LOOKING INTO SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL AND THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING PROGRAM.
THEY'VE WORKED WITH, UH, MY OWN COMMUNITY TO BUILD CHICANE, UH, UH, RAIN GARDENS RIGHT IN THE STREET TO, TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC.
THEY'VE PUT, UH, PLANTERS IN ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S CLOSE BY US.
THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY INNOVATIVE WAYS AND I WANNA, UH, ENCOURAGE YOU TO REACH OUT TO THE CITY.
THANKS, COMMISSIONER GANNON, OTHER COMMISSIONERS SPEAKING AGAINST THE MOTION FOR COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE.
I'LL JUST SPEAK VERY BRIEFLY ON FOR THE MOTION AND AGAIN, USE MY BRIEF TIME HERE TO JUST MAKE A PLUG TO KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IT, THERE'S A PROBLEM, THERE'S THE EXTERNALITY OF THERE CONCENTRATION OF PEOPLE GOING TO THE SCHOOL, AND IT CAN BE REALLY DISORGANIZED OR IT CAN BE, CAN BE MORE ORGANIZED.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE Y'ALL HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO DO ALL OF THE PIECES OF WHAT IS A TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PLAN.
SO YOU'VE ALREADY ARE DOING THE WORK AND COMMISSIONER GANON BROUGHT UP THE POINTS, THE RESOURCES FROM THE CITY AND OTHER NONPROFITS.
BUT HERE'S A CHANCE, RIGHT? THIS IS WHAT WE DO IN CITIES, RIGHT, IS WE GET MORE PEOPLE CLOSE TOGETHER.
IN THIS CASE OF YOUNG GIRLS COMING TOGETHER IN MIDDLE SCHOOL TO, YOU KNOW, TO BECOME, UH, TO GROW AND BECOME SORT OF VIBRANT MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE CAN DO THAT WITHOUT BUILDING MORE PAVEMENT.
SO KEEP BUILDING ON THAT AND I THINK YOU WILL PROVE TO YOUR NEIGHBORS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE PEOPLE CAN BE THERE WITH LESS DISRUPTION.
I'M EXCITED TO SEE IT MOVE FORWARD.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS FOR OR AGAINST COMMISSIONER POWELL? YEAH, SO I, I'LL BE VOTING FOR THIS MOTION, BUT I WANT TO GIVE A, A, LET'S SAY A GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS SITUATION.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, I THINK Y'ALL CAN TELL FROM THIS MEETING, UM, THE RIVETING, RIVETING PROCESS OF PLANNING COMMISSION HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT, UH, WE RUN INTO A LOT OF FIGHTS TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST.
UM, THE LOCAL POLITICAL PROCESS, THE LOCAL DEMOCRACY INVOLVES A LOT OF PEOPLE ON FULL ON OPPOSING SIDES.
AND I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL THAT THAT'S, THIS ISN'T ONE OF THOSE CASES, THIS IS A NEIGHBORHOOD EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME TEAM.
WE'LL HEAR IT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, FROM THE SCHOOL, THE VALUE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND I WANT TO JUST SAY THAT KEEPING THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME, 'CAUSE THIS IS VERY CLEARLY A MULTI-YEAR PROCESS WITH A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE FEEDBACK IS GOING TO BE CRITICAL FOR THE SUCCESS FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, FOR THE ENTIRE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT THE BAD NEWS IS, AND I THINK IT'S SOLVABLE, BUT THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE.
YOU KNOW, UH, I THINK ONE SPEAKER FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD SAID IT BEST THAT PEOPLE DON'T ACCIDENTALLY WRITE 25 LETTERS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC.
THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON HERE AND, YOU KNOW, UH, FOR THE HEAD OF SCHOOLS, FOR THE OTHER ADMINISTRATORS, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL'S EFFORTS TO SOLVE THIS AND UH, I HATE TO GIVE HOMEWORK TO SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, BUT THIS IS GONNA CONTINUALLY BE SOMETHING TO SOLVE, ESPECIALLY AS NEW STUDENTS COME IN, AS THEY LOOP UP.
IF THE COP CONTINUES THROUGH, IT DOESN'T GET APPEALED.
UM, IT'S GONNA BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT THIS IS A CONTINUAL CONVERSATION.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO JUST DO A MEETING AT A SCHOOL AND INVITE FOLKS.
Y'ALL MIGHT NEED TO GO KNOCK ON DOORS DOWN THAT STREET AND MAKE SURE EVERY NEIGHBOR KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON.
Y'ALL DO HAVE TO GO THE EXTRA EFFORT, BUT FROM WHAT I'M SEEING FROM THIS GIRL'S SCHOOL, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE UP TO THE TASK.
SO PLEASE, PLEASE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE SHARED LOVE OF COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO CAME TODAY.
THIS IS A MUCH MORE PACKED HOUSE THAN WE USUALLY HAVE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, KEEP THE COMMUNICATION GOING.
ENGAGE IN THIS AS A YEARS LONG PROCESS THAT IT WILL BE FOR THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR EVERYONE.
AND AGAIN, I'M JUST GRATEFUL TO SAY, WHICH IS SO RARE TO SAY SOMETIMES, UH, IN THE WORK WE DO AS A COMMISSION, THAT I REALLY THINK THERE'S A WONDERFUL OUTCOME HERE.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE FOR STAFF RECOMMENDATION MADE BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE THOSE IN FAVOR AGAINST.
ALL RIGHT, THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
HONESTLY, I JUST WANNA TAKE A QUICK, UH, POINT OF PRIVILEGE TO ADDRESS THE YOUNGER SPEAKERS AND ATTENDEES THIS EVENING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CASE.
I HOPE THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF MANY TIMES THAT YOU COME TO CITY HALL AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON ISSUES THAT AFFECT YOU.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE OFTEN DON'T HEAR FROM YOUNGER SPEAKERS ON THESE CASES, BUT YOU ARE A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THE PROCESS AND WHO WE ARE ALL UP HERE
[03:00:01]
WORKING SO HARD TO BUILD A BETTER CITY FOR.SO I WANNA SAY THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
WE HOPE WE'LL SEE YOU AGAIN SOON.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION FOR A 10 MINUTE RECESS.
CAN I GET A SECOND? SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR.
OKAY, LET'S BE BACK AT NINE 10.
11:00 PM FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO, BEFORE WE JUMP INTO OUR NEXT PUBLIC HEARING CASE, WHICH IS ITEM 10 ON OUR AGENDA, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION THAT WE EXTEND THIS MEETING PAST OUR 10 O'CLOCK DEADLINE TO 11:00 PM SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR.
WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR OBJECTION NOTED? NO.
THAT ITEM PASSES AND WE'LL BE EXTENDED TO 11:00 PM LET'S MOVE INTO
[10. Rezoning: C14-2026-0006 - Holly Wu W. 6th Street Restaurant; District 9]
ITEM 10 ON OUR AGENDA.HOLLYWOOD WEST SIXTH STREET RESTAURANT.
FIRST, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
CYNTHIA HARI WITH AUSTIN PLANNING.
THIS IS ITEM 10 ON YOUR AGENDA.
C 14 20 26 0 0 1 1 HOLLYWOOD WEST SIXTH STREET RESTAURANT.
THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 1608 WEST SIXTH STREET.
THE SITE IN QUESTION IS APPROXIMATELY 0.52 ACRES DEVELOPED OF THE PARKING LOT IN AN OFFICE BUILDING.
THERE IS ACCESS TO WEST SIXTH STREET, WHICH IS AN AS SP LEVEL THREE IMAGINE AUSTIN CORRIDOR AND AN A SMP TRANSIT PRIORITY NETWORK CORRIDOR.
THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY ZONED GENERAL OFFICE NEIGHBORHOOD.
PLAN, GONP COMBINED DISTRICT ZONING AND IS CHARACTERIZED AS MIXED USE.
THE SURROUNDING AREA HAS SEVERAL OFFICE AND COMMERCIAL USES AROUND IT, AS WELL AS VARIOUS RESIDENTIAL TYPES SUCH AS CONDOMINIUM, RESIDENTIAL AND MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL.
THE APPLICANT ORIGINALLY REQUESTED TO GO FROM GENERAL OFFICE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN GONP TO COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN GR NP ON APRIL 15TH, 2026.
THE APPLICANT AMEN THEIR APPLICATION TO REQUEST.
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL CONDITIONAL OVERLAID NEIGHBORHOOD.
PLAN L-R-C-O-N-P COMBINED DISTRICT ZONING.
THERE IS NO DEMOLITION PROPOSED FOR THE PROPERTY AND THE APPLICANT IS INTENDED TO KEEP THE CURRENT BUILDING TO ALLOW FOR A HIGH-END RESTAURANT USE.
THE APPLICANT AMENDED THEIR REQUEST TO MATCH TASK RECOMMENDATION OF L RCO AND P WITH SERVICE STATION AS A PROHIBITED USE.
THIS PROPERTY IS IN THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AND FALLS WITHIN THE RECOMMENDED AREA FOR NEIGHBORHOOD FRIENDLY COMMERCIAL USES BASED ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, THE ADJACENT PROPERTY TO THIS SITE IS ZONED MF FOUR NP.
THE MF FOUR BASED ZONING DISTRICT IS EQUIVALENT TO GO G AND CS COMMERCIAL BASED ZONING DISTRICTS BASED ON HEIGHT AND OR OTHER SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
THE REQUESTED REZONING IS FOR LR BASED DISTRICT, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO MF TWO AND MF THREE BASED ZONING DISTRICTS BASED ON HEIGHT AND OTHER SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
THIS REZONING WOULD BE MORE RESTRICTED THAN THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY, WHICH WOULD IN TURN PROVIDE A BALANCE OF INTENSITIES AND DENSITIES FOR THE AREA.
THERE ARE MANY EXISTING ZONINGS THAT ALLOW FOR SIMILAR OR MORE INTENSE USES APPROXIMATELY 0.25 MILES TO THE EAST AND WEST.
IN SUMMARY, THIS REZONING WOULD PROMOTE COMPATIBILITY WITH THE ADJACENT AND NEARBY USES.
ON APRIL 17TH, 2026, ANA AND THE APPLICANT AGREED TO THE FOLLOWING PROHIBITED USES ON THE PROPERTY.
UM, ALTERNATIVE FINANCIAL USES, CLUB OR LODGE COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY FACILITIES, COMMUNICATION SERVICE FACILITIES, COMMUNITY EVENTS, COMMUNITY GARDEN COMMUNITY RECREATION, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC CONSUMER CONVENIENCE SERVICES.
CONSUMER REPAIR SERVICES, CUSTOM MANUFACTURING HOSPITAL SERVICES, LIMITED MEDICAL OFFICES EXCEEDING 5,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, OR NOT EXCEEDING 5,000 SQUARE FEET OFFSITE, ACCESSORY PARKING, PETTY CAB STORAGE AND DISPATCH PET SERVICES, PLANT NURSERY, PRINTING AND PUBLISHING, PRIVATE PRIMARY EDUCATION FACILITIES, PRIVATE SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, SAFETY SERVICES, SERVICE STATION THEATER AND URBAN FARM STAFF DOES NOT OBJECT TO THESE PROHIBITED USES.
IN ADDITION TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION OF L RCO P, WHICH CURRENTLY ONLY HAS SERVICE STATION LISTED AS A PROHIBITED USE, I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AND WE WILL NOW BE HEARING FROM THE APPLICANT.
EVAN OR THE OUR PRIMARY SPEAKER IN FAVOR, EVAN TE GUCCI.
IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST MAKING SURE THAT YOUR MICROPHONE IS ON BY PRESSING THE RED BUTTON ON THE MICROPHONE.
I'M EVAN TINY GUCCI OF TINY GUCCI ARCHITECTS AND I AM THE AGENT FOR THIS, UH, ZONING CASE.
UM, FIRST I'M GONNA TAKE YOU, WELL FIRST OF ALL, I HAVE TWO, UH, PROPERTY OWNERS BACK BEHIND ME AND I HAVE TWO MEMBERS OF O ONE OVER THERE THAT WILL BE FOLLOWING ME.
FIRST I'M GONNA TAKE YOU TO THE PROCESS WE WENT THROUGH.
IT ALL STARTED ON FEBRUARY THE 27TH WHEN WE FILED THE, UH, ORIGINAL ZONING APPLICATION FOR CHANGE FROM G-O-N-O-N-P TO GRNP.
[03:05:02]
ON MARCH TO THE FOURTH, I WAS NOTIFIED BY DSD THAT SENDS OUR CASES NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.WE WOULD NEED TO MEET WITH AWA ANA TO OFFER MORE DETAILS.
SO WE COORDINATED MEETING WITH ANA AND NEIGHBORS FOR THREE FOR MARCH 26TH.
ON MARCH 26TH, WE MET WITH ANA AND SOME INTERESTING INTERESTED NEIGHBORS WHO HAD BEEN NOTIFIED OF OUR ZONING CASE WHERE WE AGREED TO SEEK MORE RESTRICTED LR NP ZONING AND WOULD CONSIDER A RESTRICTED COVENANT THAT WOULD COVER SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS.
ON APRIL THE NINTH, WE REVISED AND RESUBMITTED OUR ZONING APPLICATION, INCLUDING A REVISED SUMMARY LETTER.
ADDITIONAL PROHIBITED USES WERE ALSO SUBMITTED TO DSD FOR INCLUSION IN THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY AT ANA'S REQUEST FURTHER ADDRESSING NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS IN RESPONSE TO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND GOOD FAITH EFFORTS TO REACH A COMPROMISE OR WANT TO EXPRESS SATISFACTION WITH THE REVISIONS AND VOTED TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT ON APRIL 23RD.
SOME MEMBERS WHO WERE STILL NOT PLEASED WITH OUR COMPROMISE REQUESTED ANOTHER MEETING, WHICH MY CLIENTS I AGREED TO ATTEND, BUT ONLY ONE PERSON SHOWED UP IN THE MEETING WAS UNFORTUNATELY UNPRODUCTIVE.
MY CLIENTS AND I ARE A BIT CONCERNED WITH HOW THIS NEIGHBOR HAS APPROACHED THIS ISSUE NOT BEING AS TRANSPARENT AS WHO HE EXPECTED AND SOMEWHAT HARMFUL TO OUR BUSINESS.
SO HERE WE ARE TODAY TO PUT THIS ISSUE TO A VOTE.
UH, DURING THIS PROJECT THOUGH, MY CLIENTS BEGAN TO GET WET FEET BECAUSE OF ALL THE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE NEIGHBOR'S COMPLAINTS, AND ASKED ME TO LOOK INTO SB EIGHT 40 TO SEE, TO SEE, LOOK FOR SOME OTHER OPTIONS.
BUT I CONVINCED THEM THAT WE NEED TO CARRY ON WITH THIS, UM, WITH THE LR NPCO ZONING AND MAYBE ADD SOME RESTRICTED COVENANTS.
SO WE DID THAT AND, UM, YES, SO WE AGREED TO SOME RESTRICTED COVENANT ITEMS ADDED ONTO OUR MORE RESTRICTIVE ZONING CATEGORY TO REACH A COMPROMISE.
WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS A FAIR COMPROMISE FOR ALL CONCERNED PARTIES.
SO THOSE RESTRICTED COVENANTS ARE A OUTDOOR AMPLIFIED OR PERCU PERCUSSION SOUNDS SHALL BE PROHIBITED.
B, INSTALL AND MAINTAIN COMMERCIALLY ODOR CONTROL SYSTEMS CONSISTENT WITH INDUSTRY STANDARDS USING APPROPRIATE FILTRATION OR SCRUBBERS IN THE KITCHEN.
EXHAUST SYSTEM DELIVERIES SHALL OCCUR BETWEEN 9:00 AM AND 4:00 PM EXCEPT FOR CIRCUMSTANCES OUTSIDE LANDOWNER'S CONTROL D CONSTRUCT A DUMPSTER CLOSURE DESIGNED TO MINIMIZE DISTURBANCE TO NEIGHBORS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND E ALL REFUSE FACILITIES, MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, AND RELATED MATERIALS SHALL BE SCREENED FROM VIEW, FROM ADJACENT PROPERTIES AND PUBLIC RIGHTS OF WAY AND COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE CITY OF AUSTIN CODE REQUIREMENTS AS MAY BE AMENDED.
AND I WANT TO FINISH THIS BY SAYING THAT, UM, UH, NOT ONLY AM I DO HANDLING THIS ZONING CASE FOR JIMMY AND LING WU, UM, I'M ALSO THE ARCHITECT, OUR SIX, UH, RESTAURANTS HERE IN THE TOWN IN AUSTIN AND ONE WE'RE BUILDING IN CEDAR PARK RIGHT NOW.
AND WE STRIVE TO DO THE BEST WE CAN WHEN WE DESIGNED THESE FACILITIES.
AND SHE HAS, I MEAN, SHE'S VERY WELL KNOWN AS ONE OF THE BEST RESTAURANTERS IN AUSTIN.
SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF SURPRISED THAT PEOPLE ARE AGAINST THIS WHEN WE FEEL LIKE IT'LL ADD TO THE MIXED USE, UH, OF EFFECT IN THAT AREA.
AND, YOU KNOW, BEING ON THE PLANNING, I MEAN, BEING ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION FOR 14 YEARS AND AN AUTHOR, ONE OF THE AUTHORS OF IMAGINE AUSTIN, WE KNOW THIS IS WHERE AUSTIN WAS HEADED.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR.
WE'VE LOOKED FOR MORE MIXED USE IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS SO THAT WE CAN FORM COMPLETE COMMUNITIES.
SO I THINK WE ARE REALLY LOOKING TOWARDS A FUTURE HERE WITH THIS PROJECT, AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET YOUR APPROVAL AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS LING WU, WHO WILL BE RECEIVING TWO MINUTES FROM JIMMY AND G LING, OR JIMMY, ARE YOU PRESENT? HI EVERYONE.
I'M JUST A CHEF, BUT EVERYONE ASKED ME TO COME OVER HERE.
SO IN MY CULTURE, MOM, GRANDMA DOESN'T TELL YOU, I LOVE YOU, HONEY, GIVE YOUR HEART.
BUT THEY ALWAYS ASK YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EAT? I FEEL LIKE THIS CITY GIMME A LOT OPPORTUNITY TO GROW, TO LEARN.
I THINK I NEED TO SHARE MORE LOVE FROM MY CULTURE.
AND TO ME, I WANTED TO PROVIDE
[03:10:01]
MORE, BETTER, LIKE DYING EXPERIENCE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.AND I'VE BEEN THIS LIKE ON WEST SIXTH STREET AS LONG TIME AND BEEN LIKE, HAVE EVAN HELP.
AND, UH, I KIND OF LIKE SLOWLY DOWN MOVING ORDER MY RESTAURANT TAKING CARE OF THAT.
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT, THAT EVERY RESTAURANT BUILD, JUST LIKE MY KIDS, EVEN MY KIDS KNOW, MOM, YOU SPEND MORE TIME WITH YOUR WORKER, WITH YOUR RESTAURANT THAN US, BUT MY KIDS ALREADY UNDERSTAND ME AND THEY SUPPORT ME.
WHOLE FAMILY SUPPORT ME TO DOING ALL OF THIS BECAUSE LIKE I LOVE AUSTIN, IT BECOME MY SECOND HOMETOWN.
I LIKE IT SINCE LIKE I GREW WHEN I ARRIVED HERE IS WHY I WAS 21 YEARS OLD.
SO I FEEL LIKE THIS CITY GROW, WE MEET TOGETHER.
I HAVE LOTS OF FRIENDS HERE, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS HAVE A, LOTS OF REGULARS SUPPORT ME NO MATTER WHERE I GO.
SO, AND ALSO THIS BUILDING I PASSED BY A HUNDRED TIMES, BUT TODAY FINALLY I GOT ME.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR IS SHEILA LEON.
SHEILA WILL BE RECEIVING TWO MINUTES OF TIME FROM MIKE BENHART.
MIKE, ARE YOU PRESENT? SHEILA, YOU WILL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.
I MEAN, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M SHEILA LYONS, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCI ASSOCIATION.
AWANA, I'M HERE TO EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED REZONING OF 1608 WEST SIXTH STREET FROM GENERAL OFFICE TO NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL WITH THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY AND RESTRICTED COVENANT AS NEGOTIATED THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ZONING PROCESS.
THIS RECOMMENDATION REFLECTS A BALANCE AND PRAGMATIC APPROACH WHILE ADJACENT RESIDENTS OPPOSE ANY ZONING THAT WOULD ALLOW RESTAURANT USE.
ANA EVALUATED THIS REQUEST WITHIN THE BROADER CONTEXT OF WEST SIXTH STREET, A MAJOR CORRIDOR WHERE THE CITY HAS CONSISTENTLY SUPPORTED MIXED USE IN COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY BASED ON ESTABLISHED ZONING PATTERNS AND PRIOR REZONINGS.
WE BELIEVE THIS PROPOSAL IS APPROPRIATE FOR THIS LOCATION.
IMPORTANTLY, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL RE REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN INTEN IN INTENSITY.
FROM AN EARLIER REQUEST, THE APPLICANT INITIALLY PURSUED COM COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL ZONING, BUT AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH ANA AGREED TO INSTEAD PURSUE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL, THIS CHANGE REDUCES SITE STANDARDS AND MEANINGFULLY LIMITS THE RANGE AND INTENSITY OF PERMITTED USES.
THE PROPOSED ZONING COMBINED WITH A CONDITIONAL OVERLAY AND RESTRICTED COVENANT ESTABLISHES CLEAR ENFORCEABLE PROTECTIONS.
THE INTENT OF THE REZONING IS TO ALLOW ADAPTIVE REUSE OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE FOR RESERVATION ONLY OSI STYLE RESTAURANT, ALONG WITH LIMITED DAYTIME USES SUCH AS CHEF COOKING CLASSES FOR ASIAN CUISINE AND OCCASIONAL CORPORATE LUNCHES.
THE RESTAURANT WILL OPERATE WITH A SINGLE PROFESSIONALLY MANAGED KITCHEN EQUIPPED WITH A COMMERCIAL GRADE VENTILATION AND FILTRATION SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO CAPTURE CREASE AND CONTROL EMISSIONS.
THIS IS AN INHERENTLY LOW INTENSITY FORMAT, SERVING A LIMITED NUMBER OF GUESTS IN A CONTROLLED SETTING WITH NO EXPANSION OF THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT.
THEY AGREED UPON CONDITIONAL OVERLAY, FURTHER RESTRICTS A WIDE RANGE OF POTENTIALLY INCOMPATIBLE USES, THEREBY REINFORCING COMPATIBILITY WITH A SURROUNDING RESIDENTIAL AREA.
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS, THE APPLICANT HAS BEEN RESPONSIVE AND COLLABORATIVE, WORKING IN GOOD FAITH TO ADDRESS CONCERNS EVEN AMONG ADJACENT RESIDENTS.
THERE'S A RECOGNITION THAT IF REZONING IS TO OCCUR, THIS NEGOTIATED FRAMEWORK IS MORE RESPONS A REMORSE RESPONSIBLE OUTCOME.
FOR THESE REASONS, ANA SUPPORTS THIS REZONING AS A REASONABLE AND ENFORCEABLE COMPROMISE THAT PROTECTS THE CHARACTER AND LIVABILITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TO APPROVE THE LR ZONING, INCLUDING THE AGREED UPON PROHIBITED USES, AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DONNA OSBORNE, WHO WILL BE RECEIVING TWO MINUTES OF TIME FROM WILLIAM OSBORNE.
WILLIAM, ARE YOU PRESENT? DONNA, YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MINUTES.
I DON'T THINK I'LL MEET HIM, BUT HELLO, CHAIR WOODS AND COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS DONNA OSBORNE, SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UH, WE'VE REACHED A CLEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE APPLICANT AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO INCLUDE THE ADDITIONAL PROHIBITED USES ON THE PROPERTY ALONGSIDE WITH THE SERVICE STATION USE, UH, WITHIN THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY ASSOCIATED WITH THE REQUESTED ZONING CHANGE FROM GEO TO LR.
THOSE WERE READ OFF, I WAS GOING TO LIST THEM.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I NEED TO READ 'EM OFF AGAIN, BUT WE, UH, RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THOSE BE ADDED TO THE CONDITIONAL OVERLAY TO GIVE A BETTER LEVEL OF WHAT THE RESTRICTIONS COULD BE ON THIS PROPERTY.
UM, NEXT I WANNA POINT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SLIDE.
[03:15:01]
UM, THIS IS WEST FIFTH AND WEST, UH, LOWER FIFTH AND SIX ABOVE STARTING, UM, THREE GREEN DOTS ARE LAMAR AND GOING ALL THE WAY TO MOPAC ON SIXTH STREET.WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THREE GREEN DOTS AT SIX AND LAMAR? UM, OUR RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE OR ARE THERE THAT WILL BE NO LONGER THERE AS THAT IS BEING REDEVELOPED INTO A, A LARGE MIXED USE LUXURY CONDOMINIUM PROJECT WITH, UH, TWO RESTAURANTS ON SITE.
SO YOU GO DOWN AND THEN THERE'S A BLUE DOT, WHICH IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER RESTAURANT AT THAT IS THE NEW, UH, BLANCO AND SIXTH STREET PROPERTY THAT ALSO INCLUDES SWEDISH SHELL.
NEXT DOOR THERE'S IS IT HAROLD'S THE BAR, THE LITTLE CAFE BAR, AND AROUND THE CORNER ROSIE'S.