[00:00:07]
[CALL TO ORDER ]
TODAY IS TUESDAY, JUNE 16TH.WE ARE IN CITY HALL, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
I'LL START WITH A, IS THERE AN ECHO IN HERE? 5 59.
IS THAT JUST ME?
UH,
PRESENT? I THINK THAT WAS A YES.
COMMISSIONER CHRISTIAN SHEPPEY? NOPE.
SO WE HAVE ONE ABSENT, 10 PRESENT.
SO WE WILL GO TO THE CONSENT AGENDA,
[Consent Agenda]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.ITEM ONE, APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING OF TUESDAY, JUNE 2ND.
ITEM TWO, ZONING COMMISSION C 14 20 26 DASH 0 0 9 AT 1 1 8 1 9 IX 35.
IT'S A REZONING CASE OF 7.71 ACRES IS A REZONING FROM INTERIM SF TWO TO G-R-M-U-C-O.
AND THEN KIND OF A MATCHING CASE IS C 14 20 26 DASH 0 0 2 5 AT THE SAME ADDRESS.
IT IS A REZONING CASE FROM UN ZONE TO G-R-M-U-C-O, THE SAME ZONING.
SO IT'LL BE ONE UNIFIED PROJECT.
ITEM FOUR, REZONING CASE C 14 20 24 DASH 0 0 9 2.
ALL RED RIDDLE AND WEST SLAUGHTER DISTRICT FIVE.
I AM NOT GONNA READ ALL THOSE ADDRESSES.
THAT'S BASICALLY ON RIDDLE ROAD.
ALL RED DRIVE, WEST SLAUGHTER LANE, UM, SLAUGHTER LANE, RUFF GIBSON.
UM, IT REQUEST IS SF TWO NEIGHBORHOOD AND SF TWO N-O-L-R-M-U-C-O TO G-O-M-U-L-O-M-U-L-R-M-U-C-S ONE MU.
BUT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER 'CAUSE IT'S AN APPLICANT REQUESTING AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
SO A LOT OF WORDS FOR AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT.
UM, ITEM FIVE IS A SITE PLAN EXTENSION S PC 0 1 0 4 5 6 CXT THREE ST.
UM, IT IS A REQUEST AS APPROVED BY, RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
AND, UM, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, UH, TO EXTEND THE PROJECT FROM DECEMBER 6TH, 2027 TO DECEMBER 6TH, 2037.
SO THE CONSENT AGENDA IS, UH, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM JUNE 2ND.
UM, ITEM THREE OR BOTH TIED TOGETHER, THEY'RE RECOMMENDED STAFF.
ITEM FOUR IS AN INDEFINITE POSTPONEMENT BY THE APPLICANT.
AND ITEM FIVE IS A SITE PLAN EXTENSION AND ALSO RECOMMENDED BY STAFF YOU ANY DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? IT'S A POINT OF ORDER THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER JPE HAS JOINED US.
SO WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS GROUP HERE.
UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? IF NOT, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
WE GOTTA HAVE THE PUBLIC, THE SPEAKERS BACK HERE.
DO Y'ALL WANNA TALK? YEAH, YOU CAN TALK US OUT OF IT IF YOU WANT.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? WE HAD A MOTION SECOND.
MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[6. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation to the Austin City Council to initiate the development of a Public Access Easement (PAE) policy within the Land Development Code. (Sponsored by Commissioner Stern and Vice Chair Greenberg) ]
AND ACTION ITEM DISCUSSION AND ACTION.TO APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO INITIATE DEVELOPMENT OF A PUBLIC ACCESS EASEMENT PAE POLICY WITHIN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND I WILL TURN THAT OVER TO COMMISSIONER STERN AND GREENBERG.
WELL, YOU RULE THE VICE CHAIR.
YOU WERE CO WELL, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, AS SEVERAL PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION KNOW, I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS CHALLENGE FOR A WHILE, SO I'M GLAD TO FINALLY, UH, BRING A DRAFT YOUR WAY AND GET FEEDBACK.
UM, RIGHT NOW, THIS ITEM IS ABOUT SOMETHING PRETTY SIMPLE, WHICH IS MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO WALK OR BIKE THROUGH OUR CITY AS IT GROWS.
AND RIGHT NOW, MANY OF OUR DEVELOPMENTS ARE INTERNALLY CONNECTED, BUT THEY'RE NOT CONNECTED TO THE PUBLIC.
NOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE EAST SIDE OR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, WE KIND OF TAKE IT FOR GRANTED THAT IF YOU BUILD A BUILDING THERE, IT'S GONNA BE SURROUNDED ALL ON ALL SIDES BY SIDEWALK OR ALLEYWAY.
AND YOU CAN WALK AROUND IT, YOU CAN CUT THROUGH, YOU HAVE OPTIONS, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN MOST OTHER PARTS OF OUR CITY.
IN MANY PLACES, WHAT WE'RE BUILDING INSTEAD ARE THESE LARGE INWARD FACING DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE NO PUBLIC ACCESS THROUGH THEM.
[00:05:01]
IF TWO DESTINATIONS ARE RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER, YOU STILL HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY AROUND.WHEN WE BUILD MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS WITHOUT SHARED ACCESS, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY BUILDING MULTI-STORY CUL-DE-SACS.
NOW THAT MIGHT MAKE YOU FEEL SAFER, BUT IT ACTUALLY HAS THE OPPOSITE EFFECT OVER TIME.
IT MEANS THAT THERE'S FEWER EYES ON THE STREET, THERE'S LESS ACTIVITY, THERE ARE FEWER CONNECTIONS WITH NEIGHBORS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND ULTIMATELY THIS MORE DEPENDENCE ON A CAR FOR EVEN THE SMALLEST TRIPS.
AND THIS BECOMES ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT ON LARGE SITES.
IN SOME PARTS OF AUSTIN, WE'RE SEEING MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENTS THAT STRETCH HUNDREDS OF FEET, SOMETIMES MUCH MORE WITHOUT A SINGLE PUBLIC WAY THROUGH.
AND IF A PROJECT STRETCHES 350 FEET, UM, WHICH IS THE SIZE OF A BLOCK LENGTH OR MORE WITHOUT A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE CONNECTION THROUGH IT, THEN WE'RE REALLY JUST BUILDING A PEDESTRIAN BARRIER AND WE'RE FORCING PEOPLE TO WALK OR BIKE ON MAJOR ARTERIALS EVEN WHEN DESTINATIONS ARE DIRECTLY ADJACENT FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, THAT SORT OF SITUATION'S HAPPENING TODAY ON SOUTH LAMAR.
SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO WORK AND, YOU KNOW, DRIVE TO WORK, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GET IN YOUR CAR.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS WITH OTHER INITIATIVES TO GRAB A BAG OF ICE OR PICK UP AN EGG OR GET A CUP OF COFFEE OR VISIT THE PHARMACY OR TAKE A YOGA CLASS.
AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN ACTUAL EXAMPLE.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE ALAMO DRAFT HOUSE ON SOUTH LAMAR, WHICH IS LOCATED IN LAMAR UNION, AND YOU AFTERWARDS YOU WANT TO GRAB DINNER AT MA'S, THERE IS NO WAY TO WALK BETWEEN THAT PROJECT AND GET THERE.
YOU HAVE TO WALK ON SOUTH LAMAR.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA THINK ABOUT THAT.
LIKE, WOULD YOU LET AN 8-YEAR-OLD DO THAT TRIP ON THEIR OWN? AND IF THE ANSWER IS NO, THEN WHY ARE WE CONTINUING TO BUILD OUR CITY IN A WAY WHERE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE A SAFER OPTION? THIS RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING TODAY IS ABOUT FIXING THAT PATTERN INCREMENTALLY OVER TIME.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ASKING, UM, FOR NEW RIGHT OF WAY.
WE ARE ASKING CAN WE MAKE BETTER USE OF WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN BUILT? SO IF YOU LOOK AT SUBCHAPTER E IN THE CODE, IT ALREADY POINTS US IN THIS DIRECTION.
IT REQUIRES CONNECTIONS TO THE STREET.
AND WHAT THIS RECOMMENDATION ASKS IS, CAN WE TAKE THAT NEXT STEP AND ENSURE CONNECTIVITY THROUGH THE SITES, NOT JUST AROUND THE EDGES OF THEM.
MOST DEVELOPMENTS ALREADY HAVE A FIRE LANE OR A UTILITY EASEMENT OR AN INTERNAL ACCESS DRIVE, OR MAYBE ALL OF THEM.
AND THIS PROPOSAL IS SUGGESTING THAT WHEN IT'S SAFE AND FEASIBLE, LET'S ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO USE THOSE SPACES AS WELL.
THAT'S WHY I'M RECOMMENDING JOINT USE ACCESS EASEMENTS AS THE PREFERRED APPROACH.
IT AVOIDS DUPLICATING INFRASTRUCTURE AND IT MINIMIZES COST AND DESIGN IMPACTS.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT AN ORDINANCE TODAY.
THIS IS JUST ZAP DOING ITS JOB, IDENTIFYING A GAP, RECOMMENDING THAT COUNCIL DIRECT STAFF TO STUDY IT AND ENGAGE STAKEHOLDERS AND BRING BACK A PROPOSAL.
SO IF WE DO THIS RIGHT, UM, WE DON'T JUST FIX ONE SITE, WE START BUILDING A NETWORK OF SMALL CONNECTIONS THAT OVER TIME MAKE AUSTIN A MORE WALKABLE, CONNECTED AND LIVABLE PLACE.
AND CONNECTIVITY ISN'T SOMETHING YOU BUILD ALL AT ONCE, IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU EITHER ALLOW OR PREVENT OVER TIME, ONE SIDE AT A TIME.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER, UH, THE PROPOSAL THIS EVENING AND CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS.
THE ONLY COMMENT I'VE GOT IT LOOKS GOOD IS A LOT OF THE LARGE APARTMENT COMPLEXES FOR SECURITY AND SAFETY, THEY FENCE THE WHOLE PROPERTY IN AND DON'T ALLOW PEOPLE WHO AREN'T OCCUPANTS TO COME IN AND OUT.
SO THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME MECHANISM BY WHICH THEY CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR PROPERTY SECURE AND SAFE FOR THE RESIDENTS.
UH, I, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE SITTING HERE AROUND DOWNTOWN, THERE ARE BUILDINGS ALL AROUND US.
THERE'S SECURE, I CAN'T GET IN, BUT I CAN STILL WALK ALL THE WAY AROUND THEM.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WOULD THIS APPLY? YOU KNOW, LIKE THERE'S DIFFERENT APARTMENT DESIGNS, LIKE HOW, HOW WOULD THIS WORK IN FOR THE APARTMENT DESIGNS THAT ARE LIKE THE, YOU KNOW, THE SUBURBAN APARTMENTS OR THE, THE GATE? YEP.
HOW WOULD THAT WORK WITH THOSE DESIGNS? EXACTLY.
UM, SO ESSENTIALLY YOU'D WIND UP, UM, BREAKING THAT PROJECT UP INTO DIFFERENT SECTIONS.
SO YOU MIGHT HAVE SECTION ONE, SECTION TWO, SECTION THREE, IF YOU DECIDED YOU WANT TO HAVE A FENCE ALL THE WAY AROUND, UM, THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE THERE.
INSTEAD OF HAVING ONE OF THOSE GATES THAT GO FOR A MILE AND THEN HALF A MILE AROUND AND SURROUND 20
[00:10:01]
BUILDINGS, IT MIGHT BE A GATE THAT SURROUNDS FOUR OF THOSE BUILDINGS AT A TIME.THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO WORK WITH, I KNOW WE HAD A SITE A LONG TIME AGO IN SOUTH AUSTIN NEAR CROCKETT HIGH SCHOOL, AND THE DEVELOPER WAS BUILDING A LARGE FACILITY WHERE KIDS WERE USED TO WALKING TO HIGH SCHOOL THROUGH THE, THE PROPERTY.
AND SO THEY ACTUALLY MANAGED TO HAVE A SECURITY GUARD THERE DURING MORNING HOURS AND AFTERNOON HOURS ONLY TO ALLOW THE STUDENTS TO, TO GO ACROSS THE SITE WITHIN, DURING THE EVENING HOURS IT WAS CLOSED.
SO IT WAS A, A GATE THAT WAS OPEN DURING NORMAL SCHOOL HOURS AND OPERATING HOURS, BUT THEN CLOSED DURING THE EVENING HOURS.
I, I PURPOSELY AM TRYING NOT TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE.
'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE A DIFFERENT SOLUTION FOR EACH SITE.
IT'S JUST THAT IF SOMEBODY HAS TO GO MORE THAN A BLOCK OUT OF THEIR WAY, WE REALLY NEED TO CONSIDER, UM, THAT WE HAVE EASEMENTS ALREADY, AND I'M SEEING THIS EVEN IN THE BUILDING I LIVE IN, THEY BUILT AN APARTMENT RIGHT NEXT DOOR.
OUR TWO FENCES TOUCH ONE ANOTHER, BUT THERE'S STILL UTILITY POLES THERE.
THEY COULD EASILY HAVE BACKED UP THOSE FENCES BY TWO AND A HALF FEET IN EACH DIRECTION AND WE'D BE ABLE TO WALK BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS.
THE PROCESS FOR THIS WOULD BE A, JUST THIS WOULD BE SENT TO COUNCIL WITH OUR RECOMMENDATION FOR THEM TO CONSIDER SUBMITTING THIS AS A RULE MAKING MECHANISM.
THROUGH THE RULE MAKING PROCESS.
UM, I, I'VE CERTAINLY DONE ENOUGH RESEARCH THAT IF A COUNCIL DECIDES TO TAKE IT UP AND THEN MAKE THEIR OWN POLICY, I CAN GIVE THEM CODE REWRITE SUGGESTIONS.
BUT I, I AM, I WROTE IT SO THAT WAY COUNCIL WOULD GO TO STAFF.
'CAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ARE AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND, UM, JUST HAVEN'T REALLY HAD DIRECTION TO ADDRESS IT YET.
UH, COMMISSIONER STERN, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, UH, SO I WOULD SAY MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS ALWAYS COST.
I'D SAY THINK ABOUT LIKE UN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF COSTS.
LIKE I KNOW THAT COUNCIL MADE ABOUT THE DECISIONS LAST YEAR THAT IT'S NOT FIXED THIS YEAR JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU EACH INDIVIDUALLY, YOU MAKE A CHOICE THAT SEEMS REASONABLE.
IT'S LIKE, OOPS, YOU KNOW, YOU MAKE THINGS COST A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE.
WHY ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THIS IS NOT GONNA HAVE LIKE, A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE COST OR, OR MAKE CERTAIN KINDS OF UNITS IMPOSSIBLE TO BUILD? YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE THAT, THAT'S ALWAYS SAY MY BIGGEST CONCERN.
UM, WELL, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROPOSAL, IT'S, UM, DIRECTING, UH, STAFF TO COME UP WITH CODE REWRITE THAT ENCOURAGES USING THE EXISTING EASEMENTS FOR THIS ACCESS INSTEAD OF CREATING A NEW STANDALONE EASEMENT.
AND BELIEVE ME, I CONSIDERED MAKING A WHOLE STANDALONE EASEMENT, BUT I TO YOUR POINT, DON'T THINK THAT THAT IS, UM, GONNA BE THE MOST VIABLE OPTION FOR MANY DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
AND INSTEAD I WANT THEM TO LOOK AT THE ONES THEY'RE ALREADY REQUIRED TO DO.
YOU HAVE TO LET FIRE IN, YOU HAVE TO ALLOW UTILITIES IN.
SO WHY NOT MAKE THAT AREA THE WALKABLE OR BIKEABLE COMPONENT? SO THAT'S THE THING.
HOW WAS SOMETHING ALREADY AN EXISTING EASEMENT BUT NOT TRAVERSABLE? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? LIKE, LIKE THE SITUATION THAT YOU DESCRIBED WITH APARTMENT COMPLEX? YEAH, I THOUGHT THAT DELTA YOU HAD TO, YOU HAD, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS, I MEAN, I KNOW PEOPLE BREAK THOSE RULES, BUT I THOUGHT BROADLY YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE EASEMENTS BE LIKE UNOCCUPIED.
AND THEY, THEY HAVE THE EASEMENTS, THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ANY OBLIGATION TO ALLOW PEOPLE THROUGH.
SO YOU CAN HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF ELECTRICAL POLES AND THEN YOU CAN HAVE A BIG FENCE THAT'S HIDING THEM.
AND THEN IF THEY, THE CITY NEEDS TO WORK ON THEM, THEY MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE DOWN YOUR FENCE OR WHATEVER, IF IT'S REALLY NECESSARY TO WORK ON THE EASEMENT.
MOST OF THE GATES HAVE A NOX LOCK MM-HMM
WHERE THE FIRE POLICE EMS CITY HAS A KEY TO IT.
SO YOU COME IN, YOU OPEN A NOX LOCK, YOU GET A KEY OUT, OPEN THE KEY.
THE NOX LOCK, THAT, THAT UNLOCKS IT FOR ME.
THEN THERE ARE OTHER LIKE REPAIRABLE IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THESE EASEMENTS.
OH, EXCUSE ME, CAN YOU TURN YOUR MIC ON? AND THEN THERE ARE OTHER REPAIRABLE IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN EASEMENTS LIKE FENCING AND, OR LIKE IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, WILL REMOVE, BUT THEN THEY HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PLACE BACK.
I'M, I'M SUPPORTIVE, UM, OF THE CONCEPT, BUT MY, MY ONLY QUESTION WOULD BE LIKE, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE INCENTIVE TO GET PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO GRANT THIS EASEMENT THROUGH THE SITE? YOU KNOW, I, I, I WOULD SAY THAT THIS, I'D ECHO THE SAME CONCERNS, YOU KNOW, AROUND SECURITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU INCENTIVIZE THE, YOU KNOW, THE ACCESS EASEMENT THROUGH THE SITE.
UM, AND I BRIEFLY READ THROUGH THERE, I KNOW THAT THERE'S CREDIT FOR PARK OR, YOU KNOW, PARKS AND OPEN SPACE OR PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, APPEAL TO DEVELOPERS? WELL, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO OFFER CREDIT TO THE DEVELOPER, UM, SPECIFICALLY TDM CREDIT BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE CREATING A WALKABLE AND BIKEABLE THROUGHWAY AND WHAT IS CURRENTLY A REQUIRED EASEMENT THAT DOESN'T GET YOU ANY POINTS.
UM, BUT ALSO IT ALLOWS YOU TO OFFSET, OR I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT IT ALLOWS YOU TO
[00:15:01]
OFFSET SOME OPEN SPACE, UM, THAT WAS ON SITE SO THAT WAY YOU CAN USE THAT FOR CIRCULATION.I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL DEVELOPERS ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
AND, AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ACTUALLY PLANTED THE SEED ABOUT, UM, THE EXISTING EASEMENTS AND LOOKING TO SEE WHETHER THIS COULD BE BUILT WITHIN THOSE EASEMENTS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ACTUALLY THE ORDINANCE, THIS IS JUST PUSHING IT TO STAFF TO COME BACK AND THERE'LL BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND THIS WON'T LOOK LIKE THE FINAL VERSION.
BUT
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER GREENBERG? SO I, I LIKE THIS IDEA AT FIRST.
YOU KNOW, YOU SAY, OH, YOU DON'T HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN CENTRAL AUSTIN.
UM, AND YET I, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A PROPERTY DEVELOPER WANTING TO DEVELOP A CERTAIN PROPERTY AND THE NEIGHBORS WERE LIKE, WELL, WE'LL, YOU KNOW, CAN WE STILL WALK THROUGH? AND THE ANSWER FROM THAT DEVELOPER WHO WAS OFTEN IN FRONT OF US
UM, AND SO THIS WOULD MAKE IT MORE LIKELY THAT THE ANSWER WOULD END UP BEING YES.
UM, BECAUSE THERE ARE FIRE LANES OR UTILITY EASEMENTS OR INTERNAL DRIVES AND A PROPERTY THAT LARGE.
AND THEN THINKING ABOUT A PROPERTY CLOSER TO HOME, WAY CLOSER TO HOME, WHICH IS MY OWN PROPERTY THAT HAS A UTILITY EASEMENT, UM, WHICH IS A SHARED DRIVEWAY BETWEEN MY NEIGHBOR AND MYSELF.
BUT AT THE END OF IT IS A GATE.
SO YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTY THAT HAS A UTILITY EASEMENT AND THAT I'VE GOT TO, I MEAN, WALKING THROUGH WOULD BE FINE, BUT YOU OPEN THAT GATE, PEOPLE COULD DRIVE DOWN MY DRIVEWAY OVER TO THE ALLEY AND I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT THAT.
I FELT IT WAS PREMATURE TO REALLY TALK ABOUT SINGLE FAMILY, BUT I MEAN, WE CAN ALREADY SEE EXAMPLES OF THIS.
I MAY, THIS MAY NOT BE THE BEST EXAMPLE, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU SEE THE CITY'S INVOLVEMENT IN A PROJECT, THEY TEND TO MAKE IT SO THAT WAY YOU CAN WALK THROUGH AND TO THE, THAT PROJECT.
YOU KNOW, SO YOU MIGHT THINK ABOUT THE TRIANGLE, YOU CAN ACCESS IT FROM ALL SIDES, HOWEVER YOU GO LIKE A BLOCK OR TWO DOWN TO THE STATE HOSPITAL.
AND I'M SURE THERE ARE VERY GOOD REASONS FOR IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T JUST WALK ACROSS THE STATE HOSPITAL PROPERTY TO GO OVER TO CENTRAL MARKET.
I GOTTA WALK ALL THE WAY AROUND IT.
AND IT'S THAT REPEATED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT TURNS INTO CART TRIPS.
AND I'M JUST LOOKING FOR WAYS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO CHOOSE TO WALK OR BIKE WHEN BY WHERE THE, AS THE CROW FLIES.
I'VE GOT, UH, ONE ADDITIONAL QUESTION.
UM, SO COMMISSIONER STERN, YOU TALKED ABOUT ENCOURAGING THIS.
UM, DID YOU LOOK AT, UM, MAYBE HAVING A LITTLE BIT MORE TEETH TO IT? SO INSTEAD OF CREDITS, YOU KNOW, MAKING THIS MANDATORY, UM, FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS, UM, UM, AND IF SO, UM, WHY DID WE CHOOSE TO ENCOURAGE RATHER THAN, UH, REQUIRE? HOW WOULD THAT BE A DIFFERENT PROCESS? WELL, I WOULD CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE THIS TO BECOME REQUIRED FOR MULTIFAMILY AND MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.
EVEN STILL, I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE IN A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOU'RE GONNA START FINING PEOPLE FOR SOMETHING.
INSTEAD, YOU WANNA FOCUS ON THE CARROT AND NOT THE STICK.
UM, BUT I'M GONNA ALLOW OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OUR CITY STAFF MEMBERS TO MAKE THE CALL ABOUT WHAT'S GONNA MAKE THE MOST SENSE.
AND YOU GOTTA THINK INCREMENTALISM IS THE NAME OF THE GAME.
SO IF WE CAN GET SOMETHING, IT'S BETTER THAN NOTHING AND WE CAN REVIEW IT FROM TIME TO TIME TO SEE IF IT'S WORKING OR IF IT NEEDS TO BE MORE ROBUST.
I, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT.
YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION? ALRIGHT, I'LL LET YOU MAKE THE MOTION.
CHAIR, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE, UH, AT THIS COUNCIL APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION PUBLIC ACCESS EASEMENTS.
IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER GREENBERG IS SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED HIT YOU NEXT.
COMMITTEE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
[PERMANENT COMMITTEE UPDATES ]
CODES AND ORDINANCES, JOINT COMMITTEE.OUR MEETING FOR TOMORROW WAS CANCELED.
I THINK I GOT AN EMAIL THIS WEEK SAYING WE NEED TO GET A MEETING SET UP.
SO I THINK THERE'S ONE COMING UP SOON.
[00:20:01]
COMMITTEE, NO UPDATES.[WORKING GROUP UPDATE ]
AND RESPONSIBILITIES WORKING GROUP.I DON'T THINK THERE'S MUCH GOING ON WITH THAT.
THIS IS, THIS IS FOR THE, THE DIVISION OF LABOR, RIGHT? YES.
I HAD AN UNEXPECTED MEDICAL PROCEDURE, WHICH SLOWED ME DOWN, BUT I'M ABOUT 80% DONE WITH DRAFT TWO.
UH, IT'S A LOT MORE USER-FRIENDLY.
I'VE, UH, INCORPORATED, UH, A COUPLE OF SENTENCES ABOUT HOW THINGS WERE PLACED.
UH, I, I, I NOW TRACK WHAT THE CODE CURRENTLY SAYS VERSUS KIND OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
I HAVE SUMMARIES ABOUT SORT OF EACH, EACH ACTION ITEM.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT A FAST TRACK CERTIFICATION IS.
UH, SO THOSE THINGS ARE ADDED.
AND THEN I ALSO GROUPED EACH THE ACTION ITEMS BY, LIKE, BY CATEGORIES.
SO LIKE, HEY, HERE ARE THE SITE PLAN CHANGES FOR, FOR ZAP AND PC VERSUS, UH, HILL COUNTRY CORRIDOR AND SO FORTH.
SO IT'S JUST A LOT MORE USER FRIENDLY.
UM, I WON'T PROMISE THIS, BUT IF I CAN GET IT DONE BY NEXT MEETING, I WILL HAVE LINKS SO THAT IF YOU GO TO IT AND YOU, OH, WHAT IS THIS? YOU CAN JUST CLICK ON IT AND IT'LL TAKE YOU RIGHT TO, TO THAT SECTION OF THE CODE.
I'M, I'M NOT GONNA PROMISE THAT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GET IT DONE IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.
BUT WE WILL HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S A LOT MORE USER FRIENDLY, UH, A LOT MORE READABLE, UM, WITH SOME BACKGROUND ON HOW THE LIST AND DIVISION OF LABOR WAS PUT TOGETHER IN NEXT MEETING.
AND YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THREE WEEKS TO THE NEXT MEETING, SO YOU GET A BONUS EXTRA WEEK.
SO
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? WELL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT WORK.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
ITEMS? HEARING NONE.