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I'M GOING TO CALL THIS REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL
[CALL TO ORDER ]
COMMISSION TO ORDER.IT IS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5TH, 2026.
WE ARE AT THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ROOM 1405 AT 6 3 1 0 WILLAMINA DELCO DRIVE, AUSTIN, TEXAS.
AND WE WILL START BY ESTABLISHING QUORUM.
CAN YOU HEAR US? COMMISSIONER FIERRO? OKAY.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONLINE COMMISSIONERS CAN'T HEAR US YET.
COMMISSIONER BRIMER, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
WE'RE JUST ESTABLISHING QUORUM.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL ]
GENERAL PUBLIC COMMUNICATION CHAIR.WE HAVE TWO SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, KIMERY DUDA AND ADAM ALKI.
AND THEY HAVE A PRESENTATION AS WELL.
I'M THE FOUNDER OF THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL.
WE ARE ONE OF THE CONCESSIONAIRES ON TOWN LAKE, AND WE ALWAYS POP IN TO BEN TO GIVE YOU A REPORT ON WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT WE'RE UP TO ON THE WATER.
IF YOU'RE JUST HEARING ABOUT US FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL WAS A COMPANY I FOUNDED 20 YEARS AGO.
I GREW UP IN AUSTIN, WENT TO A ISD AND THEN, YOU KNOW, SAW THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE MY DAD HAD POLIO WAYS THAT WE COULD ACCESS TOWN LAKE WAS ON A CEMENT BOAT RAMP.
AND THOSE SESSIONS WITH HIM AND MY MOM AND MY BROTHERS REALLY, UH, MADE A INCREDIBLE IMPRESSION UPON ME.
SO NOW PRESENT DAY, I RUN A COMPANY THAT SERVES THE ADAPTIVE COMMUNITY AND ALSO PROVIDES A LOT OF OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL.
UM, WHAT THAT INCLUDES? AFFORDABLE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMING.
THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE A THANK YOU LETTER FROM BREAKTHROUGH AUSTIN.
WE PROVIDED YOUTH, UH, LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMING FOR THEM THIS PAST SUMMER, WHICH WAS SUPER FUN.
WE ALSO OFFER WEEKLY ADAPTIVE PADDLING PROGRAMS TO OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH INCLUDES IDD INTELLECTUALLY DEVELOPMENTAL DISABLED POPULATIONS, FOLKS WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER, NEURODIVERGENCE, DEAF BLIND, AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BOTH THE DEAF SCHOOLS AND THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED SCHOOLS, PLUS A THRIVING, UH, IDD POPULATION AS WELL.
WE DO EXPEDITION PLANNING FOR WOMEN, ELDERS, AND FAMILIES.
WE OFFER WATERCRAFT RENTALS TO LOCAL, STATE, NATIONAL, AND GLOBAL COMMUNITY.
WE OFFER TEAM BUILDING PROGRAMS FOR PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS, AND OF COURSE, UH, OUR, OUR FAVORITE, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS. WE DO CONSISTENT WATER QUALITY TESTING.
WE'RE PARTNERED WITH LCRA, PUBLISHING THOSE CO CONSISTENTLY.
AND THEN WE ALSO DO CONSISTENT TRASH CLEANUPS.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN WHERE WE'RE LOCATED.
WE'RE ACTUALLY LOCATED ON THE EAST END OF TOWN LAKE ON THE NORTH SHORE, AND WE OPERATE OUT OF THREE SHIPPING CONTAINERS OUT OF FESTIVAL BEACH BOAT RAMP.
WITH THAT, WE LEAD THE INDUSTRY.
WE HAVE CONSISTENTLY WON AWARDS FOR OUR SAFETY COURSE TRAINING.
FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, OVER 800 LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED BY OUR STUDENTS AND CPR LIFEGUARDING WILDERNESS MEDICINE.
UM, WE ARE PARTNERS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS AT THE LOCAL AS WELL AS THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY.
AND, HI, HOW AND WHY? BECAUSE OUR SAFETY AND STANDARDS IN DROWNING PREVENTION, WATER SAFETY, SAFETY CERTIFICATIONS, ADAPTIVE PROGRAMMING, YOUTH LEADERSHIP TRAINING, CLIMATE MEDICINE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL WORK.
UH, JUST GO UNRIVALED QUITE HONESTLY.
WATER SAFETY AND DROWNING PREVENTION, ALONG WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IS AT OUR CORE, UM, AGAIN, AWARD-WINNING SAFETY COURSES FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.
AND WE'RE ACTIVE MEMBERS, NOT JUST WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, BUT ALSO TEXAS WATER SAFETY COALITION, NATIONAL DROWNING PREVENTION ALLIANCE, AND SAFE KIDS.
THIS IS A QUICK SNAPSHOT OF OUR PADDLERS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, EVERYBODY'S WEARING LIFE JACKETS, HAVING SOME FUN
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AND, AND PRIVILEGED.I'M ADAM SHEDLOSKI, THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR AT THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL, WORKING UNDER KIM DUDA FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS.
AND IF WE COULD PICK UP, UH, RIGHT WHERE SHE LEFT OFF WITH THAT PRESENTATION, THAT'D BE GREAT.
INCREDIBLE TEAM THAT, THAT ADVENTURES WITH US ON TO LAKE EVERY WEEK, BUT JUST ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
WE SAFELY TAUGHT AND RENTED WATERCRAFT, UH, TO MANY FIRST TIME PADDLERS ACCESSING LADYBIRD LAKE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, BOTH LOCAL AND VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.
WE GUIDED 44, UH, UNIQUE ADAPTIVE GROUP PADDLES, EACH SUPPORTING 10 TO 15 ADULT ATHLETES WITH IDD.
AND EACH SUMMER WE HOST A LOCAL SPECIAL OLYMPICS FOR THAT VERY TEAM.
AGAIN, WHEN THE THE WATER IS NOT RIGHT OR THE, THE WEATHER'S NOT RIGHT TO GET ON THE WATER, UH, WE'LL DO A DRY LAND HIKE AROUND OUR HIKE BIKE TRAIL, WHICH IS WONDERFUL AND REALLY HAPPY TO KNOW THAT THE, THE WISHBONE BRIDGE IS FULLY CONNECTING NOW, BOTH THE NORTH AND SOUTH SHORES.
WE'VE GUIDED OUR BIANNUAL MULTI-SPORT PADDLE IN CONSERVATION DAY FOR 250 MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ATTENDANCE AT AUSTIN, ISD DELL VALLEY, ISD, AND MAINOR IDS.
UH, WE HOST ANNUAL VOLUNTEER CLEANUPS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT DAYS FOR MANY LOCAL CORPORATE TEAMS. COLLECTIVELY, THEY'VE CLEANED UP OVER A THOUSAND POUNDS OF TRASH AND 500 POUNDS OF RECYCLING.
CONTINUE WITH OUR EMPOWERMENT, CONSERVATION AND LEADERSHIP TRAININGS FOR LOCAL EAST SIDE, UH, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WHICH SUPPORT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AGE, FIRST TIME COLLEGE SEEKERS.
THIS IS A BREAKTHROUGH PROGRAM THAT KIM MENTIONED.
UH, OFTENTIMES DESPITE BEING LOCAL INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE, ARE COMING FROM THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION AUSTIN FAMILIES, THESE STUDENTS ARE GETTING ON THE WATER FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
UH, IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE ABOVE, WE, OUR CONSERVATION TRAINING AND GUIDED PADDLING EXCURSIONS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, UM, ALWAYS UNDERSCORES DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
THEIR, UH, LOCAL TEAM CLEANED UP OVER 150 POUNDS OF TRASH THAT DAY ALONE WITH, YOU KNOW, JUST A SMALL, SMALL CORE GROUP OF, OF WHAT THEIR ENTIRE GLOBAL TEAM LOOKS LIKE.
OUR PADDLING EXCURSIONS SUPPORT AND FOSTER LOCAL SOCIAL CONNECTIONS.
UH, WE GUIDE PADDLE EXCURSIONS FOR GLOBAL LEADERS, JUDICIARIES PHYSICIANS, CONSERVATIONISTS ATTORNEYS, AND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NGOS AND DC AND UT AUSTIN.
WE CREATE SAFER OUTDOOR SPACES FOR OUR COMMUNITY AT LARGE IN AND AROUND THE EXPEDITION SCHOOL BOATHOUSE LOCATION.
ONE THING YOU DON'T GET WITH THESE PHOTOS IS THE OVERWHELMING HEAT AND HUMIDITY, BUT CERTAINLY GET ENOUGH JOY RADIATING OFF THAT THOSE FACES.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH CITY OFFICIALS.
RELOCATE AN UNHOUSED ENCAMPMENT ON CITY PARKLAND TO ALLOW FOR REHAB OF THE LAND AND CREATING SAFER COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND OUR WORK REPORTING ILLEGAL PADDLING BUSINESSES CONTINUES AS WELL.
CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING ON JULY 15TH.MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LUKI.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HANDS.
AND I ALSO WANNA NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT WE HAVE COMMISSIONER MORRISON ON THE DAIS.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT, LET'S GO TO STAFF BRIEFINGS.
[2. Staff briefing regarding an update to the Bird-Friendly Design Resolution. Presentation by Leslie Lilly, Lily Rerecich, and Hannelore Sederholm, Austin Watershed Protection. Sponsored by Chair Krueger and Vice Chair Bristol. ]
UH, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE TO THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN RESOLUTION PRESENTATION BY LESLIE LILLY.OH, UH OH, IC, I DON'T THINK I PRONOUNCE THAT NAME.
HANOR, UH, EROL AUSTIN WATERSHED PROTECTION.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M LESLIE LILLY WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.
I LEAD THE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY TEAM.
SO BEFORE I LET MY AMAZING INTERNS TAKE IT AWAY WITH THE PRESENTATION, I JUST WANNA SAY WATERSHED THAT HAS THIS REALLY AMAZING SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT INVITES YOUNG MINDS TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOME REALLY AMAZING WORK THAT WE DO.
AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT LILY AND HANNAH LORI BROUGHT TO THE WORK THAT WE DID, UH, THAT STAFF WERE TASKED WITH DOING FOR RESEARCHING BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, UM, DATA AND, UH, EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN IS, WAS REALLY WONDERFUL.
AND I THINK THEIR PRESENTATION
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WILL, UH, SHOW THAT.SO I'LL LET THEM TAKE IT AWAY.
I'M A RISING SENIOR AT THE ANN RICHARDS SCHOOL FOR YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS, AND I'M A TWO TIME SUMMER INTERN WITH THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT.
I'M A RISING SENIOR AT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, AND THIS IS MY FIRST SUMMER, UH, INTERNING AT WATERSHED PROTECTION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO OUR PRESENTATION.
FIRST, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE UPDATING Y'ALL ON.
OUR WORK IS DIRECTED BY A CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED IN 2024, AND THAT RESOLUTION ASKED CITY STAFF TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE OF BIRD WINDOW COLLISIONS IN AUSTIN.
IF YOU AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THAT, BIRD WINDOW COLLISIONS ARE A SURPRISINGLY WIDESPREAD ISSUE WHERE BIRDS GET CONFUSED BY TRANSPARENT OR REFLECTIVE GLASS AND WILL FLY STRAIGHT INTO IT, OFTEN WITH FATAL RESULTS.
AND 1 BILLION BIRD DEATHS EVERY YEAR IN NORTH AMERICA IS A SERIOUS DANGER TO BIRD POPULATIONS.
SO THIS RESOLUTION WAS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AND ASKED CITY STAFF TO LOOK AT IT AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT APPROPRIATE RESPONSES FOR BIRD SAFE DESIGN ORDINANCES.
MOST RECENTLY, AFTER WATERSHED PROTECTION, TOOK ON THE EFFORT AND MADE A REPORT LAST YEAR, OUR OBJECTIVES WERE SPECIFIED IN A 2026 MEMORANDUM.
AND THE THREE OBJECTIVES THAT THAT MEMORANDUM OUTLINED WERE TO CREATE A RESIDENTIAL OUTREACH PROGRAM, COLLECT MORE DATA ON THE IMPACT OF BIRD WINDOW COLLISIONS AND UPDATE GREEN BUILDING POLICY, UH, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THE LAST ONE, THE GREEN BUILDING POLICY IS ONGOING, BUT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY COVERED IN THIS PRESENTATION.
THE OTHER TWO OBJECTIVES MOSTLY WERE COVERED DURING OUR SUMMER INTERNSHIP, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH Y'ALL TODAY.
SO TO BEGIN WITH THE INTERN DATA COLLECTION, WE BEGAN BY CONSULTING LIGHTS OUT TEXAS VOLUNTEER AND DATA COLLECTION PROTOCOL COORDINATION.
WHAT WE DID IN OUR WALKS IS WE TOOK FOUR AND A HALF MILE WALKS OF BEGINNING IN AROUND JUNE 5TH AND GOING THROUGH JULY 9TH, THREE TO FOUR TIMES A WEEK.
AND IT WAS, THE WALKS OCCURRED MIDDAY.
WE SEARCHED IN FOLIAGE AND LANDSCAPING AROUND BUILDINGS WITH WINDOW FACES FOR DEAD BIRDS.
AND IF WE FOUND ONE AS SHOWN IN THE PICTURE, WE TOOK A PICTURE WITH A RULER IN IT FOR HELP IDENTIFYING SPECIES LATER.
UM, THE WAY WE MOSTLY FOLLOWED THE LIGHTS OUT TEXT IS RECOMMENDATIONS.
HOWEVER, UM, WE DIFFERED IN A FEW WAYS.
FOR EXAMPLE, LIGHTS OUT SUGGESTS THAT YOU TAKE YOUR SURVEYS IN THE MORNING.
THIS MATTERS BECAUSE A LOT OF DEAD BIRDS ARE PICKED UP EITHER BY PREDATORS OR CUSTODIAL STAFF IN THE MORNING.
AND SO OUR DATA UNDER UNDERREPRESENTS THE DATA OUT THERE.
SO THE RESULTS OF OUR DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS WERE THAT WE FOUND EVIDENCE OF MORE THAN 30 BIRD STRIKES OVER THE SPAN OF SIX WEEKS.
AND AS H LORI ALREADY MENTIONED, BECAUSE WE WERE TAKING OUR WALKS AFTER THE PEAK OF BIRD MIGRATION SEASON IN APRIL AND MAY, AND BECAUSE WE WERE TAKING OUR WALKS AFTER MOST BIRDS ARE COLLECTED BY JANITORIAL STAFF, WE KNOW THAT 30 BIRD STRIKES IS A SEVERE UNDERESTIMATE OF HOW MANY ARE OCCURRING.
BUT BECAUSE WE WERE COLLECTING THAT DATA AT THE KIND OF LOW POINT OF WHEN YOU'LL FIND DEAD BIRDS, THE FACT THAT WE FOUND MORE THAN 30 TELLS US SOMETHING ABOUT THE SPREAD OF THIS ISSUE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A PICTURE OF OUR SPREADSHEET WHERE WE COMPILED THE DATA AND WE COLLECTED LOCATION DATA, TIMING, WEATHER AND SPECIES WHERE POSSIBLE.
BUT IT WAS NOT ALWAYS, UH, AN OPTION GIVEN THE CONDITION OF THE BIRDS THAT WE FOUND.
SO THE REASON WE COLLECTED SPECIES AND WEATHER DATA WAS TO HELP US IDENTIFY TRENDS, IF THERE ARE ANY, IN UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF BIRD COLLISIONS, IF THERE ARE SPECIES OR DAYS THAT HAVE MORE SIGNIFICANT LOSSES.
SO THE YELLOW IN THE PICTURE IS THE ROUTE THAT WE WALKED.
AS I HAD MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF MILES.
IT'S ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, UM, IN DOWNTOWN.
AND WE WALKED ALONG ROUTES THAT WERE ALONG THE SIDE, ACCESSIBLE WINDOWS, AND SO WE COULDN'T GET ALL THE WAY AROUND BUILDINGS, BUT WE GOT TO AS MANY WINDOWS AS WE COULD.
AND THEN WE ALSO TRIED TO AVOID PLACES THAT
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HAD RESIDENCIES ON THE FIRST FLOOR.SINCE WE RECOGNIZED THAT OUR DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS WERE LIMITED, WE ALSO COOPERATED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN BUILDING SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO BROADEN OUR REACH.
SO WE MET WITH BUILDING MANAGERS AND WE CONSTRUCTED DATA COLLECTION METHODS FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES.
SO THE WAY WE DID THAT WAS CREATING FORMS, FORMS THAT THEIR EMPLOYEES COULD FILL OUT WHEN THEY FIND DEAD BIRDS IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES TO MAKE IT AS ACCESSIBLE AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE A SPANISH AND AN ENGLISH VERSION, AND IT ASKS VERY BASIC INFORMATION.
WHEN DID YOU FIND THE BIRD? CAN YOU UPLOAD A PICTURE OF IT? GIVE AS SPECIFIC LOCATION DATA AS POSSIBLE, AND THEN SOME VERY BASELINE CONDITION INFORMATION.
IS THE BIRD DEAD, STUNNED, INJURED, ET CETERA.
I WILL NOTE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE DATA COMING OUT OF THIS YET BECAUSE IT IS A VERY NEW EFFORT.
IT'S STILL BEING ROLLED OUT, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT COMES THROUGH IT.
SO THE DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE IS A LOCAL NONPROFIT WITH A MISSION TO CREATE, PRESERVE AND ENHANCE THE VIBE, VITALITY, AND VALUE OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN FOR EVERYONE.
WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET RESEARCH THAT THEIR AMBASSADORS HAD BEEN COLLECTING.
THEY HAVE AMBA AMBASSADORS THAT GO THROUGH DOWNTOWN TO CLEAN UP, AND THEY HAVE BEEN COLLECTING DATA ON DEAD BIRDS.
THEY FIND FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
THEY, WHILE IT'S JUST DEAD BIRDS, WE CAN ASSUME MANY OF THEM RESULTED FROM WINDOW COLLISIONS BECAUSE THAT'S A LARGE CAUSE OF BIRD FATALITIES IN URBAN AREAS.
THIS YEAR ALONE, THEY HAVE COLLECTED 446 COLLISIONS, AND WHEN WE GOT THIS NUMBER, IT WAS MID-JULY.
SO THIS IS BEFORE FALL MIGRATION SEASON EVEN BEGINS.
SO WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE MANY MORE.
UM, THE PICTURE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT OF THE SCREEN IS, UH, SIX ZONES THAT THEY COLLECTED IN PRIMARILY, THERE ARE DATA POINTS THAT WERE FOUND OUTSIDE OF HERE, BUT THAT IS WHERE THEY WERE PRIMARILY LOOKING.
THIS IS, UM, WEST OF I 35 AND NORTH OF THE RIVER.
THIS IS THE FIRST SEVEN MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN AMOUNTS OF DATA COLLECTED BASED OFF OF THE MIGRATION SEASON.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN JANUARY, WHICH IS NOT DURING MIGRATION SEASON, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THERE WERE 18 DATA POINTS COLLECTED.
HOWEVER, IN MAY, WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE OF MIGRATION SEASON, THERE WERE AROUND 140, AS Y'ALL RECALL.
THE SECOND MAIN OBJECTIVE DURING OUR INTERNSHIP WAS TO CREATE A RESIDENTIAL OUTREACH CAMPAIGN FOR HOMEOWNERS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS TO TEACH PEOPLE HOW THEY CAN MAKE CHOICES THAT HELP PREVENT WINDOW COLLISIONS IN THE PLACES THEY LIVE.
SO WE CREATED A VARIETY OF ASSETS THAT CITY STAFF CAN SHARE AND USE AS IS CONVENIENT.
THE FIRST KIND WE MADE ARE POSTERS, AND THEY CAN ALSO BE USED AS INFOGRAPHICS.
THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE COPIES OF SOME OF OUR DESIGNS BEFORE YOU, SO YOU CAN TAKE A CLOSER LOOK.
BUT WE COVERED ALL DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THE ISSUE.
WE COVERED COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
WE DISCUSSED SOME OF THE VALUE OF BIRDS.
SO PEOPLE WHO DON'T NECESSARILY ENJOY WASHING BIRDS OR EVEN CARE MUCH ABOUT BIRDS WILL STILL HAVE REASONS TO PROTECT THEM.
WE COVERED VERY PRACTICAL HOW TO WAYS THAT YOU CAN UPDATE YOUR HOMES, GLASS AND LIGHTING TO PROTECT BIRDS.
AND OF COURSE, WE GAVE DIFFERENT METHODS THAT YOU COULD DO THIS AND CONNECTED PEOPLE TO FURTHER RESOURCES.
WE ALSO INCLUDED ALL THIS INFORMATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
SO THE GRAPHICS YOU CAN SEE CAN BE POSTED THROUGH CITY OUTLETS IN CAROUSEL.
AND ON THE LAST, ON THE FAR RIGHT END, YOU CAN SEE WE ALSO GO OVER REDUCING LIGHT POLLUTION BY TURNING OFF YOUR LIGHTSTONE MIGRATION SEASON, WHICH IS AN ISSUE THE CITY HAS RECOGNIZED IN PREVIOUS ORDINANCES AND IS PRETTY WELL KNOWN IN TEXAS.
SO I'M GLAD YOU COULD GIVE IT A SHOUT OUT.
ADDITIONALLY, WE CREATED A PRESENTATION THAT CITY STAFF CAN DELIVER TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE CREATED A FULL SCALE PRESENTATION THAT GOES O OVER ALL PARTS OF THE ISSUE, WHAT IT IS, HOW YOU CAN ADDRESS IT, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS TO START, ET CETERA.
AND WE CREATED A SMALL VERSION THAT IS NOT AN ENTIRE PRESENTATION, BUT ACTUALLY ADDRESSES IT CONCISELY IN A FEW SLIDES.
AND THE BENEFIT OF THIS VERSION IS THAT IT CAN BE INSERTED INTO OTHER PRESENTATIONS OF A DIFFERENT TOPIC.
SO IF SAY AN ANIMAL SERVICES EMPLOYEE IS GIVING A PRESENTATION ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE TO A HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION, THEY CAN TAKE THESE SLIDES AND READY-MADE, THEY'LL GO INTO THEIR PRESENTATION AND THEY CAN TOUCH ON THE ISSUE WITHOUT HAVING TO CREATE A WHOLE ANOTHER
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EVENT JUST DEDICATED TO BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN.AND FINALLY, WE CREATED A COMMUNITY QUESTIONNAIRE.
AND THIS QUESTIONNAIRE IS LINKED IN QR CODES ON ALL THE OTHER MATERIALS WE MADE.
IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND HOW THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FEELS ABOUT BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, WHAT THEIR INTENTIONS MAY BE, WHAT DO THEY KNOW ALREADY.
AND THIS CAN HELP INFORM THE LARGER EFFORT TO EDUCATE AND CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY ON HOW WE CAN PROTECT OUR LOCAL BIRDS.
UM, HERE IS LISTED THE PLACES THAT WE PLAN TO SPREAD OUR RESIDENTIAL OUTREACH CAMPAIGN SO FAR.
UM, WE PLAN TO SEND POSTERS TO LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS, UH, LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS SUCH AS HOAS.
AND ALSO WE HAVE THE PRESENTATIONS THAT CITY STAFF COULD GO AND GIVE TO THOSE ASSOCIATIONS.
OR THEY, WE COULD ALSO DISTRIBUTE THE PRESENTATIONS TO THEM AND THEY COULD DISTRIBUTE THAT TO THEIR MEMBERSHIP.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE AN ONGOING, A VIDEO IN THE MAKING THAT WE COULD ALSO DISSEMINATE TO THOSE GROUPS.
WE PLAN TO POST POSTERS AT CITY OF AUSTIN LIBRARIES AND AT PUBLIC TRAIL HEADS.
AND THEN WE PLAN TO POST THE SOCIAL MEDIA CAROUSEL DURING MIGRATION MONTHS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE WHEN IT MATTERS MOST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
WE'RE NEXT GONNA GO INTO COMMISSIONER, UH, QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
AND I'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.
WELL, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR WHAT YOU DID.
I MEAN, THIS IS A TREMENDOUS, UM, ACHIEVEMENT AND I HOPE WE CAN PUT IT TO USE.
COMMISSIONER MORRISON, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR WORK THIS SUMMER.
THAT'S A, UM, A LOT OF WORK IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, AND SIM SIMILARLY JUST APPRECIATE YOU, UM, PRESENTING TO US.
NO QUESTIONS FROM ME, BUT HOPE THAT WE CAN FIND WAYS AS THE COMMISSION TO USE THIS TO INFORM OUR, UM, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND, AND WORK GOING FORWARD.
SO THANKS SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER LUKI.
UM, I LIKE THIS IDEA OF REACHING OUT TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
UH, I THINK THAT YOU'LL FIND THERE'S ONE ORGANIZATION, UH, CALLED THE AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL, THAT IS THE ORGANIZATION YOU SHOULD REACH OUT TO, TO REACH ALL THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS ALL AT ONCE.
THAT WOULD BE THE, UH, A GOOD WAY OF, OF, UH, GETTING TO ABOUT 80 ORGANIZATIONS.
AND, AND AT ONE TIME YOU COULD DO THIS PRESENTATION FOR THEM.
SO YOU MIGHT DO THAT AND, UH, MAKE IT REAL EASY ON YOURSELF TO THEN HAND IT OFF TO THEM.
CHEERS AND GOOD JOB COMMISSIONER FLURY.
EASY TO FOLLOW, EXCITING, GREAT DATA COLLECTION, GREAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
UM, I ALMOST JUST WANT TO PICK YOUR BRAINS, UH, YOU SOUND LIKE EXPERTS AFTER WALKING FOR SIX WEEKS IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I SAY THIS IN A GOOD WAY, THAT YOU COULD JUST WALK AROUND AND BE LIKE, LOOK AT THAT INFRA.
THAT'S LIKELY, LIKELY, YOU KNOW, LIKE GOING BACK TO YOUR SCHOOLS, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE SUCH GREAT INSIGHT AND JUST SPOT AND WHERE THERE, THERE'S POTENTIALLY BAD, YOU KNOW, IMPACT TO BIRD DESIGN.
DO YOU FEEL THAT WAY? DO YOU FEEL LIKE EXPERT STREET WALKERS, I GUESS, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
AS A STUDENTS, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS REALLY TO CHANGE THE PACE WE LIVE AND WORK IN, RIGHT? YEAH.
TO PUT THE BEST WE HAVE FORWARD.
AND I KNOW AT LEAST IN HAYES COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT, THEY'RE PLANNING A NEW SCHOOL TO INCLUDE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN.
SO PERHAPS THAT CHANGE CAN ALSO COME TO SCHOOLS THAT ARE ALREADY BUILT SO THEY CAN BE RETROFITTED AND UPDATED.
I KNOW I'M WORKING ON THAT ON MY CAMPUS, SO, YEAH.
YEAH, SIMILAR TO THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, LIKE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'VE DONE.
LIKE SERIOUSLY, CONGRATULATIONS.
LIKE, I'M, I'M VERY IMPRESSED.
UM, LIKE FLORA WAS SAYING, YOU ALSO SOUND, I'M LIKE VERY CONFIDENT PROFESSIONALS AND LIKE, IT WAS A VERY EASY AND DIGESTIBLE COM UH, CONVERSATION.
LIKE, YOU UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING.
SO I'M LIKE VERY EXCITED TO SEE HOW THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH GOES AND LIKE THE REACTION FROM EVERYONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
[00:25:01]
YOU'LL SEND THIS OVER TO, UH, NICOLE SO SHE CAN DISTRIBUTE IT OUT TO, UH, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF SMALL QUESTIONS.
YOU'RE DOING THIS DOWNTOWN, CORRECT? YES.
I MEAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE DATA GATHERING THAT, CORRECT? YES.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YOU'RE GONNA BE DOING YOUR THING.
ARE YOU GONNA SPREAD OUT BEYOND DOWNTOWN TO DO DATA COLLECTION OR ARE YOU JUST KEEPING IT, YOU KNOW, YOUR DATA COLLECTION? UH, DOWN THERE? UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE FINISHED COLLECTING DATA PERSONALLY, HOWEVER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE DATA FROM DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE SO THAT WE SHOULD GET DATA FOR THERE.
AND, UH, THE REASON I ASK IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT GOING IN SOUTH OF THE RIVER WITH, YOU KNOW, TALL BUILDINGS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION IS, UH, DOING A LOT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REQUIRING BUILDINGS TO PUT IN BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGNS.
AND IT'D BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF, UH, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE HAVING, UH, AND IT, WELL, IMPACT IS KIND OF A BAD CHOICE OF WORDS HERE, BUT, UH, IF WE'RE HAVING ANY EFFECT ON, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE CASUALTY RATES OF THE BIRDS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT SORT OF THING.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE INTERESTING TO GATHER SOME DATA TO SEE IF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE DECREASING THE AMOUNT OF INJURED OR, OR DEAD BIRDS AROUND THE, THE BUILDINGS THAT HAVE THIS, UH, YOU KNOW, THESE, THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE REQUIRING BUILDERS TO DO.
'CAUSE I'D LIKE TO THINK THAT WE CAN SHOW THEM THERE'S A DIRECT BENEFIT TO, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS AS OPPOSED TO SOME OF THE OLDER BUILDINGS THAT, UH, MIGHT NOT HAVE THIS TYPE OF CONSTRUCTION ON THEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ENERGY ON THIS.
HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
WE GOT RARE APPLAUSE FROM THE AUDIENCE, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING WHO WANTS TO RUN FOR MAYOR NOW? UM, I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED REACHING OUT TO, YOU KNOW, BUILDING SUPERVISORS AND HAVING THEM, YOU KNOW, FILL OUT THE, THE CITY OF AUSTIN FORMS. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, VOLUNTARY, THAT THEY'RE NOT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT MANDATORY AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY GET LIKE A REWARD TO DO IT.
AND I'M JUST CURIOUS, HOW DO WE INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE PROGRAMS? IT WAS VOLUNTARY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE CAN SHOW UP AND TRY TO INTIMIDATE PEOPLE AT GUNPOINT TO GET, UH, MORE PEOPLE TO, UH, TO RESPOND TO THESE.
UH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER QUESTION THAT I HAD WAS, UM, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL MENTIONED WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I THINK OF, UH, YOU KNOW, TALL BUILDINGS IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK OF OBVIOUSLY DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, I ALSO THINK OF, YOU KNOW, THE O FOUR WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE DOING UP THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, ALSO O2, YOU KNOW, CENTRAL EXHAUSTION TO A, A LESSER EXTENT, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR UPKEEP THE WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE DOES THE CBD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVE Y'ALL THOUGHT ABOUT TRYING TO REACH OUT TO SAY LIKE A UT OR LIKE WHOEVER'S IN CHARGE OF THE DOMAIN, SIMON, I THINK TO SEE IF THERE'S LIKE A SIMILAR PROGRAMS THAT YOU CAN DO THERE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE ALSO PLACES THAT FEATURE A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, DENSE TALL BUILDINGS.
WE HAVE NOT THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, BUT I KNOW THAT IN OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE INVESTIGATED BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN AND ULTIMATELY PASSED LEGISLATION, WORKING WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS AND ESTABLISHING STANDING PROGRAMS HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF THEIR SUCCESS.
UH, I KNOW NEW YORK, FOR EXAMPLE, HAS PROJECT SAFE FLIGHT IN WHICH VOLUNTEERS ARE TRAINED TO HAVE ONE PATCH THAT THEY SURVEY DURING MIGRATION SEASON FOR COLLISIONS.
SO WHILE WE HAVEN'T PURSUED THAT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A PLAN FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT'S NOT IMPOSSIBLE HERE.
AND IT IS, UM, A GREAT AREA FOR CITIZEN SCIENCE WHERE EVERYDAY PEOPLE LIKE OUR NATURE OF LOVING AUSTINITES CAN MAKE A REAL IMPACT JUST BY PAYING ATTENTION AND THEN RECORDING THEM.
SO YEAH, I MEAN, SINCE Y'ALL ARE STUDENTS, Y'ALL SELVES, I DON'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL'S PAYMENT STRUCTURE IS.
I'LL LEAVE THAT BETWEEN Y'ALL AND THE CITY.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO WRANGLE UT STUDENTS OR YOU KNOW, ST.
ED'S OR HT OR WHATEVER, UH, TO TRY TO UH, FIGURE OUT SOME KIND OF PERMANENT ONGOING PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN PUT ON YOUR RESUME AND PRETEND THAT YOU DID BIG THINGS OR YOU ACTUALLY DID BIG THINGS.
YOU KNOW, YOU JUST, ON THE RESUME, YOU ALWAYS GOTTA EXAGGERATE A LITTLE BIT TO TRY AND GET JOBS, ESPECIALLY NOWADAYS.
WE'LL, WE'LL END WITH VICE CHAIR BRISTOL.
YOUR WORK IS REALLY ADMIRABLE AND SO IMPORTANT.
I'M CURIOUS IF IN YOUR RESEARCH YOU NOTICE ANY TRENDS IN THE TYPE OF BIRD SPECIES
[00:30:01]
THAT YOU WERE FINDING? WERE THERE ANY MORE THAN OTHERS OR WAS IT 30 DISTINCT SPECIES? WE OBSERVED A LOT OF WHITEWING DOVES, I BELIEVE.ANYTHING ELSE THAT COMES TO MIND IN TERMS OF THE TYPE OF SPECIES? WELL, WE NOTICED THERE WERE MOSTLY THE SPECIES THAT WE'RE FINDING WERE SPECIES THAT WERE INDICATIVE OF THE REGULAR AANA OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
SO SINCE WE WERE SERVING OUTSIDE OF MIGRATION SEASON, WE DID NOT SEE NEW TROPICAL MIGRANTS LIKE WARBLERS, ORIOLES, THRUSHES ERS, ET CETERA.
WE MOSTLY WERE SEEING WHITE WINGED DOVES, PIGEONS, STARLINGS SPARROWS, HOUSE SPARROWS.
AND I THINK THAT SHOWS THAT COLLISIONS ARE A PROBLEM FOR EVERYDAY BIRDS BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE BIRDS THAT ARE RESIDENT YEAR ROUND.
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN WOULD BE WHERE THEY ARE BORN AND DIE.
SO I UNDERSTAND FROM OTHER PROGRAMS THAT DURING MIGRATION SEASON, THE DEMOGRAPHICS SHIFT A LOT TO REFLECT THE BIRDS THAT ARE PASSING THROUGH.
I CAN'T SAY WHETHER THE TRENDS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE PROMINENCE OF WHITE WINGED DOVES, REPRESENTS A FACT THAT SOME SPECIES ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE THAN OTHERS.
THAT'S DEFINITELY NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN SAY WITH THE AMOUNT OF DATA WE HAVE, BUT WE CAN SAY THAT RESIDENT BIRDS AS WELL AS MIGRATORY BIRDS ARE VICTIM.
BUT MOSTLY AFTER MIGRATION SEASON, IT'S THE URBAN BIRDS THAT ARE PAID THE PRICE, AT LEAST IN DAD TOWN, THAT COULD BE DIFFERENT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY THAT HAVE COLLISIONS GOING ON AS WELL, INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL AREAS.
UM, AND I KNOW YOU ALL WERE TAKING DATA MIDDAY, I IMAGINE THAT WAS, THERE MUST'VE BEEN A REASON FOR THAT.
AND THEN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE COLLECTS DATA IN THE MORNING.
HAVE YOU COMPARED YOUR DATA SETS TOGETHER AND DO YOU KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY DUPLICATES OR WERE YOU ALL LOOKING AT DISTINCT AREAS OF TOWN? OR HOW HAVE YOU ALL COMPARED AND CONTRASTED YOUR DATA, IF AT ALL? WE HAVE NOT COMPARED AND CONTRASTED THE DATA YET, BUT WE SHOULD.
HOWEVER, FOR THE MOST PART, DTA WAS SURVEYING NORTH OF THE RIVER AND WE WERE SURVEYING SOUTH OF THE RIVER.
UM, AND THEN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THESE FLYERS.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAND THEM OUT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND I'M WONDERING IS THERE A WAY TO GET THEM LIKE FRONT AND BACK SO IT'S ON ONE PIECE OF PAPER? AND IF SO, WHERE CAN I GET THAT?
I ALSO LOVE THE SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLKIT.
YOU'VE MADE IT SO EASY FOR PEOPLE TO SHARE STUFF AND I WOULD LOVE TO SHARE IT.
SO I'M ALSO WONDERING WHERE CAN WE ACCESS THAT? UH, WATERSHED STAFF WILL PROVIDE ALL OF THOSE ASSETS TO YOU WHEN WE ARE FINISHED DEVELOPING THE, UM, RESPONSE TO THE, UH, MEMO WHEN WE'RE READY TO PUSH IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY A SIMILAR ANSWER FOR MY LAST QUESTION, BUT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE COMMUNITY SURVEY DATA, WHEN THAT WILL BE EXAMINED, AND HOW IT WILL BE USED COMMUNITY SURVEY DATA, WHEN WILL THAT BE EXAMINED AND HOW IS THAT GONNA BE USED? UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, WE WILL ALSO BE DOING IS, UH, COLLABORATING WITH ANIMAL SERVICES.
THEY WERE ALSO NAMED IN THE MEMO AND ALSO HAVE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH FOLKS THAT ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN ANIMAL RELATED ISSUES.
SO WE ARE GOING TO COLLABORATE WITH THEM AND TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT COMMUNITY SURVEY INFORMATION WILL DO TO HAVE ANY KIND OF DECISION POINTS FOR US, WHETHER WE PURSUE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN ONE DIRECTION OR ANOTHER, UH, SO TBD ON EXACTLY HOW WE'RE GONNA USE IT, BUT WE THINK IT CAN BE A VERY VALUABLE TOOL TO START ENGAGING PEOPLE, THEM HAVING ACTIVE, UH, PARTICIPATION IN, UH, THE, THE TOPIC JUST BY FILLING OUT THE SURVEY.
I THINK Y'ALL KNOW, I GET PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THIS, UH, TOPIC AND UH, I WAS JUST OVER THE MOON THRILLED, UM, WHEN Y'ALL MADE HEADWAY WITH, UM, UH, THE AUSTIN DOWNTOWN ALLIANCE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO GETTING WITH THE BUILDING, UM, YOU KNOW, MANAGERS, UH, THAT'S HUGE.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, IT WAS INTERESTING ON ONE OF YOUR SLIDES, UM, WHERE IT, IT HAD THE BOXES WHERE IN, IN THE CITY WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE FINDING THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THAT REALLY, THAT DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR, THE, THE HEART OF IT WHERE BIRDS CAN GET IN THERE AND GET CONFUSED AND THERE'S ALL THAT GLASS, UM, THAT'S JUST KIND OF A LITTLE DEATH TRAP IN THERE.
[00:35:01]
YOU, I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT THOSE AND, AND IT'S CLEAR LIKE THAT'S WHERE IT'S HAPPENING.UM, FOR A LOT OF THOSE, WHICH I'M SURPRISED, I KIND OF THOUGHT THERE'D BE MORE ON THE PERIMETER, BUT UM, IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS, THERE WAS A LOT MORE INSIDE THERE.
UM, SO, UM, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, HAVE YOU CONNECTED AND HOW, HOW HAVE YOU BROUGHT IN LIKE, UM, TRAVIS UBON OR TEXAS ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY INTO THIS PROCESS? UM, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT.
I BELIEVE TRAVIS AUDUBON, I KNOW BECAUSE I'VE TALKED TO ONE OF THEIR LEADERSHIP STAFF, THEY HAVE TRIED TO START DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS IN THE PAST, BUT A LOT OF BIG COLLISION EVENTS, IN ADDITION TO BEING VERY SAD, IF YOU LIKE, BIRDS OCCUR IN MIGRATION SEASON ON BEAUTIFUL DAYS WHEN LOTS OF BIRDS ARE HERE, WHICH MEANS IT'S GREAT BIRDING FOR ALL THE BIRDERS WHO ARE TRAVIS AUDUBON MEMBERS.
SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF APPEAL FOR THE SOCIETY, LIKE THE SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP TO CONTRIBUTE TO FINDING DEAD BIRDS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE.
SO I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME INTEREST, BUT NOTHING HAS YET MATERIALIZED AND I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S BEEN ANY CONTACT MADE WITH THE TEXAS ORNITHOLOGIST.
SO, UM, TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO INFLUENCE THE ANNE RICHARD SCHOOL AND WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING ON THERE.
WELL, I FOUNDED THE BIRD CLUB TWO YEARS AGO, AND I FOLLOWED UP THIS PAST YEAR WITH PUTTING IN A PROPOSAL FOR FUNDRAISING, FINDING AND INSTALLING WINDOW STICKERS BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF BIRD COLLISIONS.
OUR SCHOOL BUILDING IS VERY NEW, IT'S VERY WELL DESIGNED, IT HAS LEAD CERTIFICATION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY DIDN'T INCLUDE THE LEAD, THE LEAD ELECTIVE TO PUT BIRD FRIENDLY MEASURES IN.
SO IT'S A LOT OF SHINY WINDOWS AND CAUSES A LOT OF DEAD BIRDS.
SO EVENTUALLY AFTER FUNDRAISING WITH HAND HAND DESIGN, BIRD GUIDES AND ORNAMENTS AND SUCH, WE RAISED ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET OF SPECIALLY DESIGNED WINDOW STICKERS FROM FEATHER FRIENDLY.
AND I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH VOLUNTEERS THROUGHOUT THE PAST SEMESTER INTO THE, INTO THE PRESENT TO INSTALL 'EM AT OUR SCHOOL.
AND MY HOPE IS TO CONTINUE FUNDRAISING AND STALLING UNTIL THE BOTTOM LEVEL OF THE SCHOOL IS AS BIRD FRIENDLY AS IT CAN BE WITHOUT HAVING TO PURCHASE A TALL AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS LADDER FOR STUDENTS TO INSTALL STICKERS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE PRINTING UP STICKERS WHERE WE CAN KEEP BOTH FEET ON THE GROUND AND WE'RE CONCENTRATING IN AREAS THAT ARE ON CLOVE AND THE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING OR THE BUILDING FACADE BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT BIRDS WHO GET CONFUSED WILL BE DRAWN INTO AND HAVE A HARD TIME ESCAPING.
WE'RE ESPECIALLY CONCENTRATING ON AREAS LIKE GARDENS OR LANDSCAPING WHERE WE'VE WORKED HARD TO PUT IN NATIVE SPECIES, WHICH THEN MIGHT INADVERTENTLY ATTRACT BIRDS WHO THEN GO INTO A DEATH TRAP.
SO WE HAVE NOTICED AN REDUCTION IN THE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE INSTALLED BIRD STICKERS.
WE HAD NO BIRD DEATHS ON THE AREA WHERE WE PUT STICKERS THAT USED TO BE OUR HIGHEST KILL SPOT.
SO SOME SUCCESSES, BUT MUCH MORE WORK TO DO.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SPENDING SENIOR YEAR ON THAT.
UM, OKAY, SO, UM, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE OTHER LILY
SO ON THE TIMING FOR, UM, GETTING BACK WITH THE CITY, CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE ON THE MEMO, WHAT'S THE TIMING ON THAT? SO THE PLAN IS TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT THE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN IS AS H LORI MENTIONED, GOING INTO EFFECT WHEN IT CAN MOST, UH, BE OF USE TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT WILL HAPPEN DURING FALL MIGRATION.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE WITH DAA ON THEIR DATA COLLECTION.
UH, THOSE HEAT MAPS THAT THEY PROVIDED ARE VERY HELPFUL.
WE HAVE ALSO THE POINT DATA OF WHERE THOSE, UH, BIRD, UH, BIRDS WERE COLLECTED.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THAT DATA AND KIND OF SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME LOOKING AT OVER AND ONCE, UH, FALL MIGRATION HAS COMPLETED, THEN WE WILL DEVELOP OUR REPORT AT THAT TIME.
AND THEN WE WILL UPDATE, UH, PROVIDE AN UPDATE MEMO TO THE CITY MANAGER.
WELL, I CAN'T SAY THANK YOU ENOUGH, UH, FOR ALL THIS, AS YOU KNOW, UM, WE WERE ALL A LITTLE SURPRISED AND, UM, PROBABLY SOME OF US, UH, FRUSTRATED, UM, WHEN THE CITY MANAGER CAME OUT WITH A MA MEMO ASKING FOR THIS DATA AND WE WEREN'T REALLY SURE HOW WE WERE GONNA DO IT.
AND THEN HERE YOU CAME AND YOU DID IT.
SO I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND, UH, YOU'VE BEEN JUST A HUGE HELP IN THIS, UM, THIS WHOLE EFFORT.
AND LILY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS YOUR SECOND SUMMER, UH, TO BE WORKING ON IT.
I REMEMBER THE VIDEO FROM LAST YEAR THAT WAS ALSO BEAUTIFUL AND WELL DONE.
[00:40:01]
UM, SO I HAVE A LITTLE, SINCE YOU'RE NO LONGER, UH, EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, I CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE GIFT AND I'M GONNA BRING THIS TO YOU.THANKS AGAIN, Y'ALL APPRECIATE IT.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING.
HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN ANOTHER TIME.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON
[3. Name: Great Wave - D Permit, SP-2026-0221D ]
TO PUBLIC HEARINGS ITEM NUMBER THREE, THIS IS THE GREAT WAVE D PERMIT.THE APPLICANT IS JOHN DALY GRAY, A-E-S-P-S-C.
THE LOCATION IS 3,900 WEST HOWARD LANE, AUSTIN, TEXAS 7 8 7 2 8.
THIS IS IN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND WE'LL START WITH A STAFF PRESENTATION FROM BRAD JACKSON, ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST SENIOR.
BRAD WAS NOT AVAILABLE TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS MIKE MCDOUGALL AND I'M, UH, PRE PRESENTING FOR BRAD ON HIS BEHALF.
AND, UH, THE PROJECT HAS THE GREAT WAVE 3,900 WEST HOWARD LANE, SP 20 26 0 2 2 1D IS THE CASE NUMBER.
MIKE MCDOUGALL AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY PROGRAM MANAGER AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
AND TO START OFF WITH THE PROPERTY DATA, IT IS LOCATED IN THE CITY OF BOSTON, JU FULL PURPOSE JURISDICTION.
IT'S ZONED L-I-P-D-A, UH, IT'S IN THE WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED, CLASSIFIED AS SUBURBAN, WHICH IS THE DRINKING, EXCUSE ME, THE, THE, NOT, IT'S THE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ZONE.
UM, IT IS LOCATED OVER THE NORTHERN EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE.
IT'S A ONE 70.18 ACRE SITE WITH 36 ACRES OF CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE ALONG THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE SITE ADJACENT TO THE MOPAC RIGHT OF WAY.
THERE ARE CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES ON THE SITE.
THERE ARE WETLANDS WITHIN THE TRIBUTARY ALONG THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THIS SITE, APPROXIMATELY SIX ACRES IN TOTAL, AND IT'S IN COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN.
SO, UH, THIS IS A VICINITY MAP, UH, NORTH AUSTIN, AND THEN TO ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO TO ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT, IT'S AT, UH, MOPAC AND HOWARD LANE, UH, THE NORTHWEST, UH, INTERSECTION OF MOPAC AND HOWARD LANE IS THE PROJECT LOCATION.
SO THIS IS AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF EXISTING CONDITIONS.
THE, THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THE LEFT IS THE EXISTING SITE.
THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THE RIGHT IS THE EXISTING SITE AND A LITTLE BIT TO THE NORTH.
AND THE RED BOX IS THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT SLASH ELIMINA CONSTRUCTION FOR THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
UM, THE EXISTING IMPERVIOUS COVER IS, UH, 33.85 ACRES, 20% GROSS SITE, AREA OF THE SITE.
AND THIS IS THE, UH, THE LIMITED CONSTRUCTION IS THE BLUE BOX AND THE LEFT PHOTOGRAPH, AND THAT'S THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE ALONG THE RIGHT.
UM, MOPAC IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT PHOTOGRAPH AS WELL.
AND TO ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT ON THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THE RIGHT, THERE'S THE BLUE BOX AGAIN, AND THAT'S THE GENERAL PROJECT LIMIT OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND THE HASH MARKS YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE CREEPING ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PHOTOGRAPH IS THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE ALONG MOPAC.
AND SO THIS IS THE EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY.
UH, IT'S A PRETTY FLAT SITE, UH, ALMOST PREDOMINANTLY SLOPES LESS THAN 15%.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN REGULATES CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES OVER 15%.
SO THIS SITE IS A, IS A PRETTY FLAT SITE.
AND THESE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SITE, JUST GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHS, UH, GIVING YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THE SITE LOOKS LIKE.
UM, SOME OF IT IS, I BELIEVE AG LAND, PASTURE LAND, UM, BUT GEN GENERAL SITE USAGE, OR GENERALLY THE SITE LOOKS LIKE THIS.
AND THERE ARE SOME SITE CONSTRAINTS.
THE SITE HAS A GRADE CHANGE FROM 790 FEET TO 830 FEET ELEVATION OVER A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY 600 LINEAR FEET ACROSS THE LIMITS OF CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO, UM, THE APPLICANT NEEDS CUT AND, OR EXCUSE ME, THE CUT AND FILL ARE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A LEVEL FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION FOR AN APPROXIMATELY 425,000 SQUARE FOOT BUILDING AND ASSOCIATED DRIVE ISLES AND LOADING ZONES.
AND, UM, AN AC ACRES IS 43 TO 560 SQUARE FEET.
[00:45:01]
IT'S A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN A, UH, A 10 ACRE BUILDING.AND THIS IS THE PROPOSED PROJECT.
UH, IT'S GONNA BE DONE ACROSS TWO SITE PLAN PERMIT APPLICATIONS, BUT THIS IS THE ULTIMATE PROJECT, UH, A LARGE BUILDING.
UM, THE LIMITED CONSTRUCTION IS 39 ACRES, UH, NEW BUILDING COVERAGE, 425,000 SQUARE FEET.
THE TOTAL IMPERVIOUS COVER WILL BE 30, 34% OF THE GROSS SITE AREA.
UH, AND THIS, THIS SLIDE IS A LITTLE BIT BUSY, BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWERS OFTEN WILL LOOK AT AND INTERPRET.
UM, THIS SLIDE SHOWS, UM, EXISTING AND PROPOSED CONTOURS.
THE EXISTING CONTOURS ARE, UH, VERY LIGHT.
THE PROPOSED CONTOURS ARE, ARE THE DARK, HEAVIER, SOLID LINES.
AND THAT TELLS ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW AND WE SEE A LOT OF DARK HEAVY LINES ACROSS LIGHT LINES.
THEN THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF GRADING.
AND SO THE APPLICANT HAS REQUESTED VARIANCES TO LDC 25 8 3 41 TO ALLOW CUT UP TO 20 FEET AND TO LDC 25 8 3 42 TO ALLOW FILL UP TO 20 FEET.
AND TO HELP INTERPRET THE, UH, OF, UH, WHAT IS OFTEN SPAGHETTI LINES OF EXISTING AND PROPOSED CONTOURS.
WE DO ASK FOR GRADING EXHIBITS TYPICALLY.
AND SO THIS IS THE GRADING EXHIBIT.
UH, THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT DOESN'T SHOW THE GRADING.
THE CODE DOESN'T, UH, OR WITHIN THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT THAT HOL THAT, THAT WHITE BOX IN THE MIDDLE.
THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE SPECIFICALLY DOES NOT LIMIT GRADING WITHIN A BUILDING FOOTPRINT.
SO WE LEAVE THAT OFF THE EXHIBIT TO KEEP THINGS A LITTLE BIT CLEARER TO SHOW THE NON-COMPLIANCE.
UH, THE DARK RED IS GRADING CUT FROM EIGHT TO 14 FEET DEEP.
THE LIGHT RED PINKISH IS FOUR FOOT OF CUT TO EIGHT FOOT OF CUT.
THE LIME GREEN IS FOUR TO EIGHT FOOT OF FILL, AND THE DARK GREEN IS EIGHT TO 19 FOOT OF FILL.
AND THIS SHOULD BE THE GRADING FOR THE D PLAN.
THAT IS, IT'S THE, IT'S CALLED THE D PLAN.
THE CASE NUMBER ENDS IN THE LETTER D.
AND SO THIS SHOWS US, BASICALLY THERE'S GRADING AROUND THE BUILDING.
THERE'S GRADING WITHIN THE BUILDING AS WELL.
WE JUST DON'T SHOW THAT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT REGULATED SPECIFICALLY BY THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND SO THERE'S GRADING AROUND THE BUILDING.
THE GREEN IS THE, THE CUT OVER FOUR FEET, WHICH IS REGULATED AND THE RED IS FILLED, EXCUSE ME, I GOT THAT BACKWARDS.
THE, THE RED IS CUT OVER FOUR FEET AND THE GREEN IS FILL OVER FOUR FEET, WHICH THE CITY DOES REGULATE, AND THAT'S WHAT THE APPLICANT IS ASKING VARIANCES FOR.
AND COMPUTER PROBLEMS. I APOLOGIZE.
ALRIGHT, MY SYSTEM'S LOCKING UP HERE.
UM, THIS SHOWS CUT TO 14 FEET AND FILL TO 20 FEET.
THESE AREN'T ADDITIVE, IT'S JUST THAT THEY, THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR 20 FOOT THE FIRST TIME AND 20 FOOT THE NEXT TIME THEY'RE ASKING FOR 19 FOOT AND THEN ONE MORE FOOT.
SO WHEN IT SAYS 19 FEET OF OF FILL AND THEN 20 FEET OF FILL, IT'S 19 PLUS ONE TO GET TO 20.
BUT THE ADDITIONAL FILL AND CUT WOULD BE DONE UNDER THE C PLAN, AND THAT'S WHAT THE BUILDING WOULD BE BUILT UNDER.
AND SO THEY'RE ASKING FOR CUT DOWN TO 14 FEET AND FILL UP TO 20 FEET.
AND THAT WOULD BE FINISHED OUT ON THIS C PLAN.
AND THAT'S CALLED CAC PLAN BECAUSE IT'S SP 20 26, 1, 2, 3, 4, THE NEXT NUMBER IN THE SEQUENCE FOLLOWED BY THE LETTER C.
SO THIS WOULD BE THE C PLAN WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING THE BUILDING, THE BUILDING.
AND SO THE VARIANCE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCES, UH, WITH CONDITIONS HAVING DETERMINED THAT THE FINDINGS OF FACT PER LDC 25 8 41 HAVE BEEN MET.
AND THE RECOMME, THE VARIANCE CONDITIONS ARE AS FOLLOWS, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE VARIANCE CONDITIONS, TREE MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS WILL BE FULLY MET BY PLANTING TREES ON SITE INSTEAD OF PAYING INTO THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND.
THAT IS, UM, AN APPLICANT HAS AN OPTION TO PAY INTO A FUND OR PLANT TREES THE CITY PREFERS TREE PLANTING.
AND SO WITH THIS AS, AS A VARIANCE CONDITION, WE'RE SAYING WE WOULD LIKE TREE PLANTINGS ON SITE RATHER THAN TREE MITIGATION TO, TO, UH, COMPENSATE FOR THE TREE REMOVAL.
THE SECOND VARIANCE CONDITION IS THAT 2.79 ACRES OF RIPARIAN AREA WILL BE ENHANCED WITH NATIVE HERBACEOUS PLANTINGS.
UM, TYPICALLY IF THERE'S, IF, UH, IF THERE'S AN AG USE, THE, UH, THE RIPARIAN AREA CAN, CAN BE DAMAGED DURING AG USE OR AFFECTED.
AND SO A VARIANCE CONDITION WOULD BE TO RESTORE, UH, 2.79 OF REPAIR AREA 2.79 ACRES OF REPAIR AREA.
UH, THE THIRD, UH, UH, VARIANCE CONDITION WOULD BE THE LIVESTOCK AND ANY OTHER CULTURAL, EXCUSE ME, LIVESTOCK, ANY OTHER AGRICULTURAL USES WILL NO LONGER BE PERMITTED IN THE DETENTION POND AREAS OF THE SITE.
AND THE FOURTH VARIANCE CONDITION GRADING, UH, WITH A PROPOSED CO CONSOLIDATED SITE PLAN THAT IS THE C PLAN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT WILL NOT EXCEED THE CUT FILL LIMITS SHOWN IN THE EXHIBITS PROVIDED WITH THIS VARIANCE REQUEST BEYOND NECESSARY INCIDENTAL CHANGES APPROVED BY STAFF.
THAT'S A LONG, UH, A LONG WAY OF SAYING THAT, THAT THE GRADING SHOWN ON THE D AND C EXHIBITS IS WHAT WILL HAPPEN UNLESS THERE'S MAYBE SOME ADJUSTMENTS.
SOMETIMES THERE ARE SOME CORRECTIONS
[00:50:01]
OR ADJUSTMENTS.SAY FOR EXAMPLE, A POND MIGHT BE UNDERSIZED WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE, A LITTLE BIT MORE GRADING FOR THE POND MIGHT BE NECESSARY.
UH, SO WHAT THIS IS BASICALLY SAYING IS THAT THE GRADING EXHIBITS WE'RE PRESENTING IS THE GRADING THAT WILL BE ON THE SITE UNLESS THERE'S SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE NECESSARY.
I DO WANNA POINT OUT THE, UH, MAGNITUDE OF THE VARIANCE COULD NOT BE INCREASED.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE EV COMMISSION WERE TO APPROVE AND ZAP AND SLASH PC WERE TO APPROVE 20 FOOT OF FILL STAFF WOULD NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY, WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND GRANT ANOTHER FOOT OF FILL BECAUSE 20 WAS THE LIMIT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IF THEY NEEDED TO GRADE SOMEWHERE, SAY A FOOT HERE, A FOOT THERE WHERE THEY SHOWED ZERO GRADING, THEY COULD GR GRADE UP TO FOUR FEET WITHIN CODE.
SO THE IDEA IS THAT THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF GRADING ADJUSTMENT THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITHIN CODE THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED, BUT WE WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO EXCEED WHAT'S GRANTED BY THE VARIANCE.
AND THAT'S IN THE DEPTH OR THE FOOTPRINT, GENERALLY THE FOOTPRINT.
THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT OF WIGGLE ROOM, BUT THE GENERAL FOOTPRINT.
AND WITH THAT NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE WITH THAT, I, UH, INVITE THE APPLICANT TO PROVIDE THEIR PRESENTATION.
HELLO COMMISSIONERS AND LEAH BOJO WITH RENER GROUP HERE ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
IS IT ON? OKAY, THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT.
UM, I WILL GIVE A PRESENTATION.
I WILL, I WILL TRY TO SKIP THROUGH THE THINGS THAT MR. MCDOUGALL HAS ALREADY ADDRESSED, UM, JUST IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, BUT PLEASE FEEL FREE OF COURSE TO, TO ASK QUESTIONS AT THE END OR, AND I CAN GO BACKWARDS.
UM, SO I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO TRY TO CONVEY THIS IN SORT OF A REGULAR PERSON VERSION, BUT I ALSO HAVE A WHOLE TEAM.
WE HAVE OUR CLIENT HERE, WE HAVE OUR ENGINEERING TEAM HERE, WE HAVE EVERYONE HERE.
SO IF THERE ARE ANY MORE TECHNICAL QUESTIONS, UM, WE HAVE EVERYBODY HERE THAT CAN ANSWER THEM.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT AND I ALSO APPRECIATE STAFF WORKING WITH US ON THIS, ON THIS, UM, VARIANCE REQUEST.
UM, SO IF YOU COULD GO ON TO THE NEXT FIRST REAL SLIDE.
UM, WHAT WE ARE, JUST TO GIVE YOU A KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT HERE, UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS, UM, ESTABLISHING A LARGE SCALE PHARMACEUTICAL AND IV, UM, MANUFACTURING CAMPUS.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN A CAMPUS HERE ALREADY SINCE 1981, WHICH IS THAT EXISTING BUILDING THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SITE.
UM, AND IT HAS BEEN, UM, RECENTLY JOINED WITH THE JAPANESE, UH, PHARMACEUTICAL MANUFACTURING TEAM.
UM, THIS IS VERY EXCITING FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I KNOW THIS IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR Y'ALL TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, WE HAVE OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN HERE WITH US.
WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR THIS.
LIKE THIS IS A REALLY, UM, A PRETTY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR AUSTIN ALL AROUND.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IN, IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING THE JOBS AND THE TAX BASE AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, THAT WE'RE ALSO, UM, AWARE OF AND CONSCIOUS OF, OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS OF THE SITE.
AND SO, UM, IF YOU COULD GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO HERE, UH, AGAIN AS OUR VARIANCE REQUEST, UM, I, UM, I, THE, THE, I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONERS IN ADVANCE.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I'LL JUST KIND OF BRING UP THAT CAME UP IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS.
UM, ONE OF THEM IS, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE YOU, FROM THE BEGINNING Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THAT WE DID LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS.
WE DID LOOK AT TRYING TO REDUCE THE CUT AND FILL AND WE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THAT WAS JUST NOT POSSIBLE.
SO WE ARE HERE BEFORE YOU ASKING FOR, UM, 20 FEET AND 19 FEET OF CUT, FILL, UH, VARIANCE FOR THE SITE.
UM, AND WE ARE ALSO, UM, AS MR. MCDOUGALL SAID, KIND OF COMBINING THE C AND THE D TOGETHER.
SO, UM, IF YOU GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE THE D PERMIT, WHICH IS KIND OF THE INTERIM CONDITION.
UM, THIS IS FOR BUILDING FOUNDATIONS AND TEMPORARILY FOR ONSITE DRAINAGE DURING CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN IF YOU GO ONTO THE SLIDE AFTER THAT, YOU CAN SEE THIS IS WHAT THE CUT AND FILL WILL LOOK LIKE, UM, FOR THE ACTUAL FACILITY FOR FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION, UM, LOADING DOCKS AREAS, ALL THAT KIND OF THING.
AND THE MAIN DRIVER OF THE NEED FOR THIS VARIANCE IS THAT WE ARE NEEDING A LARGE BUILDING WITH AN EVEN FLOOR FOR THE MANUFACTURING PURPOSE.
UM, SO WITH THE SITE, WITH THE TOPOGRAPHY THAT WAS DESCRIBED TO YOU, THAT KIND OF SLANTS DOWN, UH, WE KINDA HAVE TO EVEN IT OUT.
THIS IS MY REGULAR PERSON
SO IT REQUIRES FILLING IT ON ONE END AND DIGGING IT ON THE OTHER END SO THAT YOU HAVE A STRAIGHT FLAT BUILDING.
UM, AND THE, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE CUT FILL IS BALANCED OVER THE SITE.
YOU CAN ALWAYS SEE ON THESE THAT THERE'S KIND OF RED ON ONE SIDE AND GREEN ON THE OTHER.
UM, SO WE GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY CLEAR CRITERIA IN, UM, 25 8 FOR THIS, WHICH IS VERY HELPFUL.
UM, SO THE FIRST REQUI, THE FIRST REQUIREMENT IS THAT, UM, OUR APPLICANT IS NOT BEING DEPRIVED OF A PRIVILEGE AVAILABLE TO OTHER SIMILAR, SIMILARLY SITUATED PROPERTIES.
SO IN THIS INSTANCE, HAVING A BIG FLAT BUILDING FOR MANUFACTURING IS WHAT WE NEED AND IT'S THE SPECIFICS OF THE SITE AND
[00:55:01]
THE TOPOGRAPHY THAT MAKES THAT DIFFICULT AND MAKES US NEED THIS VARIANCE.UM, THE EXISTING, JUST FOR YOUR CONTEXT, THE EXISTING BUILDING IS ABOUT 625,000 TOTAL SQUARE FEET AND THE ADDITIONAL BUILDING WILL BE ABOUT 427,000 SQUARE FEET.
SO IT IS REALLY QUITE A LARGE EXPANSION.
IT'S A VERY BIG SITE, BUT IT IS ALSO A VERY LARGE EXPANSION.
UM, AND THEN, UM, IF WE GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I WANTED TO SHOW THIS, I DON'T HONESTLY KNOW HOW HELPFUL IT IS, BUT THIS IS THE TWO, THIS IS, UM, THE BUILDING CROSS SECTIONS AND THEY'RE KIND OF OVERLAID BECAUSE IF WE DID IT LONG AND SKINNY, IT SEEMED LIKE IT WASN'T VERY EASY TO READ, BUT I JUST WANTED YOU TO BE ABLE TO SEE THERE IS A, A KIND OF A, A BLACK LINE UNDER THERE THAT YOU CAN SEE LIKE THAT IT'S LOWER ON ONE SIDE AND HIGHER ON THE OTHER SIDE.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE AGAIN FROM A CROSS SECTION PERSPECTIVE HOW WE'RE TRYING TO EVEN OUT THE SITE TO MAKE THIS BUILDING FUNCTIONAL FOR THIS PURPOSE.
IF WE GO ONTO THE NEXT SITE, NEXT SLIDE, SORRY.
UM, HERE YOU CAN JUST SEE KIND OF HOW THE EXISTING BUILDING IS LAID INTO, UM, THE CONTOURS OF THE SITE.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT ELEVATION CHANGE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SITE WHERE WE'RE PUTTING THIS NEW BUILDING THAT GOES SPECIFICALLY FROM SEVEN 80 TO EIGHT 30, UM, AS IT GOES FROM WEST TO EAST.
UM, HERE WE'VE OVERLAID THE NEW BUILDING ON THE SITE WITH THE OLD BUILDING.
AGAIN, JUST TO KIND OF PUT IT IN CONTEXT FOR YOU.
UM, YOU CAN SEE HOW THE TOPOGRAPHY KIND OF DROPS OFF AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THESE TWO BUILDINGS WILL WORK TOGETHER.
UM, SO THIS IS THE SECOND CRITERIA.
THE VARIANCE CANNOT BE NECESSITATED BY SCALE, LAYOUT OR CONSTRUCTION METHOD OR OTHER DESIGN DECISIONS.
UM, IT IS THE MINIMUM DEVIATION FROM THE CODE REQUIRED AND IT DOES NOT CREATE A SIGNIFICANT PROBABILITY OF HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES.
UM, SO THE FIRST, UM, IT IS DEFINITELY NOT NECESSITATED BY THE SCALE OR LAYOUT OR CONSTRUCTION MENU, UH, CONSTRUCTION TYPE.
UM, THIS IS ABOUT, UM, THE TOPOGRAPHY, LIKE I SAID.
AND THEN EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY, IT'S ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ABOUT THREE TO 10 FEET OF SOIL AND THEN WE ARE, UH, OVER LIMESTONE.
UM, AND SO DIGGING INTO THAT LIMESTONE IS, UM, DIFFICULT FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
WE DON'T WANNA GO DIGGING INTO LIMESTONE AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'LL FIND THERE.
SO, UM, IT REALLY LIMITS THE AMOUNT THAT WE CAN GO DOWN, WHICH IS WHY WE KIND OF HAD TO GO UP.
SO THAT IS, THOSE ARE VERY MUCH SITE SPECIFIC THINGS.
AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT WE DO NOT EXPECT ANY HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES FROM THIS VARIANCE REQUEST.
UM, SPECIFICALLY DRAINAGE, UM, IS NOT AFFECTED BY THESE, BY THESE CUT FELL CHANGES.
SO IF WE GO ONTO THE NEXT ONE, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS JUST DEPTH TO TO, SO THE ROCK LIMITATIONS, LIKE IT DOES VARY OVER THE SITE IN THE SMALLEST SHALLOWEST PART.
IT'S THREE FEET, IT GOES UP TO 10 FEET, BUT NONE OF THOSE REALLY, UM, MAKE A SIGNIFICANT, WE CAN'T GO DOWN ON THE 10 FEET PART BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE IT BE AN EVEN BUILDING.
SO, SO WE REALLY HAVE TO DESIGN FOR THREE FEET.
UM, AND, AND, AND I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT EVEN WITH THIS DESIGN, WE ARE GONNA BE HAVING TO REMOVE ABOUT 80,000 CUBIC YARDS OF LANDFILL OF, SORRY, OF LIMESTONE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT IS REALLY THE MOST THAT WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN RESPONSIBLY DO ON THE SITE.
SO IF WE GO INTO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, ANOTHER LIMIT TO THIS CONS OR CONSTRAINT ON THE SITE, WHICH MR. MCDOUGALL MENTIONED IS THE CEF, UM, WHICH EXISTS, THIS IS KIND OF TURNED ON ITS SIDE THAT'S MOPAC THERE TO THE BOTTOM, BUT WE DO HAVE A, A CREEK AND AN ACCOMPANYING FLOODPLAIN AND THEREFORE A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE ON THE SITE THAT WE ALSO HAVE TO DESIGN AROUND.
SO THAT JUST KIND OF LIMITS WHERE WE CAN PUT THAT BUILDING ON THE SITE.
UM, IF WE GO TO NEXT SLIDE, WE JUST HAVE A FEW HERE THAT JUST GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN IDEA OF BOTH WHERE THE CRITICAL, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE THERE IS AND WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
UM, THERE'S A NICE PICTURE OF THE CREEK ONE MORE AFTER THIS.
AND THEN THERE'S ONE MORE AS WELL THAT'S KIND OF POINTED THE OTHER WAY.
UM, SO THIS IS, THIS, THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE AREA OF THE SITE, OF COURSE.
AND THEN IF WE GO ONTO THE, THE NEXT SLIDE IS CRITERIA THREE, WHICH IS THAT DEVELOPMENT WITH THE VARIANCE WILL RESULT IN WATER QUALITY THAT IS AT LEAST EQUAL TO WATER QUALITY ACHIEVABLE WITHOUT THE VARIANCE.
UM, SO I'LL START BY SAYING THAT THE DRAINAGE IS HERE IS EQUIVALENT TO WHAT IS REQUIRED BY CITY CODE.
IT IS ENTIRELY CONTAINED ON THE SITE, BOTH DURING CONSTRUCTION WITH THE DE PERMIT AND DURING, IN THE FINAL CONDITION WITH THE C PERMIT.
UM, AND THEN WITH THE C PERMIT ALSO WILL COME THE WATER QUALITY CONTROLS.
UM, SO WE WILL HAVE LINED BIOFILTRATION MEASURES OVER THE RECHARGE AREA WITH AN 80% TSS REMOVAL, UM, REQUIREMENT, WHICH IS THE, I BELIEVE IS THE TCQ STANDARD.
UM, WE WILL HAVE DETENTION FACILITIES THAT ARE SIZED TO THIS CONTRIBUTING DRAINAGE AREA.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WILL BE, UM, THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT WATER QUALITY, PARTICULARLY WITH THIS LOCATION.
UM, AND, UM, THE DEPTHS OF THE CUTS AND THE FILL, UH, DO NOT AFFECT THAT IN ANY WAY.
SO IF YOU COULD GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO HERE WE HAVE OUR PROPOSED MITIGATION FOR
[01:00:01]
THAT CEF AREA.SO WE WILL BE ENHANCING THAT RIPARIAN AREA ALONG THE CREEK WITH NATIVE PLANTINGS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THERE ON THE BOTTOM WHAT THOSE, UM, WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING THERE.
UM, IT IS ALMOST THREE ACRES OF NATIVE RESTORATION PLANTING.
AND THEN IF WE GO ONE MORE SLIDE, YOU CAN SEE WHAT OUR PROPOSED, ANOTHER PIECE OF OUR PROPOSED MITIGATION, WHICH IS RELATED TO TREES.
UM, SO WE'LL BE PROPOSING 625 SHADE TREES AND 51 ORNAMENTAL TREES.
UM, WE ARE PROVIDING ALL OF OUR TREES ON ALL OF OUR TREE REPLACEMENT ON SITE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE STAFF CONDITIONS, AND WE ARE HAPPY OF COURSE, TO, TO COMPLY WITH THAT.
UM, THERE WAS A QUESTION ASKED ABOUT WHAT KIND OF TREES ARE BEING REMOVED, SO I'LL JUST LET YOU KNOW.
UM, ABOUT 70% OF THE TREES THAT ARE BEING REMOVED ARE HACKBERRIES.
UM, ABOUT 20% ARE JUNIPER, 7% ARE MIXED.
COMMON VOLUNTEER SPECIES LIKE COTTONWOOD, WILLOWS, OSAGE, ORANGE, MESQUITE, AND THEN 1% ARE OAKS OR ELMS. SO WE ARE, AND WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE, WITH THE TREE ORDINANCE ON ALL OF THOSE TREES.
SO IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, HERE'S JUST A SUMMARY OF THE MITIGATION.
UM, THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FILL.
UM, WE WILL BE USING AS MUCH FILL AS WE CAN FROM THE SITE.
UM, THE ADDITIONAL FILL THAT MAY NEED TO BE ADDED WILL MEET THE, UM, MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE REPORT THAT I'M FORGETTING THE NAME OF, BUT SORRY, GEOTECH REPORT.
SO I CAN GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT THAT OR, OR REASONABLY OTHER PEOPLE ON OUR TEAM CAN GO INTO MORE DETAIL ABOUT THAT.
BUT I KNOW THAT WAS A QUESTION.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE USING SOME OF THE LIMESTONE THAT WE EXCAVATE, UM, ONSITE FOR OTHER PURPOSES LIKE RIP WRAP AND, UM, HARDSCAPE.
UM, HERE WE HAVE THE, THAT LANDSCAPING AND TREE MITIGATION, THOSE NUMBERS THAT I HAD DESCRIBED A MINUTE AGO.
AND WE ALSO WILL HAVE A RETAINING WALL ALONG MCNEIL MARITON ROAD, UM, HOLDING THE FILL VERTICALLY SO THAT, UM, THE DISTURBANCE AREA IS LIMITED.
AND IF WE GO ON TO THE NEXT, WE ALSO, I HAVE A FEW ADDITIONAL COMMITMENTS THAT WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE HOPEFULLY, UM, INCLUDED OUR IN YOUR MOTION.
UM, WE, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT A FREQUENT REQUEST IS HAVING A NO MO AREA.
UM, WE ARE MORE THAN HAPPY TO COMPLY WITH THAT.
ALSO, PLANTING MAXIMILIAN SUNFLOWERS, UM, IS A GREAT EASY THING THAT WE CAN DO AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN, UM, IT'S FUNNY THAT WE JUST HAD THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN PRESENTATION.
SO WE DID TALK A LOT ABOUT BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN.
UM, WE ARE HELD TO THE ISPE CODE, WHICH IS LIKE A PHARMACEUTICAL LEVEL.
SO BECAUSE THIS IS A PHARMACEUTICAL SITE, THERE ARE SOME LIMITS.
BUT WHAT WE CAN DEFINITELY AGREE TO IS TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT AREN'T IN, IN A CONFLICT WITH ANY OF THOSE LIMITS.
UM, SO I THINK THERE'S SOME, A FEW QUESTIONS OUT THERE, BUT GENERALLY WE ARE FOR SURE ON BOARD WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN HERE, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT YOU SAW BEFORE, BUT THESE ARE THE STAFF CONDITIONS WHICH WE ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD REQUEST YOUR SUPPORT, THANK YOU.
AND MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT THOROUGH PRESENTATION.
UM, NEXT WE'RE GONNA GO TO ANY PUBLIC COMMENTERS THAT WE HAVE.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A SEAT, WE'LL YEAH.
WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER HERE FOR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.
HELLO, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UH, THIS EVENING.
MY NAME IS CALLIE TAYLOR WITH OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN, ALSO A CITY OF AUSTIN, DISTRICT TWO RESIDENT.
I AM HERE TODAY, UH, AS I SAID, TO SUPPORT PROJECT GREAT WAVE.
THIS PROJECT IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT PROJECT, UM, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AS WELL AS TEXANS IN THE US AS A WHOLE.
THE, UM, THEIR ABILITY TO EXPAND THIS, UH, THIS NEW FACILITY, NEW MODERNIZED FACILITY AT THIS SITE, WILL GREATLY HELP THEM TO INCREASE THE PRODUCTION OF IV BAGS, WHICH ARE MANUFACTURED ALREADY HERE IN AUSTIN, FIRMLY ANCHORING THAT PRODUCTION HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS TO SUPPORT THE US HEALTHCARE SUPPLY CHAIN.
AND WHY IS THAT REALLY IMPORTANT? WELL, THE OTHER TWO, THERE'S THREE LARGE, UM, IV BAG SUPPLIERS OR MANUFACTURERS, EXCUSE ME, IN THE UNITED STATES.
THE OTHER TWO OF WHICH OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN ARE LOCATED ON THE EAST AND WEST COAST.
SO THEY'RE SUSCEPTIBLE TO A LOT OF ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS AND AT SOMETIMES ARE DOWN.
SO BEING ABLE TO PRODUCE OR INCREASE THE CAPACITY HERE AT THE AUSTIN SITE CREATES RESILIENCY THROUGHOUT THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AND REALLY MAKES US AN ANCHOR AND A, A KEY SITE FOR THIS.
UH, IT ALSO ALLOWS A COMPANY TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, THE ICU MEDICAL TEAM ALREADY HAS OVER A THOUSAND EMPLOYEES HERE IN AUSTIN THAT IN ADDITION TO THE JOBS THAT WILL BE CREATED BY THIS PROJECT, UM, WILL PROVIDE FOR UPSKILLING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE CURRENT EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS NEW WORKFORCE PARTNERSHIPS
[01:05:01]
THAT, UM, WITH ALL OF OUR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE COMPANY AND THEIR, UH, CONSULTING TEAMS, TALKING WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TEAM, TO REALLY TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALIGNING WITH THE PRIORITIES, BOTH PRIORITIES AT WORKFORCE AND AS A COMMUNITY BENEFITS LEVEL, BUT ALSO ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE GOING TO ALIGN WITH WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WANTS.AND, UM, WITH THAT, I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
THAT CONCLUDES THE SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM.
UM, LEAH, AND ANYONE ELSE YOU THINK MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR QUESTIONS IF Y'ALL WANT TO TAKE THESE TWO MICROPHONES HERE AND THAT ONE UP THERE, THAT WAY YOU'RE JUST ALREADY SITTING AT THE MICROPHONE WHEN WE GO TO QUESTIONS THAT COULD BE HELPFUL, AND I WILL START WITH ONLINE COMMISSIONERS, AND I'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER FIERRO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
UM, ONE QUESTION THAT I HAVE, UH, 20 FEET OF CUT AND FILL SEEMS SUCCESSIVE, UH, FOR AN AREA THAT'S ON THE AQUIFER.
AND SO I WAS WONDERING IF, UH, THERE WERE OTHER LIKE LAID OUT CONSIDERATIONS OF THE BUILDING AND I, RATHER THAN JUST HAVING ONE BIG BUILDING, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE LIKE A CAMPUS SO THAT, UH, IT'S MORE EVEN OUT THE SURFACE WITHOUT LIKE CUSSING A LOT OF, UH, DAMAGE UNDERGROUND OR LIKE A SMALLER BUILDING.
UM, YEAH, JUST, YEAH, JUST WONDERING ABSOLUTELY ON THAT.
AM I ON? YES,
UM, SO AGAIN, I KNOW THIS IS, UM, IT'S NOT AN UNPRECEDENTED REQUEST, BUT IT IS ON, ON THE HIGHER END.
BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AND IT IS THIS, THIS IS THE REQUEST WE NEED.
LIKE I SAID, I THINK IN A, IN A DIFFERENT PART OF TOWN, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GO DOWN LOWER AND, AND REDUCE THE KIND OF THE BALANCING ACT, BUT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE LIMESTONE BEDROCK, THAT IS NOT AVAILABLE TO US HERE.
THAT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BRIMER.
YEAH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR, UH, PRESENTATION.
BOTH OF THE STAFF AS WELL AS THE, UH, APPLICANT.
UH, I PULLED ALL THE, UH, CUT AND FILL REQUESTS THAT CAME BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SINCE, UH, THE BEGINNING OF 2022.
AND, UH, I BELIEVE THERE WAS A COMMENT SENT IN BY, UM, MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT REFERENCED SOME THAT, THAT WERE APPROVED IN 2021 AS WELL.
AND I PULLED THOSE, UH, THERE WERE, I GUESS THE ONES I PULLED SINCE, UH, INCLUDING THE ONES THAT WERE REFERENCED IN THAT EMAIL THAT WAS SENT TO THE COMMISSION AS A WHOLE, YOU TOTAL 'EM UP, I BELIEVE THERE'S ABOUT 20 THAT WE'VE REVIEWED OVER THAT TIME.
ONLY A COUPLE HAVE GOTTEN AS HIGH AS 20 FEET OF CUT AND FILL.
UH, MOST OF THEM REALLY DIDN'T EXCEED 15 FEET.
UH, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF LIKE 17 FEET OR 18 FEET.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS INDEED IS KIND OF UNPRECEDENTED.
AND, UH, SO THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS KIND OF AN EXCESSIVE REQUEST, UH, FOR US TO APPROVE.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT DEAL OF THE DISCUSSION, UH, BY THE COMMISSION, UH, IN REQUESTS THAT ARE THIS, THIS LARGE.
UH, SO THE OTHER THING THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS WHEN I WAS REVIEWING THESE OTHER CUT AND FILL REQUESTS, I NOTICED THAT THE, UH, STAFF REQUIRED A GREAT DEAL OR WELL, MAYBE NOT STAFF IN THE END, THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE PASSED INCLUDED A LOT OF OTHER CONDITIONS ON THERE.
UH, AND SOME OF THE CONDITIONS MAY NOT BE APPLICABLE HERE, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, WELL, LET ME BACK UP FROM THAT A LITTLE BIT.
MOST OF THESE, UH, THINGS THAT, THAT WERE, THESE CUT AND FILLS WERE NOT APPLICABLE REALLY AS A COMPARABLE THING TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IN OTHER WORDS, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST BY RANDOM, UH, UM, WHEN I PULLED UP MY DOCUMENT THAT I PREPARED, UH, THE CODA POD, WHICH WE DID, UH, BACK ON THE 20 ON, UH, MARCH 4TH OF 26TH,
[01:10:02]
THAT'S NOT A MANUFACTURING SPACE.THAT'S A, UH, MULTIFACETED DEVELOPMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, MINI ACRES, DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACILITIES SCATTERED ALL OVER THE PLACE.
UH, I THINK IT WAS REFERENCED A, UH, A JULY 21 CROSSROADS LOGISTICS CENTER, WHICH WAS, UH, REFERENCED IN THE EMAIL THAT WE RECEIVED THAT WAS A 14.3, UH, CUT IN 16 FEET, UH, FILL.
BUT VERY FEW OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'VE APPROVED ARE REALLY COMPARABLE TO WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.
UH, SO THIS IS REALLY KIND OF A REALLY DIFFERENT TYPE OF APPLICATION THAT YOU'RE PUTTING FORTH HERE.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, REQUESTS IN HERE THAT, UH, MAINTENANCE PLANS FOR TREES TO ASSURE THAT, UH, THEY'RE MAINTAINED OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
UH, THERE'S REQUESTS THAT SOLAR POWER BE ADDED TO THE, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE TOPS OF THE BUILDINGS IN ORDER TO GENERATE, UH, POWER, UH, INCLUSION OF, UH, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, EV CHARGING STATIONS.
I'M JUST PULLING THESE OUT HERE.
UH, LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION, UH, PLANS, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S JUST A WHOLE LAUNDRY LIST OF THINGS THAT I'M, AS I GO THROUGH THIS, SOME OF THEM ARE QUITE EXTENSIVE.
UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU'RE PLANNING ON HAVING, UH, WORK THERE.
IN SOME PLACES WE'VE REQUIRE OR REQUESTED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH CAP METRO TO, UH, HAVE, UH, MASS TRANSIT STOPS THERE.
I KNOW THAT, UH, I USED TO COMMUTE ALONG THERE TO GO UP TO, UH, UH, DELL WHERE I WORKED AT A PERIOD OF TIME.
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF CAP METRO STOPS ALONG THERE.
I, I FIND THIS IS REALLY OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE USUALLY APPROVE FOR THIS TYPE OF THING.
AND, UH, SO I, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT ALL OF THIS.
I UNDERSTAND THE NECESSITY BY THE NATURE OF THE WORK YOU'RE DOING, THAT YOU HAVE A, UH, LARGE FLAT FACILITY IN ORDER TO DO IT BY THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS THAT YOU'RE, UH, YOU'RE DOING, UM, THAT BEING THE NATURE OF THE BUSINESS.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE, THE ENTIRE THING.
UH, MIKE MCDOUGLE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT 20 FEET WOULD BE THE LIMIT.
WHAT IF THEY REDUCED THE AREA THAT HAD TO BE 20 FEET, IF THEY WENT UP TO 25 FEET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? MIKE MCDOUGLE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, OR EXCUSE ME, AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES? UM, YES, SIR, THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE AN OPTION.
UM, THE, UH, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REGULATES THE DEPTH OF CUT AND FILL, NOT SPECIFICALLY, IT DOESN'T SPECIFICALLY REGULATE, REGULATE THE FOOTPRINT.
SO, UH, WE COULD CONSIDER, OR THE COMMISSION COULD CONSIDER, UM, UH, 25 FEET OF FILL OVER A SMALLER FOOTPRINT, LESS OF A CODE, UH, NON-COMPLIANCE DESIGN, NON-COMPLIANCE DESIGN THAN, THAN A LARGER FOOTPRINT OF 20 FEET.
UH, I'M NOT SURE IF THAT WOULD WORK FOR THEIR DESIGN THOUGH, BECAUSE IF, IF THE BUILDING IS ABOUT 9.8 ACRES IN SIZE AND THEY'VE GOT TO DO A CUT AND FILL BALANCE TO MAKE THE BUILDING A CERTAIN SIZE, UM, IT COULD END UP JUST MAKING A BIG, A VERY HIGH SPOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUILDING AND, AND MIGHT NOT WORK FOR THEIR DESIGN.
SO YOU'RE SATISFIED NOW WITH THE CURRENT LAYOUT OF THE CUT AND FILL THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT WOULD BE PRETTY FIXED BASED ON THE, THE REQUIREMENTS TO HAVE THE FINISHED FLOOR ELEVATION BE FLAT DOWNSTAIRS, RIGHT? FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN HERE? EXACTLY.
AND, AND BASED ON THE IDEA THAT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, GRADING WITHIN THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT IS NOT LIMITED, BUT IT IS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT AND FIRE LANES HAVE TO MATCH THE ELEVATION AND A DA ACCESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, I AM SATISFIED THAT THE, UH, THAT THE GRADING MATCHES THE, THE SIZE OF THE BUILDING THE APPLICANT PROPOSES.
UM, AS FAR AS THE SPECIFIC FINDINGS, I, I WOULD HAVE TO, I THINK, DEFER TO, TO THE RE OFFICER FOR SOME ADDITIONAL INPUT.
YEAH, I MEAN, THESE ARE, UM, DIFFICULT CASES.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE CUT AND FILL REGULATIONS CAME ON, UM, WERE ENACTED, THEY STARTED IN LAKE AUSTIN WATERSHED IN THE SEVENTIES AND KIND OF, UH, CAME ON THROUGH THE EIGHTIES AND MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF THE NINETIES.
AND THESE TYPES OF BUILDINGS WERE NOT CONTEMPLATED THEN.
THEY'RE NOT AS, THEY WERE NOT AS, UM, AS PRO, YOU KNOW, AS, UH, WE DON'T SEE THEM AS OFTEN AS, UM, WE, WE SEE THEM MORE NOW THAN WE DID BACK THEN.
AND SO HOW TO HANDLE CUT AND FILL
[01:15:01]
WHEN THERE IS THIS REQUIREMENT, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT OUR, I DON'T THINK OUR CODE ADDRESSES PARTICULARLY WELL RIGHT NOW.UM, ONE THING I WILL SAY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT THESE MANUFACTURING BUILDINGS IN AUSTIN, UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO, IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT OR CHALLENGING FOR THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS TO MEET OUR REGULATIONS AT ALL.
AND I DO WANNA JUST PUT INTO A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT THAT JUST BEING IN THE CITY LIMITS OF AUSTIN DOES HAVE SOME ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS.
WE HAVE LANDSCAPING, THEY HAVE GREEN ENERGY FROM AUSTIN ENERGY, THEY HAVE, UH, RECLAIMED WATER FROM AUSTIN WATER, UM, TREE MITIGATION, UM, AND HIGHER WATER QUALITY STANDARDS THAN, THAN IF THEY WERE TO MOVE NEXT DOOR IN AN, AN AREA THAT IS RELEASED FROM THE ETJ, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THOUGHTS THAT I'VE HAD WHEN, WHEN THINKING ABOUT THESE TYPES OF PROJECTS IN THIS MEETING IN PARTICULAR.
YOU DIDN'T EVEN MENTION THE FACT THAT THEY'RE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM A REDLINE STATION.
SO THERE IS GOOD MASS TRANSIT IN THE AREA.
ALRIGHT, WELL THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MORRISON.
THANK YOU, UM, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
FIRST IS JUST A CLARIFICATION ABOUT WHETHER THERE IS A DIRECT, AND THIS IS PROBABLY FOR STAFF, BUT A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND THE ACTUAL DEPTH OR HEIGHT OF CUT AND FILL.
LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER BREMER BROUGHT UP WHATEVER, SIX, 14 FEET, 16 FEET.
CAN WE QUANTIFY THE ACTUAL DIFFERENCE AND THE IMPACT BETWEEN 16 FEET VERSUS 20 FEET? LIKE WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY YEAH.
TALKING ABOUT HERE? SO SOME OF IT IS RELATED TO JUST, UH, THE DIFFICULTIES IN KEEPING SEDIMENT ON SITE DURING CONSTRUCTION.
SO THAT CAN BE MITIGATED THROUGH EROSION CONTROL AND INSPECTIONS AND, UM, THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE A POND THERE ALREADY.
SO ANY SEDIMENT WOULD GO TO THAT POND RATHER THAN OFFSITE.
UM, PART OF IT IS RELATED TO THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RECHARGE ZONE, UM, THEY COULD HIT VOIDS.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE VOID MITIGATION NOTES, UM, THAT ARE STANDARD.
SO IF THERE IS A VOID, ALL WORK HAS TO STOP AND THEY HAVE TO GET A GEOLOGIST.
AND, UH, UH, ONE OF OUR HYDROGEOLOGISTS ON JOHN CLEMENTS TEAM, UM, SPENDS A LOT OF TIME DOING VOID MITIGATION.
PART OF IT IS JUST NATURAL AND TRADITIONAL CHARACTER, THE CHANGING OF, OF, OF, UH, THE LANDSCAPE.
UM, THAT IS A LITTLE BIT HARDER FOR US BECAUSE CUT AND FILL REGULATIONS ARE IN WATER QUALITY.
AND SO WE REALLY NEED TO, UNDER STATE LAW SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT IMPACTS TO WATER QUALITY WHEN WE APPLY OUR REGULATIONS.
AND ALSO I THINK JUST THE DIFFICULTIES THAT COULD ARISE FROM MANAGING STORM WATER, UM, WHEN YOU GRADE, UH, UM, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DO THIS MUCH GRADING, NOW ALL OF THAT CAN BE MITIGATED THROUGH ENGINEERING PLANS.
UM, SO TO YOUR QUESTION, I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MY TEAM HAS ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT BECAUSE WE HAVE SEEN THESE, UM, KIND OF LARGE INDUSTRIAL PROJECTS COME IN AND IF THERE IS A, A ZONING CATEGORY THAT SUGGESTS THAT THIS SHOULD BE INDUSTRIAL, THEN WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO? AND SO I THINK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR OUR STAFF TO GO OUT AND LOOK AT AREAS THAT HAVE HAD LARGE CUT AND FILLS AND SEE IF WE DOCUMENT ANYTHING.
WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT WE SEE THAT ARE NEGATIVE? WHAT DO WE NOT SEE? UM, AND WHAT ARE SOME MITIGATION MEASURES THAT, UM, WE COULD LEARN FROM THAT.
BUT THAT WORK HASN'T BEEN DONE YET.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION AROUND, DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OF LIKE A, A BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN CHOICE THAT WOULD CONFLICT WITH THE OTHER COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS TYPE OF A DEVELOPMENT? I THINK THAT THE ONLY CONFLICT WE'VE COME ACROSS SO FAR HAS TO DO WITH THE, UM, THE WARMTH OF THE LIGHTING.
LIKE THERE ARE CERTAIN LEVEL, LIKE THEY'LL ALL HAVE TO STILL BE POINTED DOWN 'CAUSE THAT'S CITY CODE, BUT THERE ARE BIRD FRIENDLY LIKE LEVEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, WARMTH, COLD LEVELS, UHHUH THAT WE CANNOT BECAUSE THEY ALSO ATTRACT BUGS UHHUH.
AND SO WE CAN'T ATTRACT BUGS TO A PHARMACEUTICAL FACILITY.
BUT AS FAR AS I KNOW RIGHT NOW, THAT'S THE ONLY ISSUE WE WOULD HAVE.
I MEAN, THIS IS NOT A TALL GLASS TOWER, THIS IS A, YOU KNOW, MID-LEVEL, MOSTLY CONCRETE BUILDING.
SO I DON'T EXPECT THERE TO BE A LOT OF ISSUES.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THAT WE'VE COME ACROSS THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONER LUKI.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU JUST SAID PHARMACEUTICAL, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA BE MAKING HERE?
[01:20:03]
SORRY, I'M JUST GONNA STAY UP HERE.THEY'RE GONNA MAKE IV BAGS, SALINE, IV BAGS, SALINE, IV BAGS.
UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER BUILDINGS LIKE THIS IN AUSTIN, THIS SIZE? IS THIS, DID YOU SAY NINE ACRES? WELL, THIS IS NOT QUITE, I CAN'T REMEMBER IS SIMILARLY SIZED TO THE EXISTING FACILITY THAT'S THERE.
SO THIS IS AN EXPANSION OF EXISTING FACILITIES.
SO, SO THERE IS A SITE THERE, THERE IS A BUILDING THERE TODAY, UM, THAT IS PRETTY SIMILAR.
UM, THAT'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE EARLY EIGHTIES.
OBVIOUSLY THIS ONE WILL BE MORE MODERN.
AND AS I, AS I'M SITTING HERE THINKING ABOUT IT, I GUESS THERE'S THE GIGAFACTORY THAT'S, UH, ENORMOUS.
AND ALSO IT'S FUNNY 'CAUSE IT'S LIKE, IT'S IN, IT'S, IT'S AT MOPAC AND HOWARD LANE, IT'S RIGHT.
I MEAN, WE'VE ALL PROBABLY GONE BY IT A MILLION TIMES AND NOT KNOWN WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THERE.
AND I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE, AN ENVIRONMENTAL ANGLE HERE ON THIS THAT, UH, IT MIGHT BE CONCERNING.
BUT YOU KNOW, ALSO THERE'S THE, THE REALITY THAT, UM, MANUFACTURING, UH, IS AN IMPORTANT THING AND ESPECIALLY SOMETHING LIKE, UM, UH, MEDICAL SUPPLIES.
SO, UM, I THINK COVID TAUGHT US A LI A LESSON ABOUT, UH, HAVING TOO MANY THINGS OUTSOURCED TO OTHER COUNTRIES AND, AND SUDDENLY WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEM.
AND THAT SEEMED TO BE A, A VERY TERRIFYING, UH, UH, IDEA.
UM, ONCE UPON A TIME WE USED TO RUN AN AIR AMBULANCE COMPANY, WE USE IV BAGS ALL THE TIME.
SO I'M, I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE, THAT PRODUCT AND, AND, UH, I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING THOSE IN AMERICA AGAIN.
UH, SO, UH, I WAS JUST CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS ACTUAL SIZE OF THIS, IF IT, IF THAT'S EVEN AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AT ALL, OR IS THERE'S, I'M, I'M MORE, I, I FEEL LIKE THE NUMBER, NUMBER ONE, TWO THINGS THAT WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT HERE IS, UM, WHERE ARE YOU GONNA GET ALL YOUR WATER? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IS THAT GONNA BE A, A, A THING THAT THAT'S, UH, AN ISSUE THERE? AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU GONNA BUILD THE BUILDING SO YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT CREATING A A A PLACE WHERE, UH, UH, THE ENVIRONMENT IS ACTUALLY AFFECTED IN SOME NEGATIVE WAY.
LIKE, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT BIRD STRIKES HERE WITH ALL THE, ALMOST ALL THE BUILDINGS THAT WE SEE COME THROUGH.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, THAT YOU DON'T BUILD SOMETHING THAT, UH, IS DESTRUCTIVE.
UM, BUT I, I DON'T SEE THAT HERE.
UH, BUT, UM, UH, I, I NOW THINK OF, OKAY, WELL, ARE THEY GONNA BE USING A LOT OF WATER HERE? IS THERE ANY KIND OF CONCERN ABOUT, ABOUT THAT LEVEL OF, OF, UH, OF CONSTRUCT, UH, OF MANUFACTURER? I CAN TELL YOU I HAVE THE NUMBER, THE WATER USAGE HERE.
I WILL ALSO TELL YOU, JUST FOR CONTEXT, IT'S 170 ACRE SITE.
SO JUST IF, IF THAT HELPS PUT THE CONTEXT OF THE BUILDING SIZE, AND IT'S NOT LIKE A PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE KIND OF, UM, SITUATION.
UM, SO PEAK IS 2,380 GALLONS PER MINUTE AVERAGE OF 660 FOR A DAILY TOTAL OF 0.848 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY.
DAILY TOTAL OF OF HOW MUCH? A TOTAL DAILY, TOTAL OF 0.848 MILLION.
UM, GOSH, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF WATER.
I MEAN, JUST AS A, AS, AS A GENERAL RULE, UH, WE, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAVE A DROUGHT PROBLEM IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.
AND SO, UM, IS THIS A, A, THE WATER'S GONNA BE COMING FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN? THERE ARE, THERE ARE WELLS ON THE SITE, WELLS ON THE SITE FOR THE WATER, FOR THE SALINE WATER THAT IS USED FOR THE BAGS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST PULLING FROM THE, YOU'RE PULLING IT FROM THE GROUND.
IT HAPPENED FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, EVERYONE, I GUESS MY FIRST QUESTION MIGHT BE FOR YOU, MIKE, UH, IN HELPING ME JUST UNDERSTAND THE CRITERIA TO VARIANCE, WHERE IT SAYS, UM, IN, IN GENERAL TERMS, I'M GONNA, UM, UH, SOME TRY TO SUMMARIZE IT, BUT THAT THE, THE APPLICANT, THE DESIGN IS, UH, THE, THE SITE ISN'T NECESSARILY CHANGING OR ACCOMMODATING A A, A DESIGN THAT'S INAPPROPRIATE.
AND SO I SEE THIS AS A MASSIVE, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA FIT ON THIS SITE.
AND SO IT COULD BE A 300,000 FOOT, UH, MANUFACTURING FACILITY AND SAY, WOULDN'T NEED A VARIANCE, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, 10 ACRES.
UM, AND, AND THEREFORE IT SEEKS THE VARIANCE.
I GUESS I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED OF HOW CRITERIA TWO IS A YES AND NOT A NO.
UH, MIKE MCDOUGALL, AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM,
[01:25:01]
I'LL TAKE A STAB AT IT AND THEN PASS TO, TO LIZ.UH, SO THERE ARE, THERE ARE BASICALLY A, A HANDFUL OF, UH, VARIANCE, UM, FINDINGS.
AND ONE SAYS, THE FIRST ONE IS, WILL THE REQUIREMENT, I'M PARAPHRASING, BUT WILL THE REQUIREMENT PRIOR THE APPLICANT HAVE A PRIVILEGE AVAILABLE TO OWNERS OF SIMILARLY SITUATED PROPERTY? UM, AND THE NEXT ONE IS, IS THE VARIANCE NECESSITATED BY THE SCALE LAYOUT CONTRACTION METHOD, OR OTHER DESIGN DECISION MADE BY THE APPLICANT? UNLESS THE DESIGN DECISION PROVIDES GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION.
AND THEN ANOTHER ONE IS, IT IS THE MINIMUM DEVIATION FROM THE CODE REQUIREMENT NECESSARY TO ALLOW A REASONABLE USE OF THE PROPERTY.
UM, IT'S PRIMARILY THAT POINT A THAT IT, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE ACCOMMODATING, UM, A USE THAT THE SITE MIGHT NOT, YOU KNOW, DEEM FEASIBLE.
SO COULD IT NOT, THEY THEY BOUGHT THE WRONG LAND MORE OR LESS? THAT, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, YEAH.
I MEAN, WE HAVE SEEN CASES IN THE PAST WHERE I, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONED THE, UH, THE PURCHASE OF THE LAND.
I WOULD SAY THEY ALREADY OWN THE LAND.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT EX, THIS IS NOT A PARTICULARLY HILLY PARCEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE THERE ANY SLOPES GREATER THAN 15% ON THIS OUTSIDE OF THE CREEK? AND I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY CHALLENGING TO FIND A PIECE OF PROPERTY IN AUSTIN THAT IS ENTIRELY FLAT, SUCH THAT THEY WOULD NOT NEED THE CUT AND FILL.
WELL, I, I, I WOULD ADD, UM, IF, IF THE BUILDING SAY WE'RE 100 FEET LONG AND, AND WE REGULATE, THE CITY REGULATES CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES ARE 15%, UM, IF IT WERE A 10% SLOPE AND THE, UH, THE BUILDING WERE A HUNDRED FEET LONG, WELL THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ELEVATION CHANGE WOULD BE 10 FEET ALONG THAT A HUNDRED FEET.
AND SO JUST THAT WOULD BE EXCEEDING OUR LIMITS.
UM, AND SO ON, ON WHAT IS TYPICALLY A RELATIVELY FLAT SITE FROM A CODE REGULATORY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S HARD TO FIND PROPERTY THAT'S FLAT ENOUGH THAT COMPLIES WITH THAT FOUR FOOT LIMIT.
THERE ARE SOME ALLOWANCES THAT CODE TO EIGHT FEET, UH, ADMINISTRATIVELY.
BUT EVEN THAT IN THIS, IN THIS HYPOTHETICAL, YOU KNOW, A 100 FOOT LONG BUILDING, WHICH IS MUCH SMALLER THAN WHAT'S PROPOSED, EVEN THAT WOULD BE BEYOND THE EIGHT FOOT LIMIT.
UM, AND THE OTHER CONSTRAINTS THAT THESE LARGE MANUFACTURING SITES ENCOUNTERS, THEY NEED TO BE NEAR MAJOR HIGHWAYS.
SO THEY NEED, UM, LARGE PIECES OF LAND NEAR MAJOR HIGHWAYS THAT ARE ALSO RELATIVELY FLAT, UM, AND THEN ALSO RELATIVELY AFFORDABLE BECAUSE THEY, THEY NEED LARGE PIECES OF LAND.
UM, THE ONLY OPTION THAT WOULD ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE TWO OPTIONS THAT WOULD GUARANTEE GETTING OUTTA THE CUT FIELD VARIANCE WOULD BE IF THEY BOUGHT LAND THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, A 1% SLOPE ACROSS A VERY LARGE AREA.
AND, AND, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING PROBABLY WHAT INTO SOCCER FIELD TERRITORY TO BE THAT FLAT OR, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO IT.
UM, AND THAT'S UNLIKELY TO, TO OCCUR IN NATURE.
THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO BUILDING THE URBAN WATERSHED WHERE THE CODE SPECIFICALLY SAYS WE DO NOT REGULATE, UH, GRADING.
IN THE, THE URBAN WATERSHED, IT'S 25 8 3 41 A AND 3 42 A BASICALLY SAYS GRADING IS LIMITED TO FOUR FEET EXCEPT, AND THE FIRST EXCEPTION IS IN THE URBAN WATERSHED.
BUT OF COURSE, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN AND AROUND DOWNTOWN.
SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A A A A TENANT OR BUILDING DOWNTOWN, THE COST OF LAND I THINK WOULD JUST BE JUST INFEASIBLE EXORBITANT.
SO, SO, UM, IT'S TOUGH TO FIND A SITUATION THAT MATCHES THE CHECKS, ALL THE BOXES.
UH, AND THEN AS LIZ POINTED OUT, IT'S, IT'S AN EXISTING SITE ALREADY THAT ARE EXPANDING, BUT FLAT, AFFORDABLE, NOT TOO MANY TREES, UM, NEAR MAJOR HIGHWAY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF IT WERE ON THE WEST SIDE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE EVEN MORE HILLY.
YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GO, YOU KNOW, WEST OF MOPAC, IT'S EVEN HILLIER.
AND SO, SO NOW WE'RE CONSTRAINED, YOU KNOW, TO, YOU KNOW, HALF OF AUSTIN OR LESS THAN HALF OF AUSTIN.
AND SO THE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WE KEEP CHIPPING AWAY AT THE REQUIREMENTS, IT GETS, IT GETS, UH, DIFFICULT.
UH, SO NO, I THINK MAYBE THAT'S WHAT LIZ ALLUDED TO.
IF WE WANT FARM A PROJECT LIKE THIS, IT'S HARD TO DO SO IN CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND THE BENEFITS OF BEING IN THE ETJ OR BEING WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS VERSUS PULLING OUT, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE CLEAR, IS THERE A RISK THAT THEY COULD PULL OUT AND NOT BE IN THE ETJ ANYMORE? 'CAUSE THEY'RE ARE RIGHT ON THE EDGE? WELL, THEY'RE ACTUALLY, UH, IN FULL PURPOSE, THEY'RE FULL PURPOSE, THEY'RE ZONED L-I-P-D-A, SO THEY ARE ZONED FOR LIMITED INDUSTRIAL OR LIGHT INDUSTRIAL, WHATEVER.
UM, THAT WAS THE, THE, THE ONE THOUGHT UNDERSTANDING THE, THE SITE CONSTRAINTS AND, AND NEEDS.
UM, IT DID CROSS MY MIND THINKING OF THE OPPORTUNITY ZONES THAT CITY OF AUSTIN'S IDENTIFIED.
I DON'T, UM, YOU KNOW, QUICKLY LOOKED AT A MAP.
I KNOW THE ONES GENERALLY NEAR THE AIRPORT AND UNDERSTAND A, UH, MANUFACTURING LIKE THIS, PROXIMITY TO THE AIRPORT, IT'S FLAT.
YOU KNOW, ARE THEY GONNA BE DRIVING ACROSS THE CITY TO JUST PUT THINGS ON A PLANE AND, UH, FLY OUT? WOULD IT HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THEY WERE, THIS INDUSTRY WAS NEXT, NEXT TO THE AIRPORT? I, THAT, THAT, UH, IT'S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE.
I WAS DEPOSE, BUT I'M NOT SURE IT WOULD BE A NECESSARILY A FLATTER SITE.
AND, AND I, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE REFERRING TO THE IMAGINE AUSTIN CORRIDORS.
THOSE CORRIDORS DON'T GIVE ANY, ANY, UM, ANY LEEWAY FOR GRADING.
THEY DO HAVE SOME LEEWAY FOR CONSTRUCTION IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.
UH, SO, UM, AND, AND THAT'S IN THE CODE AS WELL.
BUT, BUT THE, THE IMAGINE AUSTIN, UH, CONCERN OR
[01:30:01]
OR OR SOLUTION WOULDN'T GET US OUT OF THESE, THESE TWO VARIANCES FOR, FORBUT AS FAR AS THE, THE DRIVE, I'D HAVE TO LET THE APPLICANT SPEAK TO, OH, I'M ADAM BAKER, UH, THE DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING OUT AT, UH, AT SUKA, IU MEDICAL, BEEN THERE 28 YEARS, STARTED OUT AS A MAINTENANCE MECHANIC NOW.
AND, UH, SO BEEN THERE A LONG TIME SEEING A LOT OF GROWTH WHEN IT WAS ABBOTT ALL THE WAY THROUGH PFIZER, ET CETERA.
THIS HAS BEEN A REAL EXCITING MOMENT TO SEE REINVESTMENT IN THIS INDUSTRY AND IN, IN THIS AREA.
BUT, UH, FROM THE QUESTION AROUND, UM, FLYING'S PRODUCT OUT, WE DON'T DO THAT.
UH, WE MAKE AROUND A MILLION BAGS A DAY, UH, ON AVERAGE, UH, IN THE CURRENT FACILITY.
UM, OVERALL WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND SOME OF THE THINGS WE'LL BE DOING IT, THEY'LL STILL BE BETWEEN THE TWO BUILDINGS SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT, UH, DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE BAGS AND AS MINI AS WE'RE MAKING, THESE ARE ALL TRANSPORTED BY A SEMI-TRUCK.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT'S PART OF THE REASON FOR THE FOOTPRINT TOO, IS THE, UH, STORAGE.
WE HAVE REQUIREMENTS BY THE FDA THAT WE HAVE TO HOLD ONTO THOSE, TO ALL THE TESTINGS DONE BEFORE WE CAN RELEASE 'EM.
SO THAT'S ALSO A REASON FOR SOME OF THAT, UH, UH, FOOTPRINT THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE.
IS BEYOND THE 10 ACRE BUILDING, DID I MISS HOW MUCH OF THAT IS GONNA BE PARKING AND IS IT GONNA BE SHARED ACROSS THE EXISTING SITE? YES, THERE WILL BE 71 NEW SPACES FOR THAT ENTIRE BUILDING.
AND IT WOULD BE SHARED WITH THE, THE OTHER FACILITY.
AND, AND THERE ARE THE EV REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'LL BE COMPLYING WITH AS WELL, WITH THE SEASIDE PLAN AND GOING TO WATER USE.
IS, UH, IS IT A LOT OF THE BUILDING NEEDING TO BE COOLED AND IS THERE AGAIN, UH, FEASIBLE TO USE THE COOLING WATER SYSTEMS IN, IN ANY WAY? I THINK WE WILL BE USING, I THINK WE'LL BE REQUIRED WITH THE C TO BE USING RECLAIM FOR THINGS, UM, LIKE, UM, LANDSCAPING AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
WE DO HAVE A 200,000 GALLON, UH, UH, CISTERN THAT WILL BE PART OF THE SEASIDE PLAN AS WELL.
SO THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING, AND THAT WATER WILL BE REUSED.
HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAD NOTICED THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE VARIANCE CONDITIONS WAS TREE MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS WILL BE FULLY MET BY PLANTING TREES ON SITE, INSTEAD PEG INTO THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND.
I HAD A QUESTION, WHY CAN WE NOT JUST SAY THAT EVERY TIME? IS THERE ANY REASON, I MEAN, I, THIS PROJECT WILL BE COMPLYING, I WILL SAY SOMETIMES THERE ARE PROJECTS WHERE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH SPACE BECAUSE TO, TO FIT THE MITIGATION, BUT I, BUT I WILL, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT RIGHT NOW, I WILL JUST SAY THAT WE ARE COMPLIANT WITH THAT.
WE WILL BE PROVIDING THE TREES IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.
WE'VE ALWAYS GOT ROOM FOR TREES, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
WE'RE GONNA PUT, PUT, PUT 'EM ALL ON SITE
UM, YEAH, I GUESS FOR STAFF, LIKE, IS IT JUST A MATTER OF SPACE? WHY WE WOULDN'T JUST ASK THAT EVERY TIME MIKE, WE AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, UM, WE COULD ASK THAT EVERY TIME.
UH, SOMETIMES THEY ALREADY ARE DOING THAT.
UH, THE APPLICANT MIGHT ALREADY BE DOING FULL MITIGATION ANYWAY, UM, SO WE COULD ASK IT FOR VARIANCE CONDITION, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT APPLICANT HAD PLANNED TO DO.
UM, OUTSIDE OF A VARIANCE, I BELIEVE STATE LAW DOESN'T ALLOW US TO COMPEL PLANTINGS IN PLACE OF, UH, PAYMENT.
YOU KNOW, THE STATE OF TEXAS HATES THIS.
BUT, UH, TREELESS, I SUPPOSE IS THE MOTTO SOMETIMES.
I GOT TWO PAGES OF NOTES OVER HERE, SO BEAR WITH ME FOR A SECOND.
SO, UM, I THINK I'M GONNA STICK WITH THE TREES.
MIKE, THIS QUESTION IS FOR YOU.
UM, WHERE, WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO FOR THE TREE, UH, FUND? LIKE WHERE DO THOSE TREES GET PLANTED? UM, SO, UH, THE CITY ARBORIST, UM, THEY ARE THE STAFF THAT REVIEWED TREE MITIGATION.
UM, AND SO THERE IS, THE PAYMENT INTO THAT FUND GOES INTO THE URBAN, UH, FORESTRY REPLENISHMENT FUND.
UM, AND JOHN, TELL ME IF I SAY THIS WRONG.
UM, AND SO THE URBAN FORESTER, UM, USED TO BE IN DSD IS NOW IN, UM, AUSTIN CLIMATE AND RESILIENCY.
SO THEY, UM, TAKE THAT, THE, THE MONEY THAT COMES FROM THAT, AND THEN USE IT TO PLANT IN VARIOUS PLACES.
SO THEY MAY PARTNER WITH NONPROFITS OR DO OTHER THINGS.
AND YEAH, TELL ME, YOU CAN SPEAK MORE TO IT, I'M SURE.
UH, JOHN CLEMENT, UM, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION SERVICES WORK WITH LIZ, UH, AND LESLIE IN ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY.
[01:35:01]
UM, YEAH, THE, THERE ARE SEVERAL PUBLIC PROGRAMS TO GET FUNDED, UH, WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE THROUGH, UH, THE RACE AT PLANT PROGRAM AND, UM, REFORESTATION, UM, A LOT OF OUTREACH PROGRAMS, EDUCATION, UH, TREE GIVEAWAYS AND, UH, RELATED PROJECTS LIKE THAT.UH, CONTINUING EDUCATION TYPE, UM, TRAININGS FOR ARBORISTS AND, UH, THE, UM, URBAN FOREST STAFF IS, UH, I THINK MAYBE SIX OR SO PEOPLE, UH, WORKING ON EDUCATION OUTREACH AND, UM, UH, TRYING TO PROTECT, UH, THE HEALTH OF URBAN FOREST AS WELL.
BUT LIKE, WHERE CAN I DRIVE TO SEE THESE TREES?
YEAH, WE TALK ABOUT IT A LOT, AND I, WHERE DOES IT GO? YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE THOSE TREES? UH, I'D LIKE TO, LIKE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE TREES.
UM, SO I'M GONNA KEEP STICKING WITH TREES HERE FOR A MINUTE.
ONE OF YOUR SLIDES CALLED FOR, UH, HAVING, I BELIEVE IT WAS LIKE 30% ORNAMENTAL TREES.
I WANNA SEE 0% ORNAMENTAL TREES.
I WANNA SEE 0% INVASIVE ORNAMENTAL, OR EVEN, UM, SOMETIMES THEY'RE REFERRED TO AS ADAPTIVE PLANTS.
THEY SHOULD BE ALL NATIVE, 100% NATIVE TREES AND PLANTS ON THIS SPACE.
AND BECAUSE YOU ARE IN THE WALNUT CREEK ZONE, IT IS NAMED WALNUT CREEK BECAUSE IT HAS WALNUT TREES.
AND I WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME OF THOSE WALNUT TREES REESTABLISHED.
THEY'VE REALLY BEEN CUT DOWN AND WE DON'T HAVE VERY MANY OF THEM LEFT ANYMORE.
SO WALNUT TREES WOULD BE FANTASTIC, UH, IN THERE.
THEY'RE A REALLY GREAT NICE TREE, UM, UH, AS WELL AS LIVE OAKS.
LIVE OAKS ARE ANOTHER THING, UM, FOR THIS, UH, ESPECIALLY THIS TRANSITION ZONE BETWEEN THE EDWARDS UPLIFT AND THE BLACK LINE PRAIRIE AND, UH, LIVE OAKS THRIVE IN THIS AREA.
UM, SO COMMISSIONER BRIMER BROUGHT UP, UH, THE LANDSCAPING AND MAINTENANCE PLAN, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE TREES.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THAT.
I THINK SOMETIMES THERE'S LIKE A FIVE YEAR PLAN.
UH, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT FOR THE LIFE OF THE BUILDING, AS LONG AS THAT BUILDING IS BEING USED OR Y'ALL, THE OCCUPANT OF THE BUILDING, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT, THAT HAPPEN THERE TO MAKE SURE THE SURVIVABILITY OF THOSE PLANTS, SURE WE CAN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN ALL CONSIDER BETWEEN THIS RECOMMENDATION AND GETTING TO ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION, IF THAT WORKS.
UM, SO, UM, THINKING ABOUT THE CUT AND FILL, EVERYBODY ON THIS COMMISSION KNOWS I'M NOT A HUGE FAN OF CUT AND FILL.
UM, FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE REASONS OF YOU ARE EXTRACTING ALL THIS, YOU KNOW, MATERIAL, YOU'RE MOVING THAT TO ONE PLACE, YOU'RE MOVING OTHER OTHERS IN, BUT THEN IT ALSO CREATES A HIGHER VOLUME OF WATER AS THAT, AS THAT COMES OFF.
OR IT CAN A HIGHER VOLUME OF WATER INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR WATER MITIGATION, YOUR RETENTION PONDS, UM, OR EVEN ADJACENT PROPERTIES.
SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THAT MITIGATION, SINCE YOU ARE USING SOME OF THE CUT AND FILL FOR PARKING LOTS.
I'D LIKE TO SEE WITHIN THE PARKING LOTS.
UM, SOME OF THE MORE, YOU KNOW, BE INNOVATIVE WITH BIOSWALES, UM, YOU KNOW, TREES, UH, THAT HELP CREATE SA UM, SHADE, BUT ALSO THEN ARE ALSO HELPING ABSORB SOME OF THAT WATER, UH, AS IT'S COMING OFF OF THOSE SPACES.
UM, I WILL, UH, CONTINUE ON WITH, UH, COMMISSIONER BRIMER, UM, SUGGESTIONS EARLIER.
UH, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT SOLAR PANELS AND UM, YOU KNOW, WE WE'RE HAVING MORE AND MORE MANUFACTURING COME FORWARD, UH, IN, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY HERE, UM, TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'VE GOT THESE BIG FLAT BUILDINGS, YOU HAVE ALL THIS PARKING, YOU KNOW, 71 SPACES, THAT'S A PRETTY DECENT SIZED PARKING AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, ALL THIS OTHER SPACE THAT IS FOR YOUR TRUCKS TO COME IN AND TURN AROUND AND DO THEIR THING.
UH, WHICH IS ALL NECESSARY FOR YOUR, YOU KNOW, FUNCTION OF THE BUILDING.
BUT WHAT IF WE HAD SOLAR PANELS THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO USE THE FILE, THE, YOU KNOW, POWER RIGHT THERE AT THE MANUFACTURING.
IT CAN BE YOUR, ONE OF YOUR AREAS THAT YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE TO.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THEIR CITY REQUIRES.
BUT I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE BIG BUILDING PROJECTS LIKE THIS, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US ASK FOR MORE, UH, FROM THESE SPACES.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALREADY FLATTENING 'EM OUT AND, UM, I'VE SEEN SOME REALLY COOL, UM, UH, IT WAS JUST UP IN DENTON, UM, AND THEIR
[01:40:01]
BIG CONVENTION CENTER NOW HAS THEIR PARKING ALL HAS SOLAR ON IT.AND IT WAS SO NICE TO PARK UNDER AND IT WAS SHADED AND IT WALKED ALL THE WAY TO THE BUILDING AND IT'S SHADED AND YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT CREATES A, A KIND OF A NICE ATMOSPHERE, UM, THAT'S THERE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE, I WANNA MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION, UH, AS WELL.
ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE HUMAN ELEMENT, UM, ON THIS, ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR LIKE A NA NATURAL SPACE FOR THEM TO GO OUTSIDE AND RELAX DURING THE DAY OR WALKING TRAILS FOR THEM FOR THEIR HEALTH? UH, IS THERE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE WORKING DAY, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER.
I KNOW LIKE, LIKE SAMSUNG HAS A SOCCER FIELD AND THEY HAVE SOME WALKING PATHS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
HI, JOSH CECIL, UH, ONE OF THE CIVIL ENGINEERS.
SO I'LL ANSWER A FEW OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO THE STORM, WE'RE ALREADY IMPLEMENTING BIOSWELLS BIO RETENTION THROUGHOUT THE SITE AND IN THE PARKING AS THAT GOES, WE'RE VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS, UM, WITH THE SOLAR, THE BUILDING IS ACTUALLY ALREADY PREPARED TO PUT SOLAR ON THE ROOF.
WE'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH WOULD BE THERE.
AND THEN, WHAT WAS YOUR LAST QUESTION? THE TRAILS, THE EXISTING SITE IS ALREADY PACKED WITH TRAILS AND IT'S CONTINUING WITHIN THIS, SO THERE'S TRAILS, THERE'S AN OUTDOOR WORKOUT STATION, THERE'S PICNIC PINCHES ALL OVER THE SITE.
SO YOU KNOW, ICU MEDICAL AND OTSUKA IS VERY HEALTH CONSCIOUS.
I MEAN, BEING A PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY ITSELF.
SO I MEAN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEE WELLNESS IS A VERY BIG PART OF WHAT THEY DO, SO.
AND THOSE ARE TRAILS, UH, NOT MADE BY THE LIVESTOCK, BUT ACTUALLY TRAILS.
YEAH, ACTUALLY WALKING, WALKING TRAILS WITHIN IT.
MAYBE THEY COULD GO OUT THERE AND WALK THE LIVESTOCK TOO, BUT I GOOD.
UM, OKAY, LET'S TALK ABOUT, UH, LIGHTING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK, UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN AND LIGHTING AS TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
UM, YOU MENTIONED BEING COMPLIANT WITH, WITH THE DOWNCAST LIGHTING.
UM, WHAT ABOUT, SO WILL THIS BE LIKE SAMSUNG WHERE THERE'S SHIFTS AND THERE'S, YOU'RE WORKING AT ALL HOURS OR IS IT JUST LIKE NINE TO FIVE? YES.
SO, UM, I'M, I'M THINKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE AROUND AND STUFF.
HOW DO Y'ALL, HOW DO Y'ALL HAVE IT NOW? DO YOU JUST HAVE THE LIGHTS ON ALL THE TIME OUTDOORS, OR IS THERE, ARE THEY ON TIMERS OR, SIR, SO THE, SO THE BUILDING THAT WAS BUILT EARLY EIGHTIES AND, UH, OVER THE YEARS WE'VE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE DARK SKY AND WE REMOVED A LOT OF THE LIGHTING THAT USED TO LIGHT UP THE BUILDING AND, AND SUCH.
SO IT'S VERY LIMITED TO THE, UH, PARKING LOT AREAS AND A FEW OF THE DOCK DOCK DOOR AREAS AND UH, COURSE AREAS WHERE WE HAVE TO FOR, UH, EMPLOYEE SAFETY, UH, AT NIGHT WHERE THEY TRANSITION IN AND OUT OF THE BUILDING.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S, UH, PRETTY DARK OVER THERE.
SOMETIMES WE GET COMPLAINTS FROM THE EMPLOYEES THEMSELVES ABOUT IT BEING TOO DARK, BUT WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO 'EM WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH, THEIR, THEIR SAFETY, BUT ALSO WORRYING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE NEIGHBOR'S IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, BIRDS AND BATS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, AND THANKS FOR MENTIONING, UM, THAT, THAT REFLECTIVE LIGHTING THAT COMES UP ONTO THE BUILDING.
'CAUSE THAT WAS ONE THING I WAS GONNA, UM, BRING UP.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE TALK ABOUT DOWNCAST LIGHTING, BUT IF YOU'RE JUST DOWN CASTING IT ONTO A BIG, THE SIDE OF A BIG WHITE BUILDING, YOU'RE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DISPERSING THAT LIGHT, UH, MORE.
SO THANK YOU FOR, FOR BEING, UH, COGNIZANT OF THAT AND, AND GO AHEAD AND PUTTING THAT IN THERE.
UM, AND SINCE YOU ARE ON SHIFTS, YOU CAN'T DO SOME SORT OF TIMER OR, YOU KNOW, LIGHTS OUT BETWEEN 10 AND SIX, SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TAKE THAT ONE OFF THERE.
UM, BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, YOU MENTIONED NOT BEING ABLE TO USE, UH, THE WARMER LIGHTING.
UM, AS FAR AS, UM, I MEAN I KNOW THAT YOU'LL HAVE LIMITED GLASS, BUT IS THERE ARE, DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO USE LIKE BIRD SAFE GLASS OR USING LIKE A LOWER REFLECTIVITY OR ANY KIND OF LIKE LONG AWNINGS OR SOMETHING THAT HELP PROTECT THOSE SPACES? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TALK ABOUT.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT IN THE LAST FEW DAYS OR SO, OR WEEK OR SO OR SO ABOUT BIRD FRIENDLY, UM, OPTIONS.
SO AGAIN, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO DELIVER WHEN WE GET TO ZONING AND PLATTING IF POSSIBLE.
BUT A LOT OF THAT'S ALSO GONNA BE DESIGNED, THAT'S A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE LINE.
BUT I THINK THERE ARE, AS FAR AS MY FAMILIARITY WITH BIRD, UM, DETERRENCE, THERE ARE USUALLY OPTIONS.
SO I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT ONE OF THE OPTIONS WILL WORK.
[01:45:01]
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETIMES, UH, A, A FEEL GOOD THING FOR EMPLOYEES TOO TO, TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN THAT.UM, I THINK THAT WAS, UH, I THINK THAT WAS ONE, ONE OF MY ONLY THINGS I THINK, UM, COMMISSIONER FLORY ASKED ABOUT, UH, REUSING AND RECLAIMING THE WATER FROM THE HEATING COOLERS.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE RIGHT NOW.
OH, THE LAST ONE WAS, UH, THE RETAINING WALLS THEMSELVES, MIKE, YOU USUALLY INCLUDE THAT IN THERE THAT THE RETAINING WALLS HAVE TO BE MADE OF A NATURAL, WAS THAT IN THERE? DID I MISS THAT? OR, UH, MIKE MC, DOLE AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UM, STRUCTURAL CONTAINMENT LIST DID WE FOR AS A VARIANCE CONDITION? UM, I DON'T RECALL THAT BEING DISCUSSED.
UH, JOHN DOE HAVE, AND YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE FINE.
SOMETIMES THAT IS A WAY TO LIMIT THE FOOTPRINT.
UM, BUT THEN AGAIN, RETAINING WALLS ALSO HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS. SO SOMETIMES, UM, TERRACING IS A GOOD IDEA.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YEAH, USING NATURAL MATERIALS FOR THE, THE WALLS IS ALSO A NICE, UH, TOUCH.
YEAH, I THINK JUST, YOU KNOW, I MEAN YOU ARE COMING THROUGH BEDROCK.
IT IS A LIMESTONE AREA, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOMETHING THAT FITS THE NATURAL OF THE SPACE.
WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH STAFF BETWEEN THIS HEARING AND GOING TO ZONING AND PLAING.
SO I THINK WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AS WELL TO DISCUSS WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UH, IT WAS VERY COMPREHENSIVE AND IT WAS, YEAH, I HAD ONE MORE THING.
OH NO, I HAVE A WHOLE LIST OF QUESTIONS, BUT I'M JUST STARTING WITH GRATITUDE.
WELL THE POINT IS THAT EARLIER IT WAS MENTIONED THE NUMBER OF TREES SEVEN HUNDRED, SIX HUNDRED AND SIXTY SEVEN.
SO WOULD THAT BE AN APPROPRIATE THING TO ADD TO THE POINT ABOUT THE TREE MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS AT THIS SPECIFIC NUMBER? YEAH, YEAH.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE OVER 400 THAT ARE BEING CUT DOWN.
AND THEN THE MITIGATION IS SIX HUNDRED FORTY SEVEN, SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTY SIX, SIX HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX SIX SEVEN PROPOSED.
AND UM, I HAVE THE REMOVAL NUMBER.
UM, I DON'T HAVE THE REMOVAL NUMBER, BUT I DO HAVE THE YEAH, BUT 676 PROVIDED, WHICH IS I THINK SLIGHTLY IN EXCESS OF WHAT CODE REQUIRES.
OKAY, I'LL STILL START WITH GRATITUDE, BUT I DO HAVE QUESTIONS
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING SO PREPARED AND HAVING SO MANY BACKUP MATERIAL DOCUMENTS FOR BEING VERY THOROUGH IN YOUR PRESENTATION FOR BRINGING FOLKS HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
WE DON'T ALWAYS SEE THAT AND THAT'S JUST REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND TO FEEL LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IS IMPORTANT.
SO THANK YOU FOR SETTING THAT TONE.
UM, AND THEN I DO WANNA KIND OF DOVETAIL OFF OF THIS LIGHT QUESTION BECAUSE GRANTED, THIS IS, IT'S A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH PLUS MY OWN KNOWLEDGE.
UM, I BELIEVE WARMER LIGHTS ACTUALLY ATTRACT FEWER BUGS BECAUSE THE BRIGHTER THE LIGHT, THE MORE IT MIMICS THE MAGNETIC FIELD OF THE EARTH.
AND WHEN FOLKS DO MOPPING EXERCISES, THEY USE THE BRIGHTEST WHITE LIGHTS POSSIBLE.
SO I ACTUALLY THINK COMPLYING WITH BIRD FRIENDLY BUILDING DESIGN SHOULD HELP YOU GUYS AND ATTRACT FEWER BUGS.
IF IT WORKS, WE ARE OPEN TO IT AND I AM BY NO MEANS AN EXPERT IN EITHER OF THOSE TWO THINGS.
BUT SO, SO IF IT, WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S A CAVEAT THAT IF THERE IS A CONFLICT, WE, WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH THE PHARMACEUTICAL CODES, BUT, BUT IF WE CAN COMPLY WITH IT FULLY, WE WERE, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN FOR THE, THE 400 TREES THAT ARE BEING CUT DOWN, THANK YOU FOR THE BREAKDOWN OF THE SPECIES.
I KNOW I THINK THAT'S IN OUR BACKUP AS WELL.
UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT NATIVE SPECIES.
DO WE KNOW THE AGE MATURITY AND SIZE OF THOSE TREES? UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE CITY STAFF HERE, BUT IF JOHN OR MIKE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, I'D WELCOME.
UM, IN TERMS OF SIZE OF THE 400 OR SO SPECIES, UH, TREES THAT ARE BEING REMOVED, UM, YES.
LIKE WHAT ARE THE HIGHEST CALIBER BRANCH? LOWEST CALIBER, BRANCH AVERAGE, UH, THAT IS UH, THAT WAS PROVIDED IN THE BACKUP AND UH, WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
I COULD LOOK AT SOME NUMBERS FOR YOU.
I'LL GIVE YOU SOME TIME TO LOOK THAT UP.
UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE CISTERN THAT YOU MENTIONED.
IS THAT JUST FOR THE WELL WATER OR IS THAT ALSO PART OF A RAINWATER CATCHMENT SYSTEM? IT'S RAINWATER CATCHMENT, RECLAIM.
UM, AND IS THAT FOR USE ON LANDSCAPING OR, OKAY.
I THINK IT'S PRIMARILY LANDSCAPING.
[01:50:01]
GREAT.UM, AND I GUESS I'M CURIOUS FROM CITY STAFF, LIKE, UH, VISUALIZING 200,000 GALLONS IS NOT COMING UP WITH AN IMAGE FOR ME.
LIKE IS THAT TYPICAL, WOULD YOU SAY FOR A BUILDING OF THIS SIZE? WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO INCLUDE MORE, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL OR DO YOU THINK A SINGULAR CISTERN IS ENOUGH? YEAH, I THINK I'LL DEFER TO THE ENGINEER.
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO, TO WING THAT QUESTION.
SO THE FOOTPRINT OF A 200,000 GALLON IS GONNA BE, UM, IT'S GONNA BASICALLY TAKE UP ALL THE PAVEMENT AREA AROUND THE BUILDING AND IT'S GONNA TAKE THE ENTIRE ROOF AREA TO CAPTURE ENOUGH RAINWATER.
SO WE'RE BASICALLY MAXIMIZING PER CODE OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO CAPTURE IT.
AND IT'S ACTUALLY ALSO SUPPLYING THE COOLING TOWER AND LANDSCAPING.
YEAH, I MEAN I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LEVEL OF WATER USE FOR, FOR THIS SITE.
I KNOW IT'S A QUESTION THAT'S COMING BEFORE THE CITY MORE AND MORE AS WE'RE ATTRACTING MORE, MORE MANUFACTURERS IN THE AREA.
AND I'M AWARE THAT CITY COUNCIL RECENTLY PASSED A LARGE LOAD WATER USER RESOLUTION AT THE LAST MEETING, BUT I HA I MYSELF HAVEN'T DUG INTO THE DETAILS OF IT.
SO I'M CURIOUS WHAT RESEARCH YOU ALL HAVE DONE WITH THAT RECENT RESOLUTION AND HOW IT IMPACTS WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO HERE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THAT, BUT WHAT I CAN KINDA EXPLAIN IS THE CURRENT MANUFACTURING PROCESS, WHICH IS GONNA MIMIC THE NEW BUILDING AS WELL.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A LOT OF IT IS A LOT OF WATER.
UH, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ACTUALLY THE PRODUCT, IT'S ONLY 11%.
A LOT OF THAT OTHER IS PART OF THE PROCESS OF WHAT WE CALL, UH, WHERE WE'RE DOING OUR PHARMACEUTICAL RINSING.
SO SUGARS AND SALT WATERS, WE HAVE TO HAVE TO THAT RINSE ALL THE PIPING.
AND A WHILE BACK WE WERE LOOKING TO PARTNER WITH, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE PURPLE PIPE, UH, PROGRAM.
THERE'S JUST NOTHING CURRENTLY CLOSE TO OUR AREA.
BUT, UH, WE HAD TO TAKE THE WATER QUALITY OF THAT AND UH, USE THAT AS A, UH, EXAMPLE FOR THEM TO, TO SEE IF THEY COULD USE IT.
AND THE WATER WAS, THEY WERE HAPPY TO, THEY JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE BECAUSE IT WAS BETTER THAN WHAT THEY WERE CURRENTLY RECEIVING.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY SENDING WATER BACK TO THE CITY, UH, THAT'S GOING THROUGH THE WATER TREATMENT FACILITY AND WE'RE PAYING, WE ACTUALLY PAY A LITTLE BIT HIGHER PRICE BECAUSE WE'RE PULLING OFF AND SENDING AND THEY'RE HAVING TO PROCESS IT, BUT IT'S CLEANER WATER THAN THEY'RE ACTUALLY MAKING THERE.
UH, 'CAUSE WE'RE PURIFYING THIS WATER.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY STILL, MOST OF THAT WATER'S STILL STAYING WITHIN THE ZONE.
AND IT'S BEING RELEASED BACK INTO HOW THE CITY RELEASES ITS TREATED WATER, EITHER TO BE SENT BACK FOR OTHER DRINKING WATER OR BACK IN THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WE ALSO CURRENTLY, UH, HAVE A, UH, PERMIT WITH THE TCQ THAT WE DO A LAND APPLICATION TO RETURN SOME OF THAT WATER TO THE LAND.
OUR PROMISE IS THAT WE HAVE A, WE CAN'T LET IT RUN OFF.
AND THERE'S EVAPORATION AND STUFF AND SINCE THE VOLUME WE MAKE, UNFORTUNATELY WE JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH LAND TO PUT THAT ALL THAT WATER ON TO HAVE IT EVAPORATE, ESPECIALLY IN THE COLDER MONTHS.
MAYBE NOT IN THE SUMMER LIKE TODAY, BUT
SO WE DO OUR, OUR MAXIMIZE OUR EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WATER CONSCIOUS AND, UH, AND CONSERVE THE WATER AND TREAT IT AS A VALUABLE ASSET THAT, THAT WE ARE PULLING OUT.
BUT WE KNOW THAT WHAT IT IS AND WHY WE'RE, UH, CAUTIOUS OF HOW WE USE IT AND WHERE WE USE IT AND HOW WE CAN REUSE IT.
YEAH, I THINK I HAVE SOME FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
UM, FIRST, ARE YOU ALL USING DRINKING WATER QUALITY FOR ALL OF YOUR PROCESSES OR LIKE, I THINK I'VE HEARD THE TERM EXACTLY.
WE, SO SALINE WATER, FRACK WATER, SO WE PULL THE WATER OUT AND IT GOES THROUGH A TREATMENT PROCESS.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE, UH, BY THE END PRODUCT, UH, WE HAVE TO MAKE WHAT'S CALLED WATER FOR INJECTION PER THE US PHARMACEUTICAL CODE.
AND WHAT THE FDA REQUIRES, SO IT'S DIS IT'S UH, DISTILLED WATER BASICALLY, UM, AT THAT POINT.
AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH OUR PROCESSES ABOUT, UH, 300,000 GALLONS A DAY IS FOR THAT PROCESS.
BUT THAT, LIKE I SAID, ONLY 11% OF ALL THAT WATER WE PROCESS IS USED FOR THE ACTUAL PRODUCT.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OTHER 89% DOES THAT FEED BACK INTO WE, LIKE I SAID, WE SYSTEM, UH, PER THE USP AND FDA, THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO REINTRODUCE IT BACK INTO THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, UH, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY AND SUCH.
SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS, UH, WE SEND IT TO THE WALNUT CREEK TREATMENT CENTER, UH, IS MOST OF IT, UH, SOME OF IT, LIKE I SAID, GOES INTO LAND APPLICATION AND THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE WE CAN, WE DO REUSE WATER, UH, FOR COOLING TOWERS, ET CETERA AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[01:55:01]
IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PREPONDERANCE OF THE WATER STAYS WITHIN SOME SORT OF SYSTEM THAT EITHER GOES BACK TO AUSTIN WATER TO BE TREATED TO GO BACK INTO OUR DRINKING WATER SYSTEM OR IT STAYS ON SITE TO BE REUSED.IS THAT ACCURATE? THAT IS ACCURATE, YES.
I'M CURIOUS, I KNOW THERE IS MENTION OF LIMESTONE ON THE SITE.
I'M AWARE OF SEVERAL KNOWN KARST FEATURES IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA AND I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR KARST FEATURES ON THIS SITE AND I'M WONDERING IF CITY STAFF HAS ANYTHING THAT THEY CAN SHARE ON THAT THE POTENTIAL FOR KARST FEATURES HERE, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR WATER QUALITY SPECIES SURVIVAL, ET CETERA.
UH, JOHN CLEMENT WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION AND UH, THEY DID A GEOLOGIC ASSESSMENT AND THERE'S NO SURFACE EXPRESSION OF CARS.
SO THERE'S THE POTENTIAL, UH, AS LIZ WAS DISCUSSING EARLIER, TO ENCOUNTER VOIDS, UM, WHERE GENERALLY THOSE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, UH, NEARBY SURFACE CONTACT.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT NEARLY AS MUCH IN THE WAY OF, UM, UH, BIOTIC ACTIVITY.
UM, ENDANGERED CAR SPECIES, SPECIES DON'T NECESSARILY WORK THEM THEMSELVES THAT FAR DOWN INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND I KNOW IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, WE DID THINGS LIKE FILL CAVES WITH CEMENT, WHICH I'M HOPING IS NOT THE PRACTICE ANYMORE, BUT WHAT DOES VOID MITIGATION LOOK LIKE NOW? IT IS SO, AND IT HAPPENS A LOT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN ENERGY HAS A TERRIBLE TIME WORKING IN THE, UH, RECHARGE ZONE BECAUSE THEY'RE TRENCHING AND HITTING STUFF EVEN WITH THEIR, UM, SHALLOWER, UM, UH, PROJECTS.
AND THEY BASICALLY, IF YOU HIT A VOID, YOU NEED TO INFORM TCEQ AND INFORM OUR STAFF AND AT LEAST OUR STAFF.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT TCE Q'S RESPONSE IS, BUT, UM, SOMEONE GOES OUT AND INSPECTS IT AND BASED ON SIZE AND AIRFLOW, UM, AND POTENTIAL WATER FLOW THROUGH THE FEATURE, UM, DETERMINE THE BEST WAY TO BLOCK IT.
AND IT'S A MORE SOPHISTICATED SORT OF CAPPING THAN JUST POURING CEMENT UNTIL IT STOPS.
STILL SOUNDS CONCERNING TO CAP IT, BUT I'M GLAD WE'RE NOT FILLING IT WITH CEMENT ANYMORE.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE CUT AND FILL, ARE THERE ANY CONCERNS AROUND LOCALIZED EROSION AND LOCALIZED FLOODING THAT COULD OCCUR FROM THE CHANGES IN TOPOGRAPHY? MIKE MCDOUGALL AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES? SO DURING THE CONSTRUCTION, THERE IS CERTAINLY A CONCERN ABOUT, UH, A FILL UM, WHEN IT RAINS AND THERE'S A PILE OF DIRT, THE DIRT WILL WASH OFF, WHICH SOUNDS HARMLESS ENOUGH IF IT'S A SMALL PILE OF DIRT.
BUT, UH, WHEN IT'S A LOT OF DIRT ACROSS AN ENTIRE CITY AND THAT DIRT ENDS UP IN THE CREEK, IT CAN TURN THE, THE CREEK INTO BASICALLY CHOCOLATE MILK.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S HORRIBLE FOR THE, THE LOCAL ECO ECOLOGY THERE.
SO YES, FILL IS A CONCERN, UM, AS IT'S BEING PLACED.
AND SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWER WILL LOOK AT THE FILL, THE AVERAGE SLOPE ON THE SITE, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL SPECIFIES HOW MUCH SILT FENCE IS REQUIRED TO KEEP THE, THE, THE SURFACE WATER ON THE SITE.
THE, THE CITY CONCERN CONSIDERS SILT FENCE TO BE A DAM.
UM, AND THE IDEA IS THAT IF YOU'RE DAMING THE WATER ON THE SITE, YOU'RE KEEPING THE SOIL SUSPENDED, THE SEDIMENT, SUSPENDING THAT WATER ON THE SITE AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE LOOK AT THE AVERAGE SLOPE ON THE SITE, THE SIZE OF THE LOC AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL DIRECTS THE CITY STAFF TO, TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH DOWN SLOPE SIL FENCE IS NECESSARY TO KEEP THAT WATER FROM RUNNING OFF THE SITE.
AND SO THE IDEA IS THAT THE, UH, THE FILL IS KEPT ON THE SITE.
UM, IT'S ALSO INSPECTED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THE, THE MORE FILL THERE IS, THE MORE POTENTIAL THERE IS FOR SOIL TO WANT RUN OFF SITE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE, WE, AS A CITY LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF, UH, FILL THAT'S ALLOWED.
UM, THERE IS NOT, THERE IS A CONCERN WITH THE CUT AS WELL, CERTAINLY, BUT IN MY MIND, IF YOU'RE DIGGING A HOLE, WELL THAT'S NOT QUITE AS IMPACTFUL AS FILLING BECAUSE, UM, IF, IF WATER GETS TO THAT, IT'S JUST GONNA FILL UP THE CUT AREA POTENTIALLY, UM, AND NOT RUN OFF QUITE AS READILY AS FILL WILL, BUT YOU KNOW, IT, IT CAN ALSO BE A CONCERN AS WELL.
SO DURING CONSTRUCTION, YES, BUT THE EROSION CONTROL IS ADDRESSED, UH, OR INSTALLED AND REQUIRED DURING THE REVIEW PROCESS TO KEEP THAT FROM HAPPENING AFTER CONSTRUCTION.
THE WATER QUALITY DRAINAGE TEAM, UM, REQUIRES WATER QUALITY PONDS TO BE BUILT AND THE PONDS INTERCEPT THE SURFACE WATER RUNOFF FROM THE EMPER COVER.
AND, UH, I'M GETTING OUT OF MY AREA BECAUSE I DON'T, I'M NOT AN ENGINEER AND I DON'T WANNA PRACTICE ENGINEERING, BUT, UM, OF COURSE I WORK CLOSELY WITH THOSE WATER QUALITY DRIVEN ENGINEERS AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY REDUCE THE RUNOFF, UM, RATE TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OCCURRED.
IT MIGHT OCCUR FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE MORE IMPERVIOUS COVER MEANS MORE RUNOFF, BUT THE RATE STAYS THE SAME.
SO INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT RAINS, MIGHT HAVE RUNOFF FOR AN HOUR, UM, THE POND WILL, AFTER THE IMPIOUS COVER IS BUILT, THE
[02:00:01]
POND WILL TAKE THE RUNOFF FROM THE IMPIOUS COVER AND LET AND ALLOW THAT SAME RATE OF RUNOFF.BUT WHEN, BUT DURING A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME TO KEEP FLOODING FROM HAPPENING, UH, TO THE DOWNSTREAM PROPERTIES.
I THINK YOU HAVE TWO OTHER QUESTIONS AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO OTHERS.
UH, JUST WANNA HEAR MORE ABOUT WHAT ARE THE WATER QUALITY PLANS FOR THE SITE? HOW ARE WE ASSURING WATER QUALITY HERE? I'M GOING TO NEED TO DEFER TO THE, THE DESIGN ENGINEER ON THAT ONE, 'CAUSE THAT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT REVIEW DISCIPLINE.
SO ON THIS SITE WE HAVE MULTIPLE RAIN GARDENS AND BIO INFILTRATION SWELLS AROUND THE SITE.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, PARTIAL SEDIMENTATION FULL DETENTION.
WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT PONDS THAT LIMIT OR CONTAIN.
SO WE'RE REMOVING 80% OF TSS, WHICH IS TOTAL SUSPENDED SOLIDS, AND THEN PLUS DETAINING IT BACK.
AND PER THE EDWARD AQUIFER, IT'S FULLY LINED, UH, SO IT'S NOT INFILTRATING INTO THE GROUND.
SO ANY OF THAT NON-TREATED WATER THROUGH THAT TREATMENT DRAIN OF THE BIO INFILTRATION.
THERE'S SOME, A FEW PROPRIETARY, WHAT ARE CALLED, UM, HY HYDRO DY HYDRODYNAMIC SEPARATORS BASICALLY CREATES A BIG SWIRL AND MAKES ALL THE SEDIMENT GO OUT.
AND THEN THOSE CAN BE CLEANED OUT AND MONITORED AS WELL.
PLUS ON THIS SITE, WE'LL ALSO HAVE TWO, BOTH THE NEW OUTFALLS OF THESE PONDS WILL BE MONITORED.
SO TESTING CAN HAPPEN TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE WORKING AS THEY'RE PROPOSED.
AND THEN THERE'S A MAINTENANCE PLAN THAT WILL HAVE TO BE ADHERED TO.
ANY, ANYTHING ELSE, LIZ OR ANYONE ELSE ON THAT? UH, THEY ARE COMPLIANT WITH OUR WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS.
LAST QUESTION, WHICH I THINK WAS BROUGHT UP IN THE APPLICANT PRESENTATION, BUT I'M CURIOUS HOW MUCH OF THE CUT AND FILL IS REMAINING ON SITE AND HOW MUCH OF THE FILL IS COMING FROM OFFSITE? HOW MUCH WILL NEED TO BE TAKEN OFF THE SITE? ULTIMATELY, WHAT, HOW DOES THAT BALANCE OUT? WE'RE NOT TAKING ANYTHING OKAY.
AWAY FROM THE SITE AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE BRINGING ON IS WHAT'S CONSIDERED SELECT FILL FROM THE GEOTECH.
SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOUR NORMAL DIRT IF WE'RE BRINGING IN MORE OF LIKE AN AGGREGATE OR STONE.
SO THAT'S ALSO GONNA HELP LIMIT THE EROSION CONTROL ISSUES WITH BRINGING IT IN THE FILL.
UM, BUT YEAH, THAT WILL BE COMING FROM MACQUARIE.
I WANNA MAKE SPACE FOR ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AND UH, I BELIEVE MIKE MAY HAVE SOME, UH, ANSWERS.
CIRCLING BACK, I'M BACK TO THE TREE QUESTION.
UH, MIKE MCDOUGLE, AUSTIN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
SO THEY HAD ABOUT, UH, THREE OR FOUR SHEETS OF TREE SURVEY.
TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO, TO SKIM THROUGH THAT.
UM, IT WASN'T OCR, SO I COULDN'T COPY AND PASTE TO EXCEL AND DO A SORT THOUGHT ABOUT THAT
BUT NO, UH, IT WAS A, A STATIC IMAGE.
UM, SO JUST, UH, SOME OF THE MORE NOTABLE TREES, THERE WAS A 23 INCH, THERE IS A 23 INCH HACK BARRIER ON THE SITE PROPOSED TO BE REMOVED.
THERE'S A 45 INCH MESQUITES PROPOSED TO REMAIN A 28 INCH AS JUNIPER PROPOSED TO REMAIN, AND A 30 INCH WILLOW PROPOSED TO REMAIN.
SO I, I SKIM THROUGH AND TRY TO FIND THE MORE NOTABLE LARGER TREES THAT 45 INCH MESQUITE, MESQUITE SURPRISED ME TO READ.
YEAH, THAT AND, AND AS JUNIPER OF THAT SIZE IS REALLY UNUSUAL.
SO I GUESS I'LL ASK THE APPLICANT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THOSE ARE PROPOSED TO BE KEPT.
CAN WE GET CONFIRMATION FROM YOU ALL THAT THOSE TREES WILL REMAIN, THOSE LARGER TREES WITH MESQUITES AND ASH? JUNIPER ARE OFTEN BECAUSE THERE'S MULTI STEMS, SO IT'S LIKELY THERE'S NOT A SINGLE STEM THAT THAT'S BIG.
BUT THE SUMMATION OF UM, ALL OF THE STEMS RIGHT.
BUT EVEN STILL 'CAUSE AS JUNIPER'S GROWTH, SO INCREDIBLY SLOWLY.
DOES PROPOSED TO STAY MEAN LIKE A COMMITMENT TO STAY THERE? YES, THERE ARE PLANS TO STAY, SO WE'RE NOT PLANNING TO CHANGE THAT.
UM, ALRIGHT, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YEAH, VICE CHAIR BRISTOL.
UM, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
UM, I, BECAUSE I WAS OVER HERE THINKING, I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER HAD AN APPLICANT COME FORWARD WHERE THEY HAVE WELLS ON THEIR SITE.
I DON'T, YEAH, SO, UH, WELL USE IS REGULATED BY THE, THE TCEQ.
UM, IT DOES HAPPEN FROM TIME TO TIME.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I SEE IT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT YOU, UM, BUT, BUT YEAH, IT IS, IT'S REGULATED BY THE TCEQ, SO THEY WILL HAVE TO MEET THEIR REQUIREMENTS.
WE DO NOT REGULATE, WELL USE OURSELVES.
I THINK THAT WAS THE LAST OF MY QUESTIONS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? JUST MAKE A QUICK COMMENT.
I REALLY LIKE THE IDEA OF EMPHASIZING SOLAR PANELS ON THIS FLAT ROOF OF HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL SEE THAT COMING OFF I 35 AND JUST SCREAMING LIKE, HEY, WHOA, LOOK AT THAT.
IT'S SUBTLE BUT THOUSANDS TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WOULD SEE IT OVER, OVER TIME.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT GATEWAY TO CITY OF BOSTON.
[02:05:02]
ANY OTHER NOTES? I LOVE THAT COMMENT ON A SOLAR PANEL PIECE.WE ACTUALLY HAVE ENGINEERED ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO HAVE THOSE FOR FUTURE.
SO IT, IT'S BEING CONSIDERED THAT'S A BIG, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL THING FOR ASUKA TO HAVE, UM, BE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS AND THEY HAVE A PLAN BY, UH, 2050, SO TO REDUCE THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
ANY OTHER NOTES, COMMENTS? ALRIGHT, WITH THAT, SINCE THIS IS A PUBLIC HEARING, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO MOVE MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN SECOND.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LUKI.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE HEAR A MOTION? YEAH, THIS IS COMMISSIONER BRIER.
UH, MY, MY RELUCTANCE ABOUT THE 20 FOOT CUT AND FILL IS REALLY BASED UPON THIS.
ONE OF THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ON THIS WAS, UH, STATED THAT, UH, WE HAD SET PRECEDENT IN THE PAST BY PASSING RECOMMENDATIONS THAT, UM, SUPPORTED A 20 FOOT CUT FILL, WHICH IS TRUE, WE'VE PASSED A COUPLE OF THOSE, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, UH, MOST OF THEM WERE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER, BUT, BUT WE HAVE PASSED A FEW THERE, 20 FOOT.
AND WHAT WE'RE FINDING IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE IS THAT EVEN THOUGH CODE SAYS THAT FOUR FOOT, SIX FOOT, WHATEVER IS THE CUTOFF, AND UH, LIZ QUITE ACCURATELY SAID THAT CODE IS PERHAPS NEEDS TO BE UPDATED TO REFLECT CURRENT, UH, YOU KNOW, SITUATIONS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT LARGE MANUFACTURERS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THINGS WORK TODAY.
AND I, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
THE CODE DOES NOT ACCURATELY REFLECT THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH WE'RE TRYING TO, UH, CONSTRUCT THINGS TODAY.
BUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IS INADVERTENTLY EVERY TIME WE PASS ONE OF THESE LARGE CUT AND FILLS, WE'RE JUST SETTING A JUSTIFICATION FOR THE NEXT APPLICANT TO COME IN AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU PASSED THIS 15 FOOT, 17 FOOT, 20 FOOT 25 FOOT IN THE CASE OF ONE APPLICANT, AND WE'RE GONNA USE THAT AS JUSTIFICATION TO REQUEST THIS LARGE CUT AND FILL ON, YOU KNOW, AT THE NEXT TIME, I THINK WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE WAY WE APPROACH APPROVING VARIANCES LIKE THIS 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST SETTING A PRECEDENT FOR THE NEXT APPLICANT, WHOEVER THEY ARE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR JUSTIFICATION IS, TO COME IN AND SAY, WELL, YOU DID IT FOR THE LAST GUY, YOU NEED TO DO IT FOR US.
OTHERWISE YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT TREATING US PROPERLY AND IT'S THE WAY THINGS WORK.
SO WE NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS AND JUDICIOUS IN THE WAY WE GRANT VARIANCES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT IN INADVERTENTLY SETTING PRECEDENT THAT WE CAN'T BACK AWAY FROM IN THE FUTURE.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF, YOU KNOW, MY STATEMENT ON THAT.
AND THE OTHER THING WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN LIZ MENTIONED THE FOUR FOOT AND THE SIX FOOT CUT AND FILL, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE WAS HERE BACK WHEN THEY BUILT BARTON CREEK MALL, BUT THEY TOOK OFF THE ENTIRE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN TO FLATTEN THAT OUT.
AND SO THE ENTIRE CONCEPT OF A CUT AND FILL IS, WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO CUT OFF THE TOP OF A MOUNTAIN JUST TO BUILD SOMETHING.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THE LAND THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING IS SUITABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF WHATEVER IT IS THAT'S BEING BUILT THERE.
AND IN SOME PARTICULAR CASES, WHATEVER SOMEONE WANTS TO BILL THERE IS NOT NECESSARILY APPROPRIATE AT THAT LOCATION.
AND I WAS HERE, GOD, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG, AND PEOPLE SAID BOYCOTT BARTON CREEK MALL BECAUSE THEY DECAPITATED, YOU KNOW, THAT MOUNTAIN IN ORDER TO MAKE IT FLAT ENOUGH TO BUILD A MALL THERE.
SO AGAIN, THERE'S A REASON WHY WE HAVE THESE CUT AND FILL RULES
[02:10:01]
IS TO PREVENT TOPS OF MOUNTAINS BE CUT OFF AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION EXAMINE THESE REQUESTS CAREFULLY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SET A PRECEDENT THAT WE CAN'T WALK BACK IN THE FUTURE.SO THAT'S A THOUGHT THAT I SUGGEST THAT WE ALL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT AS WE EVALUATE THIS REQUEST.
VICE CHAIR, BRISTOL COMMISSIONER BRIER, I TOTALLY HEAR YOU.
AND AS YOU KNOW, I UH, AM NOT A FAN OF CUT AND FILL IN IN ANY CAPACITY.
UM, BUT I DO ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE CUT AND FILL VARIANCES, YOU ALSO HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT WERE OUR REQUEST IN EXCHANGE FOR THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANNA, I JUST WANNA REMIND YOU THAT WHEN APPLICANTS COME FORWARD, IT'S A NEGOTIATION TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE ARE GRANTING THAT REQUEST, THAT WE'RE ALSO GETTING SOMETHING IN RETURN THAT IS GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND FOR THE PEOPLE, UM, THAT ARE ESPECIALLY IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS AROUND.
SO I JUST WANNA POINT THAT PART OUT.
UM, YES, I AM ALWAYS CONSCIOUS OF SETTING PRECEDENT, BUT IT IS ALSO VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT EVERY SINGLE APPLICANT THAT COMES FORWARD IS A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND WE AS A COMMISSION GET TO TREAT EACH ONE OF THOSE AS AS ITS OWN INDIVIDUAL CASE.
SO, UH, I COMPLETELY HEAR YOU AND I AND I, I LIKE WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS, BUT I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT AS WELL.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE HEAR A MOTION? AFTER WHICH POINT, OF COURSE WE CAN HAVE MORE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION, BUT THOUGHT I SAW YOU RAISING A HAND NOW.
ALRIGHT, WITH THAT I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION FROM SECRETARY KREI.
YEAH, SO THIS IS RECOMMENDATION 2 0 2 6 0 8 0 5 DASH THREE.
GREAT WAVE D PERMIT SP DASH 2 0 2 6 DASH 2020 1D.
WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZED THE APPLICANT, JOHN DALEY OF GRAY, A-S-P-S-C HAS SUBMITTED VARIANCE REQUEST LOCATED 3,900 WEST HOWARD LANE.
AND WE'RE, AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE SITE IS IN A WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED, THE NORTHERN EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE IN CASTLE DISTRICT SEVEN.
AND WE'RE, AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS THIS VARIANCE REQUEST NOW THEREFORE BE RESOLVED.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE RUN, UH, THE, UH, GREAT WAVE D PERMIT VARIANCE REQUESTS WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.
UH, STAFF CONDITIONS, TREE MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS WILL BE FULLY MET BY PLANTING TREES ON SITE INSTEAD OF PAYING INTO THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND.
UH, 2.79 ACRES REP REPAIR AREA WILL BE ENHANCED WITH NATIVE OR BASIS PLANTINGS, UH, LIVESTOCK AND ANY OTHER AGRICULTURAL USES WILL NOT BE PERMITTED IN THE DETENTION POND.
AREAS OF THE SITE GRADING WITH THE PROPOSED CONSOLIDATED SITE PLAN ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT WILL NOT EXCEED THE CUT AND FILL LIMITS SHOWN ON THE EXHIBITS PROVIDED WITH THIS VARIANCE REQUEST BEYOND NECESSARY INCIDENTAL CHANGES APPROVED BY CITY STAFF.
IN ADDITION, THEY'RE FOLLOWING, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION CONDITIONS, UH, REDUCTION OF OVERALL FOOTPRINT OF THE MANUFACTURING BUILDING BY 10% EXCEEDING TREATMENT MITIGATION REQUIREMENTS AT 150% TO INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A FULL ONE-TO-ONE REPLENISHMENT OF LOST TREES, UH, GIVEN THE LOCAL SURVIVAL RATES WITH A MINIMUM OF 676 TREES PLANTED, USE OF SOLAR PANELS ON BUILDINGS AND PARKING STRUCTURES TO REDUCE NOXIOUS ENERGY IMPACT AND TO SHADE THE PARKING AREA ALL CUT AND FILL LIMESTONE SOIL PRODUCTS WILL REMAIN ON SITE, ON SITE WATER RECLAMATION FOR MANUFACTURING EFFORTS IN A RAIN BARREL CATCHMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDSCAPING MAINTENANCE, ENSURING A NO MO ZONE WITHIN 200 FEET OF THE UH, CEF ALONG MOPAC TO IMPROVE WATER QUALITY AND PROVIDE THE HABITAT FOR BIO DIVERSE SPECIES.
A HUNDRED PERCENT DATA PLANTING THROUGHOUT THE SITE, INCLUDING TREES, WALNUT TREES, LIVE OAKS, ACTUALLY BIRD MAX MILLION SUNFLOWERS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE SPECIES LIST.
UH, LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE LIFE OF THE PROJECT IN PERPETUITY THAT IS BOTH BIRD FRIENDLY AND WILDLIFE.
UH, WILDFIRE PREVENTIVE, UH, UTILIZATION OF A GREEN COMPANY FOR PEST CONTROL MANAGEMENT.
NO HERBICIDE OR PESTICIDE USE ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE SITE.
ENSURING BIRD FRIENDLY BUILDING DESIGN, WARM TONE LIGHTING WITH BIRD SAFE, UH, REDUCED RE REFLECTIVITY GLASS WHILE STAYING IN COMPLIANCE WITH ISPE CODE.
10% OF THE PARKING SPOTS WILL INCLUDE EV CHARGING STATIONS, TREES, BIOS, SWALES AND RAIN GARDENS IN THE PARKING LOT AREA, AND MAKING SURE THAT THE TREES WILL CREATE SHADE ALONG WALKING PATHS.
UH, INCLUSION OF GREEN OUTDOOR REST RECREATIONAL AREAS FOR EMPLOYEES, UH, USE OF TERRACES AND RETAINING, UH, WALLS MADE OF NATURAL BUILDING MATERIALS THAT FIT THE AREAS SUCH AS LIMESTONE.
AND, UH, YEAH, I THINK THAT'S IT.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND WE'RE NOW OPEN FOR
[02:15:01]
DISCUSSION.UH, THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS ON THERE.
SO, UM, ON THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, IT IS NOT CODE.
SO YOU CAN SAY BIRD FRIENDLY BEST PRACTICES AT THIS POINT.
OKAY, I SEE BIRD FRIENDLY BUILDING DESIGN, BEST PRACTICE.
DO WE HAVE CODE IN THERE? OKAY, BEST? YEAH.
SO FOR BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN, THE, THE WAY WE CAN, UM, WE CAN REQUIRE THAT IN CERTAIN CASES WHEN THEY ARE, UH, FOLLOWING GREEN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS BECAUSE THAT IS A, THAT HAS CRITERIA IN, IN, WITHIN THAT PRO PROGRAM.
AND THERE ARE FOLKS THERE WHO CAN LOOK AT IT AT THE BUILDING PERMIT STAGE AND THEN GO BACK AND INSPECT IT.
IF IT'S NOT IN THE GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM, IT'S HARDER FOR US.
THERE, THERE, THERE ISN'T A PROCESS BY WHICH WE CAN REQUIRE IT AND INSPECT FOR IT.
AND THEN THE OTHER PART, UM, I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE IS THEN THERE IS, UM, NO ORNAMENTAL TREES.
RIGHT NOW IT SAYS 100% NATIVE PLANTING THROUGHOUT THE SITE, INCLUDING TREES, SEMI WALNUT TREES, LIVE OAKS, ASH, JUNIPER, AND MAXIMILIAN SUNFLOWERS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE SPECIES LIST.
AND MAYBE ANOTHER, I DON'T, YOU CAN'T HAVE TWO SEMICOLONS, BUT I'M THINKING NO ORNAMENTAL TREES WILL BE INCLUDED AND MAXIM MILLIONS ARE NOT A TREE.
NO, BUT IT SAYS NATIVE PLANTING THROUGHOUT THE SITE.
ANY OTHER NOTES, DISCUSSION ON THIS? ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, DISCUSSION? OKAY, HEARING NONE, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT TO A VOTE AND WE'LL START ONLINE WITH COMMISSIONER FIERRO FOUR, COMMISSIONER BRIER ABSTAIN, COMMISSIONER FLURRY, UH, FOUR.
SECRETARY KURESHI FOUR, VICE CHAIR, BRISTOL FOUR, COMMISSIONER MORRISON FOUR, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, FOUR.
AND I WILL ALSO VOTE FOUR WITH THAT.
IT IS, LET'S SEE, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, AND EIGHT ONE OH VOTE MOTION PASSES.
[4. Update from the Urban Forestry Committee regarding upcoming meeting dates. Sponsored by Chair Krueger and Commissioner Brimer.]
GOING TO MOVE TO COMMITTEE UPDATES.ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UPDATE FROM THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE REGARDING UPCOMING MEETING DATES.
AND THAT IS COMMISSIONER BRIMER.
YES, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A MEETING IN SEPTEMBER.
I NEED EVERYONE TO GET TO ME THEIR SUGGESTIONS, UH, FOR TOPICS TO COVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND FRIDAY WOULD BE A REALLY, REALLY GOOD TIME TO GET THEM OVER.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN GET, UH, REQUESTS OUT TO STAFF MEMBERS SO THEY CAN CLEAR THEIR CALENDARS AND MAKE THEIR TIME AVAILABLE TO US.
UH, WE NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR TIME COMMITMENTS AND PREVIOUS THINGS THEY'VE GOT SCHEDULED AND, UH, RESPECTFUL OF ALL THAT SORT OF THING.
'CAUSE THEY VERY GENEROUSLY, UH, COME IN AND, AND WORK WITH US.
SO, UH, PLEASE, UH, GET THAT, UH, OVER TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND WE'LL GET ALL THAT SCHEDULED AND, UH, GET IT OVER TO NICOLE TO GET IT POSTED.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU.
ANY NOTES OR COMMENTS ON THAT FROM FELLOW URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE MEMBERS OR ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, WITH THAT, LET'S GO TO FUTURE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
AGENDA ITEMS. ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN? WELL, WE, WE CHATTED A LITTLE BIT BEFORE THE MEETING ABOUT THE ISSUE ABOUT ARTIFICIAL TURF ON LAWNS AND, UM, I, I THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT AT OUR NEXT MEETING, FORMING A WORK GROUP OR A SUBCOMMITTEE, WHATEVER.I THINK WE ALREADY DID, BUT IT'S BEEN LATENT FOR A WHILE, SO REACTIVATING IT.
IF APPARENTLY I MIGHT BE THE CHAIR OF THAT WORKING GROUP AND IF SO, I APOLOGIZE.
BUT I AM SEEDING CONTROL TO COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN TO TAKE LEAD ON THAT AND I THINK HE'LL BE GREAT.
SO I CERTAINLY WELCOME THAT FUTURE AGENDA ITEM.
AND I THINK I'M THE HOLDER OF, UM, SOME DOCUMENTS, SO I WILL ALSO LAY THOSE AT YOUR FEET.
ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY, HEARING NOW, THE TIME IS 8:20 PM AND WE'RE ADJOURNED WITH NO OBJECTIONS.