[CALL TO ORDER ]
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YEAH, WE ARE, UH, SO WE WILL CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER 6:01 PM UM, COULD I CALL AN AUDIBLE ASSIST FROM STAFF FOR THE ROLL CALL WHILE I TRY TO GET THE INTERNET TO WORK? PLEASE.
MIC'S BROKEN, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN SEE YOU.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION TODAY? NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AT ALL.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION FOR AUGUST 24TH? I MOTION I'LL SECOND ANY DISCUSSION RELATED TO THE MINUTES.LOOKS LIKE WE'RE UNANIMOUS CHAIR ABSTAIN BECAUSE THERE IS NOT AT THE MEETING.
THAT FAIR ENOUGH? OKAY, SO WE HAVE SALINAS AND ABDULLAH, UM, ABSTAINING.
[2. Staff briefing on phase two of the DDBP and its stakeholder engagement plan. Presented by Warner Cook, Austin Planning. Sponsors: Vice Chair Howard and Commissioner Wittstruck.]
UP ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING ON PHASE TWO OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND ITS STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN PRESENTED BY, UH, WARNER COOK AUSTIN PLANNING.I'M WARNER COOK, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH AUSTIN PLANNING.
SHE HER PRONOUNS, AND I'M JOINED HERE TONIGHT WITH THE REST OF THE TEAM THAT'S WORKING ON THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, PHASE TWO UPDATE.
UM, WE'VE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING IN CONVERSATION WITH THE FULL COMMISSION.
WE DID HAVE A, AN INITIAL TOUCH POINT WITH A FEW COMMISSIONERS EARLIER TODAY WITH THE WORKING GROUP.
SO, UM, YEAH, GOOD CONVERSATIONS AND EXCITED TO KICK OFF THIS, THIS NEXT PHASE WITH YOU.
DO WE HAVE A CLICKER? I'M SORRY.
STAFF NEEDS TO BE UP AT THE PODIUM.
YEAH, THERE'S A CLICKER UP HERE AS WELL.
I'VE ALWAYS PRESENTED IN THIS ROOM SITTING DOWN BEFORE, SO, YEAH, I'M SORRY.
UH, ONE OF THEM WILL GO GRAB THE CLICKER
UM, SO, UH, OUR PROJECT TEAM, LIKE YOU SAID, ME, WARNER COOK.
I'VE BEEN WITH THE CITY FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS NOW AND HAVE WORKED ON OTHER DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS PREVIOUSLY, EVEN THOUGH I'M COMING IN PARTWAY THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS WORK.
IT'S A SISTER TEAM THAT I'VE, THAT I WORK WITH REGULARLY AND IN GENERAL.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, MIKAYLA POE, WHO IS A PLANNER THREE WITH THE CODE AMENDMENTS TEAM, AND SHE'LL WALK THROUGH THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS.
BUT WE'LL START OFF WITH NICK SMITH, UM, A PLANNER SENIOR ON THE CODE AMENDMENTS TEAM.
TO KIND OF GO OVER A SUMMARY OF PHASE ONE.
IT WAS A WHOLE SUMMER AGO, PEOPLE FORGET
SO WE WANNA JUST WALK THROUGH WHAT WAS ACTUALLY ADOPTED IN PHASE ONE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PLAN FOR PHASE TWO.
SO, GETTING INTO THE CHANGES WE ADOPTED IN PHASE ONE, WE CREATED
[00:05:01]
TWO NEW COMBINING DISTRICTS, AND THOSE WERE TDB 400, WHICH ALLOWS FOR 400 FEET OF EXTRA HEIGHT.IN EXCHANGE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM, WE REZONED ALL OF THE SITES IN PHASE ONE INTO THIS COMBINING DISTRICT AND THEN CREATED THE DDB EIGHT 50 COMBINING DISTRICT, WHICH ALLOWS FOR 850 FEET OF ADDITIONAL HEIGHT IN EXCHANGE FOR PROGRAM PARTICIPATION.
AND ALL OF THE SITES IN THE PHASE ONE AREA ARE ELIGIBLE TO REQUEST REZONING INTO THIS COMBINING DISTRICT THROUGH THE STANDARD REZONING PROCESS.
SO AGAIN, THAT HEIGHT IS ADDITIVE TO A PROPERTY SPACE HEIGHT.
MOST OF THE SITES IN PHASE ONE OR ZONE CBD, SO THAT'S A BASE SITE OF 350 FEET.
SO THAT ALLOWS UP TO 750 FEET WITH DDB 400 OR UP TO 1200 FEET WITH DDB EIGHT 50.
OTHER CHANGES INCLUDED MODIFYING THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING THE ADDITION OF THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS AND THE REMOVAL OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION REVIEW COMPONENT FROM THE LEGACY PROGRAM.
WE ALSO REVISED THE LIST OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT OPTIONS.
WE UPDATED THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS AND FEE AND LIE RATES FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE ADJUSTED SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND EXEMPTIONS, AND WE RETIRED THE LEGACY DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WITHIN THE PHASE ONE AREA.
AND I'LL NOTE ON THAT, THAT IF WE WERE TO RECEIVE AN APPLICATION OUTSIDE THE PHASE ONE AREA, THAT PROJECT WOULD GO THROUGH THE OLD PROCESS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE A DESIGN COMMISSION REVIEW.
SO IF WE DO HAPPEN TO GET ANY APPLICATIONS BETWEEN NOW AND THE TIME WE ADOPT PHASE TWO OF THE PROGRAM, IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE OLD, UH, LEGACY PROGRAM HERE.
SO THIS IS SHOWING THE TWO COMBINING DISTRICTS, AGAIN, DDB 400 AND DDB EIGHT 50.
UH, AND THIS COVERS THE CORE OF DOWNTOWN, THE AREA, NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER AND RAINY STREET.
SO WE MADE SOME REVISIONS TO THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM PROCESS.
SO IF A APPLICANT WANTS TO USE THE PROGRAM AND THEY DID NOT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE ZONING, THEY WOULD FIRST REQUEST REZONING THROUGH THE STANDARD PROCESS.
UH, IN PHASE ONE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO REQUEST REZONING TO UTILIZE THE DDB EIGHT 50 COMBINING DISTRICT.
ONCE THEY HAVE THE APPROPRIATE ZONING, THEY WOULD SUBMIT AN APPLICATION TO AUSTIN HOUSING FOR CERTIFICATION.
THEY WOULD THEN FILE A SITE PLAN.
STAFF WOULD REVIEW THE SITE PLAN FOR COMPLIANCE WITH GREAT STREETS AND WITH THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND ONCE THOSE CHECKS HAVE BEEN MET, STAFF WOULD CERTIFY THE PROJECT AND GRANT THE ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS THROUGH THE BONUS PROGRAM.
SO WE MADE SOME CHANGES TO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS TO GENERALLY BRING THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS IN LINE WITH SOME OF OUR OTHER DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS. THOSE INCLUDE SOME EXEMPTIONS, EXEMPTIONS FROM THINGS LIKE MAXIMUM BUILDING COVERAGE, LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS, MINIMUM SITE AREA, PRIVATE COMMON OPEN SPACE, AND FAR LIMITS.
SO WITHIN THE DDB PHASE ONE AREA UNLIMITED FAR IS ALLOWED.
AND WE ALSO PROHIBITED NON-TRANS SUPPORTIVE USES, WHICH BRINGS DDB IN LINE WITH THE EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, UH, REQUIREMENTS.
SO THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM, AGAIN, THESE MUST BE MET IN ORDER FOR THE PROJECT TO RECEIVE THE ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS.
THE FIRST ONE IS COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS, WHICH I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN MORE DETAIL.
AND MIKAYLA WILL HAVE A FEW SLIDES ON THOSE.
UH, THE GREAT STREET STANDARDS IMPROVEMENTS.
THE GREAT STREETS PLAN, AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, IS UNDERGOING AN UPDATE PRO PROCESS.
SO ONCE THOSE UPDATES ARE PASSED, THE NEW GREAT STREET STANDARDS WILL APPLY, BUT UNTIL THEN, THE CURRENT GREAT STREET STANDARDS STILL DO APPLY AND ALSO ACHIEVING A MINIMUM TWO STAR RATING UNDER THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM.
AND AT PHASE ONE, WE ADDED THE REQUIREMENT THAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT TWO STAR RATING PROJECTS MUST ADHERE TO THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN STANDARDS.
LOOKING AT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, AGAIN, THE PRIMARY BENEFIT IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, AND THAT IF THE PROJECT CHOOSES TO PROVIDE ONSITE UNITS, THOSE WOULD BE 5% OF THE TOTAL UNITS AT 50% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME FOR RENTAL UNITS, OR 5%
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AT 80% MFI FOR OWNERSHIP UNITS.AND THE FEE AND LOSE WERE CALCULATED, UM, AT $10 PER BONUS AREA, GROSS SQUARE FOOT FOR DDB $412 PER BONUS AREA SQUARE FOOT FOR DDB EIGHT 50, THERE'S A LIST OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS THAT CAN BE USED TO OFFSET THE ONSITE UNIT REQUIREMENTS OR THE
UH, THINGS LIKE GROCERY STORES, CULTURAL OR LIVE MUSIC VENUE SPACES, ACHIEVING AN AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, THREE STAR RATING, UH, GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT REQUIRED TWO STAR RATING AND PROVIDING TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE IN INFRASTRUCTURE ON SITE.
AND NOW I'LL PASS IT TO MCKAYLA TO COVER THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS.
UM, YEAH, SO GOING THROUGH THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS AND WHAT WAS ADOPTED IN PHASE ONE, LET'S SEE.
OKAY, SO AN OVERVIEW OF THE NEW URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS, UM, TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DDB PROGRAM, THAT PROJECTS MUST ADHERE TO ALL OF THE MANDATORY URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS AND MEET, UM, THEIR SPECIFIED NUMBER OF OPTIONAL STANDARDS.
THE OPTIONAL STANDARDS FOLLOW A MENU APPROACH WHERE PROJECTS SELECT WHICH STANDARDS TO MEET.
AND SO PROJECTS UTILIZING THE DDB 400, UM, A PORTION OF THE PROGRAM MUST MEET, UM, SIX OUT OF THE 12 OPTIONAL STANDARDS.
WHILE PROJECTS UTILIZING, UH, DDB EIGHT 50 MUST MEET NINE OUT OF THE 12 STANDARDS.
AND SO THEY MUST MEET THESE OPTIONAL STANDARDS.
IN ADDITION TO THE, UM, MANDATORY URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS, ANY NEW COMBINING DISTRICTS PROPOSED THROUGH PHASE TWO, UM, COULD REQUIRE A UNIQUE NUMBER OF OPTIONAL STANDARDS.
AND SO THAT IS, UM, UNDER CONSIDERATION RIGHT NOW DURING OUR ANALYSIS.
UM, AS Y'ALL ARE AWARE, DESIGN COMMISSION REVIEW IS NO LONGER REQUIRED FOR, UM, PROJECTS, UH, LOOKING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PHASE ONE.
UM, WHAT IS IT? COMBINING DISTRICT, UM, VERSION OF THE PROGRAM AND STAFF WILL DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS AT THE TIME OF SITE PLAN REVIEW STANDARDS.
UM, WHAT IS IT? THIS PROCESS AS WELL AS, UM, FUTURE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS AND MEETINGS WITH THE COMMISSION, UM, WILL BE, UM, HELPING US REVISE AND CONSIDER ADDITIONAL OPTIONS THAT MAY BE ADDED, UM, TO THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS AS A PART OF THIS PHASE TWO WORK.
AND SO GOING OVER THE MANDATORY URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS, UM, WHAT Y'ALL WILL SEE ON THESE SLIDES ARE, UM, ABBREVIATED VERSIONS OF THE STANDARDS TO BE ABLE TO FIND, UH, FULL VERSIONS OF THE STANDARDS.
UM, YOU CAN REFER TO THE, UM, ORDINANCE THAT WAS PASSED, UM, WITH PHASE ONE'S ADOPTION, UM, BUT GOING OVER THEM AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE MANDATORY URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS, THERE ARE FIVE OF THEM.
UM, THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, THE SCREENING REQUIREMENTS.
SO ESSENTIALLY REQUIRING SCREENING FOR WASTE, UTILITIES AND MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT AND ABOVE GROUND PARKING, UM, FOR THE SECOND MANDATORY STANDARD, UM, IT'S REFERRING TO PARKING LIMITS.
AND SO, UM, THERE IS A LIMIT TO ABOVE GROUND PARKING OF 60% OF THE AMOUNT THAT WAS FORMALLY, UH, FORMERLY REQUIRED BY APPENDIX A.
AND, UM, DEVELOPMENTS ARE ABLE TO INCREASE THAT AMOUNT OF ALLOWED PARKING UP TO 80% IF THEY PROVIDE, UM, UNDERGROUND PARKING.
UM, UDS STANDARD THREE PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED FRONTAGE, UM, REQUIRES 75% OF THE FRONTAGE, UM, OF THE DEVELOPMENT TO BE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY.
USES ALONG, UM, PRINCIPAL STREET OF THE DEVELOPMENT WHILE UDS FOUR, UM, PRIMARY ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS REQUIRE SHELTERED BUILDING ENTRANCES EVERY 150 FEET FOR BUILDINGS WITH OVER 200 FEET OF FRONTAGE, UM, WITH A MINIMUM OF TWO ENTRANCES.
UM, THE LAST MANDATORY STANDARD, UM, JUST ESSENTIALLY LIMITS CURB CUTS, UM, ON EACH STREET.
SO, UM, THEY'RE LIMITED TO ONE CURB CUT PER 140 FEET OF EAST WEST FRONTAGE, AND ONE TOTAL CURB CUT PER NORTH SOUTH STREET FRONTAGE,
UM, UDS SIX, UM, IS ENHANCED PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED FRONTAGE, WHICH REQUIRES 75% OF TOTAL BUILDING FRONTAGE TO BE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY USES AND REQUIRES A STREET FACING OUTDOOR AMENITY SPACE.
[00:15:01]
ENHANCED PRIMARY ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS.SO THESE TWO ARE ESSENTIALLY, UH, JUST EXPANDED VERSIONS OF WHAT YOU SAW IN THE MANDATORY STANDARDS.
THIS ONE, UM, REQUIRES BUILDING ENTRANCES EVERY 75 FEET, UM, AND BUILDINGS WITH OVER 200 FEET OF FRONTAGE ON A STREET, UM, MUST PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF THREE ENTRANCES.
UDS EIGHT, UM, JUST REFERS TO, UM, BICYCLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS.
UM, IT JUST INCREASES THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF, UM, REQUIRED BICYCLE PARKING SPACES, AND THEN UDS NINE, JUST A LIMIT ON GARAGE LANES TO REDUCE THAT AMOUNT OF LANE FRONTAGE.
UM, AND THEN UDS 10 UM, ASKS FOR A MINIMUM CANAL CANTILEVER CLEARANCE.
SO, UM, ASKING FOR 40 FEET, UM, OF, UH, CLEAR HEIGHT FOR BUILDING CANTILEVERS TO, UM, HELP WITH STREET TREES.
AND, UH, GENERAL STREET CHARACTER UDS 11, UM, REFERS TO ENHANCED PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION.
AND SO IT REQUIRES OVERHEAD SHELTER OVER 60% OF STREET FRONTAGE WITH A DEPTH OF NOT LESS THAN A 40% OF CLEAR HEIGHT.
SO TRYING TO GET THAT, UH, RATIO TO PROVIDE USEFUL, UM, PEDESTRIAN PROTECTION RATHER THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, AN AWNING THAT DOESN'T REALLY ACTUALLY DO MUCH FOR PEDESTRIANS.
UDS 12, UM, ASKS FOR INCREASED TRANSPARENCY ON STREET, THE STREET FACING GROUND FLOOR.
AND SO, UM, REQUIRING A HIGH LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY ALONG THE SIDEWALK, UM, WITH THAT, UM, WITH THAT LEVEL OF TRANSMITTANCE AND A LOW REFLECTIVITY THAT, UH, Y'ALL HAD, UM, PROPOSED AND YOUR DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND THEN UDS 13, UM, ALSO, UM, REQUIRES ABOVE GROUND, UH, TRANSPARENCY.
SO REQUIRING THAT LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY ON THE FIRST TWO FLOORS ABOVE THE GROUND FLOOR, UDS 14, UM, ASKS FOR ADDITIONAL AMENITIES.
AND SO, UM, REQUIRING OR ASKING FOR A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE RESTROOM CHANGING ROOM AND OR DRINKING FOUNTAIN, UM, THAT IS ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.
AND PEDESTRIANS UDS 15, UM, REQUIRE, UH, REFERS TO PLANTING, UH, PLANTING AREA OR A GREEN ROOF.
AND SO REQUIRING 15% OF THE SITE, UM, AS DEDICATED AT GRADE PLANTING OR 50% OF THE ROOF AS A GREEN ROOF.
UM, UDS 16 AND 17, UM, ARE MORE RELATED TO, UH, HISTORIC STRUCTURES.
AND SO, UM, WHICH STRUCTURES THAT ARE DESIGNATED AS HISTORIC OR AN HISTORIC DISTRICT, UM, IT ASKS THAT THE HEIGHT IS LIMITED OF THE, UH, NEIGHBORING BUILDING IS LIMITED TO 15 FEET, UM, OR THAT THE HEIGHT MAY EXCEED THE, OR THAT THE BUILDING MAY EXCEED THE 15 FOOT, UM, LIMIT WITH A 15 FOOT STEP BACK TO CREATE SOME BREATHING ROOM BETWEEN THE TWO.
AND THEN UDS 17, UM, A BUILDING DOESN'T NEED TO BE, UM, HISTORIC, UM, OR, UH, WITHIN A HISTORIC DISTRICT AND JUST REQUESTS THAT THE PRIMARY BUILDING FACADE OF THAT BUILDING IS PRESERVED AND THEN GOING TO WARNER FOR THE PHASE TWO APPROACH.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION AND YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH IT IN SOME WAYS, BUT AGAIN, IT'S ALSO USEFUL FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN OVERVIEW OF EXACTLY WHAT WAS ADOPTED AS WELL.
UM, SO FOR PHASE TWO COUNCIL GAVE US PRETTY SPECIFIC DIRECTION, UM, BOTH IN PREVIOUS ORDINANCES OR RESOLUTIONS INITIATING THIS WORK AS WELL AS A MOTION SHEET PASSED AS PART OF PHASE ONE.
UM, SO THESE ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE MAIN TOPIC AREAS THAT STAFF IS LOOKING AT IN PHASE TWO, IN ADDITION TO A NEW GEOGRAPHY BASICALLY, AND WE'LL GO INTO THAT IN A SECOND, BUT, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT PRESERVATION TOOLS FOR THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT WITHIN THE BONUS PROGRAM, AS WELL AS COORDINATING ON POTENTIAL OTHER TOOLS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE BONUS PROGRAM TODAY.
UM, AND WE'VE ALREADY STARTED MEETING WITH THAT STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
WE ARE LOOKING TO ENSURE THAT THE NEW PROGRAM COULD WORK WITH A FUTURE TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE, THE IMAGE THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE.
BASICALLY THE CONCEPT OF SELLING THE AIR RIGHTS ABOVE ONE BUILDING TO ANOTHER BUILDING.
UM, ONE OF YOUR COMMISSIONERS IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS AND HAS DONE SOME WORK, UH, OUTSIDE OF HIS ROLE IN THE COMMISSION ON THAT.
UM, BUT GENERALLY JUST TRYING TO ENSURE THAT IF A DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM AND A TDR PROGRAM OR BOTH IN PLAY, HOW DO THEY WORK TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT COULD, COULD
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BE POSSIBLE.UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN DIRECTED TO LOOK AT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AREA, SO MOVING BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL DOWNTOWN BOUNDARY, UH, TO APPLY THIS BONUS PROGRAM.
WE ARE WORKING WITH Y'ALL VERY CLOSELY AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO BE ON THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS, AND I'LL GET INTO MORE ON HOW WE'RE ANTICIPATING DOING THAT IN A MOMENT.
AND THEN CONTINUING TO CONSIDER GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS AS WELL.
UM, SPECIFICALLY THINGS LIKE THE LEGACY BUSINESS PROTECTIONS STAFF HAD RECOMMENDED SOME OF THAT IN PHASE ONE, AND THAT WAS KIND OF POSTPONED TO BE CONSIDERED AS PART OF PHASE TWO
UH, SO AS I SAID, PHASE TWO WILL ALSO CONSIDER NEW HEIGHT ALLOWANCES.
WE KIND OF ALLUDED TO THIS WITH SOME OF THE EARLIER SLIDES, BUT D DB PLUS 400 AND DDB PLUS EIGHT 50 ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE ONLY TWO TOOLS THAT WE WOULD WANT TO SEE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE LEGACY PROGRAM HAS KIND OF A VARYING, UH, PRETTY SPECIFIC MAP ABOUT WHERE THE DIFFERENT FA WOULD'VE APPLIED AND THINGS AND HEIGHT LIMITS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO CONSIDER WHAT THE RIGHT NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL TOOLS ARE TO CAPTURE SOME OF THAT INTENT WHILE UPDATING AND MODERNIZING THE PROGRAM.
WE'RE ALSO CONSIDERING POSSIBLY HAVING DDB 408 50 IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN.
SO I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT THEY'RE ONLY LIMITED TO THE PHASE ONE GEOGRAPHY, BUT THEY MAY BE APPROPRIATE IN MORE PARTS OF DOWNTOWN AND OTHER HEIGHTS ALSO MAY BE MORE APPROPRIATE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AREA, WHICH HAS SOME DIFFERENT BASE ZONING TODAY THAN MOST OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE CONSIDERATIONS.
ALSO WITH THE OTHER HEIGHT TIERS, HOW DOES THAT WORK WITH, UH, COMMERCIAL SERVICES GENERAL ZONE THAT'S GOT 60 FEET OF HEIGHT VERSUS DMU OR CBD WITH HUNDREDS OF FEET OF HEIGHT AS A BASE REQUIREMENT.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM VERSUS WHAT IS ACTUALLY REZONED BY CITY STAFF IN THIS UPDATE.
SO SAME AS IN PHASE ONE WHERE WE MADE EVERYBODY ELIGIBLE FOR BOTH HEIGHT TIERS, BUT STAFF ONLY REZONED SITES INTO THE LOWER OF THE TWO.
WE MAY FIND THAT SOME AREAS ARE APPROPRIATE TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM, BUT THAT WE AS CITY STAFF AREN'T GONNA BE DOING THE INITIATION OF THAT REZONING.
SO THERE'LL PROBABLY BE SOME REZONINGS, I DON'T INTEND OR EXPECT THAT THE FULL STEADY AREA WOULD TURN OUT TO BE ELIGIBLE OR REZONED NECESSARILY.
AND NICK MENTIONED THIS, BUT IT'S ALWAYS JUST GOOD TO HIGHLIGHT THAT THE LEGACY PROGRAM STILL APPLIES IN THE AREA THAT WASN'T ORANGE, THAT WASN'T PART OF PHASE ONE.
SO KIND OF GOING ON PAST THAT, IN THE CORE OF THE PHASE ONE GEOGRAPHY, WE HAVE THAT AMENDMENT AREA THAT WAS COMPLETED AND ADOPTED IN ORANGE.
AND THEN OUR POTENTIAL KIND OF STUDY AREA FOR PHASE TWO IS ALL OF THE AREA IN PURPLE.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S NOT SAYING THAT ALL OF THIS AREA WOULD BECOME ELIGIBLE FOR THE BONUS PROGRAM, BUT WE WANTED TO CONSIDER DOWNTOWN HOLISTICALLY AS WELL AS THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
UM, WHILE WE WERE THINKING ABOUT THIS.
SO YOU'LL ALSO SEE HATCHED AREAS, ESPECIALLY IN KIND OF THE NORTH AND WEST PART OF DOWNTOWN THAT ARE CURRENTLY INELIGIBLE FOR THE BONUS PROGRAM TODAY.
THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE LEGACY PROGRAM.
UM, THOSE ARE UNDER STUDY FOR WHETHER ANY OF THOSE AREAS MAKE SENSE FOR PHASE TWO.
AND THEN ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT SIDE OF THINGS, WE'VE KIND OF MATCHED A COMBINATION OF THE BOUNDARIES FOR OUR STUDY AREA OF WHAT THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN IS CONSIDERING THEIR SOUTH CENTRAL AREA.
SO THAT'S BASICALLY GOES FROM LAMAR TO ROUGHLY I 35.
AND THEN ALSO LOOKING AT THE BOUNDARIES CONSIDERED IN THE, UH, POSTPONED OR, YOU KNOW, NOT, THERE WAS AN EFFORT TO BRING A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT WAS SPECIFIC TO SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT BY STAFF IN 2024, AND THAT EFFORT WAS PUT ON PAUSE AND WE WERE DIRECTED TO INSTEAD CONSIDER THAT AS PART OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
SO THAT SAME KIND OF GEOGRAPHY BOUNDARY THAT WAS CONTEMPLATED BACK IN 2024 IS THE STARTING PLACE FOR THE KIND OF STUDY AREA IN 2026.
UM, A LITTLE BIT OF THIS LOOKS LIKE IT'S PRETTY REPETITIVE.
THE ONE THING THAT I DO WANNA MENTION IS THIS LAST BULLET POINT HERE, WHICH IS THAT WE WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERING LOOKING AT DIFFERENT SUB-DISTRICTS.
RIGHT NOW IN PHASE ONE, EVERYTHING IS EXACTLY THE SAME EXCEPT FOR THE TWO HEIGHT DEER HEIGHT TIER DISTINCTIONS, SO THE COST PER SQUARE FOOT OF HOUSING FEE AND LIE, AND THE NUMBER OF URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT IN PHASE TWO.
WE ARE CONSIDERING WHETHER THERE'S SPECIAL SUBDISTRICTS THAT OUGHT TO HAVE THEIR OWN KIND OF SLIGHTLY MODIFIED SET OF REGULATIONS.
UM, I THINK I HAVE THE NEXT SLIDE MIGHT GO INTO THAT, SO I'M JUST GONNA SKIP AHEAD.
YEAH, SO SOME POTENTIAL GEOGRAPHIC AREAS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WOULD BE SOMEWHERE LIKE
[00:25:01]
A RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT OR A CULTURAL DISTRICT IN GENERAL, WHERE THOSE LEGACY BUSINESS PROTECTIONS AND SOME OF THE PUBLIC REALM KIND OF FIRST TWO FLOORS, FIRST THREE FLOORS MIGHT BE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT.SO TRYING TO TO SEE WHAT THE BONUS PROGRAM COULD DO TO HELP INCENTIVIZE THAT TYPE OF PRESERVATION OF THE USE, NOT JUST THE BUILDING.
UM, IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AREA, AS I MENTIONED, SOME OF THE EXISTING HEIGHTS ARE VERY DIFFERENT IN CONTEXT FROM DOWNTOWN, UM, AS WELL AS THE STREET GRID IS INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT FROM THE DOWNTOWN CONTEXT.
AND WITH GREAT STREETS BEING A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ON A VERY DIFFERENT STREET GRID IN SOUTH CENTRAL.
UM, AND IN THE PREVIOUS, UH, WORK ON THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT BONUS, THERE WAS SOME, SOME PRETTY DETAILED THOUGHT ON INTERNAL CIRCULATION AND KIND OF CONNECTIVITY AND BREAKING UP BIG BLOCKS.
UM, THAT WILL BE KIND OF A STARTING POINT FOR THAT.
AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED, THE WEST DOWNTOWN AREA THAT IS CURRENTLY INELIGIBLE, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF POTENTIALLY KIND OF MAKING THAT SOME OF THAT AREA ELIGIBLE WOULD BE TO EXPAND THE APPLICATION OF GREAT STREET STANDARDS.
YOU KNOW, THE PRIMARY WAY THAT WE DO IMPLEMENT OUR GREAT STREETS PROGRAM IS THROUGH THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT FOR THE BONUS PROGRAM VERSUS THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT THE CITY, UM, INITIATES THROUGH GREAT STREETS AS WELL.
SO IF MORE AREAS AREN'T ELIGIBLE, THEY'RE POTENTIALLY ALSO GOING TO BE MORE LIKELY TO PROVIDE GREAT STREETS INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, SO NOW ONTO THE ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY AND TIMELINE.
THIS IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE MEMO PUBLISHED A COUNCIL, UM, EARLIER THIS MONTH THAT GOES THROUGH OUR APPROACH AND OUR ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY.
WE ARE CURRENTLY ACCEPTING, UH, MEETINGS, INPUT DISCUSSIONS WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
WE'VE REACHED OUT PROACTIVELY TO FOLKS THAT ARE HIGHLY TIED TO DOWNTOWN, AS WELL AS KIND OF THOSE NEIGHBORING PORTIONS, UM, RIGHT OUTSIDE THE STUDY AREAS.
UM, IF THERE'S OTHER GROUPS THAT YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TALKING TO, WE'RE DEFINITELY HAPPY TO BRIEF FOLKS AND GET FEEDBACK.
WE'VE ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW SPEAK UP PAGE FOR PHASE TWO.
IT DOES HAVE SOME SURVEY QUESTIONS IN THERE AS WELL.
UM, IN GENERAL, JUST TRYING TO MAKE FOLKS AWARE OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND GET SOME FEEDBACK ON SOME OF THOSE SPECIFIC TOPIC AREAS.
WE'RE WORKING ON SOME ANALYSIS IN THE BACKGROUND, ESPECIALLY ON KIND OF COST AND RISK AND CONTINUING TO CONSIDER LIKE THE LEGACY BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS FROM MORE OF A, WHAT ARE THE TECHNICAL COST IMPLICATIONS OF SOME OF THOSE LENS.
THAT'S JUST ONE INPUT TO THE ULTIMATE PROPOSAL.
WE'RE EXPECTING TO RELEASE A DRAFT PROPOSAL IN MID-JANUARY, ROUGHLY OF, OF NEXT YEAR THAT WOULD HAVE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT ON IT.
AND THEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO TURN AROUND A FINAL DRAFT FROM STAFF AND GO THROUGH COMMISSIONS IN MARCH AND COUNCIL IN APRIL.
HOPEFULLY, THIS IS ALL DEPENDING ON CAPACITY OF BASICALLY THE COMMISSIONS THAT WE NEED TO WORK WITH.
UM, PLANNING COMMISSIONS DOCKET IS LOOKING VERY FULL IN THE SPRING, SO, UM, THROUGHOUT, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THE DESIGN COMMISSION WORKING GROUP AS OUR PRIMARY STAKEHOLDER FOR THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, WE'RE ALSO WORKING, AS I MENTIONED, WITH MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT WE PLAN TO TALK WITH HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION PLANNING COMMISSION, UM, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, NOT AS OFTEN AS WITH Y'ALL NECESSARILY, BUT WE DEFINITELY WANNA ENGAGE THEM THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
AND THEN OTHER CITY STAFF TEAMS, GREAT STREETS, CENTRAL CITY, HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSE WITH OUR SISTER DEPARTMENTS AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS COORDINATING WITH OUR FAIRLY NEW DOWNTOWN STRATEGY OFFICE AND THE STAFF IN THERE AND THE DOWNTOWN STRATEGY OFFICER THAT CAME ON OVER THE SUMMER.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, THE PROJECT PAGE IS ONLINE AND INCLUDES A SURVEY.
THE LINK IS SPEAK UP AUSTIN.ORG/DDB PHASE TWO.
UM, AND WITH THAT I'LL GO AHEAD AND MENTION THAT WE ARE PLANNING TO WORK WITH THE WORKING GROUP UP TO EVERY MONTH OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING TODAY, UM, JUST KIND OF, AGAIN, TALKING THROUGH THIS PROCESS IN MUCH MORE DETAIL AS WELL AS KIND OF WHAT THE CONVERSATIONS WILL LOOK LIKE AROUND THE DESIGN, UH, STANDARDS THEMSELVES AND GETTING SOME FEEDBACK ON PHASE ONE AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
AND THEN WE PLAN TO BE ABLE TO COME AND BRIEF Y'ALL AS NEEDED UP TO EVERY TWO MONTHS, BUT ROUGHLY.
SO IF THERE'S NOT ANYTHING NEW, WE DON'T WANNA WASTE Y'ALL'S TIME AS A COMMISSION VOLUNTEER IS VERY BUSY, BUT, UM, WE WOULD HOPE TO BE ABLE TO BRING KIND OF STATUS UPDATES ALONG THE WAY.
AND WITH THAT, HAPPY TO DO QUESTIONS.
[00:30:04]
ALL RIGHT.ANY QUESTIONS OF THE GROUP? YES.
COMMISSIONER, UM, MS. COOK, UM, SO IF I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY, THE, ONCE THE PHASE TWO IS IMPLEMENTED, THE STAFF WILL MAKE THE DECISION, IT'LL NOT GO TO THE DESIGN COMMITTEE OR ANYBODY, IS THAT RIGHT? CORRECT.
UM, IF PHASE TWO IS ADOPTED AND THE LEGACY PROGRAM IS FULLY PHASED OUT AT THAT POINT, THEN THERE WOULD NO LONGER BE ANY AREA THAT WOULD COME FOR THE DESIGN COMMISSION REVIEW PROCESS.
IT WOULD BE JUST LIKE A CHECKLIST THAT THEY WOULD GO THROUGH AND SAY, CHECK, CHECK, CHECK.
SO THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS THAT STAFF WOULD REVIEW FOR ARE OBJECTIVE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN MEASURE THEM ON THE SITE PLAN AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE BEING SET.
THE SECOND QUESTION I HAD IS, SEE A LOT OF GROWTH IN THE DOMAIN AREA, A LOT OF BUILDINGS GOING UP HIGHER AND HIGHER.
SO IS THAT ANYWHERE IN THE PURVIEW OF BRINGING THAT INTO THE PROGRAM? UM, THE DOWN THE DOMAIN AREA IN CITY PARLANCE IS KNOWN AS NORTH BURNETT GATEWAY AREA.
AND SO IT DOES HAVE ITS OWN SPECIAL REGULATING PLAN THAT OUR, UM, URBAN DESIGN TEAM HAS A LOT OF FAMILIARITY WITH.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME RECENT UPDATES TO THAT, TO THOSE REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THE BONUS PROGRAM, KIND OF PIECES OF THAT, BUT THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THE PURVIEW OF THIS TEAM AND THIS PROJECT.
I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON IF WE CAN BRING THE SLIDESHOW BACK UP ON THE OP OR THE, THE MENU.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN HAVE LIKE AN OPTIONAL STANDARD THAT'S KIND OF A WEIRD PLAY ON WORDS.
UM, BUT IT'S THE MENU OF STANDARDS THAT WE HAVE NOW.
THERE WAS A, THERE'S ONE, I MEAN, AS WE, WE WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH THESE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT OBJECTIVITY AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU CAN CLEARLY CHECK OR NOT CHECK A BOX.
THE, UM, ONE ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AT THE GROUND FLOOR.
WHAT IS THE FINAL WORDING ON THAT? LIKE HOW MUCH TRANSPARENCY IS REQUIRED? UM, THERE WE GO.
UM, YES, UM, I HAVE THE, UM, ADOPTED LANGUAGE PULLED UP HERE ON THE ORDINANCE, AND SO LET ME CHECK THAT JUST TO MAKE SURE I'M SAYING IT ACCURATELY.
SO FOR, UM, UDS 12, UM, INCREASED TRANSPARENCY FACADE ON STREET FACING GROUND FLOOR, UM, ALL GROUND FLOOR EXTERNAL DOORS AND WINDOWS MUST MAINTAIN A MIS MINIMAL VISIBLE LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE OF 60% AND AN EXTERNAL REFLECTANCE OF 20%.
AND THEN MATERIALS USED TO SATISFY, UM, THE, UM, REQUIREMENT ABOVE MUST ADHERE TO THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN STANDARDS OUTLINED IN THE AUSTIN GREEN ENERGY STANDARDS.
UM, AND THOSE, UM, LIGHT TRANSMITTANCE AND EXTERNAL REFLECTANCE REQUIREMENTS ARE THE SAME FOR THE, UM, UDS 13 ABOVE GROUND FLOOR TRANSPARENCY REQUIREMENTS AS WELL.
AND THEN I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND, WHICH DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THESE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADOPTED, BUT FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION, THE HISTORIC PROXIMITY TO HISTORIC STRUCTURES AND THE FIFTH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE SOMEWHERE IN LIKE THE WAREHOUSE DISTRICT AND IT'S A TWO STORY BUILDING, BUT YOU'RE ALREADY GRANTED MORE BASE HEIGHT, LIKE YOU'RE, THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS TO GET MORE DENSITY.
SO WHAT CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME DIAGRAMMATICALLY HOW THE SETBACK REQUIRE, LIKE IF I'M MORE THAN 15 FEET AWAY FROM THE BUILDING, I CAN GO AS HIGH AS I WANT, BUT IF I BUTT UP TO A HISTORIC STRUCTURE, I, BUT, AND I DON'T WANNA USE THE SETBACK, I CAN'T GO ANY HIGHER THAN THAT.
UM, MIKAYLA POE PLANNER THREE, UM, THAT IS
AND SO, UM, WHAT IS IT? UH, I'LL READ SOME OF THE, UM, SPECIFIC LANGUAGE AND THAT MAY CLARIFY IT, BUT THEN, UM, ALSO HAPPY TO SPEAK TO IT BECAUSE, UM, IT'S A VERY FAIR QUESTION.
WE ACTUALLY DID, UM, HAVE TO MAKE DIAGRAMS TO MAKE IT CLEAR FOR THE PUBLIC AS WELL.
AND SO WE CAN ALSO GET THOSE, UM, SHARED AFTER THIS MEETING FOR Y'ALL.
BUT THE, UM, LANGUAGE FOR UDS 16 HISTORIC BUILDING SCALE MATCHING IS THE HEIGHT OF A BUILDING OR STRUCTURE IS LIMITED TO NOT MORE THAN 15 FEET ABOVE THE HEIGHT OF THE FRONT FACADE OF AN ADJACENT HISTORIC BUILDING OR CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE LOCATED WITHIN 15 FEET,
[00:35:01]
UNLESS THE CONDITIONS IN B OF THIS, UH, SUBSECTION ARE SATISFIED.AS YOU WERE SPEAKING TO, WITH THE 15 FOOT STEP BACK, UM, THE HEIGHT OF A BUILDING OR STRUCTURE MAY EXCEED THAT 15 FOOT LIMITATION.
UM, IT, IF A MINIMUM 15 FOOT STEP BACK IS PROVIDED AS MEASURED FROM THE BASE HEIGHT CALCULATION OF THAT HISTORIC BUILDING OR STRUCTURE.
UM, AND SO YOU ARE CORRECT, ESSENTIALLY THE IDEA, UM, RE REGULATION WISE, WE KIND OF HAD TO HAVE THAT LITTLE A PIECE WHERE IT'S LIKE, OH, YOU CAN'T GO, YOU KNOW, 15 FOOT OVER.
WE KIND OF RECOGNIZE THAT NO ONE WILL REALLY USE THAT.
AND SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE WILL USE, UM, WHAT IS IT SUBSTANDARD B UM, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY GIVING THAT 15 FOOT STEP BACK, YOU KNOW, SORT OF BREATHING ROOM BETWEEN THE HISTORIC BUILDING AND THIS VERY TALL BUILDING.
UM, AND WE GENERALLY RECOGNIZE THAT THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE WILL, UM, GENERALLY USE.
COMMISSIONER WAS STRUCK QUESTION PIGGYBACKING ON THAT ONE.
IF THE APPLICANT WERE TO SIMPLY NOT, UH, USE THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, THEY WOULD NOT BE ENCUMBERED BY THE, BY THE HISTORIC SETBACK, RIGHT? CORRECT.
UNLESS, UH, THE APPLICANT HAD A HISTORICALLY DESIGNATED BUILDING ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY, UH, IF IT WAS JUST NEXT DOOR TO THEM, THERE WOULD BE NO IMPACT TO THE DEVELOPMENT.
IF IT WAS A BUY RIGHT CBD PROJECT WITH NO BONUS, IT JUST SEEMS ODD.
WE GOT OUR HANDS SLAPPED FOR NOT HAVING ENFORCEABLE STANDARDS WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE THE FIRST OPTION THERE IS LIKE IN NO WAY EVER GOING TO BE AN OPTION THAT SOMEONE WOULD SELECT.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS ON THE LANGUAGE THAT IS USED ON SOME OF THE MANDATORY DESIGN STANDARDS.
UM, SO LOOKING AT UDS ONE, UH, THE SCREENING REQUIREMENT, UM, IT SAYS TO PROVIDE SCREENING FOR WASTE, UTILITY, MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT AND ABOVE GROUND PARKING.
UM, IS THERE AN EXPANDED DEFINITION OF WHAT THAT SCREENING MIGHT BE, PARTICULARLY AS IT RELATES TO PARKING? OR IS THAT STILL BEING FLESHED OUT? YES, GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, I'D SAY, UH, PROBABLY AS, UM, EXPANDED LANGUAGE AS, UM, MAYBE, UM, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD AS WE, UM, MIGHT HOPE FOR, UM, THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, UH, KIND OF REGARDING MATERIALS AND SPECIFICITY.
THERE IS, UM, YOU KNOW, SCREENING MATERIALS SHALL BE THE SAME AS OR OF EQUAL QUALITY TO THE MATERIAL USED FOR THE PRINCIPAL BUILDING.
UM, AND THAT IS YES, AND ANOTHER, UM, STANDARD UNDER THAT IS ABOVE GROUND PARKING STRUCTURES MUST BE SCREENED TO PREVENT SPACES FROM VIEW OF A PUBLIC STREET AND ADJACENT PROPERTIES, UM, GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, ALSO STATES THAT, UM, MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, TRASH COLLECTION, TRASH, UM, AREAS AND EVERYTHING MUST NOT BE VISIBLE FROM A STREET ADJACENT PROPERTY LINE, UM, AND THE PROPERTY LINE ON THE FAR SIDE OF AN ADJACENT PUBLIC STREET AND MUST BE SCREENED OR LOCATED IN A PUBLIC ALLEY.
AND SO REGARDING SORT OF THOSE MATERIAL CONSIDERATIONS AND SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC, UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE THAT, UM, DETERMINED UNDER THESE, UM, UNDER THESE STANDARDS.
AND THEN, UM, ANOTHER, UH, QUESTION IS PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED FRONTAGE FROM UD S3.
UM, HOW DO YOU DEFINE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY USES? I'M LOOKING AT NICK BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE IT PULLED UP.
DO YOU HAVE I? YEAH, AND I SHOULD, OH, NICK SMITH, UM, PLANNER SENIOR AUSTIN PLANNING.
I SHOULD MENTION, JUST FOR Y'ALL'S REFERENCE, THESE ARE ALL IN MUNI CODE.
UM, THEY'RE IN SUBSECTION 25 2 DASH 6 5 7, AND THAT'LL GIVE YOU THE FULL, UM, CODE LANGUAGE FOR EACH STANDARD.
AND I'LL JUST REFERENCE THE PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED FRONTAGE.
UH, SO THEY MUST CONTAIN ONE OR MORE CIVIC USE OR COMMERCIAL USE AND COMPLY WITH THE DIMENSIONAL STANDARDS FOUND IN SUBCHAPTER E.
UM, AND THEN LOBBIES MAY QUALIFY AS A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED COMMERCIAL OR CIVIC SPACE IF THEY INCLUDE SEATING
[00:40:01]
OR VISIBLE FROM THE STREET AND ARE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE.UH, IN A LOBBY, NOT MEETING THOSE AFOREMENTIONED QUALIFICATIONS MAY ONLY COUNT FOR UP TO 10% OF THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED FRONTAGE REQUIREMENT.
AND AGAIN, ALL OF THESE ARE IN 25 DASH TWO DASH 6 57.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BIGGEST GRIEVANCE THAT I HAVE WITH THE PROPOSAL IS THAT I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE CREATING WHAT IS A CHECKLIST AND WHAT'S BEEN REFERRED TO AS A BIT OF A CHECKLIST? I THINK THE VALUE THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS OFFERED IS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DEVELOPERS FROM DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, UM, NOT JUST THAT OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT COMPLIANCE IS MET.
UM, WE'RE ALSO HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE DEGREE OR THE GRADE OF EXECUTION.
AND SO I THINK ONE THING THAT JUST IS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR IS, UH, THE, UH, VARIED, UH, OPINIONS AND EXPERIENCES THAT ULTIMATELY LEAD TO BETTER PROJECTS BECAUSE OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS CENTERED ONGOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CHECKLIST.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'RE GONNA ACCOUNT FOR THAT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DO SEE, UH, KIND OF A WORST CASE SCENARIO WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE CHECKING FOR COMPLIANCE AND THEN WE'RE NOT REALLY LOOKING AT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE GREATER EXECUTION, UM, OF THAT COMPLIANCE IS MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO WITH THAT, UM, I YIELD COMMISSIONER HOWARD, DID YOU STILL HAVE A COMMENT OR QUESTION? SURE.
UM, SO YEAH, I, UM, I, I HAD A QUESTION TO, TO SORT OF GET AT SOME OF THAT QUANTIFIABLE, MEASURABLE SITE PLANS, UM, AROUND THE SCREENING THAT, UM, YOU BROUGHT UP.
UM, HOW IS THE VISIBILITY FROM ADJACENT PROPERTIES AND THE RIGHT OF WAY DETERMINED BY THE SITE PLAN REVIEWER? I CAN'T SPEAK, I CAN'T SPEAK IN DETAIL TO THAT TODAY.
IT IS A, A SCREENING REQUIREMENT IN GENERAL IS PART OF ALL BUY RIGHT KIND OF COMPATIBILITY OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN ARTICLE 10 AS WELL AS PART OF MOST OF OUR BONUS PROGRAMS. SO IF THERE'S CLEARLY A WAY THAT THEY ARE MEASURING IT TODAY, I'M JUST NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
UM, IN MY, IN MY CO-WRITING EXPERIENCE, IT'S, UH, VISIBILITY FROM UM, IS IS OFTEN VERY HARD TO DETERMINE.
AND SO BEST PRACTICE IS USUALLY TO HAVE SOMETHING VERY MEASURABLE, QUANTIFIABLE AS A MINIMUM SCREENING STANDARD, UH, WHETHER THAT IS KIND OF, UH, MINIMUM OPACITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MAXIMUM SORT OF, UH, UH, DISTANCES AND HEIGHTS FOR CERTAIN SCREENING ABOVE OR, UM, YOU KNOW, ABOVE THE THING THAT'S BEING SCREENED AND SO FORTH.
SO IT'S, IT ISN'T ALIGNED TO TODAY'S BEST PRACTICE WHEN IT, WHEN IT COMES TO OBJECTIVE AND, AND MEASURABLE, UM, DESIGN STANDARDS.
BUT THIS, UM, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GETTING FURTHER INTO THE WEEDS.
I KNOW THAT THIS COMMISSION, AND ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THE WORKING GROUP HAVE A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THE CURRENT PHASE ONE DESIGN STANDARDS.
WE'RE, I WOULD SAY, UH, AT A, ON A, UM, IN A VERY BASIC WAY, WE'RE PRETTY UNHAPPY WITH WHAT GOT ADOPTED.
UM, AND WE PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO, UH, PUTTING TOGETHER A SET OF DESIGN STANDARDS THAT, UM, WE FELT BETTER REPRESENTED THE, UM, THE INTENT OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES AND THE POLICY INTENT OF DESIGN DOWNTOWN.
UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, I, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE, THE STRUCTURE THAT Y'ALL HAVE PUT IN PLACE HERE AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH US.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE WORKING WITH OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AND EVERYBODY'S GONNA HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS.
UM, BUT I, UM, I APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY AND KIND OF BRINGING THIS CONVERSATION TO US AS, AS A, A COMMISSION THAT IS KIND OF THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR URBAN DESIGN ISSUES WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, REALLY JUST TO ECHO, UM, MY FELLOW COMMISSIONER HOWARD'S COMMENTS, UH, UH, AS A MEMBER OF THE WORKING GROUP, I, I WANT TO JUST REEMPHASIZE AND RESTATE THAT WE FEEL, UM, PERHAPS, UH, AS, AS WAS REALLY WELL PUT, UNHAPPY WITH THE ADOPTION OF THESE, UH, VERY LIMITED DESIGN STANDARDS.
AND WHILE WE APPRECIATE, UH, THE NEED FOR INCREASED DEVELOPMENT, WE ARE ALL, YOU KNOW, PRO DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY, WE ALSO WANT TO SEE LAND USE, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, PROSPERITY IN AUSTIN.
I THINK EVERYBODY HERE SHARES THAT SAME GOAL.
IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE REMOVAL OF THE REVIEW TO, YOU KNOW, SIMPLY A CHECKLIST AND METRIC, UM, WILL IN THE FUTURE HEED AND LEAD TO, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL ISSUES THAT WE CAN ALL ALREADY FORESEE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS CANNOT BE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE STANDARD.
I FEEL WHERE THE, UH, THE REVIEW
[00:45:01]
BEFORE THE COMMISSION, UH, REALLY SUPPORTED FLEXIBILITY WAS, YOU KNOW, IN THOSE EXAMPLES WHERE FOLKS WERE SEEKING HIGHER DENSITY, BUT PERHAPS THEY HAD UNUSUAL LOT SIZES.PERHAPS IT WAS NOT YOUR TYPICAL, YOU KNOW, PROGRAM.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A PERFORMANCE HALL OR, YOU KNOW, SOME SORT OF AUDITORIUM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, ISN'T GOING TO NECESSARILY FIT NEATLY INTO THIS, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC NUMBER OF ENTRIES, EVERY 150 FOOT REQUIREMENT AS ONE OF THE REQUIRED, UH, STANDARDS HERE.
AND SO I THINK THE, THE LOSS OF THE, YOU KNOW, IN-PERSON REVIEW TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY LOOK AT NUANCE ACROSS DEVELOPMENT, UM, IS PROBLEMATIC.
AND SO I'M CURIOUS, AS THE ROLLOUT HAPPENS, IS THERE AN ATTEMPT TO CREATE A SORT OF, UM, SIX MONTH REVIEW, YOU KNOW, 12 MONTH REVIEW, UH, ADMINISTRATIVELY TO ALLOW FOR SOME CORRECTION THAT COULD HAPPEN TO THESE STANDARDS? YOU KNOW, THE LAST REWRITE FROM THIS GROUP WAS ABOUT A DECADE AGO, UH, OF THE PREVIOUS URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE WORKING VERY HARD TO ADDRESS.
AND SO BEFORE THIS GOES TOO FAR IN, I'M CURIOUS, IS THERE'S A, A WAY TO, UM, PLAN AHEAD FOR A VERY IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS IS REALLY GOING? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THAT THAT IS PART OF PHASE TWO.
UH, I MEAN, WE RECOGNIZE THE KIND OF COMPRESSED TIMELINE THAT PHASE ONE WAS UNDER, I WILL SAY THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL DRIVEN TIMELINE TO GET SOMETHING ADOPTED BEFORE JUNE THAT STAFF HAD TO MEET, OR ELSE THE WHOLE PROGRAM KIND OF WOULD'VE BEEN BROKEN.
UM, SO THAT DID INVOLVE A VERY QUICK TURNAROUND ON KIND OF SETTING THESE INITIAL PHASE ONE ADOPTED STANDARDS.
I DO THINK WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO SPEND A LOT OF INTENSE FOCUSED TIME WITH YOUR WORKING GROUP TO GET THEM TO BE, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WAS INTERESTING THE POINT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, UH, SCREENING AND HOW MAYBE IT SHOULD BE MEASURED IN OPACITY SIMILAR TO WINDOWS.
YOU KNOW, I, I, THESE ARE THE KIND OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WILL NOW HAVE TIME TO HAVE, AND I'M, I'M VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT WITH THE COMMISSION.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, ANYTIME AFTER ADOPTION THINGS, CODE LANGUAGE CAN BE REVISITED THROUGH A CODE AMENDMENT, BUT THAT HAS TO BE INITIATED BY OTHER PLANNING COMMISSION OR COUNCIL.
SO IF PHASE TWO GETS ADOPTED, AND WE DO SEE, I MEAN, STAFF MONITORS THESE PROGRAMS, EVEN JUST ON A AD HOC BASIS ALL THE TIME.
LIKE, YOU SEE APPLICATIONS COME IN, YOU SEE WHAT'S COMING, HOW PEOPLE ARE MEETING THE STANDARDS.
UM, AND SO THERE WILL BE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE CHANGES.
IT'S JUST THAT IT WOULD BE A NEW PROCESS, I GUESS.
IS THERE A MECHANISM THROUGH WHICH AS PART OF THE PHASE TWO LANGUAGE, THAT THERE IS EVENTUALLY SOME REPORTING TO COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN ON AN ANNUAL, BI-ANNUAL BASIS WHERE THEY REPORT OUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THERE, OUTSIDE OF THAT, THERE'S NOTHING THAT WOULD EVER TRIGGER A AMENDMENT TO CODE LANGUAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, RECODE NEXT AND IT'S ONGOING.
SO, UM, SO TO, SO FREQUENTLY WHEN NEW PROGRAMS OR NEW CODE AMENDMENTS ARE PASSED, COUNSEL WILL INCLUDE NOT AS PART OF THE ACTUAL CODE LANGUAGE IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, BUT AS PART OF THE ADOPTED ORDINANCE, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF INFORMATION ABOUT THAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE REPORTING AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CADENCE OF THAT SHOULD BE AND WHAT IT SHOULD INCLUDE.
IT HAPPENED FOR THE HOME AMENDMENTS IN 2024, AND THERE'S ALREADY BEEN LIKE A REPORT THAT WENT OUT FOR THAT.
UM, SO, SO IT'S NOT UNCOMMON, I WOULD SAY.
UM, AND AGAIN, JUST BECAUSE THAT IS NOT IN AN ORDINANCE DOES NOT MEAN THAT STAFF IS NOT LOOKING AT IT AND INTERNALLY CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS AND LOOKING AT THE TRENDS.
UM, WE DO THAT FOR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, REQUIRED TO BY AN ORDINANCE AS WELL.
COMMISSIONER MINORS, I, UH, SORRY, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.
YEAH, SORRY, I HAD ONE MORE THOUGHT, UM, THAT I MEANT TO BRING UP EARLIER, BUT I FORGOT.
UH, WITH REGARD TO, UM, PUBLIC ART, UM, I'M NOT SEEING A LOT OF MENTION.
UH, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE TYPICALLY HAVE WITH AN APPLICANT.
UM, I DO SEE, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL USES BEING INCLUDED, LIVE MUSIC VENUES, SO THAT'S AMAZING.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE JUST PERSONALLY BEEN PUSHING FOR.
UM, AND I THINK WE'VE HAD SUCCESS IN ACTUALLY DOING THAT, GETTING DEVELOPERS TO COMMIT TO LIVE MUSIC, UH, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T NECESSARILY PART OF THEIR INITIAL PLAN.
SO I'M JUST CURIOUS, LIKE HOW IS PUBLIC ART BEING TREATED? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, UM, CAN BE, UH, EVALUATED AS, UM, PART OF, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE SCREENING REQUIREMENT? LIKE WHERE, WHERE DID IT GO, BASICALLY, AND, AND HOW DO YOU ENVISION THAT, UH, BEING IMPLEMENTED BACK INTO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, FUTURE
[00:50:01]
DEVELOPMENTS? YEAH, THAT'S A VERY TIMELY QUESTION.LESS THAN SIX HOURS AGO, MY TEAM WAS MEETING WITH ART IN PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM TO DISCUSS THIS, THIS EXACT QUESTION OF WHERE COULD IT FIT IN THE BONUS PROGRAM, UM, WHAT, WHAT ARE KIND OF ON THE INCENTIVE SIDE.
UM, SO WE'RE STILL EXPLORING THAT.
WE'VE GOT SOME INITIAL THOUGHTS, UM, THAT WE WANNA THINK ABOUT WHETHER THEY'RE FEASIBLE AGAIN WITH LAW, UM, BEFORE WE GO THROUGH THOSE.
BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN CONTINUE EITHER PRESERVING, YOU KNOW, ART THAT'S ON SITE TODAY, POTENTIALLY, UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE, LIKE A MURAL OR SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE PART OF AN EXISTING BUILDING, FOR INSTANCE.
OR LOOKING AT WAYS TO, UM, INCENTIVIZE THE ADDITION OF PUBLIC ART LIKELY MAINTAINED BY THE PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, IF IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THE CITY DOESN'T NECESSARILY WANNA MAINTAIN THINGS THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE CONTROL OVER ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY SIDE, BUT WE'LL SEE.
SO YES, VERY TIMELY CONVERSATION.
DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO YOU YET, COMMISSIONER, BUT SOMETHING THAT, UM, WE'RE EXPLORING ALREADY AT STAFF AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH THE WORKING GROUP ALSO IN DETAIL MORE ABOUT, YES, COMMISSIONER SALINAS.
UM, I THINK WHERE I'M STRUGGLING WITH UNDERSTANDING THESE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES OBVIOUSLY IS, UM, IS UNDERSTANDING THE GOAL AND THE VISION.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW FROM YOU, WHEN YOU'RE CREATING THESE AND COMING UP WITH OR DECIDING WHICH ONES TO, TO CHOOSE FOR THIS, WHAT IS YOUR OVERALL GOAL THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA? I MEAN, AT, AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, I THINK THE SAME THING THAT YOUR COMMISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN TRYING TO ACHIEVE A, AN ACTIVE, YOU KNOW, HUMAN SCALED PUBLIC REALM.
I THINK THAT THE SPECIFIC STANDARDS THAT WERE ADOPTED IN PHASE ONE ARE A FIRST BEST ATTEMPT TO INCORPORATE THINGS LIKE THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, INCLUDING THE DRAFT THAT YOUR WORKING GROUP HAD BEEN WORKING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS LEADING UP TO THIS.
UM, AGAIN, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY A FINAL PLACE OR THAT IT FULLY CAN ENCAPSULATE EVERYTHING THAT A DISCRETIONARY DESIGN REVIEW IN, IN PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF THE PROGRAM IS ABLE TO ACHIEVE.
BUT, UM, UNDER THE, THE NEED FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW FOR URBAN DESIGN, UM, WE'RE LOOKING TO GET THOSE STANDARDS TO ACHIEVE, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH OF THAT AS POSSIBLE.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE I'M STRUGGLING.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IT WAS VOICED AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LEVEL OF DISAPPOINTMENT, UH, THAT WE HAVE ON THESE STANDARDS, THAT THERE IS, THAT'S WHERE THE MISALIGNMENT IS ON THE OVERALL GOAL AND VISION.
UM, AND I FEEL LIKE, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S WHAT'S MISSING IN THIS DOCUMENT AND THEN THIS WHOLE PRO PROCESS IS UNDERSTANDING THAT GOAL AND VISION AND KIND OF WORKING TO THAT.
UM, AND I, I, I DO APPRECIATE AND COMMEND Y'S EFFORTS IN WORKING WITH THE DESIGN COMMISSION WORKING GROUP, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE FOCUS ON OVERALL GOALS ON WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE.
SO JUST MOVING FORWARD, IT WOULD BE GREAT IN, YOU KNOW, TO DEFINE THAT SO THAT WE CAN MOVE TOGETHER INTO THESE SPACES.
I WILL SAY THAT ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS IS THE GREAT STREETS MASTER PLAN.
I AM PART OF THE GREAT STREETS WORK, WHATEVER THEY'RE CALLED, THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP.
I THINK THAT WAS A HUGE PART OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY GROUP AND THE GREAT STREETS REVISIONS WAS HAVING VERY DEFINED GOALS AND VISION FOR THAT PRIOR TO THE COMMENCEMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE TIMELINE OF PHASE ONE DID NOT ALLOW FOR THAT, BUT I, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE STAFF TO FORMULATE SOME OF THOSE SO THAT AS WE, UM, AND THE WORKING GROUP REVIEW THIS IN THE FUTURE, WE HAVE BENCHMARKS TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS ON THOSE PARTICULAR GUIDELINES.
COMMISSIONER HOWARD? OH, COMMISSIONER WHIT STRUCK.
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SALINAS.
I I WANT TO, UH, PIGGYBACK ON A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
UM, MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY MADE, UM, STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE VALUE STATEMENT.
THE GOAL, UH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE, THE KEY THINGS TO THE WORKING GROUP WAS WHAT WE, IS WHAT WE, WE WEREN'T FOCUSING ON URBAN DESIGN, THE FORM OF URBAN DESIGN.
IT WAS URBAN DESIGN AS A MEANS TO AN END.
UM, AND THAT REALLY HELPED US WITH OUR DECISION MAKING.
AND I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE THAT BUILT INTO YOUR HEADS.
I THINK WE ALL DO, BUT I THINK IT'S EASY FOR US IN, IN PRACTICE TO OVERLOOK THE STEP OF WHY IT IS THAT THAT IS GOOD URBAN DESIGN.
UM, SO AS A COMMUNICATION TOOL TO THE PUBLIC, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY STRONG.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT I WOULD HELP, HELP WITH THE DECISION
[00:55:01]
MAKING AND THE MATRIX OF DO WE HAVE ENOUGH, UM, BE A LITTLE KINDER THAN MY COLLEAGUE, UH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD, UH, WAS EARLIER.BUT, UM, I THINK I, I SHARE THE FRUSTRATION.
I UNDERSTAND I'M, I'M SYMPATHETIC TO THE POSITION Y'ALL HAVE BEEN IN.
UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, TO HAMMER HOME THE POINT OF WE DO, WE DO NOT FEEL LIKE WE HAVE SUBSTANTIVELY REACHED A POINT WHERE THIS NOW BEING THE ONLY, THE ONLY GATEKEEPER FOR URBAN DESIGN, UH, WITHOUT THE COMMISSION INVOLVED, WE SIMPLY HAVE GOT TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT FARTHER.
UM, I HAD A COUPLE SMALL QUESTIONS.
UH, IF I CAN READ MY OWN HANDWRITING, UM, I, ARE THERE GONNA BE ANY LIKE, MORATORIUMS BETWEEN WHEN CODE AMENDMENTS COULD HAPPEN? COULD THE, OR COULD THIS BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED IN THE FUTURE AFTER PHASE TWO IS COMPLETE? UH, THERE'S NOT GENERALLY BEEN A MORATORIUM.
IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO CAPACITY AND DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL TO DO AMENDMENTS.
UM, WE ALMOST EVERY COUNCIL MEETING HAVE A NEW CODE AMENDMENT THAT'S INITIATED AND THAT IF IT'S WITHIN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT'S REALM, AT LEAST TO ANSWER LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS, THEN IT KIND OF GETS PRIORITIZED.
AND THAT LIST LIVES ONLINE OF KIND OF ALL THE TIMELINES OF ALL THE CODE AMENDMENTS WE'RE WORKING ON.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S NOT A MORATORIUM, THE IDEA OF CONTINUOUSLY UPDATING THEM IS, UM, NOT FEASIBLE FROM A STAFFING CAPACITY.
WELL, AND I, AND I, I LEFT OUT THE PART WHERE I, I ALSO COMMIT, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD STRUCTURE.
WE FOUND A GOOD STRUCTURE FOR THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND I THINK IT, IT MAY MAYBE HELPS ASSUAGE SOME OF THE CONCERNS FROM COMMISSIONER LES OF, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE WAITED A GENERATION, UM, WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT WERE NO LONGER BEST PRACTICE AND WE HAD NO WAY TO CHANGE THEM.
UM, SO IN YOUR CODE, IT ACTUALLY FEELS A LOT MORE NIMBLE IN, IN THE NEW FORMAT, UM, WHICH I'M ENCOURAGED ABOUT, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T ANYTHING PROHIBITING US FROM UPDATING THIS ON A PIECE BY PIECE BASIS TO AVOID THE SITUATION WHERE IT BECOMES THIS OMNIBUS IMPOSSIBLE UPDATE TO, TO MAKE.
AND JUST, JUST ON THE KIND OF VISION AND GOALS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, UM, WE TOOK A VERY PRACTICAL APPROACH TO THAT WITH OUR, OUR GUIDELINES AND, AND I THINK, UM, THEY ARE HIGH LEVEL ENOUGH THAT IT'S A PRETTY GOOD SOURCE JUST TO LOOK AT OUR PRINCIPLES.
UM, NOT THE ACTUAL GUIDELINES.
THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFIC, BUT THE PRINCIPLES COULD, COULD REALLY HELP KIND OF, UM, IN THAT, I MEAN, YOU GUYS ARE GONNA WANNA WORDSMITH IT, I'M SURE, BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD.
UH, REAL QUICKLY BEFORE COMMISSIONER WISTAR GOES, JUST FOR CLARITY, UH, THE DESIGN CURRENT, THE PAST DESIGN GUIDELINES, UH, WERE CREATED IN TWO TH THEY WERE ADOPTED IN 2001, SO 20 YEARS PLUS.
UM, COMMISSIONER WHITE STRUCK, UM, I HAD A COUPLE SMALLER QUESTIONS ON THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS.
THIS IS GOING BACK TO THE EARLY, UH, EARLIEST PART OF THE, THE PRESENTATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I KNOW I WILL BE PUSHING FOR AS WE WORKSHOP THIS IS BUILD LIKE, ESPECIALLY THESE LARGER PROJECTS, NOT HAVING A SINGLE MONOLITHIC GROUND FLOOR USE, UM, THAT ISN'T PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, BUT HAVING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT SMALLER RHYTHM LIKE YOU SEE ON CONGRESS AVENUE OR DORK STREETS, THOSE HAVE BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR US BECAUSE GENERALLY AN APPLICANT IS NOT PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN, IN LANDLORDING OUT TO FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT BUSINESSES AND HAVING TO HAVE THAT PART.
SO I COULD SEE HOW THOSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS COULD BE A VERY ATTRACTIVE WAY FOR A LANDLORD, UH, FOR A, FOR AN APPLICANT TO SAY GROUND FLOOR, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M BUILDING A RESIDENTIAL PROJECT WITH THE GROUND FLOOR USE.
HERE'S AN OPEN SHELL TENANT GO, IT'LL BE A GROCERY STORE.
AND I FEEL LIKE WE NEED, WE WILL NEED TO CONTINUE A DIALOGUE TO FIND INCENTIVES FOR GROUND FLOORS THAT, THAT PARTITION UP.
WE SAW A LOT OF APPLICANTS THAT WOULD PUT A GROUND FLOOR THAT COULD BE PARTITIONED IN THE FUTURE.
I'M SOMEWHAT SYMPATHETIC TO THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THAT I THINK FLEXIBILITY IS IMPORTANT IN OUR DESIGN, BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF AN EASY OUT.
SO I, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO A LONGER CONVERSATION.
I I WAS NOT, UH, ABLE TO MEET WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, BUT I, I, I KNOW THAT THAT WILL BE ONE OF THE PRIORITIES FOR ME.
I DID WANT TO CLARIFY THAT ON, AND I HADN'T HAVE NOT READ THE SPECIFIC CODE, BUT THOSE COMMUNITY BENEFITS WOULD ALL BE OPENING TO THE STREET AND BE AT THE GROUND FLOOR LEVEL, CORRECT? YES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS REALLY MORE OF A UTILITY THING VERSUS A PUBLIC FACING THING.
I DON'T, I CAN'T SAY IT, THAT COULD INCLUDE INTEGRATING A STATION INTO YOUR BUILDING AND THAT COULD BE ON A HIGHER FLOOR OKAY.
POTENTIALLY THAN THE GROUND FLOOR.
SO, BUT IN GENERAL, YEAH, I WOULD AS IT WOULD NEED TO BE PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE.
SO IF YOU DECIDED TO PUT YOUR CULTURAL USE ON THE 50TH FLOOR, FOLKS WOULD NEED TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT.
I ASKED FOR THAT SPECIFIC REASON IS THAT WE'VE
[01:00:01]
SEEN APPLICANTS THAT WILL PUT TO PUT FORWARD A COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAT WHILE YOU CAN TECHNICALLY GET TO IT, YOU WOULD NEVER THINK TO OR YOU DON'T FEEL INVITED TO.SO THERE'S A, A CAREFUL NUANCE THERE.
A GOOD GOOD POINT FOR PHASE TWO TO JUST LOOK AT THAT LANGUAGE AND SEE WHERE IT STANDS.
UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT HOW WE ARRIVED AT THE CURB CUT DISTANCE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S WORTH EVERYBODY'S TIME.
UM, THE HISTORIC STAND, WE, YOU TALKED ABOUT RED RIVER A LOT, AND THAT'S, THIS HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS, THIS HAS BEEN ON MY MIND.
UM, THIS IS CERTAINLY A, A UNIQUE ASSET FOR US THAT IS UNDER THREAT IN EVERY DIRECTION.
UM, IT STRIKES ME AS A LITTLE ODD, AND I, I'M CURIOUS WHAT THE, WHAT THE LOGIC IS, AND I'M SURE THERE'S A REASON, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, WHY THE PECAN STREET OVERLAY IS SORT OF, UH, EXEMPTED FROM ANY OF THIS DISCUSSION WHERE THERE'S NO OVER, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO OVERLAY OF PROTECTING RED RIVER.
IT SEEMS LIKE WITH THE PROPER CALIBRATION OF THE HISTORIC INCENTIVES, UM, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY NOT NEED THE PECAN TREE OVERLAY IN THE FUTURE.
I KNOW THAT'S PROB THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED BY PROPERTY OWNERS AS WELL.
I DON'T WANNA WADE INTO THAT, BUT JUST, UM, AS NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE, WHY IS THAT OVERLAY THERE WHEN, WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY RED RIVER THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? YEAH, SO THE DECISION TO EXCLUDE PECAN STREET FROM ELIGIBILITY WAS MADE DURING PHASE ONE ADOPTION.
PHASE TWO IS CONSIDERING RED RIVER.
IT'S ELIGIBLE TODAY FOR THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
AND NOT ALL, BUT A GOOD REASON THAT YOU HAVEN'T SEEN A LOT OF UPTAKE OF BUYRIGHT OR BONUS DEVELOPMENT THERE IS DUE TO CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDORS THAT LIMIT THE, THE HEIGHT ALLOWANCES ON THOSE SITES.
UM, WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS KIND OF ON, AGAIN, BONUS PROGRAMS THINGS SO THAT IF SOMEBODY WERE TO REDEVELOP THE SITE USING THE BONUS PROGRAM TODAY, THEN THEY WOULD BE HOPEFULLY REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SOME SUPPORT TO THOSE EXISTING TENANTS WHO WOULD NEED TO RELOCATE A RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL.
UM, ON THE NEW LEASE AT THE NEW DEVELOPMENT IS GENERALLY LIKE CAPTURED BY WHAT OUR STANDARDS IN FOUR 18 ARE TODAY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STAFF IS HOPING TO INCLUDE IN PHASE TWO, SPECIFICALLY IN RED RIVER.
I WILL SAY WHAT OUR CONVERSATIONS ARE ALSO AROUND IS THAT THE BONUS PROGRAM IS REALLY ONLY USEFUL ONE IF PEOPLE ARE USING IT AND TWO, IF THEY'RE REDEVELOPING THE SITE AT ALL.
UM, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HELP EXISTING OPERATORS TODAY, UM, WHETHER THEY OWN THEIR SPACE OR JUST LEASE IT.
UM, AND THERE'S OTHER TOOLS THAT THE CITY IS LOOKING AT, UM, WITH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE.
SO I DON'T WANT IT TO SOUND LIKE THE ONLY THING THAT WE CAN DO FOR RED RIVER IS POTENTIALLY THROUGH A BONUS PROGRAM.
WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO EXPLORE A SUITE OF TOOLS THAT COULD BOTH HELP EXISTING BUSINESSES OR PRESERVE THE EXISTING CHARACTER OR ENSURE THAT SIMILAR USES ARE PUT BACK WHEN REDEVELOPMENT HAPPENS.
SO KIND OF A SUITE OF TOOLS ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION AND TALKS AT THE STAFF LEVEL.
THOSE CAPITAL VIEW CORRIDORS ARE, AND SEVERAL OF THEM ARE GOING TO AN ELEVATED I 35 THAT'S NOT GONNA BE THERE IN 10 YEARS.
UM, SO THAT'S A CERTAINLY A CLEAR THREAT TO THAT.
UM, I WOULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN OUR DISCUSSIONS, I THINK THE PRESERVING EXISTING BUILDING FACADES IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT PIECE OF THIS THAT WE, I THINK SHOULD HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION ABOUT MAKING THAT MANDATORY OR FINDING THAT A WAY TO MAKE THAT MANDATORY.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT ALLOWS US TO TAKE SOMETHING LIKE PECAN STREET OVERLAY.
I MEAN, WHAT WE'RE REALLY PROTECTING IS THE FACADE AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT SETBACK, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE, THE HEART OF IT.
SO THERE'S A POTENTIAL TO, TO SIMPLIFY THE BASE THERE.
UM, THIS IS SEGUE INTO, UH, QUESTION.
SO IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, THAT MAP THAT YOU SHOWED FOR PHASE TWO IS STILL IN DISCUSSION.
THAT'S NOT, WE HAVEN'T, UH, PRINTED THAT AND SENT IT TO PRESS YET.
I IT'S PUBLISHED ONLINE IN VARIOUS PLACES THAT THIS IS THE STUDY AREA, BUT THAT IS NOT BY ANY MEANS WHAT WE WOULD BE PUTTING IN A STAFF RECOMMENDATION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
THE PROCESS COULD HAVE, COULD AMEND THAT.
THAT IS, THIS IS THE AREA WE WANNA TALK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT COMBINING THIS OR HAVING THIS BOUNDARY BE THE SAME AS THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN? SO THE ONLY DIFFERENCE RIGHT NOW IN OUR STUDY AREA IN THE CENTRAL CITY IS THE UNO AREA, THE WEST CAMPUS AREA.
AND THAT BONUS PROGRAMS UPDATE PROCESS IS CURRENTLY ON PAUSE.
SO WE'RE NOT INCLUDING THAT IN THE DOWNTOWN SCOPE OF WORK RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE IS A BONUS PROGRAM THAT DOES APPLY THERE, THAT STAFF WAS WORKING ON UPDATING AND IS CURRENTLY POSTPONED.
SO WE'RE, SO WE'RE NOT TRYING TO ALIGN THOSE TWO MAPS, SOME OF THE HANCOCK AREAS.
AND THERE, THERE'S SOME PLACES IN THE CENTRAL CITY MAP THAT ARE NOT PART OF UNO, UM, BUT WOULD ALSO NOT BE AS I UNDERSTAND IT.
UM, YEAH, AND I DON'T REMEMBER EXACT, THERE WAS SOME SLIGHT, UH, CONSIDERATION OF EXPANDING THE UNO
[01:05:01]
BOUNDARY IN THE, THE WORK THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY UNDERWAY.I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT BOUNDARIES OF WHAT THAT EXPANSION WAS LOOKING AT.
UM, BUT, BUT YEAH, THE EXISTING UNO BOUNDARIES TODAY WERE PARTIALLY RECOMMENDED BY STAFF TO BE EXPANDED PREVIOUSLY.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR ANSWERS AND I'LL, I'LL JUST CLOSE BY SAYING, UM, CLOSE MY COMMENTS FOR NOW.
UM, MIGHT HAVE MORE QUESTIONS AS THE CONVERSATION GOES.
UM, IF YOU'VE LOOKED AT OUR AGENDA TODAY, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE GONNA BE TALKING MORE ABOUT THE FUTURE ROLE OF THIS COMMISSION.
I WOULD LOVE FOR THAT FUTURE ROLE TO HAVE THE, HAVE SOME TEETH TO IT THAT COULD, UM, PARTICIPATE IN ADVANCING CODE, UH, AMENDMENTS IN THE FUTURE AND NOT HAVE THAT RELEGATED JUST TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL.
'CAUSE AS YOU SAID BEFORE, THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET IN THE WEEDS.
UM, AND THIS BODY IN, IN PRINCIPLE IS, IS THE, THE BEST IN A CITIZEN BODY TO, TO BE LEADING THAT, THAT DIALOGUE.
SO, WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT PART OF THE LATER CONVERSATION.
UH, THE REPORTING IS DEFINITELY, UM, IMPORTANT TO ME AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE THIS COMMISSION, EVEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE PREVIOUS FORM OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, WE'VE SEEN TOO MANY PRO APPLICANTS COME IN AND SAY, HEY, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU X, Y, AND Z.
AND THEN WHEN IT'S BUILT, WE'VE GOT LIKE A LOWERCASE Z AND THAT'S IT.
UM, AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE ANY POWER TO CONTROL THAT.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ON THE DIOCESE THIS, THIS CALENDAR YEAR ABOUT LOOKING AT PROJECTS THAT, UM, FEEL LIKE THEY, YOU KNOW, AFTER COMING THROUGH AND GETTING A RECOMMENDATION, THE FINAL PRODUCT IS NOT WHAT WE RECOMMENDED.
UM, SO MOVING THAT I WANT US TO STAFF, UH, NOT WITHSTANDING THE, THE, THE IDEA OF HAVING REGULAR REPORTING BACK ON THE SUCCESS OF THIS AND BEING ABLE TO TEST IT STRIKES ME, UM, AS IMPORTANT.
AND I'LL SIMPLY SAY, YEAH, I THINK PHASE ONE, WE WE'RE NOT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO FAR ENOUGH.
UM, BUT I LIKE THE STRUCTURE, UH, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU GUYS, UH, IN THE NEXT STEPS.
COMMISSIONER GILLIS, THANK YOU CHAIR.
AND, UH, JUST, JUST FOR CLARITY, AND I'M, I APOLOGIZE IF THIS IS ASKING YOU TO, TO REITERATE, AND I'M SURE IT IS WHAT YOU'VE, YOU'VE SAID ALREADY, BUT, UH, THE PHASE TWO, UM, CONSIDERATION FOR EXPANSION, UH, OR REFINEMENT OF THE GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING THESE STANDARDS WILL FLOW THROUGH, UH, CORPORATION WITH THE WORKING GROUP FROM THIS COMMISSION, CORRECT? YES.
THE DESIGN STANDARDS, Y'ALL ARE OUR PRIMARY STAKEHOLDER, THE WORKING GROUP THERE, AND THEN HOW THE WORKING GROUP BRINGS IT BACK TO THE BODY.
AND WE'VE, WE MADE IT CLEAR TO THE MEMBERS THAT WERE ABLE TO JOIN US THIS MORNING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OUTSIDE EXPERTS TO THOSE MEETING, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT REALLY, WE WANT THE WORKING GROUP TO BE IN THE LEAD.
STAFF CAN BE THERE ONCE A MONTH.
IF YOU, THEY WANNA MEET MORE FREQUENTLY.
IF THEY WANNA BRING IN OTHER COMMISSION MEMBERS, AS LONG AS THEIR QUORUM RULES ARE ALSO, YOU KNOW, ENFORCED, THEN, THEN THAT IS DEFINITELY THE WILL OF THE, THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, AGAIN, IT IS THE WORKING GROUP IS THE PRIMARY STAKEHOLDER, BUT AS COMMISSIONER HOWARD MENTIONED, THERE ARE MANY STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED.
SO BY ONLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE ONLY VOICES WE HEAR OR LISTEN TO BY ANY MEANS.
AND IT'S ALL INPUT THAT STAFF WILL PUT IN TO DEVELOP OUR FINAL PROPOSAL.
UH, I JUST, AGAIN, I REALLY WANT TO REITERATE THE, THE IMPORTANCE FOR, UH, YOUR TEAM AND THE WORKING GROUP TO CONSIDER A MOVE AWAY FROM, YOU KNOW, THIS 100%, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL, WHICH OF COURSE IS GOING TO SPEED UP THE TIMELINE AND MAKE THINGS, YOU KNOW, A LOT MORE EFFICIENT, I BELIEVE.
HOWEVER, IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A HYBRID APPROVAL PROCESS, WHICH COULD BE TRIGGERED BY UNIQUE PROJECTS THAT DO NOT FIT INTO THIS ONE SIZE FIT ALL FITS ALL CATEGORY, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THAT THROUGH, THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP, UH, TO COME UP WITH, UM, THE TRIGGERS THAT WOULD BRING FORTH, YOU KNOW, IN, IN-PERSON REVIEWS.
UH, BECAUSE, UH, IT CERTAINLY FEELS ANTICIPATED AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND, UH, I THINK A HYBRID REVIEW ON THE OCCASIONAL PROJECTS SHOULD NOT BE OUTSIDE OF THE REALM OF, YOU KNOW, CONVENIENCE, UH, STILL IN KEEPING WITH THE STANDARDS.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN ESTABLISH CLEAR CRITERIA FOR WHAT WOULD CONSTITUTE COMPLIANCE OF IN, UH, IN-PERSON REVIEWS FROM THIS GROUP THROUGH THE WORKING GROUP, THAT THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.
BUT JUST, UM, SAYING THAT LOOKING, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ON, ON GETTING THOSE, UH, IN PLACE.
SORRY, I KNEW I HAVE ONE MORE.
[01:10:01]
THE DENSITY BONUS PRO THE NEW IN PHASE TWO? THERE COULD NOT BE A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT TO PRESENT TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION WITHOUT THE DESIGN COMMISSION BEING IN A POSITION TO WEIGH IN ON A PROJECT? UH, I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO SOME THINKING ABOUT IT.UM, I, I DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
IT'S DEFINITELY AN IDEA THAT WE CAN CONSIDER THOUGH.
IN GENERAL, OUR REQUIREMENTS NEED TO BE READABLE BY EVERYBODY WHO'S PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM.
THAT SEEMS LIKE IT COULD GENERALLY BE SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE COULD MEET, SO.
ALRIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I THINK THAT CONCLUDES, UM, ITEM NUMBER TWO.
[3. Discussion on items within the annual internal review, such as changes to the Design Commission bylaws and policies not currently covered by the Commission, as well as discussion of the board’s goals and objectives for the new calendar year. Sponsors: Chair McKinney and Vice Chair Howard.(Part 1 of 2)]
MOVING INTO, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, DISCUSSION ITEMS, DISCUSSION ON ITEMS WITHIN THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW, SUCH AS CHANGES TO THE BYLAWS AND POLICIES NOT CURRENTLY COVERED BY THE COMMISSION, AS WELL AS DISCUSSION ON THE BOARD'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEW CALENDAR YEAR.UM, SO I THINK THIS IS VERY TIMELY BASED ON THE, UH, YES, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
UM, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE TALK ABOUT THIS AFTER WE TALK ABOUT THE, UM, THE NEXT, OR THE ITEM THAT'S ON DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, BECAUSE THERE ARE, AS PART OF THE BACKUP FOR THAT SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE MIGHT ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS FOR THE GREAT FOR THAT, HAPPY TO SWITCH AROUND.
[4. Discussion and possible action on clarifying the future role of the Design Commission. Sponsors: Chair McKinney and Vice Chair Howard. ]
NUMBER FOUR, DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CLARIFYING THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.UM, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
UM, WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT OF MATERIAL HERE, SO Y'ALL WILL DEFINITELY WANT TO, UH, REVIEW IT IN DETAIL.
UM, THE, WE'VE GOT, THERE'S A NUMBER OF PDFS, BUT THEY'RE, I THINK THE SAME PDF, UM, IT WAS NOT, UH, THE, THE PAGES WEREN'T SEPARATED AS I THOUGHT THEY WERE APPARENTLY.
BUT, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE HEADINGS KIND OF CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE GETTING AT.
UM, UH, LAST MONTH I KIND OF PRESENTED IN GENERAL CONCEPTS THAT THE WORKING GROUP HAD, HAD WORKED THROUGH.
UM, RELATE THIS IS, THIS IS PRETTY SMALL, ISN'T IT? UM, UH, ANYWAY, SO THIS, UM, I PRESENTED CONCEPTS AND I CAN KIND OF GIVE YOU, UH, AN A LITTLE BIT OF A NARRATIVE ON, ON WHAT THESE, UM, THESE, UH, ENUMERATED SORT OF, UM, PIECES ARE REFLECTING COMPARED TO THAT CONCEPT.
UH, AND, UM, AND WHAT, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS BACKUP MATERIAL.
UM, SO WE HAD, UH, I THINK WE, WE TALKED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE NAME CHANGE AS A, A MECHANISM.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOW BEING, UH, STARTING TO BE ORGANIZED IN A SIMILAR STRUCTURE AS OUR BYLAWS, UM, WHERE IT STATES OUR NAME AND SO FORTH.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY THIS ONE'S COMING FIRST.
BUT, UM, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE SUMMARY HERE, NAME CHANGE AS RECOMMENDING TO BE CHANGED TO THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION.
UM, AND IF Y'ALL REMEMBER OUR CONVERSATION LAST MONTH, THIS IS IN ORDER TO KIND OF, UM, GET AWAY FROM THE ASSOCIATION WITH A DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION OR COMMITTEE, UM, AND, UH, KIND OF BETTER REPRESENT OUR KIND OF, UH, OUR OTHER ROLES THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE AROUND CITYWIDE POLICY AND URBAN, UH, AROUND URBAN DESIGN.
UM, SO NEXT, UH, THE, WE'RE SUMMARIZING KIND OF THE, UM, AUTHORITY, THE MECHANISMS THAT WE HAVE, UM, UH, AND THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING.
UM, TODAY WE ARE, UH, WE HAVE DISCRETIONARY REFERRAL.
UM, THAT MEANS THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE, UH, CITY COUNCIL CAN REQUEST THAT CERTAIN THINGS COME TO US FOR OUR, FOR OUR ADVICE BEFORE THEY COME TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION OR THE, OR THE, OR CITY COUNCIL.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN PRACTICE WE DON'T REALLY SEE THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY BUSY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BALANCING A LOT THOUGH WHEN WE'VE PUT OUR, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE, UH, REVIEWED CERTAIN THINGS, UH, SOMETIMES VOLUNTARILY OR REQUESTED THEM COME TO US.
UM, THEY, IT'S BEEN VERY APPRECIATED.
UM, THEY'VE, THEY'VE APPRECIATED OUR ABILITY TO GET INTO THE DETAILS.
AND SO THIS WOULD BE RECOMMENDING A CHANGE FROM THE DISCRETIONARY TO MANDATORY REFERRAL.
AND THEN WE'D HAVE A CLEAR SET OF PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE, UH, REQUIRED TO COME TO THIS COMMISSION, UH, BEFORE GOING TO, UM, PLANNING COMMISSION, UH, PLA UH, ZONING AND PLATTING OR, UM, CITY COUNCIL.
UM, AND THOSE ARE GONNA BE DETAILED A LITTLE BIT FARTHER DOWN, BUT GENERALLY IT, IT DOES SHIFT THE KIND OF THE, UM, THE WAY THAT
[01:15:01]
WE SEE THINGS AND IT MAKES US MORE LIKE A, UH, CITYWIDE POLICY, UH, COMMISSION.AND, AND ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE MODELS THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO WAS THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
'CAUSE THEY DO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, CLARITY AND PEOPLE, PEOPLE GENERAL, UH, YOU KNOW, PROJECT MANAGERS GENERALLY UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR PROJECT IS A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT AND SHOULD GOES TO THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
UM, AND THEY HAVE SOME CLARITY IN THEIR BYLAWS AROUND, AROUND THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THERE.
UM, AND, UH, THEIR DUTIES, WHICH YOU'LL SEE IN NUMBER THREE.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE CHANGE FROM DISCRETIONARY TO MANDATORY, UM, WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING JUST SOME CLEANUP OF THE LANGUAGE RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE IS LANGUAGE RELATED TO DOWN, UH, DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PRO PROGRAM PROJECTS.
AND THAT SHOULD BE CLEANED UP, UM, JUST AS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, UH, MAINTENANCE OF THE, OF THE CODE LANGUAGE, NOT REALLY SUBSTANTIVE, UM, 'CAUSE IT'S IN, IN FUNCTION.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALREADY DONE EXCEPT FOR THE LEGACY, UH, DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT WE HEARD ABOUT TONIGHT, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE WILL BE SUNSET.
UM, NUMBER THREE, WE HAVE CLARIFY PURPOSE AND DUTIES.
THIS IS KIND OF THE, THIS IS THE CORE OF IT.
AND THIS, UM, THIS IS, UH, YOU'LL, YOU CAN, UM, THERE IS A, THERE'S, AT THE VERY END OF THIS PDF, THERE IS A DOCUMENT OF A RED LINE DOCUMENT WITH RATIONALE FOR EVERY, EVERY CHANGE.
UM, AND IF YOU, SO IF YOU WANNA FOLLOW THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE CLOSELY, YOU CAN KIND OF SEE EXACTLY WHAT, UM, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE AND WHY TO THE EXISTING LANGUAGE.
BUT THIS, SO THIS, THIS PORTION IS MORE HIGH LEVEL.
SO WE GENERALLY, WE ARE SUGGESTING KIND OF CLARITY, UM, THAT STATES THAT THE COMMISSION IS THE CITY'S ADVISORY BODY OF RECORD ON URBAN DESIGN OUTCOMES CITYWIDE.
THIS IS, THIS IS JUST KIND OF TO FORMALIZE THAT, UM, THAT ROLE IN, IN FOLKS' MIND AND, AND BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE DON'T QUITE HAVE THAT CLARITY.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT LOOSER.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE DON'T, A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T SEE THEIR PROJECTS AS URBAN DESIGN PROJECTS OR EVEN KNOW THAT THERE'S AN URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, THAT WOULD, WOULD, UH, WOULD BE A, AN IMPORTANT STAKEHOLDER IN THAT, UM, PROCESS.
SO, UM, AND SO RIGHT PAST PURPOSE, ROLE CLAUSE, UM, WE HAVE MANDATORY REFERRAL ITEMS. SO INSTEAD OF DISCRETIONARY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MANDATORY.
AND, UM, WE WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS LIST.
UM, AND GENERALLY I'LL, I'LL JUST READ THE KIND OF INTRO PARAGRAPH AND KIND OF, UM, SUMMARIZE THE FOLLOWING POINTS.
UH, MANDATORY REFERRAL ITEMS MUST COME BEFORE THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND, AND, UM, RECOMMEND AND FOR REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION BEFORE THE RESPECTIVE PLANNING OR ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION TAKES.
FINAL ACTION ITEMS SHALL BE PRESENTED TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION, ZONING AND PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL WITH THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION'S RECOMMENDATION ATTACHED.
THIS IS JUST TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR THESE, FOR PROJECTS THAT FALL WITHIN THESE CATEGORIES.
UH, OUR RECOMMENDATION WOULD NEED TO BE ATTACHED BEFORE GOING TO ANY OF THESE, THE POLICY MAKING BODIES, UM, OR LAND USE, UM, COMMISSIONS.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE HAVE A I'LL, I'LL LET YOU GUYS KIND OF ABSORB IT.
WE, WE WOULD, WE WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE THE, UH, THRESHOLDS FOR EACH CATEGORY VERY CLEAR.
UM, BUT WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, PLANS, MASTER PLANS AND MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS ON CITY OWNED LAND.
UM, SO, SO THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, ONLY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
THIS IS, THIS IS STILL, THIS IS CAPTURING MAJOR, UM, UH, IMP IT IS CAPTURING IMPROVEMENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE PART OF A CAPITAL, UM, IMPROVEMENT OR NOT.
SO THIS COULD BE PRIVATE IMPROVEMENTS ON PUBLIC LAND AS WELL, BUT IT'S, IT'S KIND OF CAPTURING THAT, LIKE THE PUBLIC LAND IS SOMETHING THAT THAT COMMISSION HAS AN INTEREST IN AND, AND SHOULD BE, UM, SHOULD BE REVIEWED.
UM, PLANS, PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS WITH A MATERIAL IMPACT ON THE DESIGN OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, INCLUDING MAJOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, UH, AND THE RIGHT OF WAY AND UPDATES AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, STREET NETWORK, TABLE AND MAP.
UM, SO THE A SMP PORTION THERE IS, UH, DOES HAVE OVERLAP WITH URBAN TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
UM, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I'LL, I'M JUST GONNA HIGHLIGHT AND WE CAN KIND OF BRING IT UP IN OUR NEXT STEPS, UH, SORT OF CONVERSATION.
UM, BUT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A DUPLICATED REVIEW.
BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, AND WE'LL SEE THIS IN KIND OF THE, SOME OF THE EXPLANATION AROUND, UM, THOSE QUESTIONS IN THE SURVEY, UH, OUR ANNUAL SURVEY, UH, AROUND DO WE HAVE OVERLAP, UM, AND, AND KIND OF THE, THE RATIONALE FOR THAT.
IT'S, IT IS NOT THAT A COM A COMMISSION NEEDS TO REVIEW EVERYTHING.
IT'S, IT'S VERY MUCH WITH THE URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION THAT WE HAVE A PARTICULAR PERSPECTIVE THAT THAT IS NOT REVIEWED FOR BY OTHER COMMISSIONS.
UM, BUT IT'S ANOTHER, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT, UM, NEXT.
UM, AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S SOME, WE, WE'VE USED SOME LIKE COST NUMBERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[01:20:01]
LINEAR FEET OF, OR MORE OF EXCAVATION.THESE ARE, THESE ARE THRESHOLDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY USED, UM, TODAY.
UH, AND, AND PLEASE, YOU KNOW, AS YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THESE, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE COMMENT, UM, AND, AND ALLOW, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY OPEN TO KIND OF A DIFFERENT APPROACH HERE, BUT THESE ARE WHAT WE FOUND TO BE MOST APPROPRIATE AND COULD GIVE US THAT, THAT CLARITY THAT WE, THAT WE WOULD NEED.
UM, SINCE THEY'RE, IDEALLY, WE'RE NOT LOOKING FOR A LOT OF DISCRETION IN THIS BECAUSE IT'S, IT, YOU KNOW, UH, FOLKS CAN MAKE ALL SORTS OF QUALITATIVE, UM, INTERPRETATIONS AROUND HOW THEIR PROJECT IS POSITIONED AS IT RELATES TO URBAN DESIGN.
AND THAT'S REALLY GOING TO HAVE MORE TO DO WITH THE PURPOSE OF THE, UM, DEPARTMENT OR THE PROJECT MANAGER THAT'S DRIVING, UM, THE PROJECT, UH, POTENTIALLY IF WE DON'T HAVE CLEAR THRESHOLDS, UM, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, UH, AREA PLANS AND CITY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS AFFECTING THE FOLLOWING AREAS.
SO THIS IS THESE, THIS IS THE CATEGORY THAT'S SPECIFICALLY AROUND GEOGRAPHIES, TRANSIT STATION AREAS, MAJOR TRANSIT CORRIDORS, THE, UH, AND THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLANNING AREA.
SO THESE ARE THE, THE SPECIAL AREAS WHERE WE ARE GONNA LOOK, WHERE WE WANT, WE THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO LOOK AT, UM, PLANS AND, UH, AND CODE AMENDMENTS AND ADOPTIONS.
UH, AND THEN LASTLY, WE HAVE REGULATING PLANS, TAX INCREMENT, REINVESTMENT ZONES, PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS.
I THINK, UH, VERY CLEARLY, UH, REGULATING PLANS AND PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENTS, UM, ARE, YOU KNOW, HAVE HUGE URBAN DESIGN IMPLICATIONS, UM, AND RE AND ARE, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL ONE-OFF, UH, SORT OF, UH, PLANS AND REGULATORY, UM, STRATEGIES THAT, THAT SHOULD HAVE THAT PERSPECTIVE, UM, IN, IN ITS CREATION.
AND I THINK THAT PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE, AND THE, AND CITY COUNCIL WOULD, UH, COULD REALLY, UM, APPRECIATE OUR, OUR LENS, UM, BEING APPLIED TO THOSE.
UM, AND THEN TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONES.
THERE WAS SOME CON CONVERSATION AROUND THIS IN THE END.
AND, UH, AND IF ANYONE HAS SOME, UH, SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS, THIS WE FOUND, WE, WE INCLUDED IT BECAUSE, UH, OBVIOUSLY THE DOGS HAD SORT OF EXAMPLE, WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS KIND OF PUT THROUGH THE SYSTEM VERY QUICKLY AND, AND AVOIDED A LOT OF COMMISSION OVERSIGHT.
UM, BUT, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS MO MOSTLY A FINANCIAL, UH, A FINANCIAL TOOL.
UM, AND WE DON'T NECESSARILY, WE ARE NOT THE RIGHT COMMISSION TO REVIEW A FINANCIAL TOOL.
HOWEVER, UM, THIS FINANCIAL TOOL, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOGS HEAD EXAMPLE, CAME WITH, UH, REGULATORY CONCEPTS AND STREET DESIGN CONCEPTS, STREET LAYOUT CONCEPTS.
AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CAPTURING IT AT THE RIGHT STAGE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT VERY WELL MAY BE THAT THE DOG'S HEAD AS AN EXCEPTION TO ALL THE RULES, BUT I KIND OF FEEL LIKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULES.
SO, UH, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FINDING THE RIGHT TRIGGER FOR THAT.
SO DEFINITELY FEEDBACK AROUND THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL, UM, FROM, FROM STAFF AS WELL.
UM, AND, UH, THEN, THEN JUST FOR, FOR CLARITY, YOU KNOW, THERE IS INEVITABLY GOING TO BE SOME LEVEL OF DISCRETION THAT PROJECT STAFF ARE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE IN SOME CASES.
AND, UM, AND SO WE JUST HAVE SOME SORT OF GUIDANCE LANGUAGE THAT SAYS, WHEN, WHEN IT'S UNCLEAR, THE STAFF SHOULD SEEK A DETERMINATION FROM THE COMMISSION CHAIR.
UM, THAT COMMISSION CHAIR COULD BE REACHED OUT TO, THEY CAN SAY, HEY, NO, WE DON'T CARE.
THIS ISN'T, THIS ISN'T URBAN DESIGN RELATED, OR IT'S NOT ENOUGH URBAN DESIGN RELATED.
UM, YOU DON'T NEED TO COME TO A FOREST.
AND, UM, IF NECESSARY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AFTER DISCUSSION WITH, UH, THE COUNCIL OR SOME OF THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS, WE COULD ALSO PUT IN A, UM, A WAY TO APPEAL, UH, THE CHAIR'S DECISION, UH, DETERMINATION THERE.
IT MAY TAKE IT TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THEY'RE ABLE TO APPEAL IT, UM, POTENTIALLY, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S WAYS TO KIND OF PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE BELT AND SUSPENDERS SORT OF, UM, PROCEDURAL, UH, UM, UH, SORT OF STEPS THAT, UH, TO DO THAT TOO.
BUT THIS IS, THIS IS THE SUMMARY.
UM, I WOULD SAY, UH, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WERE, THAT I SHOWED YOU AS CONCEPTS LAST TIME THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS.
AND, UM, AND I, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT WHAT THOSE ARE AND THEN, AND QUICKLY WHY.
SO, UM, SOME OF THEM ARE, UH, I, I THINK WE MADE, YOU KNOW, WE MADE THE DECISION THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS TO, THIS EFFORT HAS TO BE CONFINED AND LIMITED.
IT HAS TO HAVE A CLEAR SCOPE, AND WE HAVE TO GET SOMETHING IMPLEMENTABLE, UH, RATHER THAN TRYING TO ACHIEVE EVERYTHING AND DOING IT PERFECTLY.
AND SO SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK ARE REALLY IMPORTANT, UM, THINGS THAT WE, THAT WERE BROUGHT UP AS CONCEPTS, PERHAPS THESE NEED TO BE FUTURE COMMISSION, INIT INITIATED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, UM, INITIATIVES THAT THE COMMISSION BRINGS FORTH AND, AND PUTS PRESSURE ON AND INVESTIGATES.
UM, BUT MAYBE NOT SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP IN THIS, IN THIS, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
[01:25:01]
THAT WOULD BE INCLUDE, UH, CRITERIA, MANUAL, UH, AMENDMENTS.UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY AN URBAN DESIGN BODY.
UM, UH, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF EXPERTISE IN URBAN DESIGN THERE.
UM, BUT ALSO THIS IS NOT LEGISLATIVE.
UM, AND SO THERE, YOU KNOW, THESE AREN'T GOING TO, THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THIS ISN'T, ARE NOT GOING TO, UH, COUNSEL.
AND SO THERE'S NOT REALLY A, A GOOD WAY TO TRIGGER THE THRESHOLD.
I MEAN THIS, BUT HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW OF MORE COMPREHENSIVE EFFORTS THAT ARE HAPPENING ON CRITERIA MANUALS.
UM, LIKE THE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INITIATIVE THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON, THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY, UM, INTERESTED IN AND, AND SHOULD STAY CONNECTED ON AND CONTINUE TO REQUEST, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, TO HEAR FROM THOSE, FROM THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, BUT WE WOULDN'T HAVE A STRICT TRIGGER THAT WOULD FORCE THEM TO COME TO US OTHER THAN JUST ASKING THEM NICELY.
UM, UH, THERE, THERE WERE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND, UM, RELIEVING EXISTING, UH, JOINT COMMISSIONS OR COMMITTEES OF THEIR, UH, THEIR PRE-REVIEW RESPONSIBILITIES OF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THERE'S JOINT COMMITTEES OF PLANNING, COMMISSION PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, THAT REVIEW THINGS AHEAD OF A PLANNING COMMISSION OR PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, UH, HEAR THE FULL BODY HEARING IT, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, ESSENTIALLY GET, LIKE WE, WE HAVE BEEN WITH OUR WORKING GROUPS, UM, KIND OF GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE DETAILS RATHER THAN HAVING TO GET EVERYBODY THAT LEVEL, THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
AND WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE HEARD FROM SOME OF THESE GROUPS THAT THEIR RESPONS, THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, IN A LOT OF CASES, TOO MUCH RESPONSIBILITY TO GET INTO THE WEEDS ON TOO MANY THINGS.
AND IT WOULD BE GREAT IF SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, IF, IF A BODY WITH OUR PARTICULAR EXPERTISE COULD TAKE ON SOME OF THESE THINGS.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, THAT IS A REALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT CONTINUES TO BE A STRONG CONCEPT AND SOMETHING THAT, UM, I THINK WE REALLY SHOULD LOOK AT AS A PHASE TWO HERE.
UM, AND PART OF THAT IS BECAUSE OF WHAT I HIGHLIGHTED EARLIER.
YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE OVERLAP WITH THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT TRANSPORTATION.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT A, A WHOLE HOST OF THINGS RELATED TO THE DESIGN OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.
AND, UM, AND PLACEMAKING AND, AND, AND ALL OF THESE SORT OF THINGS, UH, NOT ONLY TRANSPORTATION, RIGHT? AND SO WE DO NEED BOTH OF THOSE PERSPECTIVES, BUT PERHAPS THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, UH, YOU KNOW, WOULD WANNA FORM A JOINT COMMISSION WITH US THAT COULD, THAT COULD SEND A RECOMMENDATION TO BOTH, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND, AND, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING AND SO FORTH.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF IDEAS TO EXPLORE THERE.
AND I THINK THERE THAT THERE IS AN ARGUMENT THAT WE SH WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THOSE IN THE NEXT PHASE TO IMPROVE SOME OF THE, UM, EFFICIENCY SO THAT THERE'S NOT AS MANY, YOU KNOW, FOLKS AREN'T HAVING TO GO TO AS MANY COMMITTEES AND JOINT COMMISSION JOINT, OR SORRY, AS MANY COMMISSIONS OR JOINT COMMITTEES, UM, OR WORKING GROUPS, UH, AND MAKE THAT PROCESS JUST, UH, SIMPLER FOR STAFF AND, AND PROJECT, UM, FOLKS, UM, UH, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES.
I THINK THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE SORT OF THING THAT, UM, IF WE WANNA TALK TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ABOUT CULTURAL, UM, YOU KNOW, CULTURAL DISTRICTS, LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT SORT OF ECONOMIC INCENTIVES ARE YOU PLANNING FOR, UH, RED RIVER? THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO REQUEST, UM, UH, PROJECT BY PROJECT.
UM, UH, AND THAT MEANS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, AS A COMMISSIONER ARE GONNA HAVE TO STAY AWARE.
UH, THAT'S KIND OF CURRENTLY HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT IT.
IT, IT SEEMS MAYBE NOT SUPER APPROPRIATE TO ASK THEM TO COME FOR A QUARTERLY PRESENTATION TO US, 'CAUSE PROJECTS MOVE VERY SPORADICALLY.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S, AND IT'S OUR ROLE AS A COMMISSION TO BE KIND OF TUNED INTO SOME OF THESE THINGS.
UM, STRUCTURAL LEADERSHIP, SAME THING, STILL REMAINS A VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT, BUT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LIAISON FROM SOME PROJECT TO WORK ON.
UM, AND OUR OWN SORT OF INITIATED SORT OF EFFORTS AROUND THIS AND WORKING WITH OTHER GROUPS THAT, THAT HAVE ALSO EXPRESSED THIS, UM, UH, CENTRALIZED URBAN DESIGN CENTER AND SORT OF ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION SORT OF PIECES.
THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE EDUCATION, UH, IS PART OF OUR CORE PURPOSE AS A, AS A, UM, AS THE PUBLIC FORUM FOR URBAN DESIGN IN THE CITY.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS WE CAN DO THAT.
AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE, THAT'S, THAT'S ALREADY IN OUR BYLAW.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADD.
AND SO THESE ARE JUST IDEAS THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO, TO, UM, TO LOOK INTO, BUT NOT, NOT CURRENTLY FORMALIZING INTO BYLAWS AS PART OF THIS, THIS DOCUMENT DOCUMENTED RECOMMENDATION.
I'LL STOP FOR A SECOND FOR, BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE MORE PAGES AND, UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE TO STOP AND GIVE A CHANCE FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
SO, UM, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS, BUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMISSION, WHAT IS OUR PATH? WHAT IS OUR PROPOSED PATH FORWARD? AND WHAT ACTION ARE WE LOOKING FOR FROM THE COMMISSION TONIGHT? NO ACTION TONIGHT.
UH, THE, THIS IS A, UM, JUST KIND OF KEEPING EVERYBODY
[01:30:01]
IN THE LOOP WITH THE STRATEGIES AND, AND WHERE WE'VE ADVANCED FROM THE LAST TIME.UM, THIS IS A SIMPLER APPROACH, UH, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE IT'S RATHER COMPLICATED.
UM, UH, AND SO WE ARE KIND OF STREAMLINING, WE'RE PAIRING DOWN, WE'RE GETTING CLEAR.
UM, AND SO WE WANT FEEDBACK IF YOU HAVE IT.
UM, AND IF YOU, AND, YOU KNOW, AND IF YOU WANT TO REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, UM, TALK TO THEIR OFFICE ABOUT WHAT'S IN HERE, UH, THAT SUMMARY DOCUMENT IS, IS VERY USEFUL.
UM, BUT IT'D BE GOOD TO, YOU KNOW, START DOING KIND OF OUR OWN ENGAGEMENT, UH, AS COMMISSIONERS AROUND THIS.
I DO WANNA NOTE SOMETHING ON THAT POINT, UM, THAT IN NOVEMBER, DISTRICTS WON 3, 5, 8, AND NINE ARE ALL UP FOR ELECTION.
UM, AND SO IF YOU ARE IN ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS, YOUR SEAT IS TIED TO THE COMMISSIONER WHO APPOINTED YOU.
UM, I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON WHAT WAS PRESENTED.
UM, THE BYLAW MODIFICATIONS FOR WHAT IS CURRENTLY KNOWN AS B ONE, UM, WHERE IT JUST LISTS URBAN DESIGN, UH, LET ME SCROLL TO THERE, UH, OFFER POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING SPECIFIC ISSUES OF URBAN DESIGN.
DO WE THINK THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE DESIGN OF THE PUBLIC REALM, OPEN SPACE, LANDSCAPE, AND INFRASTRUCTURE? OR ARE THOSE THINGS NOW SORT OF COVERED ELSEWHERE AND WE, WE DON'T NEED TO EXPAND? UM, WHAT WOULD JUST BE URBAN DESIGN? I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT SECTION B IS, IS REALLY, UM, IT'S NOT SUPER PRECISE, RIGHT? UM, EXCEPT FOR, I MEAN, PARTS OF IT ARE, I GUESS THAT STATEMENT IS NOT PARTICULARLY PRECISE.
LIKE WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE MANDATORY, UM, THE MANDATORY REFERRAL, UH, SECTION, WE WOULD BE ADDING PRECISION.
UM, WE COULD CONTINUE TO SEE THAT STATEMENT AS, AS MORE, UM, HIGH LEVEL AND SUMMARY URBAN DESIGN, UNDEFINED, OR WE COULD SEEK TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CLARITY IN THAT, IN THAT LINE.
UM, I THINK GOING EITHER WAY CAN WORK.
UM, I AND I, WE MADE, WE WERE RECOMMENDING SO MANY CHANGES THAT I AVOIDED MAKING CHANGES WHERE I DIDN'T SEE MM-HMM
UH, THAT IT WASN'T INCREDIBLY NECESSARY, BUT WE COULD DECIDE THAT THAT IS NOT HELPFUL STATEMENT AND THAT MORE CLARITY WOULD BE BETTER FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
UM, IN THE SAME VEIN, WE'VE ADDED B THREE PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPING URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS, BUT WE STILL HAVE B TWO, WHICH IS PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPING DESIGN GUIDELINES.
BUT BASED ON THE CONVERSATION WITH THE, I MEAN, GUIDELINES DON'T MEAN ANYTHING ANYMORE.
AND THIS IS A, IT'S A GOOD POINT.
UM, THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, AS THEY WERE USED WITH DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS ARE, ARE NO LONGER EXCEPT FOR LEGACY.
UM, IN THE INTERIM ARE NO LONGER BEING USED.
HOWEVER, URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, POTENTIALLY IN THE FUTURE FOR PUBLIC PROJECTS OR SOME OF THESE MANDATORY REFERRAL ITEMS MAY BE MORE USEFUL THAN URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS AS A, AS A DOCUMENT THAT, THAT, UM, WE CAN REFERENCE, UM, WHEN REVIEWING THESE, THESE MANDATORY REFERRAL ITEMS. AND IT, AND, WELL, IT ISN'T INCREDIBLY CLEAR WHAT URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS MEAN, UH, FOR, UM, PUBLIC PROJECTS THAT COME TO US.
UM, MAYBE PART OF THIS WOULD BE CLARIFYING THAT AND BEING LIKE, PUBLIC PROJECTS DON'T, WE DON'T REVIEW FOR URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS THAT WOULD, THAT'S WHAT STAFF DOES, UM, WHEN THEY'RE DOING THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE SITE PLAN REVIEW AND SO FORTH.
UM, BUT WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS REVIEWING THEM TO, YOU KNOW, THE, WHAT ARE THE, THE PRINT URBAN DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND SO FORTH THAT COUNCIL IS LOOKING FOR THE CITY TO REPRESENT IN THEIR OWN INVESTMENTS.
UM, AND, AND IN THAT, I DON'T THINK URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES ARE DEAD.
IN FACT, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE IF THEY'RE NOT SPECIFICALLY TARGETING URBAN DESIGN, OR, SORRY, DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROJECTS.
UM, I THINK THAT WE CAN, EVEN IF, IF WE, UH, MAYBE IT BECOMES A LARGER PROJECT AND COUNCIL WANTS TO ASSIGN SOME STAFF TO DEVELOPING IT FURTHER, BUT THESE URBAN DESIGN, UH, GUIDELINES
[01:35:01]
COULD BE ADOPTED JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PLAN.UM, THAT'S NOT GEO GEO, UH, GEO GEOGRAPHY SPECIFIC.
UM, AND, UH, IT COULD BE A WAY TO UNDERSTAND, UH, COUNCIL'S, UM, COUNCIL'S VALUES AROUND URBAN DESIGN AS IT APPLIES TO ALL OF OUR IMPLEMENTATION, UH, TOOLS.
CAN WE COMBINE TWO AND THREE AND TO PARTICIPATE IN DEVELOPING URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS? YEAH, I THINK SO.
WE'RE NOT VOTING ON IT TONIGHT, BUT, UM, THE OTHER ITEMS, JUST TO TOSS OUT THERE, UM, CREATING A STANDING COMMITTEE, UM, ARE THE, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ANY OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT CREATING THESE JOINT COMMITTEES, SO JUST AGAIN, FOOD FOR THOUGHT, NO ANSWERS REQUIRED FOR TONIGHT.
UM, SOMETHING THAT I HAD THOUGHT OF AS A MEANS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE MANDATORY REFERRAL, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING IN THE BYLAWS THAT WE COULD WRITE IN WHERE WE NO LONGER HAVE AUTHORITY OR SUGGESTIVE POWER, UM, BUT THAT WE WOULD CONTINUE TO GET UPDATES ON ANY PROJECT THAT RECEIVED DDB? AGAIN, WE HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE COMMENTARY ON IT, BUT DO WE AT LEAST NEED TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN REGARDS TO THOSE PROJECTS? UM, I CAN IMAGINE, BUT I, UH, IT'D BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD CLARIFY WHAT THE INTENT OF THAT WOULD BE.
I THINK AS A BODY, WE ARE STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR PROVIDING QUALITY URBAN DESIGN IN OUR CITY.
AND THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN KNOW THAT THAT'S HAPPENING IS TO GET UPDATES ON THE PROJECTS THAT ARE OCCURRING.
AND SO, AGAIN, WE HAVE NO MEANS TO COMMENT ON THAT AS A BODY, BUT AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION, UM, GOOD TO BE IN THE KNOW.
UM, SO IN ANOTHER, IN ANOTHER WAY, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE OUR ABILITY, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE REPORTING ON THE OUTCOMES OF THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS THAT WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, UM, SHEPHERDING.
AND I THINK THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT THAT IN.
AND THEN I THINK, UM, AND THE LAST ONE I HAVE, WHICH IS A BIT OPEN-ENDED, BUT, UM, IS THERE A WAY TO STATE WITHIN THIS THAT WE GET TO PREVIEW ANY CODE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO URBAN DESIGN? IE UPDATES TO THE URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS, GREAT STREET STANDARDS, SHOULD AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S A GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT, UM, SHOULD THEY, WHEN THEY UPDATE ALL OF THAT, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT, BECAUSE THOSE ARE KEY TRIGGERS TO THE DOWNTOWN BONUS PROGRAM, UM, SHOULD WE BE ALLOWED TO COMMENT ON THOSE PRIOR TO THEM GOING TO COUNSEL AS CODE AMENDMENTS? YEAH, I THINK WE'VE CAPTURED THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE ANY LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS, UM, AREA PLANS, ADOPTION AND AMENDMENTS AND CITY PROGRAMS, PROJECTS AND PROJECTS AFFECTING THE FOLLOWING AREAS.
SO INCLUDING THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLANNING AREA.
SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY LIKE FOR THOSE SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIES OF TRANSIT STATION AREAS, TRANSIT CORRIDORS, AND DOWNTOWN AND CENTRAL CITY, UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT ANYTHING SUBSTANTIVE COMING THROUGH, UH, DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? UH, COMMISSIONER WHITE STRUCK A QUESTION FOR YOU, CHAIR.
UM, WE, WE, UM, SET THE THRESHOLD FOR WHAT CONSTITUTES A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT TO BE A PROJECT WITH A TOTAL CONSTRUCTION COST OF $2 MILLION OR GREATER.
THAT NUMBER WAS SELECTED BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND IT TO BE THE THRESHOLD THAT TRIGGERS A, A SITES, UM, REQUIREMENT FOR, UH, A PARKS PROJECT.
UM, BUT I'D LOVE TO HEAR YOUR, AND WE, UM, COMMISSIONER HOWARD, WE PROBABLY SHOULD ADD TO THAT, THAT YOU KNOW THAT WITH X, YOU
[01:40:01]
KNOW, SOMETHING ABOUT EXTERIOR, LIKE YOU COULD HAVE A $2 MILLION INTERIOR FINISH OUT THAT WE DO NOT NEED TO SEE.SO WE COULD PROBABLY CLARIFY THAT.
UH, BUT I WAS CURIOUS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM ANY MEMBER OF THIS BODY, UM, BUT SPECIFICALLY THE CHAIR ON THOUGHTS ABOUT WHETHER THAT $2 MILLION THRESHOLD WAS, UH, THE RIGHT NUMBER.
WELL, GIVE ME A FEW MINUTES TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE I HAVE PERSONALLY WORKED ON SOME SMALLER PROJECTS WITHIN THE CITY THAT ARE UNDER THAT THRESHOLD.
UM, NAMELY THE ONE THAT CAME TO MIND WAS THE WALSH BOAT LANDING.
UM, AND I THINK IT, IT FELL UNDER THAT THRESHOLD.
UM, WE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE CITY HAS, UM, AS OTHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES DO A THRESHOLD FOR LIKE A JOB ORDER CONTRACT WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO PUT THE PROJECT OUT TO BID, IT CAN AUTOMATICALLY BE AWARDED IF IT'S UNDER A CERTAIN DOLLAR AMOUNT.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO LOOK INTO BECAUSE THOSE TEND TO BE THE PROJECTS THAT, UM, DON'T REALLY NEED TO, THEY DON'T REQUIRE MUCH OVERSIGHT.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME THRESHOLDS THAT WE MAY WANNA LOOK INTO.
AND SOME OF, SOME OF THIS, UM, FEEDBACK IS, UH, ESPECIALLY WHAT YOU KIND OF, THE COMMENTS THAT YOU BROUGHT UP TONIGHT, IF YOU COULD COMMENT THOSE ON THE PDF AND SEND IT, JUST, JUST EMAIL IT DIRECTLY TO ME SO WE DON'T DEAL WITH QUORUM ISSUES.
I'LL, I'LL SHARE IT WITH THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, AND THAT GOES FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, IF YOU GUYS HAVE SPECIFIC COMMENTS, PLEASE SEND 'EM TO US.
UM, AND WE'LL, WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO KIND OF WORK THROUGH IT, UM, AND, AND RESOLVE EVERYTHING.
BUT, BUT, UH, DON'T EMAIL THE WHOLE COMMISSION OR THE WHOLE WORKING GROUP.
JUST EMAIL ME SO THAT WE DON'T DEAL WITH ANY SORT OF QUORUM ISSUES.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER WHIR.
I'LL JUST PUT THAT ANOTHER WAY THAT, UM, I'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, ON THIS COMMITTEE FOR A WHILE NOW, AND, UM, I THINK I UNDERSTAND MAYBE 20% OF WHAT COMMISSIONER HOWARD SAYS.
UM, 'CAUSE HE'S VERY, VERY GOOD AT THIS.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE, I THINK IT WAS VERY GOOD PRESENTATION OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, BUT I ACKNOWLEDGE THIS IS A LOT OF CONTENT.
UH, AND SO TO THE MEMBERS OF THE, TO MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COMMISSION WHO ARE NOT PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP, IS THIS, IS THIS MAKING SENSE TO YOU WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH HERE? AND I THINK WE'RE ULTIMATELY LOOKING FOR THE SUPPORT OF THIS BODY NEXT, NEXT MONTH, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION.
I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, POSING THAT QUESTION.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, OPENING UP THE DISCUSSION TO OUR FELLOW COMMISSIONERS.
AND I WOULD SAY YES, I, I DO UNDERSTAND THE, UH, PURPOSE OF THIS, UH, REVISED DOCUMENT AND, YOU KNOW, THE EXPANSION OF OUR, UM, ROLE AS A COMMISSIONING PARTY TOWARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE FOCUSED OR REFOCUSED OUTLINE OF PROJECTS AS YOU'VE, YOU KNOW, EDITED THE DOCUMENT HERE TO SUGGEST.
UH, I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ON, AND, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, NOT NECESSARILY TO ANYONE IN PARTICULAR, BUT I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW WE ASSUME THIS WILL BE RECEIVED.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT REALLY QUESTIONING THE CONTENT.
I THINK IT'S MORE JUST A LINE ALONG THE LINES OF DO WE FEEL AS THOUGH THERE'S PRECEDENT FOR THIS? DO WE FEEL AS THOUGH THERE'S SORT OF A REALISTIC AVENUE FOR ADOPTION, UH, IN, IN THIS DIRECTION? UM, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF WHETHER IT'S 2 MILLION OR A HUNDRED MILLION, I MEAN, THIS IS A CONSIDERABLE SHIFT OF OUR, UH, OUR ROLE.
AND, UH, I DO THINK IT'S WARRANTED.
UH, I DO THINK AS EVERYTHING IN, IN THIS SPACE IS BEING ADJUSTED, UM, YOU KNOW, A A REVIEW, A REVIEW LIKE THIS, I THINK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ON, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WE FEEL THIS IS GONNA BE RECEIVED ON THE OTHER END.
SHOULD WE BE SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO OUR, UM, UH, DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, IN, IN LINE WITH THIS CONTENT IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS GOING FORWARD TO CITY COUNCIL BEFORE WE SEND THIS FORWARD TO YOUR COMMENT OF, YOU KNOW, UPCOMING REELECTION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR ALL OF US TO DO THAT, UM, TO REALLY GET BEHIND WHAT'S WRITTEN IN, IN THIS DOCUMENT.
UH, AND, AND THEN I HAVE JUST A, YOU KNOW, VERY SIMPLE SMALL ADDITION, WHICH FEELS TINY IN MAGNITUDE TO EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S WRITTEN HERE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMENT EARLIER COMMENT ABOUT, UM, A REGULAR AND, YOU KNOW, CADENCE OF REVIEW
[01:45:02]
OF THE PROPOSED URBAN DESIGN, UH, STANDARDS AS THEY'VE BEEN PRESENTED, UH, YOU KNOW, TO VET AND, UM, I GUESS HAVE OVERSIGHT ON THEIR SUCCESS FEELS AS THOUGH, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THE WORKING GROUP SHOULD ALSO BE WITHIN THIS DOCUMENT AS SOMETHING THIS COMMISSION SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.AND, AND PERHAPS WE PUT THAT TIMEFRAME AS EVERY SIX MONTHS, EVERY YEAR, WHAT WHATEVER WE FEEL WOULD BE A SUFFICIENT TIMELINE TO ESSENTIALLY REVIEW WHAT PROJECTS HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS AND WHAT THE SUCCESS OF THE STANDARDS HAVE BEEN SHOULD COME TO THIS COMMISSION AUTOMATICALLY, WHETHER THEY'RE PART OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE TRIGGER OR NOT.
UH, AND SO AGAIN, IN COMPARISON TO WHAT'S OUTLINED HERE, THAT SEEMS LIKE A SMALL DETAIL.
UM, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD INCLUDE THAT.
YEAH, NO, I, I THINK THAT THE MONITORING SORT OF REPORTING SORT OF SIDE OF IT IS A REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK LOOP, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING I HAD CONSIDERED, AND I THINK IT'S A REALLY STRONG MOVE.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF WE WANNA SEE EVERY PROJECT AS IT'S GOING THROUGH SITE PLAN REVIEW AND, AND GETTING KIND OF, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERY ROUND OF REVIEWS.
BUT I, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AT EVERY QUARTER OR EVERY, EVERY SIX MONTHS, SEEING, UH, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE THERE'S MORE, UH, BONUS PROJECTS COMING THROUGH THE PIPELINE.
UM, AND WE WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, WE'D BE REVIEWING WHATEVER HAPPENED OVER THE LAST SIX OR WHATEVER WAS EVER APPROVED OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS TO, TO UNDERSTAND THE, THE OUTCOME OF THE STANDARDS AND, AND RAISE ANY ISSUES BEFORE THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE STANDARDS CONTINUE TO REPLICATE BAD OUTCOMES.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY, REALLY SMART, AND I THINK WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO INTEGRATE THAT.
I MEAN, THIS IS A GREAT DIRECTION, I THINK, UM, I DON'T HAVE QUESTIONS NOW, BUT I KNOW ONCE I DIGEST THIS, I'LL HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, BUT I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT DIRECTION FOR, FOR THE COMMISSION JUST TO LEAN INTO, UM, TALKING ABOUT TIMELINE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GONNA BE VOTING ON IT NEXT, UH, AT OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, THE NEXT STEPS AFTER THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO HAVE A UNIFIED, A UNIFIED MESSAGE.
UM, BUT THEN WHAT IS THE TIMELINE ONCE WE DO THAT? DO WE, IS THERE A TIMELINE OR IS THIS JUST, WE'RE GONNA KEEP, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY GOTTA GO TO COMMIT, UH, TO COUNCIL AT SOME POINT.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THE IDEA WOULD BE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS DO YOUR OWN REVIEW, UM, AND TALK TO YOUR, YOUR COUNCIL OFFICE.
UM, I THINK THE WORKING GROUP, WE'RE ALSO KIND OF GONNA DIVIDE UP SOME, SOME KEY, UH, COMMISSION COMMISSIONERS FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION, MAYBE PLANNING AND ZONING, UH, ZONING AND PLANNING.
MAYBE THERE'S, THERE'S SOME STAFF THAT WE ALSO NEED TO TALK TO, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THIS RIGHT.
BUT WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING KIND OF, UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE, UH, SPONSORING COUNCIL DISTRICTS THAT, UM, THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE AGREED TO TAKE THIS ON.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WORKING THROUGH ANY ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE, ANY ISSUES THAT Y'ALL'S COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE, UM, AND, UH, ANY FINAL, FINAL SORT OF CHANGES THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IN ORDER TO KIND OF BUTTON THIS UP AND MAKE EVERYBODY FEEL, FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT.
UM, BUT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN PRETTY QUICK.
I THINK THAT WE PROBABLY ONLY HAVE ABOUT, UM, TWO WEEKS, UM, BEFORE WE NEED TO HAVE ALL THAT FEEDBACK, UM, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE ANY REVISIONS BEFORE AND FORMALIZE FORMALIZE IT SO THAT WE CAN GET IT, UH, SUBMITTED FOR BACKUP
UM, AND SO, YOU KNOW, A MONTH, UH, A MONTH, UM, DOESN'T GIVE US A LOT OF TIME.
UM, BUT I ALSO, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT PART OF THIS IS, IS MAYBE IT, MAYBE IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE SOME TALKING POINTS.
I THINK THE SUMMARY DOES A DECENT JOB, UH, AND, AND THE RATIONALE, UH, FOR IT.
I THINK IF YOU GUYS CAN DO, YOU KNOW, DO A DEEP DIVE ON THAT, REALLY SEE IF YOU, UH, CAN ABSORB ALL OF IT AND, AND ASK ANY QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, UM, THAT, THAT COME UP WHILE YOU'RE DOING THAT, AS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, YOU CAN REPRESENT IT FROM YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE, UH, TO YOUR COUNCIL DISTRICT, BUT I CAN ALSO, I, I THINK THERE ARE CERTAIN MAYBE TALKING POINTS THAT WE CAN, WE, AS A WORKING GROUP, WE CAN KIND OF THINK OF IN THE NEXT WEEK.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TRYING IN, IN A LOT OF WAYS, WE ARE REALLY ONLY CLARIFYING OUR ROLE, UM, AND, AND IMPLEMENTING, MAKING THAT IMPLEMENTABLE THROUGH REVI, GOING FROM A, UM, A, A, UH, DISCRETIONARY TO A MANDATORY REFERRAL COM, UH, COMMISSION.
SO THE IDEA, YOU KNOW, WE ALREADY ARE THE CITY'S URBAN DESIGN COMMISSION.
IT'S JUST WE DON'T HAVE THAT NAME AND WE DON'T HAVE THE CLARITY IN OUR BYLAWS, AND THAT
[01:50:01]
MAKES IT SO NOBODY COMES TO US.AND SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIX THOSE THINGS, UM, AND WE'RE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE OUR WORKLOAD, UM, IS, IS REDUCED AND WE NEED TO BE MONITORING THESE THINGS AND HELPING THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL, UH, YOU KNOW, BE INFORMED WHEN THEY'RE GOING IN TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS.
SO REALLY, I THINK IF, IF, UM, I, I DON'T THINK, I, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO OVERSTATE WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
IT IS REALLY A CLARIFYING AND IMPLEMENTING DOCUMENT, UH, SORT OF A, A SET OF AMENDMENTS AND YEAH, SO READ THE RATIONALE, SEND ANY QUESTIONS, AND I'LL, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET TOGETHER AND, AND COME UP WITH SOME, SOME REAL SIMPLE TALKING POINTS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE WITH THE SUMMARY.
AND TO KIND OF GO ALONG WITH THE SUMMARY DOC, UH, TWO, TWO WEEKS, UH, TO GET YOUR OWN COMMENTS AND YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS' COMMENTS IF THEY HAVE ANY, WOULD BE GREAT.
I JUST WANNA STATE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, COMMISSIONER HOWARD.
I JUST, WITH THE UPCOMING CHANGES IN ALL GOING TO HAPPEN, UH, IN THE TIMELINE, REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, WHAT'S THE TOTAL TIMELINE GOING TO LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS, HOW DO WE TAKE IT? AND, AND I JUST PERSONALLY DON'T THINK I WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME, THIS IS NOT GOING TO MAKE A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE, SO JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW.
YEAH, AND I, I CAN, I GUESS I ONLY HALF ANSWERED THAT LAST TIME.
UM, BUT YEAH, SO, UH, SHORT TERM, WE'RE LOOKING AT TWO WEEKS AND THEN WE'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING FOR, UH, FOR US TO, IDEALLY WE WOULD BE VOTING TO, UH, APPROVE OUR, UM, OUR RECOMMENDED CHANGES IN A LETTER TO COUNT TO COUNCIL, AND THAT LETTER WOULD GO TO COUNCIL AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR OFFICES THAT WOULD BE SPONSORING ANY SORT OF RESOLUTION AROUND THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
UM, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, ONCE WE SEND IT OFF TO COUNCIL, IT'S KIND OF IN THEIR HANDS, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK THAT WE CAN GET, WE CAN GET SOMETHING RELATIVELY QUICKLY, I DUNNO WHAT THAT MEANS,
UM, JUST WANNA ON, ON THE TOP ON THE POINT OF, UM, DISCUSSING IT WITH OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I JUST WANNA BRING UP, GIVEN THAT WE ONLY HAVE TWO WEEKS TO DO SO, PLEASE CONSIDER USING BOTH THE FORMAL AND INFORMAL FEEDBACK.
SO IF YOU HAVE A WAY TO REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBER INFORMALLY, PLEASE DO SO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? UH, THAT REALLY WAS THE CORE OF THE BYLAW AND SORT OF STRATEGY? UM, AND I THINK THAT WE CAN KIND OF CAPTURE THE REST OF THE DOCUMENT ALONGSIDE THE DISCUSSION ON OUR REPORT.
AND THERE A LOT OF THE KIND OF RE THE RED LINES AND RATIONALE ARE PART OF THAT, UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME HIGHER LEVEL SORT OF PIECES WE CAN REFER BACK TO IF YOU, IF THEY'RE HELPFUL.
WELL, IF EVERYONE IS GOOD, WE WILL CLOSE OUT ITEM FOUR AND MOVE BACK TO ITEM THREE, DISCUSSION
[3. Discussion on items within the annual internal review, such as changes to the Design Commission bylaws and policies not currently covered by the Commission, as well as discussion of the board’s goals and objectives for the new calendar year. Sponsors: Chair McKinney and Vice Chair Howard.(Part 2 of 2)]
ON ITEMS WITHIN THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REVIEW, SUCH AS CHANGES TO THE COMMISSION'S BYLAWS, UM, AND POLICIES NOT CURRENTLY COVERED BY THE COMMISSION, AS WELL AS DISCUSSION ON THE BOARD'S GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.UM, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THIS WAS ALSO, UM, KIND OF GRABBED FROM THE FORM THAT NEEDS TO BE FILLED OUT.
UM, AND ANNOTATED UNDERNEATH THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE LISTED, UM, I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE THE ANNUAL REPORT FROM THE LAST ANNUAL REPORT THAT THE BODY ISSUED, UH, WAS INCLUDED AS BACKUP.
THAT'S WHAT'S CURRENTLY ON THE SCREEN.
UM, WE DO NEED, AS PART OF THE, THE FORM THAT I FILL OUT AS CHAIR, UM, I, WE, I DO GO BACK THROUGH AND LOOK AT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE MADE.
ALL OF THIS, UH, INFORMATION IS INCLUDED, I THINK THE PRIMARY AREAS OF THE REPORT, UM, THAT WE NEED FEEDBACK FROM THE BODY ON, UM, OUR, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS CLOSELY ALIGNED WITH THE ORGANI.
YOU KNOW, ANY RECOMMENDATIONS WE MADE, I WOULD ASSUME ARE ALIGNED WITH OUR MISSION AND VISION.
I CAN PROVIDE, UM, SUBSTANTIVE BACKUP ON THAT BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY PROVIDE ACTUAL LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION THAT LIST THINGS, UM, ON THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. UM, AND SO WITH, THANK YOU FOR, TO COMMISSIONER HOWARD FOR GETTING ME A JUMPSTART ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN WHICH RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ADJACENT TO THE ORGANIZATION'S CORE MISSION?
[01:55:02]
UM, OTHER BODIES THAT OVERLAP.UH, WE'VE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THIS TODAY, BYLAWS, WE'VE COVERED THAT PRETTY EXTENSIVELY.
UM, GAPS IN POLICIES AND THEN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
SO DOES, UM, HAS ANYONE, EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE BACKUP AND ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? UM, REGARDING THE ITEMS THAT WERE PROVIDED AS BACKUP COMMISSIONER WHIT STRUCK? CHAIRMAN, MY ONLY POTENTIAL CONCERN WOULD BE THAT THE, THE LETTER WOULD BE, UH, ESSENTIALLY CALLING FOR THE, THE BYLAWS TO BE UPDATED WHEN THE GROUP HAS NOT YET HAD THE CHANCE TO VOTE ON THAT.
UM, IT DOESN'T ASK FOR THE SPECIFIC BYLAW UPDATES.
IT MERELY ASKS IF YOUR COMMISSION FEELS THAT THE BYLAWS NEED TO BE UPDATED, IT DOES NOT ASK FOR THE SPECIFIC BYLAW UPDATES.
IF WE, IF, IF THE, IF THE COMMITTEE, I CERTAINLY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
IF I WANNA MAKE SURE ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, I KNOW YOU, I THINK WE WERE SUPPOSED TO TURN THIS FORM IN A COUPLE MONTHS AGO, SO I, I DON'T WANT TO ARTIFICIALLY DELAY ANYMORE AND ALLOW THE CHAIR TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS.
AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY ACTION TONIGHT ON THIS.
THIS IS ALL IT, IT IS MERELY A DISCUSSION ITEM, SO THERE'S NO ACTION ON THIS.
UM, ITEM E AT LEAST ON MY NUMBERING, I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE ACTUAL NUMBERING.
UM, BUT IT SAYS, DO THE BYLAWS NEED TO BE UPDATED? IF YES, WHAT WOULD BE THE AMENDMENT INCLUDING SECTION NY IS, THAT'S WHY I ENDED UP DOING THE WHOLE RED LINE AND I NEEDED TO DO THAT ANYWAY, I GUESS.
UM, BUT IN ANSWERING THAT QUESTION, WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE DETAILS OF THE RED LINE, OR YOU THINK YOU'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT THE SECTION AND KIND OF IN CONCEPT WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED? CORRECT.
THAT WAS SATISFYING CONCERNS OF MINE LINE, I THINK SIMILARLY, UM, TO COMMISSIONER HOWARD, IF YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES, UM, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE ANY, ANY MODIFICATIONS OR UPDATES, UM, THAT YOU HAVE TO THIS, UM, THAT MAYBE WE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW? I WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS SUBMITTED.
I HAVE STARTED GATHERING THINGS, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THAT, IF YOU COULD SEND IT TO ME BY THE END OF THE WEEK, I WOULD LIKE TO GET THIS SUBMITTED TO, UH, AND AGAIN, UH, FOR QUORUM REASONS, PLEASE JUST EMAIL ME, UM, AND WE'LL GET OUR ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED BACK TO THE CITY.
I DID LOOK TODAY, THE FORM IS STILL OPEN, SO, ALL RIGHT, WELL, I THINK THAT IS ALL OF OUR ITEMS FOR TODAY.
UM, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A, OH, YES, COMMISSIONER.
THERE WAS A, UM, AN ADDITIONAL, THERE WAS AN ADDENDUM TO THE AGENDA.
THERE'S AN ITEM FIVE, OH, SORRY, UH,
[Additional Item]
ITEM FIVE, UPDATE FROM THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REGARDING THE MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 16TH.UM, THIS IS JUST A BRIEF, UM, UPDATE.
UM, THE DOWNTOWN COMMITTEE, UH, MET ON SEPTEMBER 16TH.
UM, THEY WENT THROUGH THE, UM, A COUPLE OF, UM, SEVERAL ITEMS. UM, ONE WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE, THE STAFF BREATHING ON THE FUTURE OF CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT.
UM, THEY DISCUSSED WHAT THE PLAN WAS, HOW THEY, UH, HAVE INVOLVED, UH, A PUBLIC, UH, THROUGH THE VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSES AND HOW THEM MOVING FORWARD, UH, WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION.
UM, THEN THE NEXT STEP BRIEFING WAS, UM, CREATIVE RESET.
AND THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE RE-IMAGINING, UH, AUSTIN'S FACILITIES AND MUSEUMS. AND THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH PUBLIC, THEY DETERMINED THAT THE PARKING AND SAFETY AT THE PRIMARY CHALLENGES THERE AND THE CITY PLANS TO MOVE FROM, UH, FEEDBACK TO ACTION IN 2027.
THEN THERE WAS A PRESENTATION, UH, FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THE SAFETY OF LARGE PE CAPS.
AND THE MAJORITY OF THE ACTION ON PETTY CAPS HAPPENS AROUND UT CAMPUS AND MOODY CENTER, AND CURRENT PASSENGER LIMIT IS THREE.
HOWEVER, THE CITY HAS BEEN PERMITTING THE SIX SEAT SEATER PETTY CAPS.
THOSE, UH, HEAVIER, THEY TEND TO, UM, CAUSE GREATER DAMAGE AND THEY TEND TO GO AT HIGHER SPEEDS.
SO THE CODE HASN'T BEEN UPDATED, UM, AND THE CODE ENFORCEMENT
[02:00:01]
HAS BEEN KIND OF LAXED.AND SO THE POINT IS, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME, SOME BETTER STANDARDS, UM, AROUND THE PETTY CAPS.
UM, SO THAT'S MY UPDATE FOR THE MEETING THAT HAPPENED TWO WEEKS AGO.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MARCUS.
UM, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONER TREK FOR CATCHING THE ADDENDUM.
UM, UH, AS FAR AS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS,
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
I, WE USED TO HAVE THIS, I THINK AS A STANDING ITEM, UM, FOR AT LEAST DISCUSSION.UM, BUT UPDATES FROM THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP SHOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN, UM, AT THE NEXT MEETING AND SUBSEQUENT MEETINGS THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR.
YEAH, I, I WOULD, UM, I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE TO KEEP AS A RUNNING SORT OF AGENDA ITEM.
I GUESS IT'S JUST DISCUSSION FOR UPDATES.
UM, A SEPARATE, I GUESS ON A SEPARATE ONE, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENT, UM, A DIFFERENT, UH, AGENDA ITEM JUST TO, TO DISCUSS PASSING, YOU KNOW, APPROVING A LETTER FOR COUNSEL, CORRECT.
AND THAT CAN COME AS A DIRECT, OH, SORRY, A DIRECT REQUEST TO STAFF, UM, IN THE FORM OF AN EMAIL.
UM, SO ANYTHING THAT IS, REQUIRES A VOTE FROM THE WORKING GROUP, UM, THAT CAN BE REQUESTED WITH A BOARD MEMBER AND A SPONSOR
UM, A COUPLE THINGS THAT ALSO CAME TO MIND, UH, JUST TO, SORRY, TO BACKTRACK A LITTLE BIT ON OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. I WROTE THIS NOTE.
UM, ARE THERE ANY PRECEDENT CITIES THAT HAVE MANDATORY REFERRAL FOR A DESIGN BODY? UM, I'M SURE THERE ARE.
I MEAN, UH, UTC HERE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE A DESIGN BODY, UM, BUT THERE ARE POLICY, BODY RELATED TRANSPORTATION.
THEY HAVE MANDATORY REFERRAL ITEMS. UM, IT'S REALLY KIND OF BUILT ON THAT MODEL.
IT'S JUST, THERE'S NOT, IT'S NOT LIKE A CLEAR, IT'S NOT ALL SUPER CLEAR.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT VAGUE IN THE BYLAWS.
UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE CLEAR BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE HAVE A INNATE, UM, UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S TRANSPORTATION AND URBAN DESIGN IS A LITTLE BIT MORE ELUSIVE.
I, I THINK IT WOULD JUST BE A GOOD, UM, FACT TO HAVE THAT IF THERE ARE, UM, OTHER CITIES WITHIN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE MANDATORY REFERRAL OR SOMETHING SIMILAR WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THEIR, UM, WITH THEIR CODE, UM, THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE, UM, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK TO THE DESIGN OF THOSE CITIES AS EITHER EXEMPLARY OR NOT.
SO ANYTHING ELSE FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS FROM THE COMMISSION CHAIR? UH, COMMISSIONER WHIR, UH, I WOULD LIKE TO AND ASK FOR A CO-SPONSOR.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPONSOR AN ITEM AT NEXT, UH, MONTH'S MEETING, UH, FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON SENDING RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING DESIGN, COMMISSION, BYLAWS, REVISIONS, AND THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
I'LL SECOND, OR WE DON'T NEED A SECOND, I'LL CO-SPONSOR.
IF THERE IS NOTHING ELSE, WE ADJOURNED AT 8 0 5.