* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:01] GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE [CALL TO ORDER ] HAVING A QUORUM PRESENT WITHIN COUNCIL CHAMBERS. I NOW CALL THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ORDER AT 6:02 PM FIRST, LET'S TAKE ROLE. PLEASE LET US KNOW YOU'RE HERE WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME. CHAIR WOODS. I AM HERE. VICE CHAIR HANEY. HERE. COMMISSIONER MAXWELL. HERE. COMMISSIONER AHMED. HERE. COMMISSIONER LON. HERE. COMMISSIONER GANNON. HERE. COMMISSIONER BREIRA RAMIREZ. HERE. COMMISSIONER TROJAN? HERE. COMMISSIONER POWELL. HERE. COMMISSIONER BRETTON? HERE. COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE. I'M HERE. COMMISSIONER HILLER HERE. AND COMMISSIONER BENNETT HERE. WELCOME. COMMISSIONER BENNETT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? SURE. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. UH, MY NAME IS KENDALL BENNETT AND, UH, I HAVE LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE 1985. UM, I HAVE, UH, WORKED IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY FOR MY ENTIRE CAREER. AND, UM, AS MY CAREER STARTING TO KIND OF WIND DOWN, I WAS LOOKING FOR A WAY TO GIVE BACK TO THIS WONDERFUL CITY AND, AND, UH, WORKING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WAS, WAS, UH, ALLOWED TO, TO JOIN THIS COMMISSION. SO I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING WITH EVERYBODY. WELL, WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. BET. AS USUAL, TONIGHT'S MEETING WILL BE HYBRID, ALLOWING FOR A VIRTUAL QUORUM AS LONG AS THE COMMISSIONER SERVING AS CHAIR IS PRESENT IN CHAMBERS. THEREFORE, WE HAVE COMMISSIONERS HERE AT CITY HALL AND IN ATTENDANCE, VIRTUALLY SIMILARLY, SPEAKERS CAN PRESENT HERE FROM COUNCIL CHAMBERS OR PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY VIRTUAL COMMISSIONERS. PLEASE REMEMBER TO SEND YOUR SIGN-IN SHEET TO THE STAFF LIAISON FOR THE CLERK'S GUIDELINES. AND PLEASE HAVE YOUR GREEN, RED, AND YELLOW ITEMS FOR VOTING. PLEASE REMAIN MUTED WHEN YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING AND RAISE YOUR HAND TO BE RECOGNIZED. AND IF I DON'T SEE YOU, PLEASE DO UNMUTE AND LET ME KNOW. VERBALLY, WE'LL HAVE ASSISTANCE FROM MS. BROWN IN ANNOUNCING THE SPEAKERS DURING OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. MS. BROWN, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK DURING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO CHAIR. WE DO NOT. THANK YOU. THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES [APPROVAL OF MINUTES ] FROM OUR OCTOBER 13TH MEETING ARE POSTPONED TO NOVEMBER 10TH. SO OUR FIRST ACTIVITY TONIGHT IS TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT [ Consent Agenda] AGENDA. ITEMS THAT ARE CONSENT APPROVAL, DISAPPROVAL, POSTPONEMENTS OF PUBLIC HEARINGS OR NON-DISCUSSION ITEMS. VICE CHAIR HANEY WILL READ THE PROPOSED CONSENT AGENDA AND SPECIFY THOSE THAT ARE CONSENT POSTPONEMENT AND NON-DISCUSSION. AFTER THIS COMMISSIONERS, YOU'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST ANY CONSENT ITEMS BE PULLED FOR DISCUSSION. VICE CHAIR, WOULD YOU MIND READING THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR US? CERTAINLY. UM, ITEM NUMBER TWO IS A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 2 0 2 5 DASH 0 0 8 0 2 AIRPORT AND KIC MULTIFAMILY AND DISTRICT FOUR. THAT UP IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO DECEMBER THE EIGHTH. ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A REZONING C FOUR DASH 2025 DASH ZERO 15 AIRPORT AND KANIG MULTIFAMILY AND DISTRICT FOUR. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO DECEMBER THE EIGHTH. ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT NPA DASH 20 0 26 0 0 2 1 0.03 1221 SOUTH I 35 REZONING IN DISTRICT NINE. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER THE 10TH. ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS A REZONING C FOUR DASH 20 26 0 4 0 1 2 2 1 SOUTH IH 35 REZONING IN DISTRICT NINE. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER THE 10TH. AND NUMBER SIX IS, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT IN PA DASH 20 26 0 0 3 1 0 1 3 4 0 5 AND 3 4 0 5 AND STACK AVENUE REZONING IN DISTRICT SEVEN. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER THE 10TH. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS A REZONING C1 FOUR DASH 2026 DASH 0 0 4 7 34 0 5, AND 34 5 AND STACK AVENUE REZONING IN DISTRICT SEVEN. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR STAFF POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER THE 10TH. AND NUMBER EIGHT IS A REZONING C 14 DASH 2025 DASH 0 5 1 WOODWARD MIXED USE FLATS IN DISTRICT THREE. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR A, UH, DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO DECEMBER THE EIGHTH. ITEM NUMBER NINE IS A REZONING C ONE 14 DASH 2026 DASH 0 0 5 20 20 WEST ANDERSON LANE, DISTRICT FOUR. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR APPLICANT AND NEIGHBORHOOD POSTPONEMENT TO NOVEMBER THE 10TH. ITEM NUMBER 10 IS A REZONING C ONE 14 DASH 2026 DASH 0 5 6 WEST 35TH STREET IN DISTRICT 10, AND I BELIEVE CONDITIONS FROM THE CASE MANAGER WILL BE READ INTO THE RECORD. YES, CYNTHIA HAD AUSTIN PLANNING. I'M HERE TO LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE APPLICANT HAVE COME TO AN AGREEMENT TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL CO ON THE PROPERTY WITH A 39 FOOT HEIGHT CAP, UM, AND TO CONTINUE WITH THE SERVICE, UH, STATION PROHIBITED USE THAT STAFF RECOMMENDED. EXCELLENT. THANK YOU MS. AUDREY. ITEM NUMBER 11 IS A REZONING C ONE FOUR DASH 2 0 26 DASH 0 0 5 9 MENCHACA IN DISTRICT NUMBER FIVE. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR CONSENT. ITEM NUMBER 12 IS A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT AMENDMENT C ONE FOUR DASH NINE FIVE DASH 0 1 70 RCA 1 3 0 1 1 3 0 1 AND A HALF SOUTH MOPAC EXPRESSWAY SERVICE [00:05:01] ROAD NORTHBOUND AND 2 9 7 6 BARTON SKYWAY RC AMENDMENT IN DISTRICT EIGHT. THAT ITEM IS UP FOR A'S POSTPONEMENT TO DECEMBER THE 15TH. AND ITEM NUMBER 13 IS A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT S PC DASH 2 26 DASH 0 2 5 8 A HIGHER SPIRITS ROOFTOP LOUNGE IN DISTRICT THREE. AND I BELIEVE THAT ONE ALSO HAS CONDITIONS FROM THE CASE MANAGER TO BE READ INTO THE RECORD. THANK YOU. RANDALL RUDA, CASE MANAGER FOR THE PROJECT. 2 2 0 2 6 0 2 5 8 A WITH DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. UH, THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN AG AGREED WITH THE APPLICANT, NO AMPLIFIED SOUND EQUIPMENT MAY BE OPERATED IN THE ROOFTOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AREA AFTER 10:00 PM ON SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY EVENINGS OR ON DECEMBER 31ST OF EACH YEAR. EXCEPT AS LIMITED BY THE CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL OF THIS CUP OUTDOOR AMPLIFIED SOUND EQUIPMENT MAY BE OPERATED IN THE ROOFTOP CUSTOMER SERVICE AREA IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF AN APPROVED CITY OF AUSTIN OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE PERMIT. THREE PERMIT HOLDERS WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATED SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, AND COMPLAINTS. THIS POINT OF CONTACT WILL BE PROVIDED UPON REQUEST TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE EAST CAESAR VEZ NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING TEAM, AND OTHER NEIGHBORING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES. THE SINGLE INITIAL POINT OF CONTACT IS AND CONTACT IS IN IN THE IS IN THE AGREEMENT. UH, NUMBER FOUR PERMIT HOLDERS WILL MAINTAIN AN INCIDENT LOG OF ALL OUTDOOR SOUND COMPLAINTS RECEIVED AND ANY RESPONSIVE ACTION TAKEN. THIS LOG OR AN ACCURATE SUMMARY WILL BE SHARED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THESE DE CHAVEZ NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING TEAM AND OTHER NEIGHBORING RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES UPON REASONABLE REQUEST. AND FINALLY, NUMBER FIVE, PERMIT HOLDERS MUST MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE SECURITY MEASURES FOR THE PREMISES AND PROVIDE DEDICATED ONSITE SECURITY PERSONNEL WHEN WARRANTED BY ANTICIPATED ATTENDANCE PROGRAMMING OR SPECIAL EVENTS OR AS OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE PERMITS OR LAWS. PERMIT HOLDERS WILL MAINTAIN A LOG OF SERIOUS SECURITY RELATED INCIDENTS, INCLUDING ANY INCIDENTS RECALL REQUIRING THE INVOLVEMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES RESPONSE. THE LOG WILL INCLUDE A DESCRIPTION OF SECURITY PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES IN PLACE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THIS LOG OR AN ACCURATE SUMMARY WILL BE SHARED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN UPON STATE REASONABLE REQUEST. THOSE ARE THE RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. RUDA AND MADAM CHAIR, THAT CONCLUDES THE CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU SO MUCH. VICE CHAIR. DO ANY COMMISSIONERS NEED TO RECUSE OR ABSTAIN FROM ITEMS ON THE AGENDA? COMMISSIONER ROJAN, UH, CHAIR, I'LL BE RECUSING MYSELF FROM ITEM 13. THANK YOU. CAN YOU STATE YOUR REASON FOR RECUSAL? UH, MY, THE FIRM I AM PART OWNER IN IS INVOLVED IN THIS CASE. NOTED. THANK YOU, MS. BROWN. DO WE HAVE ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS? YES, SURE, WE DO. UM, BUT BEFORE WE GO ON, UM, COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE, CAN YOU PLEASE SEND YOUR ATTENDANCE SHEET? UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR SPEAKER FOR ITEM 13, WHICH IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT. WE HAVE THE APPLICANT LEAH BOJO. LEAH, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. MS. BOJO IS WAIVING HER TIME. THAT CONCLUDES SPEAKERS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. THANK YOU. DO ANY COMMISSIONERS WANT TO PULL ANY OF THE CONSENT ITEMS FOR DISCUSSION OR OTHERWISE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY. SEEING NONE, DO I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AND APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING? MOTION BY VICE CHAIR HANEY, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER POWELL. WITHOUT OBJECTION, THAT ITEM PASSES AND COMMISSIONER ROJAN, YOUR RECUSAL IS NOTED. THIS CONCLUDES THE CONSENT AGENDA AND WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT CASE. [8. Rezoning: C14-2025-0051 - Woodward Mixed Use Flats; District 3 ] SO AS A REMINDER, THIS IS ITEM EIGHT, WOODWARD MIXED USE FLATS DISTRICT THREE. THIS IS A COMMISSION POSTPONEMENT REQUEST TO DECEMBER 8TH, AND THE APPLICANT IS OPPOSED. JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING AND WE ARE NOT TO DELVE INTO THE MERITS OF THE CASE. SO IF YOU'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS CASE, WE'LL HAVE A DISCUSSION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT WE POSTPONE THIS CASE TONIGHT. AND ALL THE SPEAKERS DURING THAT DISCUSSION WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES. AND THAT DISCUSSION SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE MERITS OF POSTPONEMENT OR HEARING THE CASE TONIGHT. IF THE COMMISSION DOES VOTE TO HEAR THE CASE TONIGHT AND YOU'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, YOU'LL HAVE A SECOND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON THE MERITS OF THE CASE WITH OUR NORMAL TIME RULES THEN APPLYING. SO WE WILL FIRST HEAR FROM THOSE IN FAVOR OF POSTPONEMENT. YES, CHAIRMAN. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS SHOSHANA CRAGER. UM, SHOSHANA, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. HAVE, UH, UH, DONATED TIME? UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T DO DONATED TIME FOR THIS PORTION FOR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS SHOSHANA KRIEGER AND I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF BASA BUILDING AND STRENGTHENING TENANT ACTION. WE'VE WORKED ON A LOT OF OTHER CASES BEFORE, UM, IN ZONING CASES WHERE WE GOT, HAD VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE [00:10:01] DIALOGUES WITH THE APPLICANTS AND WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS WITH TENANTS ASSOCIATIONS THAT MET EVERYONE'S INTERESTS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE. UM, WE SENT AN EMAIL EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON WITH 11 REASONS AS TO WHY HEARING THIS CASE IS PREMATURE. I'M NOT GONNA GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM TODAY, INCLUDING THE SUBSTANCE OF THE CASE. UM, BUT I DO WANNA NOTE HERE UPFRONT THAT THERE IS STILL A LOT TO BE NEGOTIATED. UM, THE TENANTS ASSOCIATION SUBMITTED A PETITION TO THE OWNER BACK IN DECEMBER THAT WAS EMAILED TO YOU, UM, AND ONLY GOT A COMPREHENSIVE SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSE LAST MONTH. UM, THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT THAT THEY ATTACHED TO THE RESPONSE INCLUDED ALMOST NONE OF THE PURPORTED COMMITMENTS. THE MOST RECENT DOCUMENT WE RECEIVED 10 DAYS AGO STILL DID NOT INCLUDE A NUMBER OF THE PROVISIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ROUTINELY INCLUDED IN THESE KINDS OF CASES. UM, THE BALL IS CURRENTLY IN THE APPLICANT'S COURT. THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO THE TENANT'S ASSOCIATION'S EMAIL OF A WEEK AGO. UM, I ALSO WANNA BE VERY CLEAR THAT THE OWNERS HERE ARE NO WAY OFFERING ONE FOR ONE REPLACEMENT. RENTERS AT THE PROPERTY, UH, OR RENTS AT THE PROPERTY ARE CURRENTLY ADVERTISED ON THE WEBSITE AS AROUND 39% MFI AND THE OWNERS HAVE ONLY COMMITTED TO ONE FOR ONE REPLACEMENT AT 70% MFI, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY MARKET RATE. UM, BUT AS I SAID TODAY, I WANNA FOCUS ON PROCESS AND PARTICIPATION, UM, AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S REQUEST FOR POSTPONEMENT, UH, RELATES TO WHETHER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION HAS A CHANCE TO WEIGH IN ON THE CASE. AS YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCIL EARLIER THIS YEAR INSTRUCTED STAFF TO DEVELOP A PROCESS FOR CDC COMMISSIONERS TO BE NOTIFIED OF ZONING CASES INVOLVING EXISTING MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT HASN'T HAPPENED HERE. STAFF DIDN'T NOTIFY THE CDC THAT THE CASE WAS PENDING. AND WHEN I REACHED OUT TO A COUPLE OF PLANNING COMMISSIONERS OR OR CDC COMMISSIONERS, UH, THEY INDICATED THAT, UM, THEY WANTED TO HEAR IT. I HAD A LOT MORE TO SAY, BUT IF WE, IF WE HEAR THE CASE TONIGHT OR WHEN WE HEAR THE CASE IN THE FUTURE, YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK FURTHER. OKAY, GREAT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT IS JOHN TIS. JOHN, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. HELLO? UH, THANK YOU. MY NAME IS JOHN CERVANTES. I AM A TENANT ORGANIZER WITH BASTA. UH, I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FOUR 18 AND HOW IT'S A PROCESS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE DESIGNED TO GET TENANT INPUT AND TENANT FEEDBACK. WHEN IT COMES TO CASES THAT ARE INVOLVING REZONING AND DENSITY BONUSES IN PARTICULAR, UM, IT'S HARD TO DO, UH, TENANT ORGANIZING OR TO BE A TENANT, UM, IN THESE CASES BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME TO DEAL WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY, UH, STRUGGLES THAT, YOU KNOW, COMES WITH, UM, THESE KIND OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING REZONED. A LOT OF TIME THERE'S DISINVESTMENT THAT COMES WITH REZONING AND WITH THAT COMES DISINVESTMENT IN SECURITY, REPAIRS, UH, CODE COMPLIANCE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE. AND SO WHENEVER IT COMES TO ADDRESSING THOSE ISSUES AS A TENANT, THERE'S JUST NO TIME LEFT IN THE DAY TO SHOW UP FOR THESE KIND OF PROCESSES. UM, I KNOW THAT MYSELF BECAUSE ON TOP OF BEING A TENANT ORGANIZER, I'M ALSO A TENANT IN DISTRICT THREE MYSELF. UM, SO I KNOW AND MY PROPERTY THAT I LIVE AT IS CURRENTLY ZOD AS WELL. UM, SO I KIND OF KNOW THE STRUGGLES OF KEEPING UP WITH THE DAY-TO-DAY, UH, WORK AND, AND THEN ALSO HAVING TO ORGANIZE AMONGST YOUR NEIGHBORS, UM, IN DEFENSE FOR YOURSELF AND TO GET PROTECTIONS THROUGH THESE PROCESSES THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE TO GET THROUGH. UM, AS A TENANT ORGANIZER, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING WITH THE TENANTS AT POLARIS, AND THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF SECURITY ISSUES THAT COME ABOUT THROUGH DISINVESTMENT AND REZONING. UM, ONE OF THE INSTANCES WAS A SECURITY ISSUE THAT, UH, A LOT OF TENANTS WERE AFFECTED, UM, THROUGH TIRE POPS AND VANDAL VANDALISM TO THEIR CARS. UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IS, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST HAVE TO BE VIGILANT OR STAY VIGILANT FOR THAT MATTER AT THEIR OWN PROPERTY WHERE SECURITY SHOULD BE IN PLAY. AND AGAIN, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THESE THINGS BECAUSE THESE ARE SOME OF THE STRUGGLES THAT COME INTO THE TENANT EXPERIENCE THAT DOESN'T ALLOW THE AVERAGE TENANT OR THE WORKING GLASS TENANT TO BE HERE TO DISCUSS WITH YOU GUYS POSE OR BE PART OF SUCH PROCESS THAT IS, UH, TO BE FOR 18. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT IS LAUREN RAGGA. LAUREN, YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES. GOOD EVENING PLANNING COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS LAUREN CHENGA. I'M, I'M A MEMBER OF THE PEOPLE OF POLARIS TENANTS ASSOCIATION, AND I'VE LIVED AT PE OR POLARIS ON THE PARK FOR 10 YEARS. UM, THE FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD TIME AND AGAIN THAT THERE WILL [00:15:01] BE NO DEMOLITION, NO ACTUAL REDOING OF THE PROPERTY FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. SO I I, WE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RUSH IS ON THIS. AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF REASONS WHY WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST AT LEAST BRIEFLY POSTPONE THIS. UM, IT'S LIKE MY, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHOSHANA AND JOHN MENTIONED WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CHANCE TO PRESENT IN FRONT OF THE CDC. WE TRIED TO DO IT, BUT THE, THE MEETING WAS CANCELED. SO WE FIND THAT THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT. WE ARE STILL NEGOTIATING A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, WHICH WE'VE BEEN TRYING IN GOOD FAITH TO DO SINCE LAST YEAR. WE TRIED TO MEET IN JANUARY, THAT FELL THROUGH. UM, THE LAST EMAIL WE SENT HAS STILL GONE UNANSWERED. UM, WE ALSO, AS JOHN MENTIONED, ARE DEALING WITH SOME SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERNS. WE'VE HAD, UH, TIRES WERE POPPED AT ON AT LEAST 20 CARS. SO WE'RE IN ACTIVE TALKS WITH OUR FRONT OFFICE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO FOR FOLKS. AND LIKE HE SAID, WE'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO SHOW UP IN FORCE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT, WHICH IS OUR HOME. LIKE MY, THIS IS MY HOME. YOU KNOW, I, I'M, I'M 30, THIS IS MY HOME FOR A THIRD OF MY LIFE. AND THEN LASTLY, WE'D LOVE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FOUR 18 PROCESS BECAUSE THAT'S AFFECTING US AS RESIDENTS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH AN ACTIVE REZONING, UH, PROCESS. SO WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO THAT. WE'VE BEEN SCRAMBLING, AND AGAIN, THIS IS, WE'VE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEVELOPER THIS IS NOT GONNA HAPPEN FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. SO LIKE, WE DON'T WHAT, WHAT IS THE RUSH? ESSENTIALLY? THAT'S, THAT'S OUR QUESTION. SO FOR THOSE REASONS, WE WOULD, I MEAN, I PERSONALLY, THE WHOLE TENANTS ASSOCIATION, THE APARTMENT WOULD APPRECIATE IF WE COULD AT LEAST POSTPONE THIS ISSUE SO WE HAVE TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN RELEVANT ISSUES AND ALSO TAKE CARE OF SECURITY CONCERNS. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH. OKAY. NOW WE'LL BE TRANSITIONING TO THOSE IN OPPOSITION OF THE POSTPONEMENT. WE HAVE THE APPLICANT VICTORIA HASSI. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. VICTORIA HASI WITH THROWER DESIGN. UM, SO, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE LANDOWNER, THIS PROCESS STARTED MORE THAN 18 MONTHS AGO. WE SENT LETTERS OUT TO TENANTS BEFORE FILING THE ZONING APPLICATION WITH THE CITY. AND SINCE THAT TIME, THERE'S BEEN A ZONING TRANSPORTATION ANALYSIS COMPLETED. THERE'S BEEN 11 POSTPONEMENTS. UM, WE AMENDED THE APPLICATION IN RESPONSE TO THE TENANT CONCERNS. WE ALSO GAVE A PRIVATE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT DOCUMENT THAT WAS DRAFTED AND SHARED IN RESPONSE TO TENANT CONCERNS. WE SUPPORTED THE TENANT'S REQUEST FOR A LONGER POSTPONEMENT ON SEPTEMBER 22ND IN ORDER TO, UH, CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE CASE TO GO BEFORE THE CDC. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. UM, BUT WE HAVE BEEN RESPONSIVE TO THESE MATTERS AND WE ARE RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING TONIGHT THAT WE, UH, HAVE THIS HEARING. WE DO REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE FACT THAT THIS CASE WILL GO BEFORE THE CDC IN NOVEMBER. UM, BUT I, I THINK THE RESOLUTION THAT COUNSEL PUT FORWARD ABOUT THE CDC HEARING PROCESS STATES THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION SHOULDN'T BE HELD UP FOR THE CDC HEARING. SO WE RESPECTFULLY ASK FOR YOUR SUPPORT TO HEAR THIS CASE TONIGHT. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IN OPPOSITION OF THE POSTPONEMENT IS RON THROWER. MR. THROWER IS WAIVING HIS TIME. THAT CONCLUDES SPEAKERS FOR DISCUSSION POSTPONEMENT. THANK YOU. SO WE'LL MOVE INTO OUR REGULAR PLANNING COMMISSION ROUND ROBIN. SO EIGHT COMMISSIONERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS FOR FIVE MINUTES EACH. ANYONE LIKE TO START US OFF? COMMISSIONER GANNON. THANK YOU CHAIR. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR STAFF AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE CDC PROCESS. UM, SO I GUESS, UM, UH, MY QUESTION IS, CAN YOU HELP EXPLAIN WHAT THE CDC PROCESS IS? WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT, WHAT WE'LL GET FROM THE CDC UM, COMMISSION AND, UM, MAYBE EXPLAIN WHAT THE RESOLUTION FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR, UH, HOW IT AFFECTED THE CDC? SURE. JONATHAN TOMKO WITH THE PLANNING, AUSTIN PLANNING, UH, THE AUSTIN HOUSING DEPARTMENT MANAGES THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION AND OUTLINES THE, UH, THE PROCESSES THAT THEY UNDERTAKE. THIS CASE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT WAS POSTED ON THEIR, UH, AGENDA FOR THE OCTOBER 13TH MEETING. HOWEVER, THE COMMISSION DID NOT MEET QUORUM, SO THE CASE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HEARD. THE, UH, RESOLUTION THAT WAS SPOKE ABOUT, UM, AS WAS STATED BY THE APPLICANT. THIS CASE CAME IN BEFORE THAT APRIL, 2026, RESOLUTION APPROVED BY COUNSEL TO, UH, DIRECTING CASES SUCH AS THIS TO GO TO THE CDC. AND, UH, THE APPLICANT DID VOLUNTARILY AGREE TO HAVE THIS CASE GO TO THE CDC EVEN THOUGH IT CAME IN BEFORE THAT RESOLUTION WAS APPROVED. AND THAT RESOLUTION [00:20:01] DOES STATE, AND I QUOTE, THE CITY'S LAND USE COMMISSIONS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO DELAY OR POSTPONE PUBLIC HEARINGS OR ACTIONS ON REZONING APPLICATION CASES BECAUSE THE COMMISSION HAS NOT CONSIDERED OR MADE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE REZONING APPLICATION. OKAY. THANK YOU. AND JUST AS A FOLLOW UP, UM, IS THERE, UH, DOES THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CDC CONTAIN INFORMATION FOR ZONING CASES? IS THERE, IS THERE SOMETHING ON THE SPECIFICALLY ON ZONING THAT, THAT WE SHOULD BE, UM, THAT WOULD HELP US, UH, WITH OUR DECISIONS? AS WAS STATED KIND OF IN THE RESOLUTION? UH, THE CITY MANAGER DIRECTED STAFF TO DEVELOP A MONTHLY AND TIMELY REPORT OF ALL APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, UH, FOR PROPERTIES WITH EXISTING MULTIFAMILY, UM, FOR THE COMMISSION TO ENABLE A REVIEW DISCUSSION AND PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL. IT DOESN'T STATE ANYTHING ABOUT A RECOMMENDATION TO PLANNING COMMISSION. OKAY. THANK YOU. OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER AHMED? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT, PLEASE. I, SO FIRST OF ALL, I, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, UH, CASE FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND ARE WORKING ON A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT AS WELL WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. MY QUESTION IS, WHAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAD MENTIONED, UH, WAS THAT, UM, THIS PROJECT IS FIVE TO 10 YEARS AWAY. AND SO IF THAT IS THE CASE, MY QUESTION IS IF THIS GETS DELAYED ANOTHER FEW WEEKS, WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO THIS PROJECT AND TO THE, UH, DEVELOPER? CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT OR TO THE, UH, UH, APPLICANT? SO IT, IT IS TRUE VICTORIA HASI WITH THOROUGH DESIGN, IT IS TRUE THAT THIS REDEVELOP THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THIS SITE IS NOT PROPOSED FOR AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. UM, I CAN'T SAY THAT THERE'S, UH, A FEW WEEKS WOULD HARM ANYTHING IN TERMS, BUT I THINK IT'S THE FACT THAT THIS CASE HAS BEEN IN FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. AND MY CONCERN IS THAT IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET DRAWN OUT. UM, I KNOW THE TENANTS HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT AMENDMENTS TO FOUR 18 AND THOSE ARE VALID CONCERNS, BUT I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT ANY AMENDMENTS THAT OCCUR WITH FOUR 18 WOULD APPLY TO THIS PROJECT EVEN IF THEY PASS AFTER THIS PROJECT IS REZONED. RIGHT. I JUST WANNA GIVE THAT, THAT WORD OF CAUTION AND, UM, WE JUST DON'T WANNA DRAW IT OUT ANY LONGER. I THINK 18 MONTHS HAS BEEN QUITE A WHILE. GOT IT. THANK YOU. OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER BRETTON, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT. UH, MS. HASSI, THANK YOU FOR STAYING, UH, SEATED. UH, SO COULD YOU SPEAK TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT AND THE CONVERSATION YOU'VE BEEN HAVING WITH THE TENANTS AND SPEAK TO THE PROTECTIONS, THE TENANT PROTECTIONS FOUR 18 AND HOW YOU SEE THAT PROCESS WORKING OUT? YES. SO, UM, WHEN WE STARTED DISCUSSIONS WITH THE TENANTS AND BASTA IN DECEMBER LAST YEAR, UM, THOSE DISCUSSIONS WERE AROUND CHRISTMAS TIME. WE PROVIDED SOME INFORMATION, SOME OF THAT INFORMATION WAS, UM, NOT AS SUBSTANTIVE. AND SO IT TOOK SOME TIME TO MAKE THOSE SUB GIVE THOSE SUBSTANTIVE ANSWERS. AND IN THE PROCESS ALSO WAITING FOR THE DENSITY BONUS OVERLAY, THE CITYWIDE DENSITY BONUS OVERLAY. SO THERE, THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN BETWEEN, SO IT'S THOSE AMENDMENTS AS WELL AS SOME, THERE WERE SOME AMENDMENTS TO FOUR 18 THAT COUNCIL APPROVED IN MAY, AND THERE'S AN ANTICIPATION OF MORE AMENDMENTS. BUT AGAIN, THOSE AMENDMENTS WILL STILL MOVE FORWARD. UM, AND I DO HOPE THAT TENANTS HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO, TO MEET AND BE PART OF THAT. BUT THOSE WILL STILL APPLY TO THIS REZONING OR TO THIS PROPERTY BECAUSE THE DEVELOPMENT OR THE PROTECTIONS COME INTO PLAY AT THE TIME A SITE PLAN IS FILED WITH THE CITY, NOT AT THE TIME THAT THE ZONING IS APPROVED. AND THE SITE PLAN WOULD BE BEFORE YOU REDEVELOP THE PROPERTY IN ANTICIPATION OF THAT? THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSION? COMMISSIONER ROSN, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. KRIEGER FROM BASTA. UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING UP. UH, MY QUESTION IS RELATED TO THE NATURE OF YOUR REQUEST FOR THE, [00:25:01] UH, POSTPONEMENT. IS THE INTENT OF THE POSTPONEMENT TO ALLOW THIS CASE TO BE HEARD BEFORE THE CDC OR IS THE INTENT TO FURTHER NEGOTIATIONS OR IS IT SOME COMBINATION OF THE TWO? I THINK IT'S A COMBINATION. I MEAN, WE HAD 11, UH, REASONS FOR IT AND SO, AND WE ONLY HAVE TWO MINUTES, SO IT'S HARD. SO I WAS TRYING TO FOCUS ON, I KNOW THAT THE PLANNING COMMISSION REQUEST WAS, UH, BASED ON CDCI THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE COMMUNITY BE ABLE TO WEIGH IN ON THESE CASES IN AN ORDERLY PROCESS. SO WHAT COUNCIL HEARS IS THE SAME THAT Y'ALL ARE HEARING. SO I THINK JUST ON A PROCESS STANDPOINT, UM, THAT IS IMPORTANT. UM, ALSO AS OTHER FOLKS HAVE SAID, THE FOUR 18 STAKEHOLDER PROCESSES HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AND WHILE MS. HASI IS CORRECT THAT THE FOUR 18 PROTECTIONS WILL APPLY TO THE TENANTS, UH, TO THE TENANTS AT THIS PROPERTY, THE TENANT SHOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS. AND THAT'S ONLY HAPPENING IN THIS FALL. AND SO THEY HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME. SO I THINK FOR US, WE THINK THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO POSTPONE UNTIL THE NEW YEAR TO ALLOW FOLKS TO REALLY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS SINCE FIVE TO 10 YEARS FROM NOW. THIS ISN'T GONNA AFFECT THE CASE. UNDERSTOOD. AND I'M FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE FULL NEIGHBORHOOD INVOLVEMENT AND INPUT. AND TO THAT EXTENT, I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE RECEIVED YOUR EMAIL A MONTH AGO, UH, INSTEAD OF THE HOUR BEFORE THAT MEETING. YES, I APOLOGIZE. WHICH IS VERY DIFFICULT. YEAH. UM, BUT WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IS THAT THE PROPOSED POSTPONEMENT THAT IS BEING OFFERED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION DOES NOT SOUND SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE REQUEST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD. IS THAT ACCURATE? YES, THAT'S ACCURATE. AND I, I THINK THAT MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT, UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION POSTPONED THAT THE PREFERENCE WAS TO DO A SHORTER POSTPONEMENT. UM, IF WE WERE ASKING FOR IT OURSELVES, UH, WE WOULD'VE DONE THROUGH JANUARY JUST TO GIVE ENOUGH TIME ALSO SO THAT WE ACTUALLY CAN MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE. 'CAUSE TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE TENANTS OF, WE GET A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT DRAFT, THEN IT HAS TO GO TO THE STEERING COMMITTEE. SOME OF THE LOVELY PEOPLE BACK THERE, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT, WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS, THEN WE HAVE TO GO TO A GENERAL MEETING. RIGHT. LIKE THE PROCESS TAKES TIME AND THE STUFF IS COMPLICATED. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE TIME TO FOCUS ON THE NEGOTIATION AND NOT PREPPING TO COME HERE AND SENDING YOU AN EMAIL AN HOUR BEFORE. AND I APOLOGIZE. I GUESS THE QUESTION THOUGH IS IF WE WERE TO APPROVE THE POSTPONEMENT, WE WOULD BE HAVING THE SAME DISCUSSION AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS. NO, IT WOULDN'T BE IN TWO WEEKS. 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S DECEMBER 8TH. SO I THINK THAT'S AMPLE TIME. AND I THINK IF THE OWNER IS, UH, ACTUALLY INCLUDES SOME OF THE COMMITMENTS, WHICH HE HAS SAID VERBALLY, BUT HAVEN'T APPEARED IN THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, THAT ALSO COULD, UH, CHANGE CONVERSATION. IN YOUR SENSE, IS THAT WITHIN THAT TIME PERIOD THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO I THINK THAT COULD HAPPEN. I CAN'T CONTROL THE OWNERS. I MEAN THEY, THERE HAVE BEEN DELAYS, UM, AS, UH, MS. HASI HAD MENTIONED, THEY GAVE SOME VERY INITIAL, NOT VERY SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSES BACK IN JANUARY, BUT WE DIDN'T GET FULL RESPONSES UNTIL SEPTEMBER. SO WE CAN'T CONTROL A NINE MONTH DELAY. UM, BUT I MEAN, WE, WE WILL NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. I THINK THE TENANTS HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING IN GOOD FAITH. WOULD YOU BE WILLING ON BEHALF OF THE TENANTS TO COMMIT TO ALLOWING IT TO BE HEARD ON THE EIGHTH? IF WE APPROVE THE POSTPONEMENT TODAY? I CAN'T DO THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT, I DON'T HAVE AUTHORITY TO SPEAK FOR THE GROUP. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER MAXWELL? YEAH, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT. UM, I THINK I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THE TIMELINE BECAUSE I THINK WE FORGET IT'S ALL LATE IN THE YEAR. UM, WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF PLANNING COMMISSIONERS LEFT AND SAME WITH COUNCIL MEETINGS. AND THE DESIRE OF YOUR, UM, OF, FOR YOU ALL IS TO ACTUALLY HAVE THIS COME TO THE FULL CITY COUNCIL BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS PREFERRED, YES. AND IT, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IF WE POSTPONE EVEN TWO WEEKS AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD LIKELY RUN OUT OF EITHER PLANNING COMMISSIONER'S COMMISSION MEETINGS AND OR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS TO ACTUALLY MAKE THAT HAPPEN. IS THAT ALSO CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. YES. I UNDERSTAND. AND I GUESS MY OTHER QUESTION RELATED TO THIS IS WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A, UM, QUORUM ISSUE THE LAST TIME WITH THE OTHER COMMISSION. DO WE KNOW THAT THAT WON'T BE AN ISSUE AT THE NEXT ONE? LIKE I GUESS I THINK WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONTINUED DELAYS. SO I THINK THAT'S SORT OF, IF YOU HAVE A SENSE OF THIS PROCESS MOVING FORWARD OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OR AGAIN HITTING SOME SORT OF ROADBLOCK, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND. UM, YEAH, SO I, I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE IF THEY'LL BE ABLE TO MEET QUORUM ON IN NOVEMBER. I DID GO BACK AND LOOK AND THERE'S UH, QUITE A FEW COMMISSION HEARINGS OF THAT COMMISSION WHERE THEY DID MEET QUORUM. I DON'T, I THINK IT'S BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE THEY HAD TO CANCEL A MEETING FOR LACK OF QUORUM. UM, SO I CAN'T SAY FOR SURE IF THAT'LL HAPPEN AGAIN. MY HOPE IS NOT. UM, BUT YEAH. AND THEN I GUESS JUST ONE FINAL QUESTION, IS [00:30:01] THAT ASSUMING THAT IT WAS HEARD THAT DATE, THEY WOULD MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WOULD THEN BE BROUGHT TO US WHEN WE COME BACK IN DECEMBER? IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING HOW THE PROCESS COULD THEORETICALLY WORK? UM, YES. I MEAN IT, IT COULD WORK THAT WAY. IT'S NOT PER THE RESOLUTION, BUT IT COULD WORK THAT WAY. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT WAS WHAT I WAS JUST GONNA SAY. YOU GUYS ARE VOLUNTARILY OPTING TO POTENTIALLY GO THROUGH THIS HEARING AND YOU WOULD DO THE HEARING REGARDLESS OF IF IT MOVES FORWARD TONIGHT AT PLANNING COMMISSION OR NOT. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. GREAT. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANKS COMMISSIONER MAXWELL. UH, VICE CHAIR, UH, ACTUALLY, MS. HASSEY, I'VE GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU AS WELL. UM, COULD YOU SPEAK TO, UM, UH, THE NINE MONTH DELAY THAT WE HEARD REFERENCED, UH, YES A COUPLE MOMENTS AGO? YES. SO, UM, WHEN WE FIRST BEGAN HEARING FROM BASTA AND THE TENANTS ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS, AND A LOT OF THOSE WERE RELATED TO, OR SOME OF THOSE WERE RELATE OR FIXABLE THROUGH THE DBC OVERLAY THAT WAS COMING. UM, AND SO WE PAUSED VOLUNTARILY, WE PAUSED THE CASE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME SO THAT WE COULD FIRST ALLOW THOSE AMENDMENTS TO PASS BY COUNSEL AND THEN THERE TOOK SOME TIME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ALL OF THOSE AMENDMENTS MEANT BEFORE WE ACTUALLY AMENDED OUR APPLICATION. SO ONCE WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT COUNCIL'S ACTION WAS AND WE AMENDED THE APPLICATION, WE COMMUNICATED THAT TO THE TENANTS. UM, AND THAT WAS A, A BIG PART OF THE DELAY WITHIN THAT PERIOD OF TIME. YES. THAT'S, UH, THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE. THANK YOU. UM, AND I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR STAFF. UM, SO YOU HAVE TO BE A LITTLE SLOW WITH ME BECAUSE SOMETIMES I DON'T ALWAYS GET IT ON THE FIRST TRY. UM, SO IF, IF YOU WERE READING FROM THE RESOLUTION, UM, WE'RE NOT AUTHORIZED TO, UM, DELAY A CASE TO WAIT FOR CDC, IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT THE RESOLUTION SAYS? THAT'S HOW I'M, UH, JONATHAN TOMKO AUSTIN PLANNING. THAT'S WHAT IT SAYS IN THE FINAL, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED. IT SAYS NOT, I MEAN, YOU CAN FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU'D LIKE TO, BUT NOT MAYBE ON THE GROUNDS OF THIS RESOLUTION. NOT FOR A CDC CORRECT. HEARING. OKAY. AND THE PROCESS ON CDC, DID THEY MAKE DI UH, THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO PLANNING COMMISSION OR DO THEY, DOES THAT BYPASS US AND GO STRAIGHT TO CITY COUNCIL? BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE PARALLEL PROCESSES. UM, IT STATES THAT, UM, THE CITY MANAGER IS DIRECTED TO PROVIDE A MONTHLY AND TIMELY REPORT OF ALL REZONING APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FOR PROPERTIES WITH EXISTING MULTIFAMILY TO THE COMMISSION TO ENABLE THE COMMISSION MEMBERS TO REVIEW, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL. OKAY. SO, SO CITY COUNCIL. ALRIGHT, GREAT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR HELP AND CLARIFYING THAT. THANKS VICE CHAIR. I'M GONNA, UH, PICK UP ON THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING ACTUALLY, AND I'M WONDERING IF WE HAVE ANYONE FROM LAW AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS. WE, SO THE BASIS FOR THE PC POSTPONEMENT REQUEST WAS A DESIRE FOR THIS CASE TO GO TO THE CDC AND FOR US TO HAVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN WE MADE OUR DECISION AND WE POSTPONED IT PREVIOUSLY FOR IT TO GO TO THE CDC, THAT MEETING DIDN'T TAKE PLACE. MY INTERPRETATION OF THAT RESOLUTION, WHICH REQUIRED CASES LIKE THIS TO GO TO THE CDC, WAS THAT WE SHOULD NOT FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THAT WE COULD, AND IT, WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE FROM WHAT MR. TOMKO JUST READ, WE ACTUALLY CANNOT POSTPONE ON THAT BASIS. IS THAT CORRECT? GOOD EVENING CHAIR, VICE CHAIR PLANNING COMMISSIONER STEVE MADDOX, ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY. UH, THE COMMISSION MAY POSTPONE THIS CASE FOR ANY REASON THAT IT CHOOSES. UH, I THINK IT'S CLEAR TO POINT OUT THOUGH, THAT THE COMMISSION CANNOT REQUIRE THAT THE CDC HEAR THIS CASE BEFORE IT GETS RETURNED, BUT YOU MAY POSTPONE. OKAY. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTERPRETATION OF THAT RESOLUTION. THAT'S VERY HELPFUL. UM, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. TRANGO WITH THE TENANTS ASSOCIATION. IT SOUNDS LIKE I'M GONNA ASK AS YOU WALK UP HERE JUST TO SAVE TIME. IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME DELAYS WITH SOME OF THE MEETINGS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CASE BASED ON THE TENANTS WISHING TO MEET WITH THE OWNER. SPECIFICALLY IF THE OWNER CONTINUES TO NOT BE ABLE TO MEET, IS THE TENANTS ASSOCIATION OPEN TO HAVING ONGOING NEGOTIATIONS WITH APPLICANT WITH MS. HASI BETWEEN NOW AND OUR DECEMBER 8TH MEETING? SORRY ABOUT THAT, GUYS. AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. I WOULD SAY THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE ENGAGING IN THAT. AGAIN, THEY'VE SENT US OVER A RESTRICTIVE [00:35:01] COVENANT AND I, I WILL, YOU KNOW, STRESS AGAIN THAT THIS HAPPENED. WE, WE GAVE THEM A, A PETITION THAT WE GOT SIGNED BY OVER HALF OF THE FOLKS AT THE APARTMENT. THAT WAS BACK IN DECEMBER. UM, WE PLANNED TO MEET AT THAT TIME. THEY TOLD US THE OWNER WOULD BE THERE IN JANUARY THAT FELL THROUGH AND DIDN'T HAPPEN. WE STILL, WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE DECISION MAKER IS, WE DON'T KNOW WHO THE OWNER IS. WE'D LOVE TO MEET WITH THEM. BUT WHEN WE GOT THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT OR THE ANSWERS TO OUR PETITION AND THE RESTRICTED COVENANT IN SEPTEMBER, WE ENGAGED WITH THAT. WE TOLD THEM WHAT WE WOULD LIKE, WHICH I THINK SHOSHANA MENTIONED IS AT LEAST TO PUT ALL THE COMMITMENTS THAT THEY HAVE INTO THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT TO SHOW THAT LIKE THIS IS IN GOOD FAITH AND THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. UM, WE WAITED FOR ANOTHER, I DON'T KNOW, SEVERAL WEEKS TO A MONTH AND THEY GAVE US ANOTHER RESTRICTIVE COVENANT THAT DID NOT INCLUDE REALLY, I THINK IT INCLUDED, UM, A, A, A ONE FOR ONE THAT IS NOT IN LINE WITH WHAT'S REQUIRED CURRENTLY BY THE DBC 30. AND THAT WAS IT. THEY DIDN'T PUT ANY OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAD REQUESTED INTO THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT. AND WE HAVE SINCE EMAILED ABOUT THAT. WE EMAILED ABOUT A WEEK LATER AND WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A RESPONSE TO THAT. SO I THINK WE ARE ENGAGING IN GOOD FAITH WITH VICTORIA HASSI AND WE'LL, UH, WE ARE HAPPY TO CONTINUE ENGAGING IN GOOD FAITH WITH HER. WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE DECISION MAKER PRESENT. I THINK THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT. AND AS A TENANT, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHO, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M, I'M PAYING MY RENT TO ESSENTIALLY, I THINK THAT WOULD BE A RIGHT, THAT WOULD BE SUPER IMPORTANT AND SUPER MEANINGFUL FOR MY COMMUNITY. THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY. BUT IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN GOOD FAITH. BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN BACK TO US AT LEAST IF NOTHING ELSE, HAVING THOSE ITEMS PUT INTO THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT. SO, YEAH, UH, TO, TO, UH, VERY LONG ANSWER, BUT TO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH HER AS WE HAVE BEEN DOING. AND SO GIVEN KIND OF REASONABLE RESPONSE TIMELINES BETWEEN NOW AND DECEMBER 8TH, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE TENANTS ASSOCIATION AND THE APPLICANT CAN COME TO AN AGREEMENT THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO HEAR THE CASE ON DECEMBER 8TH WITHOUT A FURTHER POSTPONEMENT? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. UM, I MEAN, I, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO ANSWER ON BEHALF OF MY ENTIRE STEERING COMMITTEE AND COMMUNITY, BUT I WILL SAY THAT IF WE ARE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND, AND DO FULL NEGOTIATIONS, GET THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEKING SINCE DECEMBER, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE FIRST SIT DOWN MEETING IN JANUARY THAT FELL THROUGH, I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S OUT OF THE REALM OF POSSIBILITY, BUT IT'S VERY, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS VERY DEPENDENT ON WHAT WE CAN GET BACK FROM THE DEVELOPERS OR THE, THE OWNER, WHOEVER THAT MAY BE. OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? WE HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION SLOT AND WE CAN EXTEND IF WE NEED TO. COMMISSIONER BRETTON, YOU WANT US TO TAKE A SECOND ROUND AS LONG AS THERE'S NOBODY ELSE? GO AHEAD. SO I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MS. MERANGA AND , I KNOW UP AND DOWN AND UP AND DOWN AND POTENTIALLY THE APPLICANT AS WELL. SO REGARDING THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, WHEN YOU SPEAK TO THE PIECES THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED THAT YOU'VE BEEN ASKING FOR, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT THOSE ARE AND ARE THEY, IN YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND POTENTIALLY MS. HASHI'S UNDERSTANDING WHAT MAY BE IN FOUR 18 AS A PART OF TENANT PROTECTIONS? THAT IS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION. UM, IF I'M, I'M SO SORRY IF YOU GIVE ME A MINUTE 'CAUSE I HAVE IT THAT I CAN PULL IT UP, I CAN SPEAK IMMEDIATELY TO THE ONE FOR ONE UNIT REPLACEMENT. UM, RIGHT NOW YOU'LL FORGIVE ME BECAUSE THIS IS ALL NEW FOR ME. I'M, I'M NOT A, A LOT OF NUMBERS PROFESSIONAL. YEAH. YES, THANK YOU. UM, BUT IT'S NOT, IT IS NOT IN LINE WITH WHAT IS REQUIRED CURRENTLY BY DBC 30. UM, SOME OTHER THINGS THAT THEY HAD AGREED TO, LIKE IN WRITING, UM, THAT WOULD BE RELEVANT WOULD BE 24 HOURS NOTICE BEFORE WORKERS CAN ENTER INTO AN APARTMENT, WHICH BECOMES VERY RELEVANT WHEN ACTUAL ACTIVE DEMOLITION IS HAPPENING. UM, SO THAT WAS AGREED TO, BUT NOT PUT INTO THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT, NO EVICTIONS WITHOUT GOOD CAUSE, UM, AND LEASE RENEWALS WITH A VALID REASON UNLESS THEY, OR LEASE RENEWALS, UNLESS THERE'S A VALID REASON NOT TO HAVE LEASE RENEWALS. BECAUSE OUR CONCERN AS, AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS THAT LIKE, IF THEY COULD KICK US ALL OUT BEFORE WE GET ANY KIND OF BENEFITS THAT WE WOULD GET FOR, YOU KNOW, STAYING THROUGH TO AN ACTUAL DEMOLITION DAY THAT WAS AGREED TO, BUT WAS NOT PUT INTO THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT LEASE TERMINATION WITH NO PENALTY WITHIN A, YOU KNOW, REASONABLE TIMELINE. AGAIN, IF IT COMES UP TO THE DATE OF DEMOLITION, WE WOULD LIKE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO TERMINATE A LEASE, UH, WITHIN THAT LAST PERIOD OF TIME. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY AGREED TO THAT WAS NOT PUT INTO THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT. UM, LET'S SEE IF, IF I MIGHT INTERRUPT YOU. OH, OF COURSE. YEAH. 'CAUSE I HAVE LIMITED TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS. SURE. I'M SORRY. IT, IT'S TOTALLY OKAY. MS. HASI, UM, WITH SOME OF THESE REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN LISTED THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE RESTRICTIVE [00:40:01] COVENANT DRAFT THAT YOU AS THE APPLICANT SENT BACK TO THE TENANT'S ASSOCIATION OR TENANT'S GROUP, UM, ARE THOSE, UH, REPLICATED IN THE FOUR 18 PROCESS AS CURRENTLY IN FOUR 18? SOME, SOME OF THEM ARE. OKAY. SOME OF THEM ARE IN CODE AND SO A LOT OF TIMES WE LIKE TO NOT PUT THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY A REQUIREMENT IN CODE, IN A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT. UM, BUT AS WE HAVE HAD EMAIL DIALOGUE BACK AND FORTH, WE, WE GOT THE AUTHORIZATION TO GO AHEAD AND PUT SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN THE RESTRICTIVE COVENANT AS WELL. I'M ACTUALLY WAITING FOR THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE LAST DRAFT OF THE RESTRICTIVE, RESTRICTIVE COVENANT THAT WAS SENT. I I HAVE A NEW ONE THAT I'VE NOT SHARED BASED OFF OF SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, BUT I'VE KIND OF BEEN WAITING, I WAS TOLD THAT THEY, THAT THEY NEEDED TIME, YOU KNOW, TO, TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT. SO I'M, I'M SEEING A SHAKING HEAD NEXT TO YOU, WHICH MEANS THAT THERE'S SOME CONVERSATION, I THINK, UM, GIVEN THE POTENTIAL DUPLICATION WHERE TENANT PROTECTIONS ARE INCLUDED IN FOUR 18, WHICH ARE GOING TO BE POTENTIALLY UPDATED AS A PART OF A CITY PROCESS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW AS A PART OF THE DBC AT SITE PLAN, RIGHT. POST REZONING, IF REZONING HAPPENS, THERE ARE STILL SOME OTHER PIECES THAT AREN'T A PART OF FOUR 18 THAT REQUIRE FURTHER DISCUSSION IT SEEMS LIKE. SO I THINK AT THIS POINT I HAVE AN OPINION AND I'LL LEAVE THE QUESTIONS. I'M DONE. THANK YOU BOTH FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANKS COMMISSIONER BRET, AND TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS ON THIS CASE, THAT CONCLUDES OUR COMMISSIONER Q AND A. DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THERE'S ANY BURNING QUESTIONS OR NEED FOR A SECOND ROUND, SO I WILL LOOK FOR A MOTION ON THIS CASE. COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER BARR RAMIREZ. UM, I'M GONNA MOVE TO POSTPONE PER YOUR, UM, DECEMBER TO DECEMBER 8TH. OKAY. LOOKING FOR A SECOND. SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER AHMED. OKAY. SO WE'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITY FOR THREE COMMISSIONERS TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENT AND THREE TO SPEAK AGAINST. UM, I'M GONNA LET YOU SPEAK FIRST. SURE. I CAN START AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK I UNDERSTAND AND I'M ALSO, YOU KNOW, VIGOROUSLY TAKING NOTES AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AS WELL. UM, I THINK WE HAVE POSTPONED THIS QUITE A BIT AND THERE HAS BEEN RATIONALE AND REASON BEHIND THAT. UH, IT'S UNFORTUNATE THE CDC DIDN'T MEET IN OCTOBER. UM, I DO FEEL LIKE I, I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE FACT THAT, UM, THEY HAVE TO GO THROUGH THEIR PROCESS AS WELL. UM, I I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE COMING UP ON HOLIDAYS AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE MISS, SO I AM A BIT WORRIED THAT I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO POSTPONE AGAIN. I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY LAST CHANCE. UM, SO NOTING THAT THE CDC MEETS NOVEMBER 10TH, I THINK. SO MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS REACH OUT TO YOUR CDC COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY SHOW UP. BUT, UM, I THINK I, I, AGAIN, I REALLY SYMPATHIZE WITH THE FACT THAT THERE IS A LONG, ARDUOUS PROCESS AND IT'S VERY HARD TO UNDERSTAND AND GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND EXPLAINING IT AS DIFFICULT. AND SO I JUST THINK WE CAN DO IT ONE MORE TIME. ANYONE SPEAKING AGAINST THE POSTPONEMENT VICE CHAIR? UM, SO I, I CERTAINLY SYMPATHIZE WITH, UH, THE, UH, THE TENANTS WHO ARE HERE. AND BY THE WAY, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. Y'ALL, UH, MAKE A FANTASTIC CASE. UM, BUT I ALSO, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS CASE HAS BEEN GOING ON NOW FOR 18 MONTHS. UM, AND I, I KNOW THAT, UH, THERE'S PROBABLY BEEN SOME, SOME MISCOMMUNICATION, UM, OVER, OVER THAT TIME. BUT, UM, AT, AT SOME POINT WE, YOU KNOW, IT IS OUR MANDATE TO HEAR THESE THINGS. UM, AND YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE LAST STOP, ONE OF THE LAST STOPS BEFORE CITY COUNCIL AND WE MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO THEM. UM, IT IS AMAZING THAT SOMETIMES, UH, WHEN THINGS ARE ON THEIR BETWEEN PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL, THINGS POP OUT AND HAPPEN AND SOMETHING SETTLES AND, UH, AND EVERYONE SMOKES THE PEACE PIPE AND THEY GO TO CITY COUNCIL, OR THE CITY COUNCIL CAN DO WHATEVER THEY'D LIKE. BUT, UM, I JUST, I I WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM THE RESOLUTION ON THE CDC THAT IT SAYS THE LAND USE CITY'S LAND USE COMMISSIONS ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO DELAY OR POSTPONE PUBLIC HEARINGS OR ACTIONS ON REZONING APPLICATION BECAUSE THE CDC HAS NOT CONSIDERED OR MADE RECOMMENDATIONS. SO REGARDLESS OF HOW THIS CASE GOES, I [00:45:01] I JUST WANT, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE TO, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, IF WE DO WAIT FOR THE CDC TO WEIGH IN ON THIS, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WILL DO THIS ONE TIME. BUT WE, YOU KNOW, I I WOULD HOPE THAT NO ONE WOULD TAKE THAT AS A PRECEDENT AND EXPECT THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN EVERY SINGLE TIME BECAUSE THAT'S CERTAINLY NOT WHAT THE RESOLUTION THAT CITY COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY PASSED, UH, CONTEMPLATES. AND, UM, I WILL GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP. THANK YOU. THANKS VICE HANNEY. COMMISSIONER POWELL, I THINK YOU WANTED TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT. YEAH, I'M DEFINITELY IN SUPPORT OF POSTPONING THIS. GIVE MORE TIME FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS TO CONTINUE, WHICH I WANT TO COMMEND BOTH SIDES. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE NEGOTIATIONS ARE IN GOOD FAITH, MISCOMMUNICATIONS LIKE THIS HAPPEN. I HOPE Y'ALL CONTINUE TO PUSH THROUGH IT AND GET A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT THAT WORKS WONDERFULLY FOR THE TENANTS, FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE DEVELOPERS, FOR ALL INCLUDED. UM, AND I RECOGNIZE WE KIND OF HAVE A FULL HOUSE HERE AND MAYBE SOME FOLKS WHO HAVEN'T BEEN TO PLANNING COMMISSION BEFORE. SO TO EXPLAIN A BIT OF WHERE MY DECISION MAKING'S COMING FROM HERE, UH, THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THE APPLICANT, THEY ARE DOING THEIR JOBS AND I COMPLETELY EMPATHIZE WITH THE FACT THAT HEY, 18 MONTHS IS A LONG TIME TO BE DELAYED. UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING TO GET A GOOD RESULT FOR THEIR CLIENT AND TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD. AND I DON'T BLAME THEM OR BEGRUDGE THEM FOR THAT WHATSOEVER. BUT WITH THE TENANTS ASSOCIATION, UH, THESE ARE VOLUNTEERS AND IT TAKES TIME AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S A TIRE SLASHING BANDIT ON THE LOOSE QUORUM DOESN'T GET MET, ACTS OF GOD HAPPEN, RIGHT? SO, UM, I I DEFINITELY AM IN FAVOR OF THE TENANTS HAVING MORE TIME TO NEGOTIATE THIS, THOUGH I DO WANT TO CONCUR WITH VICE CHAIR HANEY. I THINK ALL THOSE POINTS ARE VERY SALIENT. WE DO NEED TO HEAR THIS CASE AND WE DO WANT TO BE FAIR TO THE APPLICANT AND THE OWNER AND GET THIS MOVING FORWARD. SO, UM, AGAIN, JUST WANT TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNICATION MISCOMMUNICATIONS WILL HAPPEN IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS. IT'S PART OF THE TERRITORY, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE Y'ALL ARE CLOSE AND MAYBE EVEN CLOSER THAN WE KNEW ALL OF US KNEW COLLECTIVELY BEFORE THIS MEETING. SO EXCITED TO HEAR THE UPDATES IN DECEMBER 8TH AND DEFINITELY SUPPORT THE POSTPONEMENT. THANKS COMMISSIONER POWELL. ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS SPEAKING AGAINST THE POSTPONEMENT? I, YES, COMMISSIONER BRETTON. I WILL BE BRIEF BECAUSE MOST OF WHAT I WOULD SAY WOULD, UH, PARROT, UH, VICE CHAIR HANEY. I DO THINK THAT THIS CASE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME. AND THE APPLICANT SPECIFICALLY AND, UH, I WOULD ASSUME ALSO THE OWNER HAVE BEEN WORKING TO INCLUDE ADDITIONAL TENANT PROTECTIONS AS A PART OF THAT UPDATED DBC ZONING CATEGORY THAT ADDS TO THE TENANT PROTECTIONS THAT WOULD HAVE, UH, BEEN PROPOSED IN A PRIOR VERSION OF THIS. AND SO TIME-WISE, I THINK THAT IT MAKES SENSE THAT THIS SHOULD BE HEARD AND MOVED TO CITY COUNCIL. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THIS SPECIFIC THING WILL HAPPEN AT CITY COUNCIL. I THINK YOU DO HAVE A GOOD CASE WITH WANTING TO TALK ABOUT RESTRICTIVE COVENANTS AND WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THERE. AND YOU CAN DISCUSS WITH CITY COUNCIL ALONG WITH HOPEFULLY A RECOMMENDATION AND FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THIS AND TALK WITH THE COUNCIL ABOUT IT. THANKS, COMMISSIONER BRETTON, OTHER COMMISSIONERS SPEAKING IN SUPPORT. COMMISSIONER AHMED. I'M SPEAKING FOR THE POSTPONEMENT. IS THAT OKAY? THAT'S CORRECT, YEAH. UH, I'M FOR THIS POSTPONEMENT. UM, I DO VERY MUCH EMPATHIZE WITH THE DEVELOPER IN THIS CASE. I, I KNOW 18 MONTHS IS A VERY LONG TIME, UM, FOR A CASE LIKE THIS, UH, TO BE POSTPONED. I'M ENCOURAGED BY THE FACT THAT IT SHOULD HOPEFULLY NOT, YOU KNOW, AFFECT ANY DEVELOPMENT TIMELINES. THAT'S WHY I'D ASK THE QUESTION ABOUT THAT. UH, BUT TO ME THAT 18 MONTHS IS STILL A SUNK COST AT THIS POINT, AND WE GOTTA LOOK AT THE VALUE OF HEARING IT TODAY VERSUS WAITING, UM, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER FEW WEEKS HERE. AND TO ME, IN ADDITION TO THE CDC HEARING, WHICH OBVIOUSLY IS NOT REQUIRED, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME BENEFIT TO ME OF US MAKING A BETTER DECISION AFTER THAT HEARING. AND MOREOVER, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S NOT A DEADLOCK WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE, UH, ON THE, UH, AGREEMENT AS WELL. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOME ITEMS THAT BOTH THE DEVELOPER, BOTH THE APPLICANT AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE AGREED ON THAT JUST HAVEN'T MADE IT INTO THE CONTRACT. SO HOPEFULLY THIS POSTPONEMENT GIVES US ENOUGH TIME TO GET THOSE AGREEMENTS ON PAPER. I WOULD REALLY, REALLY ENCOURAGE BOTH PARTIES TO DO, TO HAVE A BIG SENSE OF URGENCY WHEN IT COMES TO NEGOTIATING, UH, THIS AGREEMENT OVER THE NEXT MONTH. UH, I'M HOPING BOTH PARTIES CAN RESPOND QUICKLY. UH, UH, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT BOTH PARTIES SHOW GOOD FAITH WHEN IT COMES TO NEGOTIATING THIS WHEN WE'RE HEARING THIS [00:50:01] ON DECEMBER 8TH. THANK YOU. THANKS, COMMISSIONER AHMED, OTHER COMMISSIONERS SPEAKING AGAINST THE POSTPONEMENT. COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA, UM, ABSTAIN, BUT I JUST WANNA REALLY EMPHASIZE WHAT COMMISSIONER AHMED JUST SHARED BECAUSE I, I REALLY WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR TO EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN THIS CASE. WE WOULD FULLY EXPECT TO HEAR THIS CASE ON DECEMBER 8TH. AND IF THIS COMES BACK TO THE COMMISSION AND IT IS NOT READY TO GO THAT I'M SORRY, THAT'S JUST LIKE NOT GONNA BE ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO BE GENEROUS WITH POSTPONEMENTS. WE UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF TIME INVOLVED IN THIS AND ALSO HOLIDAYS ARE COMING UP. SO I THINK I REALLY JUST WANNA EMPHASIZE TO BOTH SIDES THAT THIS IS A VERY THOUGHTFUL COMMISSION. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE CAREFULLY WEIGHING THE CO THE SORT OF PROS AND CONS AND THAT'S WHY I AM ACTUALLY ABSTAINING. 'CAUSE I CAN SEE BOTH SIDES. BUT I REALLY WANNA ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO BE READY TO GO IN DECEMBER WHEN THE CASE COMES BACK. THANK YOU. THANKS COMMISSIONER MAXWELL. UM, SO WE'RE READY TO TAKE A VOTE ON THIS MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER BARRER RAMIREZ, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER AHMED TO POSTPONE THIS CASE TO DECEMBER 8TH. COMMISSIONER BARRER RAMIREZ, I'M JUST GONNA ASK FOR, UM, TO BE TOTALLY CLEAR, THE BASIS OF THE POSTPONEMENT IS NOT SO THAT THIS CASE CAN GO TO THE CDC, IS THAT CORRECT? RIGHT. THAT'S NOT THE SOLE RATIONALE FOR POSTPONEMENT. I THINK WE'RE HOPING TO HAVE A BIT MORE NEGOTIATION AND GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE, BUT I DO WANNA HEAR WHAT THE CDC HAS TO SAY. IF WE CAN HEAR FROM THEM, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE RECOMMENDATIONS. UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION FOR POSTPONEMENT, THOSE AGAINST. ALRIGHT, THAT MOTION PASSES EIGHT TO THREE. THOSE ABSTAINING. THANK YOU. EIGHT TO THREE TO ONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS WHO TOOK THE TIME TO BE HERE THIS EVENING TO OUR APPLICANT AND TO OUR STAFF LIAISON. I APPRECIATE IT. , CHAIR, COMM. YEAH. COMMISSIONER AGAIN AND ABSTAINED. OKAY, SO I THINK THAT PAST EIGHT TO THREE TO TWO AND I'LL ASK STAFF TO CHECK MY MATH ON THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. OKAY. THIS CONCLUDES OUR REGULAR AGENDA AND WE WILL MOVE INTO OUR STAFF [14. Briefing on proposed amendments to the existing Interlocal Agreement between the City and the University of Texas related to the area generally bounded by Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) to the south and west, Enfield Road and 8th Street to the north, and Veterans Drive and Hearn Street to the east that establishes the parties' expectations related to the conveyance of Lion's Municipal Golf Course (Muny), development regulations, the vacation of City rights-of-way, the creation of a regulating plan, and the creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ). Presentation by Trish Link, Division Chief, Land Use and Real Estate and Kim Olivares, Director, Austin Financial Services.] BRIEFING ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM 14. WE'LL FIRST HEAR FROM STAFF ON THIS ITEM. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. UH, MY NAME IS KIM LAVAR. I'M DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I HAVE HERE WITH ME TRISH LINK, A DIVISION CHIEF OVER LAND USE WITH, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN'S LAW DEPARTMENT. UH, WE'RE HAPPY TO BE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT, UH, THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS FOR THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACT. UH, BEFORE WE DIG INTO THE DETAILS, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE, YOU'LL NOTICE HERE IT SAYS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, BECAUSE THIS IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN TWO GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES. IT IS NOT YOUR TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. IT IS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE IT REGULARLY REFERRED TO AS THE BRACKENRIDGE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THAT CLARITY BEFORE WE JUMP INTO THE DETAILS. SO TONIGHT WE'LL PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND ON, UH, THE, JUST THE OVERALL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE UNIVERSITY, UH, LION, AND THEN ALSO THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACT AND, UH, THE LIONS LEASE AGREEMENT. AND THEN, UH, OVERVIEW OF THE CURRENT AGREEMENT, UH, OVERVIEW OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS. THERE ARE TWO SECTIONS TO THAT, NON-REGULATORY ELEMENTS AND REGULATORY ELEMENTS. THEN FINALLY, THE SCHEDULE GOING FORWARD. SO FIRST, WHY [00:55:01] ARE WE DOING THIS? UH, THE 1989 DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT IS VERY 1989. UH, ITS REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS REFLECT THE ERA FROM WHICH IT WAS CREATED. SO THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THOSE DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS, THOSE STANDARDS, UH, RELEVANT TO TODAY'S EXPECTATIONS. IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO ADDRESS THE LONGSTANDING CONCERN ABOUT MUNI AND ITS FUTURE, UH, ITS ROLE AS A AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE, UH, PLACE FOR FOLKS TO PLAY GOLF. AND, AND PERHAPS MOST IMPORTANTLY, ITS IMPORTANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF A, AS A CIVIL RIGHTS LANDMARK. AND FINALLY, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT CAME TO, CAME TO US THROUGH DECADES OF WORK BY INDIVIDUALS WHO LOVE MUNI, BUT ALSO THE COMMITMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY TO SEE THIS THROUGH AS WELL AS GENEROSITY OF DONORS TO, TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN. SO AT FIRST, THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACT IN 1910, GEORGE W BRACKENRIDGE, WHO WAS THE LONGEST SERVING REGENT FOR UNIVERSITY, DONATED APPROXIMATELY 500 ACRES OF LAND ALONG CALWOOD RIVER, UH, THAT WE NOW REFER TO AS THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACT. THIS MAP PROVIDES A GENERAL, UH, OUTLINE OF THE BOUNDARIES OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. UH, NOW IT'S, WE'RE REALLY DOWN TO ABOUT 350 ACRES, UH, THROUGH VARIOUS ROADWAYS, UH, EASEMENTS AND OTHER LAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY, UM, HAS SOLD OFF IN PRIOR YEARS. UH, THAT 500 IS DOWN TO ABOUT 350 UNDEVELOPED, UNDEVELOPED, UH, LAND AND INCLUDES THE LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE KNOWN AS MUNI, ALSO INCLUDES UT STUDENT HOUSING, BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LABORATORY, THE, UH, WEST AUSTIN YOUTH, UH, SPORTS COMPLEX, AND A MIX OF VARIOUS COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, UH, SUCH AS THE HEB THAT OPENED UP NOT TOO LONG AGO. SO IN BACKGROUND ON LIONS, UH, IT APPRO IT OCCUPIES APPROXIMATELY 141 ACRES OF THE UNIVERSITY OWNED PROPERTY. UH, IN 1924, THE LIONS CLUB LEASED THE PROPERTY TO DESIGN AND BUILD A GOLF GOLF COURSE. IN 19 36, 37, THAT'S WHEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TOOK OVER THE LEASE AND HAS OPERATED THIS GOLF COURSE EVER SINCE. IN 1950, MUNI BECAME THE FIRST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE IN THE SOUTH TO INTEGRATE. UH, THERE IS A, UH, A, A BEAUTIFUL STORY ABOUT, UM, WHEN THE MAYOR SAID LET THEM PLAY, WHEN THERE WERE, UM, UM, AFRICAN AMERICAN BOYS THAT, UH, WANTED TO PLAY AND, UH, AND HISTORY WAS MADE. IN 1972, FRANK IRWIN ACTUALLY SOUGHT TO CANCEL THE LEASE. AND THIS WAS WHAT PROMPTED THE SAVE MUNI CAMPAIGN. UH, NOW TAKING PLACE FOR OVER 50 YEARS, UH, THAT THE COURSE IS COMMUNITY OF GOLFERS NEIGHBORS AND STUDENTS HAVE WORKED TO SAVE MUNI AND PRESERVE ITS ROLE AS A PUBLIC COURSE. UH, IT'S HOME TO A DIVERSE COMMUNITY OF GOLFERS, ALL AGES, BACKGROUNDS, AND IT IS ACTUALLY THE MOST USED PUBLIC GOLF COURSE IN AUSTIN WITH 75,000 ROUNDS PLAYED EACH YEAR. UH, THE CITY'S PUBLIC GOLF COURSES, THERE ARE SIX OF THEM. THEY ARE FULL ALL THE TIME. UH, SO IF THIS COURSE WERE TO NOT EXIST, THOSE 75,000 ROUNDS LITERALLY HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. SO LIONS AND THE COMMUNITY, THEY HAVE, HAVE A VERY, UH, UNIQUE ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, SIGNIFICANT TRADITIONS, UM, ALSO PER MAINTAINING AFFORDABLE ACCESS FOR FOLKS, UM, OF ALL AGES. SO THEY TAKE A, UH, A LOT OF, MAKE A LOT OF EFFORTS TO LOWER BARRIERS TO THE GAME. FOR EXAMPLE, FOR SENIORS, UM, THERE ARE SPECIAL $3 RATES FOR, FOR THOSE PLAYERS, FOR JUNIORS $5. UH, SO LIONS HAS BECOME NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THESE KIND OF OPPORTUNITIES, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION HAS BECOME A PIPELINE FOR BOTH ACADEMIC, UH, GOLFERS, UH, OR, OR YOUTH GOLFERS, UH, PLAYING FOR THEIR SCHOOLS. UM, BUT ALSO, UM, YOUNG GOLFERS JUST PLAYING ON THEIR OWN. THEY'RE HOME TO THE AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL BOYS AND GIRLS TEAMS, WHICH MANY OF THEM ARE HERE TONIGHT. UM, AS WELL AS THE O HENRY MIDDLE SCHOOL. THEY ALSO HOST EXTENSIVE AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS. THEY ALSO HOST TO THE STATE TWO, TWO-WAY GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP EACH YEAR, SOUTHERN TEXAS, PGA JUNIOR TOURNAMENTS AND VARIOUS OTHER HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS. AND IN ADDITION, THEY ALSO PLAY A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR THE WOMEN'S GAME, UH, THEIR HOME TO AUSTIN WOMEN'S PUBLIC LINKS GOLF ASSOCIATION, WHICH WAS ACTUALLY FOUNDED AT MUNI IN 1940. ALSO HOST TWO VARIOUS, UH, WOMEN'S GOLF ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AREA AND EVENTS. IT'S ALSO A PHILANTHROPIC HUB. IT HOSTS MORE CHARITY TOURNAMENTS THAN ANY OTHER GOLF COURSE IN AUSTIN. UM, AND HERE'S JUST A HANDFUL OF EXAMPLES IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. UM, BUT, UM, THE, UH, I THINK THE FOUNDATION FOR THE HOMELESS JUST RECENTLY HOSTED A TOURNAMENT, UH, WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS. UH, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE SPECIAL OLYMPICS AMIGOS AND OZO AND, AND MORE. SO, THE LIONS LEASE AGREEMENT [01:00:01] IN 1987 IS WHEN THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY CREATED A SEPARATE LEASE, UH, THAT, OR A LEASE AGREEMENT THAT WAS SEPARATE FROM THE BDA. UH, SO IT EXCLUDES THE GOLF COURSE AND THE WAY A TRACT ARE BOTH SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED FROM THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. THIS LEASE WAS SET TO TERMINATE 1990 UNLESS THE TEXAS LEG LEGISLATURE ADOPTED A LAND USE PLAN FOR THE BRACA RIDGE TRACT, HENCE THE BDA. SO IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THAT BDA WAS, UH, WAS APPROVED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE AT THE TIME. SO SINCE THAT LEASE AGREEMENT, IT'S BEEN AMENDED AND EXPENDED FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES THE LAST, UM, JUST OVER SIX YEARS AGO, AND IT RUNS ON A MONTH TO MONTH BASIS. AT THIS POINT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO TRISH TO START REVIEWING THE, THE CONTENTS OF THE AGREEMENTS. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. IN 1989, THE INTO LOCAL AGREEMENT REALLY ULTIMATELY SETTLED A DISPUTE, UM, BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY ABOUT WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO REGULATE THAT PROPERTY OWNED BY THE UNIVERSITY, BUT FOR NON UNIVERSITY, USED FOR NON UNIVERSITY PURPOSES. AND IT INCLUDES DATED AND MISSING STANDARDS RELATIVE TO OUR CURRENT CODE. IT REALLY LIMITS THE CITY'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. UM, WE'RE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WAY TO DESCRIBE IT, A RUBBER STAMP UNDER THAT AGREEMENT. UM, IT MAKES THE CITY RESPONSIBLE ALSO FOR PLANNING, FUNDING AND CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTING UTILITY, UM, CAPACITIES TO SERVE THE, THE PROPERTY, UM, FOR THOSE NON UNIVERSITY NON-STATE PURPOSES. THE BDA ESTABLISHES TRACK SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT REG REQUIREMENTS. IT HAS LIMITED ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS. IT ALLOWS FOR A RANGE OF LIGHT OF HEIGHT LIMITS, AND ES ESTABLISHES A RANGE OF IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS. SO WHEN WE SAY TRACKED LEVEL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS MAP, UM, LIKE YOU SEE PARK STREET, YOU SEE, UM, OH, SORRY, I CAN'T READ ALL THESE, BUT THERE'S VARIOUS TRACKS DESCRIBED ON HERE, BOAT TOWN. THOSE ARE THE TRACKS THAT ARE ACTUALLY DESCRIBED IN THE AGREEMENT AS WELL. UH, THE TOWN LAKE TRACK IS THE LARGEST TRACK, UM, ACROSS FROM THE GOLF COURSE, AND THAT IS THE, AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THE MAP, WHERE WEA IS, WHERE THE GOLF COURSE IS, AND THEN LIKE THE LIGHT GRAY, AND THEN THE DARK GREEN OR THE LAND THAT IS, COULD BE DEVELOPED AND TO SOME DEGREE IN SOME PLACES IS DEVELOPED FOR NON UNIVERSITY PURPOSES. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON AMENDMENTS. UM, SOME OF THE NON-REGULATORY ONES ARE TO CONVEY THE MUNI TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS A GOLF COURSE. UM, IT, THE UNIVERSITY HAS ASKED FOR US TO VACATE CERTAIN RIGHTS OF WAY. UM, WE'VE ALSO NEGOTIATED REPLACING THE EXISTING AFFORDABLE STUDENT HOUSING ON THE BRACKEN RIDGE PROPERTY. IT MAY BE ON THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACT GOING FORWARD, OR IT MAY BE OFFSITE. UM, IT WOULD ALSO, WE WOULD ALSO BE MODIFYING THE UNIVERSITY'S EXISTING LEASE AT MUELLER, UM, AND THEN ALSO TO ESTABLISH A TAX INCREMENT, UH, ZONE TO FUND THE PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY ADOPTING A REGULATING PLAN THAT REFLECTS THE BDA AS AMENDED. UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE REGULATORY ELEMENTS. UM, THE FLORIDA AREA RATIO IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE NEGOTIATED. UM, THAT'S KIND OF BEEN A, A LARGE CONVERSATION FOR US, UM, BECAUSE OF THE SETBACKS AND THE TRIBUTARY AND LIKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD, THE LAND THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED IS LESS THAN THE 190 ACRES, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON IS THE 190 ACRES, UM, OF THE LAND, EXISTING LAND THAT THE UNIVERSITY OWNS. UM, SO WHAT THE AGREEMENT WOULD DO IF APPROVED BY COUNCIL WOULD ALLOW FOR THE FLOOR AREA RATIO ACROSS THE A HUNDRED NINETY TWO, A HUNDRED NINETY ACRES BE 0.6 TO ONE. UM, AND THEN ON THE INDIVIDUAL, UM, I'M NOT SAYING, I DON'T WANNA SAY SITE, BUT THE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPED AREAS, THOSE CAN EXCEED 0.6 TO ONE, BUT THEY CANNOT EXCEED FIVE TO ONE UNLESS COUNCIL AUTHORIZES AN INCREASE IN THE FLORIDA AREA RATIO. UM, THE HEIGHT, UM, IN THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WILL BE UNIFORM. GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHEN YOU'RE STANDING ON LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD, NO BUILDING CAN BE TALLER THAN 65 FEET. SO AS YOU'RE, AS THE LAND SLOPES DOWN, THOSE BUILDINGS CAN GO UP TO 105 FEET, BUT AT NO TIME WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING JUST ACROSS, WILL IT BE HIGHER THAN 65. ADDITIONALLY, UM, THE LAND THAT IS NORTH OF LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD IS ADJACENT TO EXISTING RESIDENTIAL, AND SO THE COMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENTS WILL APPLY THERE. UM, SO THE USES IN THE BDA, THE CURRENT, UH, AGREEMENT, THE WAY THE CURRENT AGREEMENT IS DRAFTED, IT JUST LISTS WHAT'S NOT ALLOWED. WHEN WE'RE DOING THIS AMENDMENT, WE'RE ACTUALLY TAKING THE OPPOSITE PERSPECTIVE [01:05:01] OF IDENTIFYING WHAT IS ALLOWED. AND SO THIS HAS INCREASED SOME, UH, SOME OF THE ALLOWABLE USES ON THE SITE AS WE'VE PROPOSED. NOW, WE DO IN, WE DO HAVE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH OF LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD BECAUSE AS I, AS I NOTED EARLIER, NORTH OF LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD, THERE'S EXISTING, UH, DEVELOPMENT. UM, SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL ALLOWABLE USES NOW WILL BE AGRICULTURAL, UM, PET SERVICES, UH, PRIMARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IMPERVIOUS COVER, UM, HAS BEEN A, ANOTHER KIND OF A BIG POINT FOR US IN THIS CONVERSATION AS WELL. UM, THE CURRENT BDA HAS A VARIETY OF IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS. WE ARE TRYING TO SIMPLIFY AND GO DOWN TO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, UNIFORM. SO UNDER THE CURRENT AGREEMENT, IT RANGES FOR RESIDENTIAL AT 30 OR 60%. AND THEN FOR ALL THE OTHER USES, UM, BASED ON WHICH TRACT IT'S LOCATED ON, IT RANGES FROM 75 TO 90%. UM, WE ARE MOVING TO AN OVERALL, UH, MAXIMUM OF PREVIOUS COVER OF 75%. UM, AND THEN AT THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, AT THE INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT LEVEL, THEY CAN GO UP TO 85 AND THEY CAN, UM, TRANSFER FROM OTHER PARCELS. UM, WE ARE MAINTAINING THE EXISTING 200 FOOT SETBACK FROM LADY BIRD LAKE. WE ARE ADDING A NEW 50 FOOT SETBACK ON EACH SIDE OF THE MINOR WATERWAY. AND THEN WE ARE, WE'VE AGREED TO AGREE, UM, TO REVIEW CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES AND DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE SETBACKS BASED ON THAT REVIEW. UM, CURRENTLY THE BDA DOES NOT ADDRESS TREES, UM, BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE TREE REGULATIONS AT THAT TIME. HOWEVER, UM, WE HAVE THEM NOW AND THE UNIVERSITY HAS A TREE POLICY AS WELL. AND SO WE WERE WORKING, WE'RE GONNA WORK ON MELDING THOSE TOGETHER TO CREATE THE REGULATIONS FOR THE TREES, FOR HERITAGE TREES. UM, AND THEN TODAY, WATER QUALITY AND DRAINAGE IS, YOU KNOW, NOT REALLY REGULATED MUCH AT ALL IN THE AGREEMENT. UM, EXCEPT AS SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES I'VE TALKED ABOUT, IT WILL BE ADOPTING OUR CURRENT REQUIREMENTS. UM, GOING IN THE CURRENT BDA, WE DO NOT REGULATE CUT AND FILL OR CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES, AND THAT WOULD CONTINUE GOING FORWARD. SO HERE'S WHERE WE ARE SCHEDULE-WISE, OBVIOUSLY. UH, WE WENT TO THE PLANNING, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION LAST WEEK. WE'RE HERE WITH Y'ALL TODAY. AND THEN IN NOVEMBER WE'LL BE ASKING FOR OUR RESPECTIVE, UH, GOVERNING BODIES TO TAKE ACTION. UM, THE PLANNED DATE FOR COUNCIL IS NOVEMBER 19TH. WE DON'T HAVE A FINAL DATE FROM THE BOARD OF REGENTS, BUT WE UNDERSTAND IT WILL BE IN NOVEMBER AS WELL. IN SPRING OF 2027, WE ARE GOING TO FINALIZE THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS. WE WOULD AMEND THE MUELLER GROUND LEASE. WE WOULD DEVELOP THE REGULATING PLAN, UM, THAT REFLECTS THE EMITTED BDA, IT WOULD COME TO, UH, IT WOULD GO TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON THE TOURS, PRELIMINARY PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN, AND THEN, THEN WE'LL HAVE CITY COUNCIL ACTION ON THOSE DOCUMENTS. AND THEN THE ULTIMATE LAST STEP IS CONVEYANCE OF LIONS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. SO JUST TO TO RECAP HERE, UH, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT JUST POPPED UP IN THE, THE LAST MANY MONTHS. THIS HAS BEEN A TOP OF CONVERSATION FOR DECADES. UM, AND OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IN PARTICULAR, THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, MUCH MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER TO TRY AND FIND A PATH FORWARD, UH, NOT ONLY RELATIVE TO THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACK, BUT ALSO, UH, TO CREATE A MUCH BETTER, UH, PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UH, THE TWO ENTITIES IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM, SO THESE, THE CONDITIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT AT THIS PARTNERSHIP ARE, ARE MUCH MORE ALIGNED, UH, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO REACH A BENEFICIAL AGREEMENT. UM, AND IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO GUIDE DEVELOPMENT A WAY THAT REALLY DOES IMPROVE ALL THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND PRESERVES GREEN SPACE. UM, SO WITHOUT THE, THE DONORS THAT CAME TO THE TABLE, UH, THIS TRANSACTION WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE. UM, THERE, THE, THE COST TO PURCHASE THE GOLF COURSE WOULD'VE BEEN TOO MUCH. UH, SO THIS IS REALLY AN A, AN AGREEMENT THAT, UM, WILL ALLOW FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF THE GOLF COURSE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UM, AND THEN PROVIDES THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS ON THE UNIVERSITIES REMAINING LAND. UH, THERE'S NO LAND SWAPS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT OF, OF SIGNIFICANCE. UM, THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS ARE ALL AROUND ON CAMPUS. SO, UM, IT'S, IT IS PURELY A, AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO ENTITIES. SO AT THIS POINT, WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION, UM, THAT THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. AND, AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE TIME TONIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE'LL HEAR FROM OTHER SPEAKERS AND WE MAY HAVE QUESTIONS FOR YOU AFTER THAT. OKAY, FOR THIS BRIEFING, I'M GOING TO CALL EVERYONE UP THREE AT A TIME, SO JUST BE PREPARED. [01:10:01] EVERYONE WILL RECEIVE THREE MINUTES. OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS SCOTTY SAYERS, FOLLOWED BY JULIE SAYERS, FOLLOWED BY OLIVIA YOUNGBLOOD. SO IF YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME UP AND TAKE A SEAT IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MICROPHONES SO WE CAN MOVE THROUGH OUR SPEAKERS A LITTLE BIT MORE QUICKLY. AND JUST TO REITERATE WHAT MS. BROWN SAID, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DONATION OF TIME ON STAFF BRIEFINGS, BUT EVERYONE WILL GET THREE MINUTES. AND JUST AS A REMINDER TO THE COMMISSION AND TO OUR SPEAKERS, WE WON'T BE TAKING ANY ACTION ON THIS ITEM TONIGHT, BUT WE'RE EXCITED TO HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. GOOD EVENING. I'M SCOTTY SAYERS AND ALONG WITH MY LONGTIME FRIEND BEN CRENSHAW, I SERVED AS CO-CHAIR OF THE MUNI CONSERVANCY. BEN REGRETS THAT HE CAN'T BE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE OF SURGERY LAST WEEK, BUT HIS SUPPORT FOR THIS ENDEAVOR IS WIDELY KNOWN, AND WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND FOR THE CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. THIS IS A GENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITY THROUGH CITY NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND GENEROUS DONORS FOR AUSTIN TO SAVE ALL 18 HOLES AND 141 ACRES AT MUNI LINES IS THE BUSIEST, AFFORDABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE IN AUSTIN, AND HAS SERVED THE ENTIRE CITY FOR 102 YEARS AS A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF RECREATIONAL GREEN SPACE. THE CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY AND GOLF PEDIGREE IS UNMATCHED IN TEXAS. IT'S A PRICELESS PIECE OF LAND. AND ALONG WITH ZILKER PARK, BARTON SPRINGS, PEAS PARK, AND THE HIKE AND BACK TRAIL, IT'S AN IRREPLACEABLE PART OF AUSTIN. THINK ABOUT THIS SIMPLE STATEMENT, AND YOU'VE HEARD IT BEFORE. GREAT CITIES SAVE THEIR GREAT SPACES. AUSTIN IS A GREAT CITY. WE HOPE YOU SUPPORT THIS NEGOTIATION, AND I WELCOME ANY QUESTIONS TO OUR MUNI CONSERVANCY OR SUGGESTIONS IN ANY WAYS WE CAN HELP. THANK YOU. OKAY, NEXT UP WE HAVE JULIE SAYERS. WE FOLLOWED BY OLIVIA YOUNGBLOOD AND THEN FOLLOWED BY TOMMY NORRIS. HI, I'M JULIE SAYERS, AND I'D LIKE TO DONATE MY TIME TO A VIDEO THAT WE HAVE, UM, PRES THAT WE'D LIKE TO PRESENT TO YOU. SO WITH THAT, HELLO FRIENDS, IT'S JIM NANCE OF CBS SPORTS. YOU KNOW, MY FRIENDS AT AUSTIN ASKED ME TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC GOLF AND PRESERVING LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. I JUST WANNA SAY THIS, GOLF IS A GAME FOR A LIFETIME, AND IN THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT HAS ENJOYED TREMENDOUS GROWTH ALL ACROSS OUR COUNTRY, AND SAVING ALL 18 HOLES AT LIONS WILL IMPACT BOTH TODAY'S GOLFERS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND WITHOUT PLACES SUCH AS MUNI, THAT FUTURE IS THREATENED. I WISH YOU EVERY SUCCESS IN SAVING THIS HISTORIC GYM THAT SAYS RIGHT IN THE HEART OF THE GREAT CITY OF AUSTIN. THE PAST YEAR HAS BEEN REMARKABLE FOR LIONS. OVER 200,000 PATRONS HAVE VISITED THE COURSE AND PLAYED MORE THAN 83,000 ROUNDS. HEY, IT'S THE HOME OF THE AUSTIN GOLF ACADEMY, WHERE HUNDREDS OF JUNIOR GOLFERS PRACTICE THE GAME AND JUST AS IMPORTANT TEACHES THAT THEY LEARN MANNERS AND ETIQUETTE, ESTABLISHING LIFETIME VALUES. LIONS ALSO SERVES AS THE HOME COURSE FOR 10 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S GOLF TEAMS AND HOST TEXAS UIL COMPETITIONS. WE WANT MUNI TO BE IN THE BEST SHAPE POSSIBLE FOR GOLFERS AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE. ANYBODY WHO COULD EVER THINK THAT THEY COULD DEVELOP THIS PROPERTY MUST BE OUT OF THEIR MINDS. THE 80-YEAR-OLD 4TH OF JULY, FIRECRACKER OPEN REMAINS ONE OF TEXAS'S LEADING AMATEUR EVENTS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS EVENT AS WELL AS OTHER TOURNAMENTS TO PROMOTE THE HISTORY OF MUNI. THE TEXAS GOLF HALL OF FAME HAS HONORED MUNI WITH AN INVITATION FOR A SATELLITE LOCATION AT LYONS RESPECTING MUNI'S 102 YEAR LEGACY, NOT TO MENTION MUNI'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. THIS GOLF COURSE IS SIGNIFICANT. IT DEMONSTRATES THE JOURNEY BY WHICH WE HAVE CAUGHT. THEY COME ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THIS GOLF COURSE, 'CAUSE THEY COULD PLAY HERE, THEY COULD PLAY ANYWHERE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. HOW ABOUT THAT? THERE ARE A FEW PLACES LIKE MUNI IN AUSTIN. IT'S REMAINED A PRICELESS ASSET TO OUR TOWN FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, AND IS OLDER THAN ZILKER PARK. IT'S A COMMUNITY GATHERING PLACE IN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PIECES OF PARKLAND IN AUSTIN. A RECENT POLL INDICATED THAT NEARLY 90% OF RESIDENTS IN AUSTIN ARE IN FAVOR OF SAVING LINES. MANY A MEASURE THAT IS OVERWHELMING SUPPORT. GREAT CITIES SAVE THEIR GREAT SPACES. [01:15:01] LET'S CONTINUE THE EFFORT TO SAVE MUNI, SAVE YOU NAME. NOW IT'S GOOD FOR US SOUL. NOW IS THE TIME. AND NEXT UP WE HAVE OLIVIA YOUNGBLOOD IS YOUNGBLOOD. WILL YOU JUST TURN YOUR MICROPHONE ON BY PRESSING THE BUTTON? YES. THANK YOU. I AM OLIVIA YOUNGBLOOD. I AM A GOLFER ON THE AUSTIN HIGH GIRLS GOLF TEAM. AND BEING ON THE GOLF TEAM ALWAYS HASN'T BEEN EASY FOR ME. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE I FEEL LIKE I DIDN'T REALLY FIT IN THE SAME WAY AS SOME OF THE OTHER GIRLS. SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO FEEL LIKE YOU BELONG WHEN YOU DON'T SEE MANY PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE YOU. LIONS BECAME A PLACE WHERE I COULD FOCUS ON MYSELF, CHALLENGE MYSELF, AND GROW WITHOUT WORRYING SO MUCH ABOUT WHETHER I FIT IN. I LEARNED THAT I DIDN'T HAVE TO BE EXACTLY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE TO BELONG. I COULD BE MYSELF. UM, I COULD FIND MY OWN PLACE AND BE PROUD OF THE PERSON I WAS BECOMING BECAUSE I HAD A PLACE LIKE LIONS. LIONS HAS GIVEN ME SO MUCH MORE THAN A PLACE TO PRACTICE GOLF. IT HAS GIVEN ME OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE AND TO PUSH THROUGH CHALLENGES. UM, EVERY ROUND, EVERY PRACTICE, EVERY GOOD SHOT AND EVERY BAD SHOT HAS TAUGHT ME SOMETHING. I'VE LEARNED PATIENCE, DISCIPLINE, AND HOW TO KEEP GOING EVEN WHEN I FEEL FRUSTRATED OR DOUBT MYSELF. AND FOR THAT, I'M INCREDIBLY THANKFUL. I'M THANKFUL FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SUPPORTED ME, ENCOURAGED ME, AND HELP ME BECOME A BETTER GOLFER. I'M THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AS BEING I'VE OPPORTUNITIES I'VE BEEN GIVEN AND FOR A PLACE WHERE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO GROW, NOT ONLY IN MY GAME, BUT ALSO IN MY CONFIDENCE. WHEN I LOOK BACK ON HOW FAR I'VE COME, I REALIZE LIONS, UM, HAS BECOME SO MUCH MORE THAN A GOLF PLACE TO ME. IT'S BECOME A PLACE WHERE I'VE FOUND COMFORT, LEARNING ABOUT MYSELF AND CREATING MEMORIES THAT I WILL CARRY WITH ME, UM, LONG AFTER MY TIME AT AUSTIN HIGH. I HOPE THAT AS I CONTINUE TO GROW AS A GOLFER, I CAN ALSO ENCOURAGE OTHER PEOPLE WHO MIGHT FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T FIT IN SOMEWHERE. I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE TO WHERE THEY ARE, TO FIND A PLACE. UM, SOMETIMES THE PLACE WHERE YOU AT LEAST EXPECT, UM, TO ALONG ENDS UP BEING ONE OF THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT PLACES IN YOUR LIFE. LIONS HAS BEEN THAT EXPERIENCE FOR ME, AND I'M SO THANKFUL TO EVERYONE WHO HAS PLAYED A PART IN MY JOURNEY AND HELPED ME MAKE THIS SO MEANINGFUL TO ME. I WILL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR THE TIME I'VE SPENT HERE AND HOW MUCH I'VE GROWN AND FOR THE PIECE I'VE FOUND ON THIS COURSE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKERS ARE TOMMY NORRIS AND DARBY BERRA, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY KYLE CHANDLER WHO WILL BE JOINING US VIRTUALLY. SO, THOMAS, TOMMY, EXCUSE ME. HI, MY NAME IS TOMMY NORRIS. I'M THE PROUD GIRLS GOLF COACH OF AUSTIN HIGH. UM, STANDING BEHIND ME ARE MOST OF OUR 32 MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM. I ALSO REPRESENT THE 54 BOYS ON OUR BOYS GOLF TEAM AS WELL. UM, WE ARE NOT HERE JUST BECAUSE IT IS ANOTHER GOLF COURSE. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE IT IS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE ARE HERE BECAUSE OF IS THE FOUNDATION OF WHO WE ARE AS PEOPLE. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IS HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE WE CANNOT IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT THE GOLF COURSE, UM, THAT WE GO TO EVERY DAY TO PRACTICE. WE REPRESENT AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE IN A HIGH SCHOOL TEAM BECAUSE OF HOW FOUNDATIONAL IT IS TO US IN THIS ROOM. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE THAT LOVE MUNI. WE HAVE PAST CHAMPIONS, WE HAVE DAILY FEE PLAYERS, WE HAVE ADVOCATES FOR THE GOLF COURSE BECAUSE THEY SEE THE GREATER GOOD OF LIFE THAT IS AT LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. THE GOLF COURSE, JUST AS OLIVIA SAID, TEACHES US MORE THAN JUST THE GAME OF GOLF. IT LIONS LENDS ITSELF TO EVERYONE FROM THE 2-YEAR-OLD AT THE GOLF CAMP TO THE 85-YEAR-OLD WITH HIS NORMAL 6:45 AM TEE TIME AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. THERE ARE NO BARRIERS AT LIONS FOR ACCESS TO A LIFE OF ENJOYMENT AND A LIFE OF PURPOSE THROUGH THE GAME OF GOLF. PERSONALLY, IT IS A PLACE THAT TAUGHT ME TO BE A RESPONSIBLE ADULT. IT TAUGHT ME HONESTY IN HARD TIMES, AND IT TAUGHT ME HOW, UM, TO BUILD CHARACTER. IT HAS LED ME TO THE PLACE THAT I AM TODAY AT AUSTIN HIGH. PERSONALLY, PROFESSIONALLY, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM AS THE AUSTIN HIGH GOLF COACH. AND RIGHT NOW, THE MOMENT IS HERE [01:20:01] AND DURING THIS TIME, AND I DON'T, ALONG WITH THESE YOUNG LADIES BEHIND ME, DON'T, DON'T, UM, NOT SEE THE, THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE. WE HAVE A SAYING IN AUSTIN HIGH THAT EVERYBODY IS SOMEBODY AT AUSTIN HIGH THAT IS THE SAME AT MUNI. EVERYBODY IS SOMEBODY AT MUNI. AND I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT MUNI IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF AUSTIN GOLF IN THIS AREA. IT IS A HEART AND SOUL OF AUSTIN GOLF BECAUSE EVERYONE CAN PLAY WITH THE SAME HEART AT MUNI. AND WE LOVE EVERYBODY AT MUNI. THANK YOU. WE HAVE DARBY BERRA. WHILE OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WALKING UP, I JUST WANNA TAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE TO SAY THAT WE LOVE TO SEE YOUNG PEOPLE AT PLANNING COMMISSION, ESPECIALLY YOUNG WOMEN. I KNOW IT CAN BE INTIMIDATING TO COME AND SPEAK PUBLICLY AT CITY HALL. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. YOUNGBLOOD, FOR YOUR COMMENTS. AND NOW YOU ALL KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE, SO WE'LL EXPECT TO SEE YOU BACK SPEAKING AT MANY FUTURE MEETINGS. THANKS FOR BEING HERE. HI, MY NAME'S DARBY BERRA, AND THIS IS MY SON TAYLOR, WHO'S A FRESHMAN ON THE AUSTIN HIGH GOLF TEAM. I'M HERE TODAY AS A MEMBER OF THE MUNI ADVISORY BOARD, BUT ALSO TO SPEAK ABOUT MUNI AS A PARENT. MUNI IS SUCH AN INVALUABLE ASSET TO OUR COMMUNITY. MY SON BEGAN TAKING GOLF LESSONS WITH ERIC LOPEZ AT THE AUSTIN GOLF ACADEMY WHEN HE WAS BASICALLY A TODDLER. IT'S WHERE HIS LOVE OF GOLF AND PASSION FOR THE SPORTS STARTED. NOW AS A TEEN, HE AND HIS FRIENDS HOP ON THEIR BIKES WITH THEIR GOLF CLUBS AND RIDE OVER TO MUNI ALL THE TIME. THEY HEAD OVER TO PLAY GOLF FOR HOURS DURING THE SUMMER AND ON WEEKENDS, THEY'RE NOT SITTING BEHIND A SCREEN PLAYING VIDEO GAMES OR DOOM SCROLLING ON THEIR PHONES. THEY'RE OUTSIDE ENJOYING NATURE, LEARNING A LIFELONG SPORT, AND INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER AUSTIN. ALMOST EVERY DAY AFTER SCHOOL, MY SON AND HIS TEAM HEAD OVER TO MUNI TO PRACTICE GOLF. WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE MUNI AS A PRACTICE FACILITY FOR OUR TEAM AND TO PRACTICE GOLF AND PLAY TOURNAMENTS AT MY SON HAS MET SO MANY PEOPLE PLAYING ROUNDS OF GOLF AT MUNI FROM ALL SORTS OF BACKGROUNDS AND ACROSS ALL GENERATIONS. MUNI IS NOT ONLY RICH IN HISTORY, BUT IT BRINGS TOGETHER GENERATIONS IN A WAY THAT FEW OTHER PLACES CAN. IT GIVES YOUNG PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE OUTDOORS, BUILD FRIENDSHIPS, LEARN FROM OLDER GOLFERS, AND DEVELOP CONFIDENCE AND A LIFELONG SKILL. MUNI GIVES THESE KIDS A SAFE PLACE TO GO, SOMETHING POSITIVE TO DO, AND A COMMUNITY WHERE THEY FEEL WELCOME. IT'S TEACHING THEM MUCH MORE THAN GOLF. IT'S TEACHING THEM PATIENCE, RESPECT, SPORTSMANSHIP, AND HOW TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE THEY MAY NEVER MEET OTHERWISE. AS A MEMBER OF THE MUNI ADVISORY BOARD, I UNDERSTAND THAT MUNI IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A GOLF COURSE. IT'S PART OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY, A GATHERING PLACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO EXPERIENCE THE GAME AND THE CONNECTIONS THAT COME WITH IT. FOR MY SON AND HIS FRIENDS, MUNI ISN'T JUST A PLACE TO PLAY GOLF. IT'S WHERE THEY SPEND THEIR SUMMERS, AFTERNOONS, AND WEEKENDS, MAKING MEMORIES, BUILDING FRIENDSHIPS, DEVELOPING THEIR GOLF SKILLS, AND GROWING UP, I WANT THEM AND THE KIDS WHO COME AFTER THEM TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY. I HOPE WE CAN ALL RECOGNIZE WHAT A SPECIAL PLACE MUNI IS AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THE PEOPLE WHO USE IT EVERY DAY. PRESERVING MUNI MEANS PRESERVING A PIECE OF AUSTIN THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER REGARDLESS OF AGE, BACKGROUND, OR EXPERIENCE. THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO HEAR FROM ME TODAY. NOT JUST AS A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY BOARD, BUT AS A MOM WHO SEES FIRSTHAND HOW MUCH MUNI MEANS TO OUR KIDS AND OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAVE KYLE CHANDLER, WHO'S JOINING US BERKLEY, FOLLOWED BY ED CLEMENTS AND ULMA OVERTON JR. AND ULMA OVERTON II. HELLO COMMISSION MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. MY NAME IS KYLE CHANDLER. UH, I MOVED WITH MY WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN OFTEN NEAR 20 YEARS AGO NOW. I MOVED HERE BECAUSE I FELL IN LOVE WITH AUSTIN FOR MANY REASONS. ONE OF THESE REASONS WAS AUSTIN'S RECREATIONAL SPACES. HOWEVER, MANY TIMES I HAVE PLAYED AT LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE WITH MY DEAR FRIENDS AND I HAVE BECOME FRIENDS WITH SO MANY MORE AT THIS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AUSTIN LANDMARK. NOW, THIS RECENT NEWS, THE CITY AND UNIVERSITY COMING TOGETHER ALONG WITH SO MANY GENEROUS DONORS ACROSS AUSTIN, IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SECURE A MAJESTIC AND BELOVED SPACE FOR ALL AUSTIN KNIGHTS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. LIONS MUNICIPAL IS A PLACE FOR ALL AGES, BUT ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH OF AUSTIN, WHICH IS THE, WHICH IS SHOWN RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU HERE, WHERE YOU ARE. AND THESE YOUTH WHO ARE ABLE TO HAVE A CHANCE TO LEARN A GAME THAT TEACHES VALUE, CREATES LIFELONG FRIENDSHIP, [01:25:01] AND OFFERS A PASTIME THEY CAN ENJOY FOR A LIFETIME, AS WELL AS PASS DOWN TO THEIR SONS AND DAUGHTERS, WHICH HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR THE LAST A HUNDRED PLUS YEARS. A GREAT CITY NEEDS THESE GREAT SPACES, DREAM SPACES, COMMUNITY SPACES, FAMILY SPACES. AS ONE WHO LOVES THIS CITY DEARLY AND REPRESENTING SO MANY OTHERS OF AUSTIN, I URGE THE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS HISTORIC AND HARD FOUGHT OPPORTUNITY. AND I THANK YOU KINDLY FOR THIS TIME TO SPEAK. BE WELL. OKAY, WE HAVE ED CLEMENTS, UH, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS ED CLEMENTS. I'M A RADIO TALK SHOW HOST HERE IN AUSTIN. I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR 37 YEARS. UH, THE FIRST TIME I PLAYED MUNI WAS 52 YEARS AGO AS A COLLEGE STUDENT AT SOUTHWEST TEXAS STATE. NOW I PAID THE SENIOR RATES WHEN I PLAYED MUNI. IT IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE IN MY HEART AND MY FAMILY'S HEART. AND ALSO, AS WE MENTIONED IN THE THE VIDEO, IT'S A GREAT PLACE FOR FUNDRAISERS. UH, FOR MANY YEARS I DID THE ARC OF THE CAPITAL AREA FUNDRAISER. WE RAISED A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT DISABLED, AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE TEXAS CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL GOLF TOURNAMENT THAT GOES ON NOW, A WONDERFUL GOLF TOURNAMENT. UH, IT IS MORE THAN A GOLF COURSE, THOUGH. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL GREEN SPACE. AND IN A TIME WHEN OUR CITY IS EXPLODING STILL, WHERE WE HAVE A LACK OF GREEN SPACE, UH, IT IS MY WISH THAT, UH, WE CAN SAVE THIS WONDERFUL GOLF COURSE, ALL 18 HOLES FOR THE FUTURE GOLFERS. AND JUST FOR AUSTIN, UH, MY FAMILY WAS BLESSED WITH A NEW GRANDBABY, UH, 15 DAYS AGO, AND IT IS OUR HOPE THAT MY, UH, GRANDDAUGHTER POLLY MAY WILL LEARN HOW TO PLAY GOLF AT LIONS MUNICIPAL AND BE A GOOD STEWARD OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND EVERYTHING THAT MAKES AUSTIN. GREAT. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. WE HAVE ULMA OVERTON JR. FOLLOWED BY ULMA OVERTON II, FOLLOWED BY BARBARA EWT. SO IF YOUR NAME IS CALLED, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME UP AND TAKE A SEAT SO WE CAN MOVE THROUGH OUR SPEAKERS QUICKLY. THANK YOU. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS VOL OVERTON JR. AND I'M HERE TO, UH, TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS GREEN SPACE, WONDERFUL GREEN SPACE THAT AUSTIN HAS AND THE HISTORY OF WHAT THIS GREEN SPACE HAS MEANT TO AUSTIN, NOT ONLY TO AUSTIN, BUT MANY OF THE CITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND AROUND, BECAUSE THIS WAS THE FIRST GOLF COURSE SOUTH OF THE MASON DIXON LINE THAT ALLOWED AFRICAN AMERICANS TO PLAY ON. AND I'M GONNA GIMME A LITTLE STORY ABOUT ME AS A KID. I'VE BEEN ON, I'M 78 YEARS OLD. I'VE BEEN ON THIS GOLF COURSE SINCE I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD. DICK KEMP DRAFTED ME INTO THE MOVIE ABOUT SAVING THIS GOLF COURSE IN 74. AND IN 74, I HAD SPENT THREE NIGHTS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE TO SPEAK. AND TWO OF THOSE NIGHTS THEY SAID, EVERYBODY GO HOME. YOU'RE NOT GONNA SPEAK TODAY. BUT I DID SPEAK ONE TIME. I, I SPENT THREE NIGHTS HERE IN THE COUNCIL. I HAD MY LITTLE FEW MINUTES TO TALK. BUT ONE OF THE LITTLE STORIES, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THIS GOLF COURSE IS TO ALL AUSTINITES, UH, OF ALL GENDER OF EVERYBODY. BUT FOR ME, IT IS ESPECIALLY WELL KNOWN AND REALLY APPRECIATED BECAUSE I STARTED PLAYING GOLF AS A LITTLE KID WITH MY DAD, BUT HE WOULD TAKE ME TO THE GOLF COURSE AT MATTER OF FACT, WHEN FIRST THE CANDY STARTED PLAYING, THEY SAID, MY DAD SAID, WELL, HELL, THEY CAN PLAY, WE CAN PLAY TOO. SO THERE WERE LIKE TWO GROUPS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM AUSTIN PLAYING THE GOLF COURSE. I I DIDN'T KNOW THEM AS A KID, BUT I RECOGNIZED THE FACES. THEN ONE TIME, I I, WITH MY DAD, I LOOKED AROUND, I SAID, DADDY, DADDY, WHERE DO ALL THESE PEOPLE COME FROM? HE LOOKED AROUND BUSES, CARS, HE SAID, WELL, SOME, LOOKS LIKE THE WORD HAS GOTTEN OUT. THEY COME FROM HOUSTON, THEY COME FROM SAN ANTONIO, THEY COME FROM WACO, THEY COME FROM DALLAS. HE SAID, THEY COME FROM ALL OVER THE STATE OF TEXAS HERE TO PLAY GOLF. THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT THEY CAN PLAY GOLF IN TEXAS. THAT WAS A TIME FROM THAT, AND THAT MEMORY STAYS WITH ME NOW. AND, UH, I AM A THIRD GENERATION NATIVE AUSTINITE, BUT I HAVE A GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER AND SHE'S SIXTH GENERATION, UH, NATIVE AUSTINITE. SHE ALREADY HAS HER CLUBS AND SHE'S BEEN ON FOUR OF THE GOLF COURSES. I MEAN, HOURS ON FOUR, THE GOLF COURSE, JUST RUNNING AROUND HAVING A GOOD TIME AND SWINGING HER STICKS. BUT THIS IS A GREAT GREEN SPACE, AND I, I, MY REQUEST IS JUST DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP IT JUST AS IT IS. IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE TO BE. AND AS, UH, LISTEN TO A LOT OF THE AUSTIN HIGH, UH, GOLFERS TALK, MY SON AND DAUGHTER PLAYED GOLF ON THE AUSTIN HIGH GOLF TEAM BACK IN THE DAY. AND, UH, THEY HAVE WONDERFUL MEMORIES. THEY STILL TALK ABOUT THIS. THEY HAVE WONDERFUL FRIENDS THEY MET ON THE GOLF COURSE. THEY STILL TALK ABOUT [01:30:01] THEM TODAY. SO IT'S A SPECIAL PLACE FOR ALL, FOR ALL AMERICANS TO COME AROUND. AND I'M JUST ASKING FOR YOU ALL TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO KEEP THIS GREEN SPACE JUST AS IT IS. IT'S SO SPECIAL, NOT JUST TO ME, BUT TO ALL AMERICANS. AND I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SAY A FEW WORDS. WE HAVE BELMONT OVER TO THE THIRD BARBARA EWT, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY CINDY FIG CURR. HI, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. I'M ULMA OVERTON III. THAT WAS MY DAD. WHAT HE FORGOT TO TELL YOU WAS THAT HIS DAD WAS BORN IN 1923 AND HIS GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER WAS BORN IN 2023. SO A HUNDRED YEARS BETWEEN THEM. PRETTY COOL. UH, I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF GOLFERS MYSELF, AUSTINITES, THE SAFE, HISTORIC MUNI DISTRICT BOARD MEMBER IS WHAT I AM AS WELL, AND HAD SO MANY THINGS TO SAY. BUT I SEE THAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS COVERING THOSE BASES AS TO WHY THE GOLF COURSE SHOULD BE SAVED. 75,000 ROUNDS. WHERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE GONNA GO? WHO KNOWS? UH, THEY'RE GONNA STAY THERE, ACTUALLY. 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA SAVE THE COURSE. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I REALIZED THAT IS NOT TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION IS HOW RESILIENT THE COURSE HAS BEEN. IT'S BEEN THERE FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. IT'S SEEN WARS, IT'S SEEN FINANCIAL, CALAMITY, PANDEMICS, AND ALL THE WHILE IT'S JUST BEEN THERE CHILLING, BEING BEAUTIFUL, OCCUPYING 140 ACRES, CALM, COLLECTED. SO AS WE MOVE INTO THE FUTURE, WE HAVE ROBOTICS, AI, THIS AI THAT WE'RE STRAPPED IN GOING A MILLION MILES AN HOUR INTO THE FUTURE. ALL THE WHILE MUNI SITTING THERE, CALM, COOL, COLLECTED, ALLOWING US TO COME THERE AND SEEK SANITY. SO I, UH, REQUEST THAT WE SAVE THE COURSE. SO WE HAVE A BASTION OF SANITY TO GO TO AS WE, UH, PROPEL OURSELVES INTO THE FUTURE OF, UH, WHO KNOWS WHAT, BUT AI, THIS AI THAT, UH, IS REALLY DOMINATING OUR WORLD. AND IT'S NICE TO HAVE A PLACE TO GO TO OUTSIDE, TO GET AWAY FROM SOME OF THAT, UH, AND, UM, HAVE A PLACE TO SEEK SANITY. SO WITH THAT, THANKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND, UH, LET'S SAVE MUNI FOREVER. THANK YOU. GOOD JOB. GET MY NAME. WE ARE BARBARA T UH, I AM, UH, I LOVE GOLF SO MUCH, BUT I HAVE TO SAY THAT I LOVE GOLF, BUT I LOVE NATURE TOO. AND I ADMIRE THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT HAS SO MANY GREENED SPACE, SO MUCH GREEN SPACE, SILK OR BARTON CREEK, UH, UH, PATH, WHATEVER THE, THE, THE WALKING TRAIL. AND WITH THAT, I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT MUNI BECAUSE IT'S GREEN CENTER OF THE CITY TO HAVE A CITY THAT HAS A GREENED SPACE RIGHT IN THE CENTER. UH, I JUST, I JUST LOVE NOW AND I TEACH GOLF BECAUSE I THINK IT'S THE BEST GAME FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ALL THEIR LIFE. AND SO THAT HAVING BEAUTY IS A GOLF COURSE. IT COULD BE THERE ALL YOUR LIFE. AND THAT EXPERIENCE IS, UH, EVERYONE HAS SAID SO MUCH. I CAN'T SAY MUCH MORE OTHER THAN WE HAVE TO SAVE BEAUTY FOR THE PEOPLE IN AUSTIN AND FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. AND ANY QUESTIONS, , ANY QUESTIONS? THERE, BY THE WAY, THERE ARE A LOT OF JOKES ON GOLF, BUT I WON'T BOTHER YOU WITH JOB JOKES. OKAY. BUT I HOPE YOU, I HOPE YOU LET US ALL STAY HAPPY AND BE HAPPY AND SMILING AND LAUGHING AND CHEERING YOU ALL FOR SAVING. MANY THANK YOU. GREAT. BEFORE I INTRODUCE MYSELF, I JUST WANNA SAY, HOW AWESOME IS IT THE GIRLS ALL FROM THE AUSTIN HIGH GOLF TEAM HERE AND THEIR COACH. I THINK THAT'S JUST FANTASTIC. THAT IS SO COOL. UM, I AM CINDY FIG COURIER, AND I THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK TO YOU TONIGHT. AND THANK YOU TO BEN CRENSHAW AND SCOTTY SAYERS FOR CO-CHAIRING THE MUNI CONSERVANCY, AND FOR BEING INSTRU INSTRUMENTAL IN SAVING MUNI. I MOVED TO AUSTIN IN 1978, ALMOST 50 YEARS AGO FROM MICHIGAN. I CAME TO PLAY COLLEGE GOLF AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. AND, UM, I WAS INTRODUCED TO MUNI THROUGH HARVEY PENNICK, WHO SAID, I WANT YOU TO GO OVER THERE TO THAT 16TH TEE. IF YOU WANNA FIGURE OUT HOW TO HIT A DRAW. IT'S THAT FAMOUS PAR FOUR THAT'S SO DIFFICULT. AND I FELL IN LOVE WITH MUNI BACK THEN IN 1978. AND, UM, I PLAYED COLLEGE GOLF ALL FOUR YEARS AT TEXAS. AND THEN I CONTINUED ON THE LPGA AND PLAYED 22 YEARS ON THE LPGA. [01:35:01] AND BECAUSE OF THE AUSTIN GOLF SCENE AND THE SUPPORT, NOT ONLY FROM MR. PENNICK, BUT FROM ALL OF THE GREAT GOLF COURSES HERE, BUT ESPECIALLY MUNI, IT, IT, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS HAVE ALREADY SAID, IT'S AN AWESOME TREASURE. AND IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT CENTRAL PARK IS TO NEW YORK CITY. I BELIEVE IT'S WHAT IS OUR HEART AND SOUL. AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US, AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THOSE HERITAGE TREES THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, OF HOW WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SAVE ALL THOSE MUNI IS, IS WHAT IS SO GOOD FOR AUSTIN. AND JUST LIKE OTHERS HAVE SAID, IT'S THE HEARTBEAT AND IT BRINGS GENERATIONS TOGETHER. AND IT'S ANY AGE, ANY RACE, AND IT, IT'S FRIENDSHIPS THAT ARE MADE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, OLD PEOPLE. AND I'M A MOM OF TWO DAUGHTERS AND JUST LIKE SCOTTY AND JULIE SAYERS, WHO ARE THREE GENERATIONS, AND NOW ED CLEMENS IS IN THAT GROUP, AND WITH THE ONES BEFORE SIX GENERATIONS, AND WE HAVE GRANDCHILDREN. AND SO IT'S JUST KEEP IT GOING. SO TO PRESERVE IT, RESTORE IT, AND JUST SAVE IT FOREVER. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT UP WE HAVE MIKE HAGGERTY, FOLLOWED BY CARL S RICHIE JR. WHO'S JOINING US VIRTUALLY. AND THEN FREDDY STARKS. HELLO, MY NAME'S MIKE HAGGERTY. I MOVED TO AUSTIN IN 1977 TO FINISH UP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. I FELL IN LOVE WITH AUSTIN AND HAVE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE. MY WIFE AND I MARRIED IN 79, OPENED OUR FIRST THUNDERCLOUD SUB SHORTLY AFTER WE'VE RAISED OUR FOUR CHILDREN IN AUSTIN, AND THEY ALL FORTUNATELY STILL LIVE HERE ALONG WITH OUR SIX GRANDCHILDREN. OUR FAMILY AND BUSINESS ARE DEEPLY ROOTED HERE, AND WE PLAN ON STAYING HERE. I'VE OFTEN THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT MADE AUSTIN SO SPECIAL, A BIT MAGICAL AND UNIQUELY DIFFERENT. A GREAT PLACE TO MEET AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS, TO RAISE OUR FAMILY, AND A GREAT PLACE TO BUILD A BUSINESS. HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER PLACES I'D LIVED? I GREW UP IN DALLAS, WENT OUT EAST OF COLLEGE, WORKED IN THE MIDWEST FOR A FEW YEARS BEFORE COMING HERE WE ARE IN THE BEAUTIFUL HILL COUNTRY WITH RIVERS AND HILLS. BUT WHAT REALLY MAKES AUSTIN IS THE PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITY, AND THE OVERALL CHARACTER OF OUR NEIGHBORS, THE PEOPLE IT'S GETTING TO KNOW THE PEOPLE, OUR COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER, GATHER AND HAVING FUN, SHARING OUR COMMON INTERESTS, PEOPLE MEETING THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THE MUSIC VENUES, ATHLETIC FIELDS, PARKS AND TRAILS THAT ARE SPRINKLED AROUND TOWN FROM ZILKER PARK TO THE COOL WATERS IN BARTON SPRINGS, OR THE GROUNDS OF THE UNIVERSITY IS THE PEOPLE YOU MEET AND SHARE THE FUN WITH THAT MAKE AUSTIN SO UNIQUE. LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE HAS BEEN A STRUCTURAL BEAM IN THAT PROCESS OF BUILDING THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY FOR OVER 100 YEARS. ZILKER PARK, BARTON SPRINGS, THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, AND LIONS MUNICIPAL. THOSE ARE THE CROWN JEWELS OF OUR CITY THAT HELP CREATE OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITY. I DID NOT START PLAYING GOLF UNTIL THE EIGHTIES, AND MUNIS WAS THE FIRST PLACE I PLAYED. I DIDN'T KNOW SQUAT ABOUT HOW TO PLAY, BUT EVERYONE ENTHUSIASTICALLY EMBRACED MY INTEREST AND HELPED ME ALONG. I MET A LOT OF 'EM, NEW FRIENDS WHO WERE CERTAINLY DIFFERENT FROM ME, BUT WE SHARED A CON COMMON INTEREST AND ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS, GETTING SOME EXERCISE, SHARING LAUGHS AND A FEW THOUGHTS, AND CHASING A STUPID BALL AROUND WITH STICKS. MUNI BRINGS PEOPLE OF ALL TYPES TOGETHER TO SHARE A COMMON INTEREST AND SPEND A FEW HOURS IN CENTRAL AUSTIN IN A QUIET, FRESH AIR OUTDOOR VENUE THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. JUST YESTERDAY, MY WIFE, JEANIE, WAS AT MUNI VISITING WITH A FRIEND ON THE BACK PORCH WHEN A FEW DEER WANDERED BY VISIT MUNI. AND YOU'RE BOUND TO SEE BEAUTIFUL DUCKS, RAPTORS, COYOTES, WILDLIFE IN AN ENVIRONMENT THEY'RE COMFORTABLE IN RIGHT HERE IN THE CENTER OF A BUSTLING CITY. HOW COOL AND SPECIAL IS THAT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT AGES, DIFFERENT SOCIAL ECONOMIC SITUATIONS AND SKILL LEVELS COME TOGETHER FOR SEVERAL HOURS, PLAY AROUND A GOLF AT MUNI, AND SHARE THEIR COMMON INTEREST AND BECOME FRIENDS. HOW MANY OTHER PLACES CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO IT? PEOPLE ACTUALLY HAVE MORE IN COMMON THAN WE HAVE DIFFERENCES, BUT IT SEEMS TODAY WE ARE SOMEHOW FOCUSED ON OUR DIFFERENCES AND CREATE, UH, CREATE DIVIDES THAT SEPARATE US. THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH AGREEING TO DISAGREE WHEN YOU'RE WITH FRIENDS. MUNI IS A CATALYST FOR THE GOOD THAT COMES WHEN WE SHARE OUR COMMON INTERESTS AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS WHO ARE DIFFERENT FROM US. PLEASE SAVE AND PRESERVE MUNI FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. SO WE MAY CONTINUE TO BUILD NEW RELATIONSHIPS AND KEEP AUSTIN SPECIAL. THANK YOU. WE HAVE, OH, WE HAVE CARL S RICHIE JUNIOR, GO AHEAD. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. UH, MY NAME IS CARL RICHIE AND I SERVE AS GENERAL COUNSEL TO THE, UH, MUNI CONSERVANCY. UH, MS. OLIVERAS TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, HOW, UH, THE CIVIL RIGHTS PART CAME IN, AND I WANNA ELABORATE ON THAT FOR YOU THIS EVENING. UM, IN JUNE OF 1950, THE SUPREME COURT HANDED DOWN A DECISION CALLED SWEAT V PAINTER. [01:40:01] THAT WAS THE CASE THAT INTEGRATED THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LAW SCHOOL. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER IN SEPTEMBER, A YOUNG MAN BY THE NAME OF ALVIN PROPS, HE WAS NINE YEARS OLD. HE WAS A CADDY. HE SHOWED UP FOR WORK AND LO AND BEHOLD, NO ONE WAS THERE. SO ALVIN DID SOMETHING THAT NOBODY THOUGHT HE WOULD DO. HE DECIDED TO PLAY. HE PLAYED THE FIRST NINE HOLES, AND AS HE MADE THE TURN, A MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL SHOWED UP TO PLAY GOLF. UH, WHEN HE SAW ALVIN, HE ASKED FOR ALVIN TO BE APPREHENDED AND BROUGHT TO THE CLUBHOUSE. UH, THEY BROUGHT ALVIN THERE. HE CALLED THE MAYOR, MAYOR TAYLOR GLASS. UM, AND THE MAYOR SAID, LET ME GET TO CITY HALL. HE GOT THERE. HE CONVENED A MEETING OF SOME OF HIS, UH, COLLEAGUES, UH, AND THEY HAD A CONVERSATION. AND THE MAYOR ASKED TWO QUESTIONS, ONE, WHO'S THERE, AND THE COUNCIL MEMBER SAID, NO ONE, HE ASKED, WELL, WHO IS ALVIN BOTHERING? AND HE SAID, NO ONE. AND THE MAYOR SAID, LET HIM PLAY. AND THAT WAS THE, THE THEME THAT TOOK PLACE. THEY LET HIM PLAY. ALVIN FINISHED HIS NOT, UH, HIS ROUND. HE WAS THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN TO PLAY MUNI. AND LIKE, YOU KNOW, MOST KIDS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA KEEP A SECRET. HE TOLD OTHERS. AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, AFRICAN AMERICANS START SNEAKING ONTO THE COURSE, PLAYING THE COURSE. AND THEN IN THE SPRING OF 1951, THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK UP THE ISSUE. AND SO IT WAS A BIG DEBATE. AND COUNCIL MEMBER EMMA LONG, LED THE DISCUSSION AND SAID, WE ARE NOT GOING TO CREATE A SEPARATE COURSE IN EAST AUSTIN. WE'RE GOING TO LET THEM PLAY. AND SO AT THAT POINT IN TIME, MUNI WAS OPENED UP. PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE TO SNEAK ON. UH, AND AS YOU HEARD FROM MR. OVERTON, UH, AFRICAN AMERICANS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE AND ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, CAME TO AUSTIN TO PLAY MUNI BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY GOLF COURSE IN THE SOUTH WHERE YOU COULD PLAY AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN. AND THE SIGNIFICANCE, THE LEGAL SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT TOOK PLACE WAS THAT AFTER THE COUNCIL TOOK THAT ACTION, THERE WERE FOUR DOCTORS IN HOUSTON LED BY DR. BILL, WHO TRIED TO GET THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO OPEN UP THEIR GOLF COURSES. THEY REFUSED. THEY SUED THE CITY. THAT CASE WENT ALL THE WAY UP TO THE SUPREME COURT. THE SUPREME COURT DENY DENIED HEARING THE CASE, AND THE CITY DECIDED TO SETTLE. AND THEY OPENED UP THAT CASE IN THE CITY OF BEAUMONT. THERE WERE SIX AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO WERE LAWYERS. THEY HAD, THEY SERVED AS CADDIES AND AS BUSBOY AT THE CITY. SORRY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FREDDY STARKS, FOLLOWED BY DARRELL HORTON, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL COOPER. WE'RE GOING TO GO ON IF YOUR NAME IS CALLED. YES. UH, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS FREDDY STARKS, FOLLOWED BY DARRELL HORTON, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL COOPER. IF WE CALL YOUR NAME AND WE DON'T SEE YOU, WE'LL GO ON TO THE NEXT PERSON AND THEN WE'LL READ THE NAMES BACK OUT AFTER THAT. SO, SEEING NO FREDDY, WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO DARL HORTON, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL COOPER, FOLLOWED BY MITCHELL GRIFFIN. GOOD EVENING COMMISSION. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND TO SHARE TONIGHT. MY NAME IS DARRELL HORTON. I AM A NATIVE AUSTINITE. I AM A GOLFER AND ALSO SERVE AS THE SENIOR PASTOR OF A HISTORIC CHURCH HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. YOU'VE HEARD SO MUCH TONIGHT ABOUT LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE THAT I COULD NOT REPEAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS BECAUSE YOU'VE HEARD ALL THE GREAT THINGS ALREADY. AND SO WHAT I'VE COME TONIGHT IS TO JUST HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RECOMMENDATION THAT YOU COULD MAKE. I HOPE THAT WHAT YOU'RE HEARING IS THAT THIS GOLF COURSE IS A PART OF THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY, BUT THAT THIS ALSO HELPS AUSTIN TO HOLD ON TO THE LEGACY OF WHO AUSTIN IS, AND ALSO HELPS AUSTIN TO BE A LEADER IN THE STATE AND ACROSS THE NATION. IT IS TRUE THAT WHAT HAPPENS IN AUSTIN BEGINS TO SEND SHOCKWAVES THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THE NATION. YOU'VE HEARD SO MANY THINGS TONIGHT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 1951, AND WHAT HAPPENED HERE BEGAN TO DO THE SAME THING IN CITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS. WE ALSO KNOW THAT MUNI HAS NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE, WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE THE CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS HONORING THIS COURSE BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. AND SO, AGAIN, WE JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT YOUR RECOMMENDATION WILL BE SOMETHING SIGNIFICANT. IT'LL BE PART OF THE LEGACY THAT IS HERE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF AUSTIN. AND WE'RE ALSO HOPING THAT THIS INITIATIVE MOVES FORWARD BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING GREAT COULD CONTINUE TO BE DONE AT LIONS, INCLUDING THEM REDOING THE CLUBHOUSE, TURNING IT INTO A MUSEUM WHERE IT WOULD TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF WHAT'S TAKING PLACE, NOT JUST WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS, BUT WITH ALL PERSONS OF COLOR. AND IT WOULD BE A DESTINATION FOR PEOPLE FROM [01:45:01] ACROSS THE CITY, THE STATE, AND THE NATION, AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT AUSTIN TRULY IS A CITY THAT SETS TRENDS. AND SO WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND FOR YOUR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK ON THIS EVENING. WE HAVE MICHAEL COOPER, FOLLOWED BY MITCHELL GRIFFIN, FOLLOWED BY DYLAN DAVIS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MICHAEL COOPER. UM, I MOVED HERE IN 1988, UM, TO PLAY GOLF, UH, FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, ORIGINALLY FROM DALLAS. UM, THAT'S PROBABLY, UH, WHEN I FELL IN LOVE WITH LIONS THE FIRST TIME. UM, I, UH, USED TO GO OVER THERE, WHAT IS NOW THE NINTH GREEN WAS A LITTLE PRACTICE AREA, AND I'D GO OVER THERE AND KIND OF HONE MY GAME BETWEEN CLASSES MAYBE. UM, AND, UH, AND SO I, I, THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE GOOFY, BUT I'D LIKE TO COME AT IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WAY HOW I SEE IT. BUT, UH, I, I'M VERY BLESSED. I, I LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND, UH, I DRIVE BY LIONS ALL THE TIME ON EXPOSITION BOULEVARD. AND, AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING FROM WORK, GOING TO THE STORE, TAKING MY KIDS SOMEWHERE. UM, AND SO IN THE MORNING I'M DRIVING TO WORK AND I OFTEN LOOK OVER THERE AND I CALL 'EM THE DOW SWEEPERS. YOU KNOW, THE ONES KICKING THE DOW OFF THE FAIRWAYS. IT'S USUALLY THE SENIORS, IT'S USUALLY THE WOMEN'S GOLF ASSOCIATION. UH, AND I JUST SMILE. I I THINK ABOUT THE CALM OF THE MORNING AND, AND THE SMILE ON THEIR FACES THAT THEY GET TO GO DO THAT. AND THAT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY. UH, OFTEN I WILL, UH, BE, BE DRIVING DOWN AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A CHARITY EVENT GOING ON, AND I SMILE AGAIN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT, THAT THAT'S ALLOWING CHARITIES TO RAISE MONEY FOR THINGS THAT ALL OF US IN AUSTIN, TEXAS HOLD DEAR. SO, UH, THAT MAKES ME SMILE. I, I WILL DRIVE BY LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND SEE, UH, A KID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN MENTIONED, UM, ON A BIKE WITH HIS CLUBS OVER HIS SHOULDERS, UM, GOING OVER TO GET A NINE IN OR PRACTICE WITH DEREK LOPEZ AND HIS TEAM. UH, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US LOVE THE GOLDEN HOUR IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN, YOU KNOW, EXPOSITION RUNS ALONG NUMBER EIGHT, AND THERE'S A BUNCH OF KIDS, OR, OR ADULTS, YOU KNOW, HAULING BUTT TO GET THOSE LAST TWO HOLES IN, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE GOLDEN HOUR. AND THAT MAKES ME HAPPY. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S AMAZING. IT CAN BE 50 DEGREES OUT, BLOWING 40 AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RAINING SIDEWAYS AND THERE'S SOMEBODY TRYING TO PLAY LIONS. UM, YOU, UH, I GO OVER THERE AND, UH, MY DAUGHTER PLAYED ON THE AUSTIN HIGH GOLF TEAM. UM, AND THAT MADE ME REALLY HAPPY. UH, IN FACT, MY, UH, I ON, I LOOK OVER TOWARD THE 10 TEE BOX, AND ONE DAY MY WIFE WAS RUNNING TOWARD ME, AND THAT'S HOW I FOUND OUT THAT MY WIFE WAS PREGNANT WITH THAT, THAT DAUGHTER. UH, SO THAT, THAT OFTENTIMES MAKES ME WANT TO CRY. UH, YOU KNOW, I WATCH ERIC LOPEZ TEACH KIDS NOT HOW TO PLAY GOLF, BUT HOW TO PLAY GOLF, YOU KNOW, HOW TO HANDLE LIFE, YOU KNOW, HOW TO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY, HOW TO SHINE UP AND SHOW UP. AND THAT MAKES ME HAPPY. UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO, OOPS, THERE, I'M DONE. UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY. MAY I, MITCHELL GRIFFIN? HELLO, MY NAME IS MITCHELL GRIFFIN. I LIVE HERE IN AUSTIN, AND I FREQUENTLY PLAY GOLF AT, UH, AT LIONS. AND SO I WANNA JUST SHARE A COUPLE THOUGHTS, FEELINGS ABOUT THE GOLF COURSE, THE COMMUNITY AROUND THE GOLF COURSE AS A WHOLE, AND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, UH, THE FIRECRACKER OPEN, WHICH IS THE ANNUAL TOURNAMENT ON THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND, UH, THAT TAKES PLACE UP AT LIONS, WHERE ABOUT 130 OF THE BEST PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE CITY AND AROUND THE STATE COME TO, UH, COME TO PARTICIPATE, TRY TO GET THEIR NAME ON A TROPHY WITH SOME TEXAS GOLF LEGENDS. AND, UM, UH, A COUPLE, A LITTLE BIT OF BRAGGING RIGHTS. BUT THE REASON THAT THAT'S THE GOLF TOURNAMENT, I FEEL LIKE IS RELEVANT TO THIS BROADER CONVERSATION IS IT'S, IT'S KIND OF, IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF JUST LIONS AS A WHOLE. I MEAN, THE FIRECRACKER IS EVERYTHING THAT WE LOVE ABOUT MUNI KIND OF PACKED INTO A THREE DAY WEEKEND IN, IN, IN JULY. AND SO IF YOU REALLY WANNA LEARN ABOUT MUNI, UH, COME, COME CHECK OUT THE FIRECRACKER. SO, UM, LIONS TENDS TO BE KIND OF THE, THE CONDUIT THAT LINKS DIFFERENT GENERATIONS TOGETHER, UM, ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. AND IN THE TOURNAMENT, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S THE ONLY GOLF TOURNAMENT WHERE YOU CAN, CAN HAVE A, A HIGH SCHOOLER, A FEMALE COLLEGE, ALL AMERICAN, AND THEN A 62-YEAR-OLD ACCOUNTANT IN THE SAME GROUP, AND ANY OF 'EM COULD WIN. SO SUPER UNIQUE IN THAT REGARD. AND, UH, IT'S JUST A PLACE THAT I HOLD VERY DEAR. I'M NOT, [01:50:01] UH, NOT ALONE WHEN I SAY THAT. SO, UM, I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT, UH, ALL THE PROGRESS WE'VE SEEN AND, UM, I MEAN, TO ME LINES IT, IT ISN'T JUST A, UH, ISN'T A GOLF COURSE, IT'S MORE OF A, UH, A MEETING PLACE THAT HAPPENS TO HAVE 18 HOLES. SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME. WE HAVE DYLAN DAVIS, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT BUCKWALTER, FOLLOWED BY DAVID FAUCET, FOLLOWED BY DAVID FAUCET, JR. HOWDY, MY NAME'S DYLAN DAVIS LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. MUNICIPAL BY DEFINITION MEANS BEING OWNED AND OPERATED BY A TOWN. HOWEVER, I THINK OF MUNICIPAL AS BEING OPEN TO ALL, AND WHEN PAIRED WITH GOLF, WHICH CAN BE VERY EXCLUSIONARY AT TIMES, IT MEANS A CONDUIT FOR THOSE TO HAVE ACCESS TO A PURSUIT THAT WOULD NOT HAPPEN WITHOUT IT. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED IN 1951. WE ALL KNOW HOW SPECIAL THIS PLACE THAT BROKEN UNFORTUNATE BARRIER YEARS BEFORE BROWN VERSUS BOARD OF EDUCATION FORCED THIS COUNTRY TO RECKON WITH ITS MOST ORIGINAL FLAW. LIONS TO THIS DAY STILL PROVIDES THAT UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO THIS COMMUNITY, AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO RECREATION AND EVERMORE GROWING UNAFFORDABLE CITY. THIS IS EXCEEDINGLY RARE FOR A PLACE SO CLOSE TO CAMPUS FOR STUDENTS AND DOWNTOWN FOR AUSTINITES. IT PROVIDES A GREEN SPACE FOR AN AREA THAT EVERY YEAR LOSES MORE TREES TO BULLDOZERS, GRASS TO PAVEMENT, AND CREEKS TO CULVERTS, A MEETING PLACE FOR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS, AND A SAFE PLACE FOR KIDS AND THEIR PARENTS WHO KNOW THEY CAN BE DROPPED OFF WITHOUT ANY WORRY. IT'S A PLACE THAT HAS SHAPED THE LIVES OF SOME OF THE GREATEST WHO HAVE PLAYED THE GAME, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT HAS BEEN A PLACE FOR COUNTLESS OTHERS TO BE INTRODUCED AND LEARN THE GAME. IT IS A PLACE WHERE STRANGERS BECOME FELLOW AUSTINITES, AND WHERE A TEE TIME ISN'T DECIDED BY YOUR BANK ACCOUNT LINEAGE OR ZIP CODE, IT'S A PLACE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS TO SPEND TIME OUTSIDE WITH THE GAME THAT TEACHES SUCH CHARACTER BUILDING ATTRIBUTES AS INTEGRITY, STEWARDSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY, AND COURTESY. THESE ARE ALL TRAITS THAT I WANT MY CITY, A PLACE WHERE I CALL HOME TO BE INSTILLED IN OUR FELLOW CITIZENS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS. AND LYME MUNICIPAL CAN DO THAT. LET'S SAVE THIS PLACE FOR HISTORY'S SAKE. LET'S SAVE IT FOR THE 141 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE. LET'S SAVE IT FOR THE COMMUNITY, THE STUDENTS, AND THE KIDS. MOST IMPORTANTLY, LET'S SAVE IT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO. THANK YOU. WE HAVE ROBERT BUCKWALTER, FOLLOWED BY DAVID FAUCET, FOLLOWED BY DAVID FAUCET JR. FOLLOWED BY KEVIN. SO GOOD EVENING, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UM, I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS, AND OVER THAT TIME, LIONS MUNICIPAL HAS BECOME A VERY SPECIAL PLACE TO MYSELF AND MY FAMILY. WE USE MINI REGULARLY, UH, NOT JUST TO PLAY GOLF, BUT TO ENJOY THE GROUNDS, SPEND TIME OUTSIDE. APPRECIATE ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GREEN SPACES IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR CITY, AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT. MUNI IS MUCH MORE THAN A GOLF COURSE. IT'S A PLACE WHERE KIDS LEARN TO PLAY GOLF, WHERE FAMILIES SPEND TIME TOGETHER, WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS CAN ENJOY THE OUTDOORS. IT'S A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN WALK AMONG BEAUTIFUL OLD TREES, ENJOY THE SMELLS OF CEDAR SYCAMORE, SEE WILDLIFE LIKE EAGLES, OWLS, COYOTES, DEER, UM, AND FOR A LITTLE WHILE YOU FORGET YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF A RABBIT GROWING CITY. THERE JUST AREN'T VERY MANY SPECIAL PLACES LIKE MUNI LEFT IN AUSTIN. IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR CITY'S HISTORY. IT'S A HISTORIC LANDMARK WITH A LEGACY THAT GOES WELL BEYOND GOLF, INCLUDING ITS ROLE IN BREAKING DOWN RACIAL BARRIERS IN THE PAST THAT HISTORY MATTERS, AND IT'S SOMETHING AUSTIN SHOULD BE PROUD TO PRESERVE. WHAT MAKES MUNI TRULY SPECIAL ISN'T JUST ITS HISTORY, IT'S THAT THE PLACE IS VERY MUCH ALIVE AND BEING ENJOYED BY THE COMMUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY. I, I HAVE HEARD THE STAT EARLIER, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND, THERE CONTINUE TO BE MORE ROUNDS OF GOLF PLAYED AT MUNI EACH YEAR, WHICH JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS PLACE IS, UH, TO THE PEOPLE OF THIS CITY. AS AUSTIN CONTINUES TO GROW AND CHANGE, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT PROTECTING THE THINGS THAT MAKE THIS CITY SPECIAL IN THE FIRST PLACE. IF YOU LOSE A PLACE LIKE MUNI, YOU CAN'T GET IT BACK. UH, WE CAN'T RECREATE THOSE TREES, THAT NATURAL SETTING, THE HISTORY OR THE GENERATION AND, AND THE MEMORIES MADE THERE. UH, FOR MY FAMILY, MUNI IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT AUSTIN IS TO FEEL LIKE AT HOME. I KNOW THERE ARE COUNTLESS OTHER FAMILIES WHO FEEL THE SAME WAY. UH, I HOPE THAT 50 YEARS FROM NOW MY CHILDREN AND THEIR CHILDREN WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY THIS SAME WONDERFUL PLACE. UH, IT'S A PLACE WORTH HOLDING ONTO AND I SINCERELY HOPE WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PRESERVE IT. THANK YOU. [01:55:06] NEXT WE HAVE DAVID FAUCET. MY NAME IS, UH, DAVID FAUCET, AND I'VE BEEN LIVING IN TERRYTOWN FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, AND I'M ONE OF THOSE 75 TO 80 YEAR OLDS THAT SWEEP THE DEW AT SUNRISE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ABOUT LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. THE REASON I GOT INVOLVED IN THE EFFORT TO SAVE MEDIA AS A GOLF COURSE IS BECAUSE IT IS THE BEST WAY TO PRESERVE THE AREA FROM BEING DEVELOPED. ALSO, THE 140 ACRES NEEDS TO BE PRESERVED FOR MANY HISTORICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL REASONS, WHICH I INCLUDE THE HEALTH OF THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN. THOUSANDS OF OLD AND YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BENEFITED GREATLY FROM THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE AND FOR OUR CHILDREN TO DEVELOP MANY MORE TENS OF THOUSANDS WILL ALSO BENEFIT FROM MUNI IF IT IS MAINTAINED AS A GOLF COURSE ANNUALLY. YOUNG CHILDREN, TEENAGERS, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM MANY SCHOOLS ARE INTERACTING AND LEARNING. MUNI IS THE PLACE I TAUGHT MY SON AND HIS FRIENDS TO PLAY. AND NOW WHERE MY, I'M TEACHING MY DAUGHTER TO TAKE UP THE GAME. ADULTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET OUT AND TO NOT SPEND A FORTUNE ON GREEN FEES. WE ALL CANNOT BE MEMBERS OR AFFORD PRIVATE COUNTRY CLUBS. MUNI IS FOR THE AVERAGE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN BRIEFLY. THE TREES AND THE WILDLIFE ARE AWESOME. YOU DON'T WANT TO LOSE THAT. IT IS A PLACE WHERE YOU GO AND CAN MEET AND ENJOY PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. WE DON'T NEED THIS 140 ACRES TURN INTO A HEAT GENERATING CONCRETE MAZE. WE NEED TO KEEP IT AS A GOLF COURSE AND HOME TO THE MANY DEER, DUCKS, GEESE, TURTLES, COYOTES, AND OTHER WILDLIFE THAT CALL MUNI HOME. THANK YOU. WE HAVE DAVID FOST JR. FOLLOWED BY KEVIN, SO FOLLOWED BY TIM ELL, WHO'S JOINING US VIRTUALLY. AND THEN ALAN SEAL EVENING COMMISSIONERS. UM, THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UM, MY NAME IS DAVID FOST JR. UM, MY DAD JUST SPOKE AND I'M HERE TO SUPPORT, UH, PRESERVING LION LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. UM, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, UH, LIONS MAKES ME FEEL. AND, AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE, UM, BEST WAYS TO DO THAT IS THROUGH A QUOTE FROM JOHN MUIR. HE WROTE IN HIS BOOK, UH, THE YOSEMITE THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS BEAUTY AS WELL AS BREAD PLACES TO PLAY IN AND PRAYING WHERE NATURE MAY HEAL AND CHEER AND GIVE STRENGTH TO, TO BODY AND SOUL ALIKE. LIONS MUNICIPAL IS ONE OF THOSE CHERISHED PLACES TO PLAY TO PLAY GOLF, AND IT GIVES STRENGTH TO BODY AND SOUL AND SHOULD BE PRESERVED FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS. PEOPLE FROM AUSTIN AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE WORLD HAVE ENJOYED NATURE FELLOWSHIP IN THE GAME OF GOLF WHILE WALKING AMONG THE ACRES OF OPEN SPACE IN WOODLANDS. UM, I HAVE HAD THE BENEFICIARY OF, OF BENEFIC BE BENE BENEFICIARY OF THE WORK OF MANY BEFORE ME, WHO HAVE MAINTAINED AND PRESERVE THIS GREAT GOLF COURSE. AND AS PEOPLE I SPOKE BEFORE, THE WORLD GROWS AND PEOPLE MOVE TO THIS GREAT CITY AND THE VALUE OF LIONS CONTINUES TO GROW, UH, WITH IT AND WITH THAT GROWTH, UM, OUR DUTY ALSO GROWS TO PRESERVE LIONS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. I WOULD URGE THAT WE TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONSERVE SUCH A UNIQUE AND CHERISHED PLACE FOR THOSE LIVING IN AUSTIN NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS. THANK YOU. NEXT UP WE HAVE KEVIN. SO HI COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS KEVIN. SO, AND I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE MUNI CONSERVANCY. I'M ALSO A PARENT AND FOSTER PARENT. MY KIDS LOVE LIONS. THEY'VE LOVED GOING SINCE I WAS PUSHING THEM IN A STROLLER DOWN THE FAIRWAY. THEY'VE CONTINUED TO LEARN THE GAME THROUGH GOLF, A TX, WITH ERIC LOPEZ. UM, AND YOU KNOW WHAT I'M CONSTANTLY REMINDED OF WHEN SEEING THEM AND SO MANY OTHER KIDS PLAY THE GAME IS LINES IS MORE THAN JUST ABOUT GOLF. IT'S ABOUT FUN AND COMMUNITY. OUR CITY NEEDS TO KEEP SPACES THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER. FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, LIFE HAS GOTTEN SO EXPENSIVE AND PEOPLE WANNA PLACE WHERE THEY CAN SORT OF FORGET ABOUT THAT AND HAVE FUN WITH THEIR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITY. I GREW, I GREW UP PLAYING AT LIONS, MY MIDDLE SCHOOL TEAM, HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT WE PLAYED AND PRACTICED AT LIONS. AND IN THE SUMMERS AT, DURING MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL, I WOULD GET DROPPED OFF WITH MY FRIENDS WITH 20 BUCKS AND WE WOULD PLAY ALL DAY BECAUSE IT'S STILL IT WAS [02:00:01] AND IS STILL ONE OF THE CHEAPEST CHILDCARE OPTIONS, DURING THE SUMMER. WE NEED PLACES LIKE LIONS AND WE NEED MORE OUTDOOR SPACES THAT BRING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER, SO PLEASE SAVE MUNI. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS. NEXT WE HAVE TIM GASO, WHO IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY, FOLLOWED BY ALAN SUE, FOLLOWED BY EMMA NEWAR, AND THEN FOLLOWED BY GIGI BRYANT. UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. ALL MY FRIENDS SITTING IN THAT ROOM RIGHT NOW. IT'S AN HONOR TO SPEAK IN THE SAME ROOM WITH ALL OF YOU. MY NAME'S TIM CASTELL, AND I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE OF LYONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. AND WHEN I SAY THAT, I DON'T MEAN I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M SUPPORTING LYONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. I MEAN, I'M HERE ALIVE TODAY BECAUSE I FOUND THAT GOLF COURSE. UH, I'M A UNITED STATES ARMY VETERAN, A PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT, AN EDUCATOR, AND A HIGH SCHOOL GOLF COACH. UM, I ALSO SERVE ON THE SAFE MUNI CONSERVANCY BOARD BECAUSE OF WHAT IT MEANS TO ME AND MY FAMILY. TONIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO BE THE VOICE FOR MY DAD. UH, IN 1989, MY FATHER RETIRED FROM FORT HOOD AND HE MOVED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. HE THOUGHT LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE WAS ACTUALLY NAMED DAVE MUNI. HE SAW ALL THE SIGNS EVERYWHERE. UM, I LEARNED LATER IN LIFE THAT MY FATHER STRUGGLED WHEN HE RETURNED TO CIVILIAN LIFE, AND HE FOUND A PLACE WHERE HE COULD ESCAPE THE NOISE OF EVERYDAY LIFE AND A PEACE THROUGH THE SIMPLE GAME OF GOLF. UH, ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2001, I LEFT MY BEAUTIFUL HOME OF AUSTIN, TEXAS TO JOIN THE ARMY. UH, I SERVED WITH THE 82ND AIRBORNE, AND ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2003, UH, I, OR SORRY, SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2003, I WAS WOUNDED BY A ROADSIDE BOMB. WHEN I CAME HOME, I STRUGGLED JUST LIKE MY DAD. UH, SOME OF MY WOUNDS WERE INVISIBLE, BUT LIKE MANY VETERANS, I NEEDED TO FIND SOMEWHERE TO FIND MY NORMAL. MY FATHER KNEW EXACTLY WHERE TO TAKE ME. HE ALREADY HAD BEEN THERE. HE TOOK ME TO MUNI THE SAME GOLF COURSE THAT HAD GIVEN HIM PEACE WHEN HE NEEDED IT. THAT'S WHY I'M SPEAKING TONIGHT. MUNI IS JUST, ISN'T JUST AN 18 HOLE GOLF COURSE. IT'S A PLACE THAT CHANGES LIFE, LIVES FOR VETERANS. IT PROVIDES FRIENDSHIP, COMMUNITY PEACE FOR SENIORS. IT'S A PLACE THAT KEEPS THEM ACTIVE AND CONNECTED AND ENGAGED, UH, FOR VETERANS, UH, ON DISABILITY INCOMES AND SENIORS LIVING ON RETIREMENT AND SOCIAL SECURITY. THEY CAN'T JUST BE A MEMBER OF AUSTIN COUNTRY CLUB. I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT GOLFERS ARE JUST RICH PEOPLE, BUT SOME OF US LOVE THIS GAME AND WE DON'T DRIVE BMW. UH, IT'S ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION OF A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT. UM, AS A HIGH SCHOOL GOLF COACH, I KNOW FIRSTHAND HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS. THE YOUNG GOLFERS AREN'T JUST LEARNING HOW TO SWING A CLUB. THEY'RE LEARNING DISCIPLINE, HONESTY, PERSEVERANCE, AND RESPECT. THEY'RE LEARNING WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO A CITY. UM, I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE PEOPLE LIKE MARY ARNOLD AND THE OVERTON FAMILY, BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR THEM, I WOULD NEVER HAVE FOUND THIS SPACE. LIKE THAT'S THE REALITY. MY FATHER MIGHT NOT HAVE FOUND THE SPACE, AND LORD KNOWS WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED. IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY AND OUR TO GET THAT NEXT GENERATION THE SAME OPPORTUNITY. THERE WILL BE VETERANS COMING HOME FROM ALL THESE WARS, AND THEY NEED A PLACE. THERE ARE SENIORS THAT NEED A PLACE TO PLAY GOLF, AND THERE ARE JUNIORS THAT NEED A PLACE TO PLAY GOLF. IN 1950, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN MADE A HUGE DECISION AND OPENED THE GOLF COURSE UP TO THE ALL PEOPLE IN AMERICA. AND THAT MEANS, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE NEED TO PROTECT THAT TWO GENERATIONS OF VETERANS, TWO DIFFERENT JOURNEYS. I APPRECIATE, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALAN SEALE, FOLLOWED BY EMMA NEW, FOLLOWED BY GIGI BRYANT. THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR ATTENTION. I WAS, UH, GONNA MOVE OFF SCRIPT HERE. SPEAK FROM THE HEART FOR A MOMENT. FIRST OF ALL, I'VE BEEN HERE. UH, I MOVED HERE IN 1963. I WAS BARELY 20 YEARS OLD. AUSTIN BECAME MY HOMETOWN. IT WAS A, IT WAS AN AMAZING PLACE BACK THEN, AND IT STILL IS. UH, IF YOU WERE TO PUT A CALCULATOR TO THAT, IT WOULD PROBABLY BREAK IT. UH, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO PLAY GOLF MOST OF MY LIFE, BUT I'VE NEVER REALLY GOTTEN VERY GOOD AT IT. THE LONGER I PLAY THE, THE, UH, THE LESS I, I I PLAY WELL, BUT I'M, I KEEP TRYING AND I GO TO LIONS QUITE OFTEN, BUT I'M NOT HERE REALLY TO SPEAK OF GOLF SO MUCH AS I'M STRUCK BY THE MOMENT. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I WAS HERE BACK IN THE DAYS OF SOS WHEN THIS CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS WAS FIRST BUILT. AND, UH, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. I'M JUST STRUCK BY THE MOMENT THAT WE'RE ABOUT WHAT'S, WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN [02:05:01] IS FINALLY ABOUT TO DO WITH THE HELP OF BENEFACTORS WHO'VE PUT UP A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND A GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT THAT PEOPLE HAVE PUT IN WITH THE MUNI CONSERVANCY AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE TODAY. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO SPEAK TO THIS PLACE. AND I'M NOT HERE NECESSARILY TO SPEAK OF GOLF AS I AM TO SPEAK OF IT AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL PLACE. AND I'LL JUST SPEAK OF THE POWER OF GRASS FOR A MINUTE. THERE'S 140 ACRES IS OVER 4 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF GRASS, AND IT WILL SUPPORT, IN MY LETTER, IT SAYS 700 PEOPLE, BUT MY DATA ACTUALLY SUPPORTS 700 PEOPLE OF OXYGEN IS GENERATED FOR SEVEN, 7,000 PEOPLE. AND WHILE WE'RE SITTING HERE TODAY, WE'RE BREATHING AIR THAT IS BEING GENERATED BY THAT GOLF COURSE. AND I HOPE THAT WE MANAGE TO MAINTAIN IT AS A GOLF COURSE, BUT I HOPE WE MAINTAIN IT AS AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN FOR THE WILDLIFE THERE THAT ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED, THE DEER AND THE DUCKS AND THE GEESE AND, AND, UH, ALL A MYRIAD OF OTHER TURTLES THAT HAVE SOMEHOW MANAGED TO ESCAPE MY WRATH. UM, AND IN THE MEANTIME, I WOULD LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT, UH, UH, WE, WE SHOULD LOOK AT THIS SOMEHOW AS A, AS A, AS NEW YORK CITY MIGHT HAVE LOOKED AT IT IN THE OLD DAYS WHEN, WHEN CENTRAL PARK WAS BEING PROPOSED. IT'S TIME. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER AND THANK HOPEFULLY THE CITY COUNCIL WILL GO ALONG WITH US AND WE CAN MOVE ON FROM HERE. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE EMMA NOAR, FOLLOWED BY GIGI BRYANT, FOLLOWED BY SHANNON PROVOST, FOLLOWED BY FREDERICK DUR. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. UM, MY NAME'S EMMA GO BY ANSLEY NEWAR. AND WHILE YOU'VE HEARD FROM MANY GENERATIONS OF AUSTINITES AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED HERE MUCH LONGER THAN ME, I'M NOT AFRAID TO SAY THAT I JUST CELEBRATED NINE YEARS OF CALLING AUSTIN HOME. AS I STARTED TO PLANT ROOTS HERE, I BEGAN ASKING MYSELF HOW I COULD BE AN ACTIVE PARTICIPANT IN PRESERVING THE MAGIC THAT REALLY DREW ME TO WANTING TO LIVE IN AUSTIN. AND WHEN I WAS IN INTRODUCED TO THE MUNI CONSERVANCY AND THE SAVED MUNI MOVEMENT, I HAD FELT LIKE I'D FOUND THAT OPPORTUNITY. WAS I AN AVID GOLFER? NOT THEN AND NOT NOW. BUT IT TURNS OUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE TO JUST ABSOLUTELY FALL IN LOVE WITH LIONS. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF PRESERVING AN ACCESSIBLE PUBLIC PIECE OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY. I ALSO LOVED THAT THE MOVEMENT WELCOMED EVERYONE, ESPECIALLY AT THE TIME, ME, A 25-YEAR-OLD WOMAN, WHEN MY $5 DONATION FELT JUST AS IMPM IMPACTFUL AS A $500 DONATION. AND THAT TO ME IS THE SPIRIT OF AUSTIN. THROUGH SAD MUNI, I LEARNED ABOUT THE COURSE OF CENTURY LONG HISTORY, ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. AT A 2024 PRESS CONFERENCE, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HEARING NAACP PRESIDENT AND CEO DEREK JOHNSON SPEAK ABOUT HOW FEW SITES ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HI HISTORIC PLACES RECOGNIZE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY. ONLY ABOUT 3000 OF 95,000 TOTAL ARE ROUGHLY TWO TO 3%. IT REINFORCED FOR ME JUST HOW IMPORTANT PLACES LIKE MUNI ARE, AND NOT JUST TO AUSTIN, BUT TO OUR WHOLE COUNTRY. I ALSO DEEPLY RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS, GREATER ACCESSIBILITY IN OUR GROWTH IN CITY. BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN CHAMPION THOUGHTFUL GROWTH AND SOLUTIONS WITHOUT SACRIFICING HISTORIC PLACES THAT MAKE AUSTIN SO SPECIAL. THE REASONS TO SAVE MUNI ARE MANY, AS YOU HAVE HEARD, BUT I THINK IT JUST COMES DOWN TO SOMETHING SIMPLE THAT'S AS WE CONTINUE TO GROW AND EVOLVE, WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT THE PLACES THAT TELL THE STORY OF WHO WE ARE. SO I JUST WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO'S BROUGHT THIS DEAL FORWARD, AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO SUPPORT, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESERVE LINES MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE, NOT JUST FOR EVERYONE WHO LOVES IT TODAY, BUT FOR THE GENERATIONS OF AUSTINITES WHO DESERVE TO EXPERIENCE ITS MAGIC IN THE FUTURE. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE GIGI BRYANT. GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. MY NAME IS GIGI EDWARDS BRYANT. I'M A FOURTH GENERATION AUSTINITE. I'M ALSO ON THE BOARD OF THE MOONIE, UH, SAVE MOONIE. I WANTED TO JUST SHARE A LOT OF THINGS HAVE BEEN SAID THAT I WAS GONNA SHARE. SO I'M JUST GONNA START WITH, UM, I'M ALSO A MENTOR AT GUS GARCIA YOUNG MEN'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO OVER THERE IS TRY TO EXPOSE THE STUDENTS TO THINGS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO. SO WHEN I WENT TO MUNI AND SPOKE WITH THEM ABOUT, UM, HAVING THE BOYS COME OVER TO TAKE GOLF LESSONS AND PARTICIPATE, THERE WAS NO HESITATION IN IT. SCOTTY ACTUALLY WANTED TO KNOW IF THEY NEEDED CLUBS. ERIC WAS THERE TO TEACH 'EM LESSONS. AND THIS IS AN EXPERIENCE THAT, UM, THEY'VE CARRIED ON TO LBJ HIGH SCHOOL. SOME OF THE STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THEIR CLUBS AND THEIR EXPERIENCES OVER TO LBJ TO BE PART OF THE LBJ HIGH SCHOOL GOLF TEAM. UM, THE THING THAT I LOVE ABOUT MUNI IS THAT IT'S PART OF THE COMMUNITY. [02:10:02] IT'S PART OF WHAT AUSTIN IS. AS AN AUSTIN, I BORN AND RAISED, I'VE SEEN A LOT OF THINGS COME AND GO IN AUSTIN AND NOT REALLY STICK TO THE PURPOSE OF WHAT THEY WERE MEANT TO BE. BUT ONE THING I CAN SAY FOR SURE IS THAT MUNI HAS DONE THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY. I'M VERY PROUD OF THEM IN THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE THERE, THE COMMUNITY, THE FELLOWSHIP, AND ALL THE THINGS THEY DO WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS WELL. SO AS YOU CONSIDER THIS OPPORTUNITY AND IT GOES ON TO COUNCIL, WE'D JUST LIKE TO LEAVE YOU WITH THE FACT THAT, UM, WE NEED THIS GOLF COURSE, WE NEED THE OPPORTUNITY, WE NEED THE COMMUNITY, AND WE NEED THE THINGS THAT THEY DO FOR THE STUDENTS. SO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHANNON PROVOST, FOLLOWED BY FREDERICK DUR, FOLLOWED BY MANNY EDWARDS, FOLLOWED BY MIKE THOMPSON. GOOD EVENING. I'M SHANNON PROVOST. I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MUNI CONSERVANCY, ALSO IN THE FACULTY AT THE MCCOMB SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AT UT AUSTIN AND AN AVERAGE GOLFER. WE'RE GONNA DO A FAST AND FURIOUS HISTORY TOUR AND THEN FOCUS ON SOME OF THE FLORA, FAUNA AND FOLKS RECRUITING THE HORSE TODAY. 141 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE TWO MILES FROM THE STATE CAPITOL. 75,735 ROUNDS WERE PLAYED IN FISCAL YEAR 24 THROUGH 25. THE COURSE WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1924 BY AUSTIN'S LIONS CLUB WITH A VISION FOR A MODERN INCLUSIVE GOLF COURSE. IT WAS THE FIRST PUBLIC COURSE IN AUSTIN, AND THE ONLY ONE UNTIL 1949 WHEN HANCOCK OPENED AS A PUBLIC COURSE. UH, IT WAS THE FIFTH PUBLIC COURSE IN THE STATE, FOLLOWED BY BRACKENRIDGE PARK IN 19 16, 3 MUNIS NEAR DALLAS, AND THEN FINALLY OUR OWN LIONS IN 1924. UH, THEN AND NOW, AUSTIN KNIGHTS APPRECIATED ITS NATURAL BEAUTY. THEY FINISHED NINE HOLES BY 1924, AND THEN THE BACK NINE IN 1925. BY DECEMBER, 1936, THE COURSE HAD GOTTEN POPULAR ENOUGH THAT THEY WERE READY TO TRANSFER FROM THE LIONS CLUB TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. BUT I LIKE THIS QUOTE HERE FROM THEO BELMONT, DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS AT UT AUSTIN. I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THEY SOLVED THE PROBLEM OF AFFORDING BUSINESSMEN, OUTDOOR RECREATION FACILITIES, WHO, BECAUSE OF EXPENSES, WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO JOIN THE COUNTRY CLUB. AND THIS PERSISTS TODAY AT LIONS. YOU'VE HEARD MANY EXAMPLES OF THIS ALREADY FROM OUR SPEAKERS. SO THE LIONS CLUB DEEDED THE CLUBHOUSE AS WELL AS TWO MULES AND THE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THEY HAVE HELD THE LEASE EVER SINCE. UH, IMMINENT GOLF COURSE ARCHITECT A W TILLING HAS VISITED THE COURSE IN 1936, AND HE IS CREDITED WITH MAKING NUMBER 16, OLD NUMBER SEVEN, EVEN MORE CHALLENGING. AND, UH, IF YOU'LL PLAYED THE COURSE, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT HE EMBOLDENED, UH, THIS WHOLE, WHICH WAS LATER COMMENTED ON BY, UH, BEN HOGAN, WHO PLAYED AN EXHIBITION MATCH AT THE COURSE IN 1950, FAMOUSLY ASKING, WHERE'S THE FAIRWAY? IT WAS THE FIRST PUBLIC MATCH HE PLAYED AFTER HIS ACCIDENT. AND, UH, BEFORE THE MIRACLE AT MARIAN BRADER NELSON ALSO COMMENTED THAT THE COURSE IS SO GOOD, IT MAKES YOU THINK YOU'RE NOT IN TEXAS. UH, MANY ILLUSTRATIVE LONGHORN PLAYERS HAVE COME THROUGH TOO MANY TO NAME, UH, SOME OF THE GREATS THAT HAVE, UH, REACHED HEIGHTS, NOT JUST HERE IN TEXAS, BUT ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD. UH, 16% OF THE WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME CONSISTS OF, UH, MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS GOLF HALL OF FAME, WHICH IS HARD TO BELIEVE. MANY OF THESE LEGENDS OF LIONS PLAYED AT, UH, MUNI, INDEED, SERGE GARCIA AND BEN CRENSHAW IN PARTICULAR, CONTINUE TO BE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN PRESERVING THE COURSE. UH, IT'S USED TODAY, NOT JUST BY CHAMPIONS, BUT ALSO BY SEASONED PLAYERS, BY LADIES, BY FUTURE CHAMPS, BY KIDS, BY STUNTED ADOLESCENTS, KIDS OF ALL AGES. AND OF COURSE, THOSE WHO CAN'T SPEAK FOR THOSE SELVES. HERE TONIGHT, WE'VE GOT THE BIRDS, THE, UH, OWLS. WE'VE GOT A BOBCAT, UH, RODENTS OF UNUSUAL SIZE COYOTES. OH, THE DOGS. I THOUGHT THEY HAD THEIR OWN SPEAKER, NOT TO MENTION THE HERITAGE TREES. 141 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE FOR 102 YEARS. THANK YOU. NEXT WE ARE FREDERICK DURER, FOLLOWED BY MANNY EDWARDS, FOLLOWED BY MIKE THOMPSON, FOLLOWED BY EDWIN BATISTA. YEAH, I'M FREDERICK DURER. UM, MY FAMILY IS FOURTH GENERATION AUSTIN, AND THIS IS OUR GRANDFATHER RIGHT BEHIND ME. UH, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN SEE IT THROUGH ONE OF THE VIDEOS. UM, HIS NAME IS FREDERICK WILLIAM STERNBERG. HE WAS KNOWN AS FW. I KNOW HE'S HAPPY TO BE HERE. A MAN OF MORALS, ETHICS, GENEROSITY, AND COMPASSION TO HELP OTHERS. FW HAD YEARS OF CIVIC LEADERSHIP IN THE LIONS CLUB, SHRINERS MASONS, AND EVEN SCOTTISH WRIGHT FW JOINED THE AUSTIN LIONS CLUB IN [02:15:01] 1916 AND BECAME CLUB PRESIDENT IN 1918. IN 1924 WITH 10 OTHER MEMBERS, THEY FORMED A COMMITTEE WITH A GOAL TO ESTABLISH THE FIRST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE AND RECREATION SPACE IN THE EARLY SIXTIES. I WAS 10 YEARS OLD WHEN OUR GRANDPARENTS PHONED THE FAMILY TO PICK THEM UP. IT WAS TIME FOR ALL OF US TO VISIT MUNI. I KNEW LITTLE ABOUT MUNI THEN, BUT THAT QUICKLY CHANGED. I RECALL BABY DOLL FWS AFFECTIONATE FAMILY NICKNAME SPOKE OF YEARS PAST TO MAKE THE LIONS CLUB VISION A REALITY AND PERPETUITY FOR HIS BELOVED AUSTIN. HE LOVED TO GOLF WITH FRIENDS. FW IS SMILING, NO DOUBT WE'LL HAVE MUNI FOR GOOD. THANKS FOR THE TIME. NEXT UP WE HAVE MANNY EDWARDS, FOLLOWED BY MIKE THOMPSON, FOLLOWED BY EDWIN BATISTA. UH, HELLO COMMISSIONERS. UH, MY NAME IS MANNY EDWARDS. I AM CURRENTLY AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND SERVE ON THE ADVISORY BOARD FOR LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE. UH, THE ONE THING THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT TODAY, ESPECIALLY WITH ALL OF US REPRESENTING THE COURSE ITSELF, IS WHAT DOES MUNI ACTUALLY REALLY MEAN TO US AS AUSTINITES AND OF PLAYERS OF, UH, GOLF AS WELL? AND I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT REALLY THREE POINTS, UH, THAT BRING THIS COURSE TOGETHER AND ALL OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT WE'VE HAD ON IT. AND THAT FIRST BEGINS WITH THE PAST. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THIS COURSE HAS BEEN AROUND FOR LONGER THAN ANY OF US IN THIS ROOM, WHICH IS OVER A CENTURY. UH, AND THAT THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN IS STORED IN THIS COURSE. SPECIFICALLY MANY OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN FOUGHT FOR IN THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING THE RIGHTS OF MANY PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO PLAY GOLF IN ITSELF IS REPRESENTED WITH THE HISTORY OF THIS COURSE. AND THAT THIS COURSE REPRESENTS THE VALUES OF AUSTIN IN ITSELF AND BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT CAUSES OF DIVERSITY AND ALSO EQUITABLE PLAY FOR MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE. AND NOW WE HAVE ALSO THE PRESENT, WHICH IS THAT THIS DISCUSSION HAS ALSO GONE ON FOR 50 YEARS NOW, WHICH IS ALMOST THREE TIMES MY LIFESPAN, , INCLUDING THAT, THAT THIS COURSE IS PROVIDING A SERVICE TO EVERYONE. AND IF I EVER WANTED TO GO PLAY GOLF ANYWHERE ELSE NEAR ME, I WOULD NEED TO HAVE PROBABLY OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN MY BANK ACCOUNT TO GO PLAY, INCLUDING THAT. WE HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT WE AS AUSTINITES, IF WE DON'T PROTECT THIS COURSE, THAT MANY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE ARE SIMPLY NOT WORTH IT. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS THAT, FOR INSTANCE, THERE ARE AUSTIN HIGH GIRLS THAT WERE HERE, UH, ORIGINALLY. BASICALLY IT MEANS THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE GIVE THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT WORTH IT. AND THAT WE'D RATHER GIVE IT TO SOME OTHER PROFIT OR GAIN, WHICH DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. THIS SPACE SPECIFICALLY PROTECTS HISTORY, BUT THEN ALSO WE GO INTO THE FUTURE IS WHAT, WHAT DO WE GIVE TO OTHERS? WHAT DO WE GIVE TO THE FUTURE? AND THIS COURSE IN ITSELF IS TRULY A REFLECTION OF HOW THE CITY'S HEALTH REALLY IS. AND THAT IF WE LET THIS GO, SPECIFICALLY THAT WE LOSE WHY WE'RE HERE. AND THAT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THIS COURSE REPRESENTS WHAT WE CHERISH AS A COMMUNITY, INCLUDING OUR FAMILY AND OUR FRIENDS, AND THE NATURE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO LIVE IN. I HOPE THAT OF COURSE, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAY TODAY HAS MADE IT MUCH EASIER TO BE ABLE TO CONSERVE THIS COURSE. AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE IT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MIKE THOMPSON, FOLLOWED BY EDWIN BATISTA, FOLLOWED BY WALTER HARRELL, FOLLOWED BY BRIAN GREG. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS EDWIN BATISTA, RESIDENT DISTRICT SEVEN AND A ICP PLANNER, A UT GRADUATE, AND A MEMBER OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN WORKING GROUP. LAST OCTOBER, UT'S PRESIDENT PROMISED THAT UT WILL BE A MODEL OF PUBLIC TRUST. HE QUOTED A PREDECESSOR. PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IS THE ONLY REAL ENDOWMENT OF A STATE UNIVERSITY. I'D LIKE TO HOLD UT TO THAT TONIGHT BECAUSE THE RECORDS I, THE RECORDS I OBTAINED THROUGH PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS TELL A DIFFERENT STORY. IN MAY, 2025, UT'S PRESIDENT WROTE THE MAYOR PRIVATELY ASKING THE CITY TO PAUSE. ITS TO PAUSE THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY UNTIL AUSTIN UNDERSTOOD QUOTE, INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS AND INCREASED DEMAND FOR CITY SERVICES. END QUOTE, LAST MONTH, UT STAFF ASKED CITY STAFF TO SHELVE THE OVERLAY UNTIL UT FINISHES ITS OWN MASS, [02:20:01] ITS OWN CAMPUS MASTER PLAN, WHICH AUSTIN HAS NO, NO FORMAL ROLE IN. NOW UT ASKED AUSTIN TO APPROVE. FIRST ON NOVEMBER 19TH, COUNCIL WAS ASKED TO AMEND THAT 1989 BRACKENRIDGE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. LIFTING UT'S CAP FROM 1.7 MILLION SQUARE FEET TO ABOUT 5 MILLION. COUNCIL WILL NOT HAVE EXACT COSTS. STAFF SAYS SMS WILL COME OVER THE COMING MONTHS. IT WILL NOT HAVE EXI EXHIBIT B, THE STREETS. UT IS ASKING THE CITY TO VACATE. AND THE TEST IS WHETHER VACATING IS QUOTE, REASONABLY FEASIBLE END QUOTE, NOT WHETHER IT SERVES A PUBLIC AND EMAIL I OBTAINED BY PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST. UT'S LAW DEAN RECENTLY ASKED THE UNIVERSITY ARCHITECT WHETHER UT IS TRACKING THE CITY'S DEAN KEATON BUS LANES. HE DOES NOT WANT TO SEE THE PARKING ALONG DEAN KEATON REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH BIKING FACILITIES AND BIKE LANES. IS DEAN KEATON ON EXHIBIT B. NOBODY OUTSIDE UT CAN SAY AND MUNI THE ONE THING THE CITY RECEIVES COMES LAST. I WANT MUNI SAVED AND I CAN SUPPORT A DEAL THAT DOES THAT. PUBLISH EXHIBIT B IN THE COST BEFORE THE VOTE. CONVEY MUNI FIRST APPLY THE 400 FOOT LATE LAKE SETBACK CODE. CITY CODE REQUIRES NOT 200. AND WRITE THE FIELD LABS PROTECTION, WHICH LAPSED LAPSE IN 2020. BACK INTO THE AGREEMENT. I REQUEST THAT THE CITY EXPLORE USING THE TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS PROGRAM THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED, WHICH LETS AN OWNER MOVE BUILDING CAPACITY OFF LAND THAT SHOULD STAY OPEN AND ONTO LAND THAT CAN TAKE IT. STAFF IS ALREADY MOVE, MOVE IS ALREADY MOVING CAPACITY THAT WAY, BUT WITH NO PROTECTION MAKE THE FIELD LAB AND THE SHORELINE SENDING LAND UNDER A CONSERVATION EASEMENT IN SITES ALREADY BUILT ON RECEIVING LAND. UT KEEPS ITS FLOOR AREA. AUSTIN KEEPS IT SHORE. I THINK IT'S ALSO WORTH ASKING CITY LAWYERS WHETHER THERE'S CHAPTER 26 OF THE PARKS AND WILDLIFE CODE, WHICH REQUIRES A HEARING BEFORE PROJECTS ARE DESIGN ON DESIGNATED SCIENTIFIC AREAS. APPLY. UT WOULDN'T BE UT WITHOUT AUSTIN AND AUSTIN WOULDN'T BE AUSTIN WITHOUT UT. IN 1973 WHEN AUSTIN SOUGHT TO CANCEL MUNI'S, LEASE AUSTINITES ORGANIZED AND KEPT IT PUBLIC. POLITIC CONFIDENCE IS THE STATE'S UNIVERSITY'S ONLY REAL ENDOWMENT. UT HAS BEEN DRAWING THAT TRUST DOWN. SAVE MUNI IN THE OPEN, NOT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, AND START EARNING THAT TRUST BACK. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WALKER WALTER HARROW, FOLLOWED BY BRIAN GRIE, FOLLOWED BY GEORGE MCGEE. I DO NOT SEE, UM, WALTER HARROW. SO WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO BRIAN GRIE, MAD CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TONIGHT. UH, I'VE GROWN UP IN AUSTIN AND MUNI IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. A MAN WHO HELPED RAISE, RAISE ME WAS A MAN NAMED BEN GREG. HE WAS CHAIRMAN OF THAT GOLF COMMITTEE AT THE LIONS CLUB IN 1924. HE WAS IN HIS TWENTIES AND HE WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN HAVING A GOLF COURSE, A PUBLIC GOLF COURSE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. HE WAS SO INTERESTED THAT AFTER THE FRONT LINE WAS FINISHED, HE WENT OUT AND BECAME THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE GOLF COURSE. 'CAUSE HE HAD A WORSE JOB THAN ANYBODY ELSE IN THE LIONS CLUB. SO HE AGREED TO QUIT IT AND GO OUT THERE AND RUN THE GOLF COURSE. HE OVERSAW THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND NINE AT MUNI. WHEN I WAS A KID, I WENT TO O HENRY AND WE USED TO GET TO CLIMB OVER THE FENCE AND GO PLAY GOLF AFTER SCHOOL. BEN CRENSHAW WAS THERE ABOUT THE SAME TIME I WAS. I LEARNED TO PLAY GOLF WITH MY GRANDFATHER'S GOLF CLUBS. PROBABLY NOBODY ELSE IN THIS ROOM HAS LEARNED TO PLAY GOLF WITH A NIBLET OR A SPOON OR A MASHIE WITH HICKORY SHAFTS. BUT THAT'S THE WAY I DID. I'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN SAVING THIS COURSE FOR A LONG TIME. AND WHEN THE SAFE HISTORIC MUNI DISTRICT WAS CREATED, I VOLUNTEERED FOR THAT. I'M VICE CHAIRMAN AND I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND UT OVER THE YEARS. THIS WAS A VERY, VERY, VERY DIFFICULT DEAL TO DO. YOU ALL HEAR A LOT OF NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN LANDOWNERS AND, UH, TENANTS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. WE HEARD SOME TONIGHT. UH, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE HAD TO HAPPEN TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, PUT ALL OF THOSE IN THE SHADE. EVERYBODY HAS WORKED HARD. AND I WANT TO THANK PRESIDENT DAVIS AND HIS STAFF. I WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND THE STAFF OF THE CITY, AND ESPECIALLY I WANT TO THANK THE VERY GENEROUS DONORS WHO, WITHOUT WHOM THIS COULD NOT BE POSSIBLE, WE NEED TO SAVE THIS COURSE FOREVER. AND THIS PRESENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO IT. THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING A FORUM TONIGHT FOR US TO DISCUSS IT, AND YOU CAN SEE THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GEORGE MCGEE, FOLLOWED BY AMY TAYLOR, FOLLOWED BY THERESA GREEN, [02:25:01] FOLLOWED BY KEN TEMAN. HELLO, MY NAME IS, HELLO, MY NAME IS GEORGE MCGEE. I'M A A LOCAL UNICORN AUSTINITE HERE. I I LIVE IN SAINT ELMA WITH MY, UH, MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER. UM, BUT I WAS BORN AND RAISED HERE, AND I GET TO TALK ABOUT BEING RAISED HERE. UM, UH, WHEN I WAS, UH, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL GROWING UP IN OLD INFIELD, OUR PARENTS WOULD, UM, I I'VE JUST LEARNED PART OF THE DAYCARE PROCESS. THEY WOULD DROP US OFF AT MUNI AND WE WOULD GO THERE AND WE WOULD GO TO THE PITCHING PUTT. AND IT WAS EITHER THE PITCHING PUTT OR THE MUNI. AND SOME OF MY BEST CHILDHOOD FRIENDS, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD JUST LEARN AND PLAY THE GAME. AND I THINK ONE OF THE NICEST PARTS ABOUT MUNI WAS THAT, UM, WAS THAT EVEN THE ADULTS WOULD BE KIND TO YOU, YOU KNOW? 'CAUSE WHEN YOU'RE A KID, THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS WELCOMING AND, UM, THEY WERE NEVER MEAN. SO EVEN IF WE DUFFED ONE OR, YOU KNOW, HAD TO READ TEA OR SOMETHING, UM, THEY WEREN'T PRETENTIOUS. I MEAN, THEY WERE WELCOMING. THEY WANTED US TO LEARN THE GAME. AND I NEVER GOT, NEVER GOT GREAT, BUT I DID ALWAYS HAVE FUN. SO, UM, THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND THEN THE LAST THING I THINK WITH JUST MODERN SOCIETY AND WHERE MUNI FITS IN IS, IS THE NATURE ELEMENT. YOU KNOW, IT KEEPS OUR, OUR, OUR CITY COOLER. WHEN I WAS A KID, YOU KNOW, THE METEOROLOGIST WAS LIKE, IT'S GONNA BE 99 TODAY, BUT NOW IT'S LIKE, OH, IT'S GONNA BE 1 0 7. AND YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT? SO I THINK KEEPING IT NATURE, AND I'M NOT A, A METEOROLOGIST, BUT I THINK IT WOULD KEEP THE CITY COOLER AND ALSO IT KEEPS PEOPLE OFF THEIR PHONES. EVEN ME, I'M, I'M ALMOST ADDICTED TO MY IPAD. SO, UM, GETTING OUT, GOING ON A WALK, BEING AROUND PEOPLE, CONNECTION TO SOCIETY, IT'S PART OF OUR CITY. IT'S AFFORDABLE. IT'S JUST A WONDERFUL PLACE. SO, UM, SILK OR DEEP EDDIE, THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL. I MEAN, THESE ARE ICONIC PLACES, UM, THAT OUR CITY SHOULD ALWAYS EMBRACE. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMY TAYLOR. SORRY ABOUT THAT. OUR NEXT YES, NO, AMY TAYLOR. SO WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO THERESA GREEN NOW THERESA. SO WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO KEN TEMAN, FOLLOWED BY FREDERICK DUR, FOLLOWED BY HOLLY REED, FOLLOWED BY SAMANTHA BERNSTEIN. UH, GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS. UH, I'M KEN TEMAN, CHAIR OF THE SAFE HISTORIC MUNI DISTRICT. AND THE SAFE HISTORIC MUNI DISTRICT FULLY SUPPORTS THE PROPOSED AGREEMENT TO CONVEY LINES MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE TO THE CITY. UH, IT'S THE OUTCOME OF GENERATIONS. AUSTINITES HAVE WORKED FOR, UH, PERMANENTLY PRESERVE 141 ACRES OF PUBLIC GREEN SPACE IN THE FIRST MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE IN THE SOUTH TO DESEGREGATE. UH, WE THANK THE DONORS, MAYOR WATSON, PRESIDENT DAVIS BOARD OF REGENTS AND CITY STAFF, AND WE'D WELCOME ANY RECOMMENDATION OF SUPPORT THE COMMISSION CHOOSES TO SEND TO COUNCIL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HOLLY REED, FOLLOWED BY SAMANTHA BERNSTEIN, FOLLOWED BY ROBERT EVANS. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION. MY NAME IS HOLLY REED. I LIVE IN DISTRICT 10, AND I'M SPEAKING TO YOU ON BEHALF OF THE WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP. THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACK, WHICH YOU SEE ON THIS SLIDE HERE, INCLUDING LYONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE, IS SITS ON LAND THAT'S OWNED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AREA AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THOUGH WE RECENTLY LEARNED ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS'S PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BRACKENRIDGE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, THE WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP HAS BEEN ENGAGED IN THE FIGHT TO PRESERVE LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WAS FOUNDED IN 1973 AND ONE OF THE MOST ACTIVE MEMBERS WAS MARY ARNOLD, WHO WORKED VERY HARD TO SAVE MUNI. AT OUR LAST MEETING ON OCTOBER 19TH AND VIA EMAILS AND AT THE OCTOBER 21ST ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION BRIEFING, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION HAS LEARNED THE FOLLOWING INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY. LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE. OH, THANK YOU. OKAY. THIS IS A MAP OF THE BRACKEN RIDGE TRACK DONE BY THE BRACKEN RIDGE TRACK TASK FORCE AND SHOWS THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE TRACK. OKAY. THE INPUT FROM [02:30:01] OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE UNIVERSITY, CONVEYING THE LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE WEST AUSTIN YOUTH ASSOCIATION TO ITS OWN ORGANIZATION. WE HAVE ALSO HEARD SUPPORT FOR THE UNIVERSITY TO PRESERVE THE, THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB, WHICH IS AN IRREPLACEABLE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCE TO THE UNIVERSITY AND OUR NATION. WE HAVE ALSO HEARD SUPPORT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THE UNIVERSITY ON DEVELOPMENT AMENDMENTS, WHICH COULD CONCENTRATE ADDITIONAL DENSITY ON OTHER PARTS OF THE TRACK AND PRESERVE PARTS OF THE TRACK THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD STAKEHOLDERS VERY MUCH WANT TO SAVE. WE'VE HEARD MASSIVE SUPPORT FOR PRESERVATION OF THE 200 FOOT RIVER FRONT FRONT OVERLAY. CURRENTLY IN THE BRACKEN RIDGE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, WE'VE HEARD REQUESTS FOR A COMPREHENSIVE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS OF ADDITIONAL TRIPS THAT WOULD BE GENERATED BY NEW DEVELOPMENT ON THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACK. WE'VE HEARD SUPPORT FOR COMPATIBILITY SETBACKS ON THE DEEP EDDY TRACK, WHICH YOU CAN SEE HERE. BOUNDED BY WEST SEVENTH STREET, LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD AND HEARN STREET. AND WE'VE HEARD SUPPORT FOR RETAINING LOCAL BUSINESSES ON THE BOAT TOWN TRACK AT AT OYSTER LANDING. WE CONTINUE TO TAKE INPUT FROM ALL NEIGHBORHOOD STAKEHOLDERS AND WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON THESE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BRACKENRIDGE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SAMANTHA BERNSTEIN. DO NOT SEE HER. SO WE'RE GONNA GO ON TO ROBERT EVANS, WHO'S JOINING US. VIRTUALLY DO NOT SEE HIM. SO WE'RE GONNA GO ONTO SUSAN SANDERS, JOINING VIRTUALLY. AND ON DECK IS ANGELA GARCIA. SUSAN IS HERE. PLEASE UNMUTE YOURSELF. CAN YOU HEAR US OKAY? UM, WE WILL COME BACK TO, OKAY. GO AHEAD SUSAN. YOU CAN, YOU SHOULD BE GOOD TO GO. OKAY. WE'LL COME BACK TO SUSAN. UH, OUR CALL BACK IN. UM, SUSAN, YOU CAN LOG OFF AND CALL BACK IN. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANGELA GARCIA. NEXT SPEAKER IS ROBERT K OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DOLORES JONES. OKAY. AND NOW WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND SWITCH OVER TO SPEAKERS IN OPPOSITION, WHICH IS BOBBY LEVINSKY, FOLLOWED BY SUKI STEINHAUSER, FOLLOWED BY B BRENNAN GRIFFIN. COMMISSIONER IS BOBBY LEVINSKY. I'M THE SENIOR STAFF ATTORNEY FOR SAVE SPRINGS ALLIANCE AND WE'RE HERE TO ASK THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO HELP US PUMP THE BRAKES SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT SOLUTIONS TO HELP THE FIELD STATION. THE FIELD STATION IS A LIVING OBSERVATORY OF AUSTIN'S NATURAL SYSTEMS. IT IS THE ONLY ACTIVE FORMAL RESEARCH SITE WITHIN GREATER AUSTIN THAT CONTRIBUTES TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF AUSTIN'S URBAN ECOLOGY WITH FINDINGS RELEVANT TO BOTH THE STATE AND THE NATION. THEY DO INVASIVE SPECIES RESEARCH, HABITAT DYNAMICS, AND THE DISCOVERY OF NEW SPECIES. THE FIELD STATION IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN COMMUNITY EDUCATION FROM K THROUGH 12 FIELD TRIPS TO WORK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY GROUPS LIKE THE MASTER NATURALIST GROUPS, SOMEONE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIELD STATION ON A CALL THAT I WAS ON SAID WITHOUT THE FIELD LAB, THERE ARE SPECIES ON THIS SITE THAT WOULD NOT EXIST OTHERWISE IN URBAN AUSTIN. THAT'S A POWERFUL THOUGHT AND SPEAKS TO THE MAGNITUDE OF THE DECISION THAT AUSTIN IS BEING ASKED TO MAKE. VERY HASTILY. THE ACREAGE IS HOME TO NINE SPECIES OF AMPHIBIANS, 171 SPECIES OF BIRDS, 40 FISH SPECIES, 2,222 INSECT SPECIES, 20 MAMMAL SPECIES, 475 PLANTS AND 32 REPTILE SPECIES. I UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO WORK WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ON SAVING THE GOLF COURSE. IT'S A, IT IS A [02:35:01] VALUABLE ASSET THAT DOES NEED, DESERVE TO BE SAVED, BUT WE NEED TO AVOID INCENTIVIZING THE LOSS OF AN IRREPLACEABLE SPACE THAT CANNOT BE REPLICATED ONCE THAT FIELD STATION IS DESTROYED. YOU ARE LOSING 40 YEARS OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND THAT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN MOVE. I ALSO WANNA PUSH BACK ON THE NOTION THAT THE AUSTIN AUSTIN DOESN'T HAVE ANY LEVERAGE HERE. THE WHOLE REASON WHY WE HAVE THE BRACKEN RIDGE AGREEMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE IS BECAUSE ALL DISPUTED WHETHER OR NOT IT COULD CONTROL THE, THE LAND USE AND THE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS THAT WOULD APPLY TO THE SITE. IT IS NOT AS CLEAR AND CUT AND DRY AS BEING AS PRESENTED TO YOU. THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS FOR UNIVERSITY USES AND THAT DO NOT HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ZONING, BUT THERE ARE STILL OTHER WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS THAT CAN COME INTO PLAY. WE ARE JUST ASKING YOU TO JUST GIVE US SOME TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP SAVE THE FIELD LAB AND DON'T CONTRIBUTE TO A DISASTROUS DECISION THAT WILL HAVE REPLICATIONS THAT QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T THINK WE'D FULLY UNDERSTAND. AND WE NEED TO BE SPEAKING TO THE RESEARCHERS TO UNDERSTAND THEM. THANK YOU. OKAY, BEFORE WE GO ON TO NEXT SPEAKER, SUSAN SANDERS IS ABLE, HAS BEEN ABLE TO JOIN US VIRTUALLY. SUSAN, GO AHEAD. HI, GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I'M SORRY FOR MY TECHNICAL IN INABILITIES. UM, MY NAME IS SUSAN SALK SANDERS. I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN SINCE 1991, WHICH IS MY ENTIRE ADULT LIFE. AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE BRACKENRIDGE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. I TRULY WISH I COULD BE THERE IN PERSON TO SHAKE THE HANDS OF EVERYONE WHO HAS WORKED SO HARD TO GET US HERE. I THINK WE'VE HEARD SO MUCH TONIGHT. WE ALL KNOW THE HISTORY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF LIONS MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE FOR MORE THAN A HUNDRED YEARS. IT'S BEEN A SYMBOL OF ALL THAT IS RIGHT AND GOOD. I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU MORE ABOUT ITS IMPACT OR ITS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FIRST DESEGREGATED GOLF COURSE IN THE SOUTH. AND I REALLY DON'T THINK I NEED TO TELL ANYONE THAT IN TIMES LIKE THESE, PRESERVING THIS KIND OF HISTORIC PLACE AND EVERYTHING, IT STANDS FOR MATTERS MORE THAN EVER. LIKE SO MANY YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT I'VE PLAYED THE COURSE WITH FRIENDS. I'VE ATTENDED CHARITY GOLF TOURNAMENTS. I'VE ENJOYED THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE. I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GETTING TO KNOW SCOTTY SAYERS AND BEN CRENSHAW, FIRST MEETING THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES THROUGH ONE OF MY VERY BEST FRIENDS, THE LATE, YOU KNOW, ZIMMER HANZEL. AND BECAUSE OF HER AND BECAUSE OF THEM, I'VE PROUDLY SUPPORTED THESE EFFORTS TO SAVE MUNI FOR GOOD FOR A REALLY LONG TIME. BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT MORE THAN JUST GOLF. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT AUSTIN'S GREEN SPACES ARE ITS HEART AND SOUL, AND WE DESPERATELY NEED TO PRESERVE THEM. THIS SPACE, THIS 141 ACRES, IS ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL BECAUSE IT'S OPEN AND WELCOMING TO EVERYONE NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE OR WHERE YOU'RE FROM OR HOW MUCH YOU MAKE, OR EVEN HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT GOLF. MUNI IS THERE FOR GOOD TO CLOSE. I WANNA CONGRATULATE THE STAKEHOLDERS FOR ARRIVING AT THIS PROPOSED SOLUTION. AS AN ATTORNEY, I KNOW THE BEST DEALS HAPPEN WHEN EVERYONE WHO'S GOT SKIN IN THE GAME GIVES UP A LITTLE SOMETHING, BUT ALSO GETS SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT. I APPLAUD MY ALMA MATER, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, THE CITY THAT I LOVE, SCOTTY BEN, AND THE ENTIRE SAVE MUNI CONSERVANCY FOR FINDING THE FLEX POINTS THAT LET EVERYONE GETS SOMETHING IMPORTANT WHILE MAKING SURE THE COMMUNITY KEEPS THIS TREASURED ASSET AND NO ONE IS LEFT WITHOUT IT. I CONGRATULATE THEM ON SHIPPING THE BALL SO NEAR THE CUP. WE JUST HAVE TO TAP IT IN. LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE SAVE MUNI FOR GOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD. GOING BACK, WE HAVE SUKI STEINHAUSER FOLLOWED BY BRENNAN GRIFFIN, WHO WILL BE JOIN US VIRTUALLY. AND THEN JOSHUA BOBER. GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING. AND THANK Y'ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE. I THINK SERVING THE COMMUNITY IS, UM, IT IS A GIFT THAT WE HAVE AND I I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE GIVING YOURSELVES THAT GIFT AND GIVING US THAT GIFT. UM, I'VE NEVER PLAYED A ROUND OF GOLF. UM, I NOW KNOW SOME YOUNG WOMEN WHO MIGHT TEACH ME AND A PLACE I CAN PLAY FOR CHEAP. UM, BUT I HAD A LONG CAREER IN SOCIAL SERVICES AND I DEEPLY KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING OUTSIDE AND PLAYING AND RELIEVING STRESS AND BEING IN COMMUNITY WITH OTHER PEOPLE. MY OWN KIDS PLAYED AT WAYA. I'M REAL FAMILIAR WITH THAT AREA. UM, TO ME IT'S REALLY A NO BRAINER. AND I JUST WANNA SAY ALSO THANK YOU TO THE FOLKS THAT HAVE [02:40:01] KEPT THE FAITH FOR SO LONG AND RAISED THE MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, THE CITY STAFF THAT ARE WORKING ON THIS AND FOR Y'ALL, YOUR, UM, DELIBERATIONS AND INFORMING OUR CITY COUNCIL ON NEXT STEPS. BUT I REGISTERED AS OPPOSED TO THIS. AND I'LL TELL YOU WHY. UM, I CAME HERE FOR GRAD SCHOOL WITH MY HUSBAND AND WE LIVED IN BRACKENRIDGE APARTMENTS FROM 1987 TO 1989. IT WAS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE. AND I'M REALLY PUMPED THAT THE, THAT THE AGREEMENT APPEARS TO HAVE SOME, UM, PROVISION FOR HOUSING. SO THAT'S IMPORTANT. UM, BUT WHEN WE WERE LIVING THERE, WE WOULD WALK TO THE SAFEWAY MANY STORES AGO. WE WALKED TO THE SAFEWAY AND, UH, WE WOULD PICK UP STRAY GOLF BALLS AND WE WOULD WONDER WHAT WAS THAT TALL FENCE, THAT LONG, TALL FENCE THAT HAD WOODS BEHIND IT. AND I NEVER KNEW WHAT THAT WAS UNTIL I RETIRED. AND IN MY RETIREMENT, BECAUSE I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE IN NATURE, I BECAME A MASTER NATURALIST, WHICH IS A BASICALLY A VOLUNTEER TO HELP PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT NATURE, GET OUT INTO NATURE AND, YOU KNOW, PRESERVE OUR ENVIRONMENT. BUT WHAT A BOON FOR ME. 'CAUSE I FIGURED OUT WHAT BFL BRACKENRIDGE FIELD WAS AND I GOT TO WALK THE PROPERTY AND I GOT TO DO PROJECTS THERE. AND I GOT TO SEE ALL OF THE SCIENCE THAT'S BEEN GOING ON THERE FOR, I GUESS I HEARD 40 YEARS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE EVEN LONGER. THAT IS A REALLY UNIQUE PROPERTY AND YOU GOTTA WALK IT TO SEE WHAT IT IS, WHAT THE SCIENCE IS THAT'S HAPPENING THERE. AND I HOPE, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY UT SHOULD BE TAKING THAT IN INTO CONSIDERATION. BUT ENVIRONMENTALLY IT'S VERY INTERESTING AND I THINK OTHER PEOPLE ARE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE SPECIES THAT ARE THERE, THAT TOPOGRAPHY THAT'S THERE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NATURAL HISTORY THAT'S THERE, THE HUMAN HISTORY THAT'S THERE. IT IS A REALLY UNIQUE PLACE. AND IT IS TRUE THAT WHILE MARRIED STUDENT HOUSING, THEY USED TO CALL IT MARRIED STUDENT HOUSING, NOT FAMILY HOUSING, MARRIED STUDENT HOUSING, IT CAN BE MOVED AND A GREAT ENVIRONMENT CAN BE CREATED FOR FAMILY SOMEWHERE ELSE. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT, BUT I ALSO TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS PROPERTY, THAT'S THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB, IT CAN'T BE. SO I REALLY HOPE THAT MORE CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN AND MORE THOUGHT IS GIVEN TO FINDING WAYS TO PRESERVE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BRENNAN GRIFFIN, WHO'S JOINING US VIRTUALLY. BRENNAN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. OKAY. HEARING NONE. UM, WE'LL GO ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER. IF YOU, UM, JOIN, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU. WE HAVE JOSHUA BOBER, FOLLOWED BY SARAH JENKINS, FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH BOWMAN. AM I UP, SARAH? OKAY. UM, I'M KIND OF SORRY TO BE SPEAKING, SPEAKING IN FRONT OF DR. BOWMAN, BUT , I, I JUST WANNA SP SHARE MY OWN, UH, FEELINGS ABOUT THE AGREEMENT BECAUSE I, UM, WATCHED THE RECORDING OF THE PRESENTATION BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AND I WAS JUST SURPRISED THAT THE MAP DID NOT EVEN IDENTIFY THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB AND NONE OF THE LANGUAGE IN THE BRIEFING IDENTIFIED THE FIELD FIELD LAB. AND IT, IT MADE ME VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. AND THEN I ALSO HEARD ONE OF THE CITY'S REPRESENTATIVES AT THAT MEETING SAY THAT THE AGREEMENT WAS PUT TOGETHER BY THE CITY'S MANAGER'S OFFICE AND THE UT LAW OFFICE WITHOUT ANY INPUT BY ANY CITY DEPARTMENT OR ANY CITY COUNCIL STAFF. UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT, AS BOBBY SAID, WE CAN TAKE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO GET MORE INPUT AND GET A BETTER AGREEMENT WITH SOME SECURITY FOR THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB. UM, THE FIELD LAB IS OVER 80 ACRES OF GREEN SPACE. IT HAS SPRINGS AND CARS FEATURES. IT HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF WILDLIFE. I, UM, I THINK THE CITY NEEDS TO GET A GUARANTEE FROM UT THAT IT CAN CONTINUE ITS DECADES OF RESEARCH AND CONTINUE TO SERVE ALL THE STUDENTS THAT DEPEND ON IT. IT'S ONLY THREE MILES FROM CAMPUS. I MEAN, KIDS COULD BIKE OR TAKE THE BUS THERE. IT'S JUST, I I ALSO WATCHED A VIDEO TODAY OF EO WILSON. HE CAME FOR AN ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIELD LAB AND HE WAS, HE WAS TOUTING IT AS SOMETHING REALLY RARE. THAT, AND SAYING THAT A LOT OF UNIVERSITIES WANT A FACILITY LIKE THAT, [02:45:01] YOU KNOW, THEY, IT'S HARD FOR THEM TO FIND THAT, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. BUT WE ALREADY HAVE IT AND WE SHOULDN'T LOSE THAT. IT'S JUST TOO PRECIOUS. UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT SOME OF THE, THE, UH, SPECIFICS OF THE AGREEMENT. YOU KNOW, IN THERE IT AGREES TO, UH, GIVES AWAY IT, IT INCREASES THE FLORIDA AREA RATIO BY 50%. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT THIS FRAGILE ENVIRONMENT CAN SUSTAIN THAT KIND OF INTENSITY OF DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM OUR CITY SCIENTISTS OR OTHER, OTHER PEOPLE WHO KNOW ABOUT THOSE THINGS? I MEAN, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE SLOPES ARE NOT GONNA BE REGULATED. I, YOU KNOW, THIS MAKES NO SENSE. UM, AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE OTHER PEOPLE LOOKING AT IT THAN JUST SOME LAWYERS . WE NEED SOME OTHER EXPERTS TO LOOK AT THE TERMS OF IT. UM, AND I'VE BEEN AWARE OF THE FIELD LAB FOR MANY YEARS. I MEAN, I'VE KAYAKED BY IT AND SEEN RACCOONS WASHING THEIR FOOD IN THE LAKE. AND, BUT NOW I, I VOLUNTEER THERE AND I KNOW HOW, UM, HOW MUCH THE FIELD LAB IS TRYING TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ELIZABETH BOWMAN. HI, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. UH, MY NAME IS DR. ELIZABETH BOWMAN. UH, I'M A RESEARCHER, UH, AT BRACKEN RIDGEFIELD LABORATORY WHERE I CONDUCT INVASIVE SPECIES RESEARCH. UM, MY COMMENTS TODAY ARE MY OWN, AND I DO NOT REPRESENT THE UNIVERSITY. I'M JUST HERE AS A CITIZEN. SO SIMILAR TO WHAT SARAH SAID, YOU KNOW, THE BRACK RIDGEFIELD LABORATORY, UM, WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE 190 ACRES, UH, ALONG LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD, WHICH WAS LABELED AS DEVELOPMENT AREA, REALLY RAISED A LOT OF CONCERNS FOR US AT THE RESEARCH GROUP. 'CAUSE WE HAD NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY WONDERFUL WORDS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MUNI, AND I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE IT'S GONNA BE PRESERVED AND IT HAS A VERY CENTRAL ROLE IN AUSTIN. BUT BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LABORATORY HAS A VERY SIMILAR ROLE. AND A LOT OF THE SENTIMENTS THAT WERE SAID, I THEY ECHO FOR ME FOR BFL, UH, WHICH IS A BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LABORATORY. BFL HAS SERVED AS A FIELD RESEARCH STATION FOR ABOUT 60 YEARS WITH 40 YEARS OF LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL DATA. IT SUPPORTS RESEARCH AND PROVIDES VALUABLE GREEN, SAFE GREEN SPACE THAT CONNECTS WILDLIFE HABITAT, FILTERS STORM WATER BEFORE IT REACHES THE COLORADO OR RIVER, AND IMPROVES AIR QUALITY AND SUPPORTS A HIGH DIVERSITY, AS WE HEARD FROM BOBBY, SIMILAR TO THE 75,000 ROUNDS OF GOFF THAT HAPPENED ON MUNI. IF WE LOSE BFL, ALL OF THOSE ORGANISMS HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO. UM, DECISIONS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS LION SHOULD BE MADE WITH A FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT COULD BE LOST. THE CURRENT PRESENTATION DOES NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH DETAIL FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DEVELOPMENT IS ACTUALLY ENVISIONED, WHERE, WHERE IT WILL OCCUR. AND WHEN I ASK FOR THE PUBLIC TO HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAR DEVELOPMENT PLANS, A REALISTIC TIMELINE AND A SPECIFIC PLAN AND POSSIBLY PROTECTION FOR BFL, THE PUBLIC SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE, ADEQUATE TIME TO REVIEW THESE MATERIALS AND PROVIDE INFORMED INPUT. THIS DECISION WILL HAVE A LONG TERM, UH, EFFECT ON SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IMPACTING IRREPLACEABLE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND A UNIQUE SEGMENT OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY THAT CONTINUES TO PLAY A ROLE WITHIN THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY. AS HAS BEEN SAID TWICE BEFORE, GREAT CITIES SAVE THEIR GREAT SPACES JUST LIKE MUNI, BFL IS ONE OF THESE GREAT SPACES THAT DESERVES TO BE SAVED. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS EDWARD LABRUN, WHO WILL BE FOLLOWED BY HOW SUE, FOLLOWED BY JULIA LINA. HI. UM, THANK YOU FOR, UH, GIVING ME THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME IS EDWARD LEBRON. I'M A RESEARCH SCIENTIST AT THE BRACKEN RIDGE FIELD LABORATORY, WHERE I HAVE WORKED FOR THE PAST 21 YEARS. I AM HERE AS A, UH, SPEAKING AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN AND NOT REPRESENTING THE UNIVERSITY. I URGE THE DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO SEEK GREATER TRANSPARENCY IN THIS AGREEMENT AND TO USE A DELIBERATIVE PROCESS RATHER THAN RUSH ITS APPROVAL. AND I DO THAT SUPPORTING THE PRESERVATION OF MUNI AND ITS IMPORTANT HISTORICAL TRADITIONS. THEY ARE BOTH VERY, UH, HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT AND UNIQUE RESOURCES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN. THE BRACKEN RIDGE FIELD TRACK CONTAINS A UNIQUE RESOURCE, THE BRACKEN RIDGE FIELD LABORATORY, THROUGH [02:50:02] APPLIED RESEARCH THAT SERVES THE PUBLIC TRAINING FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS. THE FIELD LAB BENEFITS ALL AUSTIN RESIDENTS. BFL IS THE ONLY ACTIVE FORMAL RESEARCH SITE WITHIN AUSTIN. THE RESEARCH ONGOING THERE CONTRIBUTES TO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF AUSTIN'S URBAN ECOLOGY. THERE ARE STUDY SITES THERE WITH LONG-TERM DATA GOING BACK, UH, TO THE SIXTIES THAT ARE IRREPLACEABLE. THE RESEARCH ALSO APPRISE, UM, PROVIDES APPLIED SOLUTIONS TO CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS SUCH AS THE MANAGEMENT OF INVASIVE SPECIES. BFL ALSO PROVIDES K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TOURS, TOURS FOR THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, AND PROVIDES A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES SCIENCE UNDER THE STARS PUT ON BY UT GRADUATE STUDENTS. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT CRITERIA ARE DESCRIBED AS MORE PROTECTIVE THAN THE ORIGINAL BDA BASED ON UNDEFINED AVERAGES. BUT FOR CORE TRACKS ALONG LADY BIRD LAKE, THEY WOULD ALLOW CONSIDERABLY HIGHER FLOOR TO AREA RATIOS, BUILDING HEIGHTS, AND RETAIN CURRENT LIMITS ON IMPERVIOUS COVER. THIS RAISES SERIOUS QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT PROTECTIONS, AMENDMENTS ACTUALLY PROVIDE. I ASK THE COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND SLOWING THE APPROVAL PROCESS SO THE PUBLIC HAS A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN AND DECISION MAKERS CAN FULLY CONSIDER WHAT IS AT STAKE. I ALSO ASK THE COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENT PROTECTIONS FOR THE FIELD LAB AND ITS LIVING LABORATORY THAT IT REQUIRES DEVELOPMENT ON. THIS LAND CANNOT BE UNDONE. THE DECISION DESERVES CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND NOT RUSHED APPROVAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OUR NEXT SPEAKER, ALAN SUE. SUE, FOLLOWED BY JULIA LINER, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL TABBA. UM, HELLO. HI. UM, MY NAME IS HALO ZU. I AM A GRAD STUDENT AT YOUTUBE, BUT I'M YET UT BUT I'M COMING HERE ON MY OWN BEHALF. I'VE BEEN, UM, A VOLUNTEER WITH THE NATURALISTS FOR ABOUT, UM, FOR ABOUT A FEW MONTHS THIS YEAR NOW. AND I'VE HAD BOTH THE PRIVILEGE AND THE HONOR OF WORKING AND VOLUNTEERING WITH THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB. UM, AND DURING MY TIME THERE, WE HAVE BEEN DOING PHENOLOGY SURVEYS OR ANTHOLOGY OR ANTHOLOGY SURVEYS ON THE PLANTS, BIRDS, AND THE NATIVE GEOLOGY AND WILDLIFE HERE IN TEXAS. AND I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT HOW WHILE BRACKEN RIDGE WAS TURNING 60 THIS YEAR, IT IS THE SURPRISE TO BOTH ME AND MANY OTHER NATURALISTS AND THOSE CITIZEN SCIENTISTS WHO ARE CONCERNED FOR THE WELFARE AND THE, UH, PROTECTION OF THE CONSERVATION OF THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB. UH, A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS GO DOWN, GO ON FOR MORE THAN MANY, MANY YEARS IN TERMS OF ITS ORIGIN. SOME OF THESE PROJECTS ARE LEGACY RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT HAVE GONE ON FOR ABOUT ALMOST 30 YEARS NOW, 40 YEARS NOW AND COUNTING. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO STRESS THAT THIS IS A FANTASTIC PLACE. THAT THIS IS A WONDERFUL PLACE THAT HAS, UM, OFFERED NOT ONLY PRO PROGRAMS FOR AUSTINITES OF ALLEGIS, WHETHER IT BE THE, UM, SCIENCE UNDER THE STARS PROGRAM OR THE K THROUGH 12 PROGRAMS THAT, UM, PROMOTE K THROUGH 12 AND YOUTH SCIENCE PROGRAMS. BUT ALSO VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT I'LL SAY FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE AS A VOLUNTEER, WHICH IS THAT THIS IS A RIP ZONE. A LOT OF THE, A LOT OF THE HABITAT AND A LOT OF THE SPACES THAT MIGHT BE DEVELOPED THAT ARE UNDER THREAT OF BEING DEVELOPED, UH, ARE NOT ONLY IMPORTANT FOR PROTECTION AGAINST FLOODING, PROTECTION AGAINST HEAT AND DROUGHT AND HEAT SHOCK ON NOT ONLY THE PLANTS IN THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB, BUT ALSO IT SEEMS LIKE THE, UH, GREEN SPACE AND MUNI AS WELL, WHICH IS, I THINK SOMETHING THAT NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW IS THAT THE ECOLOGY, WHETHER IT BE THE CAST FORMATIONS, THE INSECTS, UH, OR THE PLANTS AND THE ROOT SYSTEMS BOTH MOONIE AND ALSO THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB HAVE SHARED. AND I THINK THE FAST TRACK THIS PROJECT, AS MUCH AS WE'RE HEARING, I THINK IS A PRETTY, UH, RISKY MANEUVER. AND I THINK IF WE SPEND SOME TIME AND WORK TOGETHER, WE CAN FIGURE OUT SOME MORE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS THAT CAN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SO MANY THINGS GOING ON. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY PERSONALLY, THE RESEARCH BEING DONE HERE, IT'S, IT'S FANTASTIC. UM, AND I THINK, I MEAN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME, SOME LEGACY RESEARCH PROJECTS THAT HAVE WON NATIONAL AND STATE AWARDS FOR UT FOR AUSTIN AND PRESENT FOR A, JUST A FANTASTIC, UH, BOTH PR AND HEART FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN AUSTIN SCIENTIST, WHETHER IT'S A CITIZEN SCIENTIST OR RESEARCHER WITH UT. UM, SO YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY MOVING FORWARD THAT, UM, [02:55:01] I HOPE BOTH ME AND OTHER PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB CAN BE A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION AND WE CAN TELL EVERYONE WHETHER IT'S MOONEY, WHETHER IT'S THE COMMISSION, UM, HOW IMPORTANT AND HOW MUCH WE'RE DOING HERE AT THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JULIA BERLINER, FOLLOWED BY DANIEL TABBA, FOLLOWED BY RYAN HERNANDEZ. HI, I'M JULIA BERLINER. I AM A PHD STUDENT STUDYING ECOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN. HOWEVER, I DO WANNA STRESS THESE OPINIONS ARE MY OWN. AND I'M NOT HERE BECAUSE MY RESEARCH IN ANY WAY RELIES ON BRACKEN RIDGE FIELD LABORATORY. UM, I DO CONDUCT ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH, BUT ELSEWHERE, HOWEVER, I AM ALSO A VOLUNTEER AT BFL FOR THE SCIENCE UNDER THE STARS EVENT THAT I HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT. PLEASE CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE EVERY SECOND THURSDAY OF THE MONTH. THERE IS A, A BEAUTIFUL COMMUNITY FOCUSED EVENT FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. IT'S COMPLETELY FREE. UM, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF GIVING TOURS TO ANY COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO SHOW UP AT BFL FOR THIS EVENT. AND WHEN I SAW THIS MAP THAT HAD THE GRAY AREAS ZONED FOR DEVELOPMENT, I BELIEVE IT SAID, DEVELOPMENT AREAS, MY HEART SANK BECAUSE I, I GIVE TOURS TO THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THESE AREAS. AND OF COURSE I KNOW AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY OF SCIENTISTS WHO RELY ON THESE AREAS TO DO THEIR WORK, WORK THAT HAS BEEN SET UP FOR YEARS. THIS IS LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT TO MENTION ALL THE MONEY THAT RESEARCHERS HAVE INVESTED IN THESE LONG-TERM PROJECTS, BUT ALSO THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS HAVE CYCLED THROUGH THIS LABORATORY, NOT JUST TO TAKE CLASSES, BUT ALSO EVERY SINGLE YEAR THESE STUDENTS SURVEY THE PLANTS AND THE ANIMALS. AND THIS IS SUCH A UNIQUE THING IN ECOLOGY. IT'S SUCH A GEM TO HAVE ONE PIECE OF LAND WHERE WE KNOW THE ENTIRE HISTORY GOING THIS FAR BACK. THAT'S SO RARE. IF, IF THIS LABORATORY WERE TO BE MOVED ANYWHERE ELSE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE NEARLY THE, THE SAME HISTORICAL INFORMATION AS WE DO FOR THIS SITE. IT'S INVALUABLE. AND I THINK, AGAIN, THIS DOES ECHO A LOT OF WHAT I HEARD EARLIER TODAY OF JUST THE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS SITE. WE KNOW SINCE GEORGE BRACKENRIDGE OWNED THIS LAND, PRETTY MUCH EVERY SIGNIFICANT THING THAT'S HAPPENED TO IT FROM WHEN IT WAS RANGELAND TO WHEN IT WAS A QUARRY TO BUILD THE FIRST DAM IN AUSTIN TO WHEN WE ALLOWED IT TO REFOREST AND SO ON AND SO ON, INCLUDING THE INVASION OF RED IMPORTED FIRE ANTS, WHICH AFFECT EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN URBAN AUSTIN, LIKE OTHERS HAVE SAID TO, TO IN-STATE. AN URBAN FIELD LABORATORY LIKE THIS IS PRETTY MUCH IMPOSSIBLE, IF NOT EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE AND REQUIRING A LOT OF COORDINATION. WE ALREADY HAVE ONE AND IT'S INVALUABLE FOR ITS PROXIMITY TO STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY. AND IT'S ALSO INVALUABLE FOR JUST THE, THE INSANE AMOUNT OF HISTORICAL KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE OF LAND. SO PLEASE COME TO THESE COMMUNITY EVENTS. I WOULD LOVE TO GIVE YOU A TOUR AND I REALLY HOPE THAT ONE DAY, UH, LATER IN MY PHD, I CAN GIVE ONE OF THE SCIENCE UNDER THE STARS TALKS AT THIS PLACE BECAUSE TO SIT UNDER THE STARS AND LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE FOR EVERY AUSTINITE IS IT'S A DREAM. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DANIEL TABBA, FOLLOWED BY RYAN HERNANDEZ. HI, MY NAME IS DAN TABIS. UH, I'M AN AUSTIN RESIDENT AND VOLUNTEER WITH CITY PARKS. YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE MY T-SHIRT FROM, IT'S MY PARK DAY. THIS PAST SPRING I WAS VOLUNTEERING AT THE FESTIVAL OF BEACH FOOD FOREST. UM, SO I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BRACKENRIDGE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB, WHICH IS THROUGH THE SCIENCE UNDER THE STARS PROGRAM. I'VE BEEN GOING ALMOST EVERY MONTH FOR ABOUT A YEAR NOW, AND YOU SHOW UP AT SEVEN, YOU GET A TOUR OF THE FIELD LAB AND THESE TOURS ARE IMMERSIVE. YOU, UH, YOU GET TO SEE THE BIGGEST TADPOLES THAT I'VE EVER SEEN YOU LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PLACE FROM WHEN THE DAM WAS BUILT TO WHEN IT FAILED, WHICH CREATED RED BUTT IS. UM, YOU LEARN ABOUT THE SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS THAT ARE GOING ON THERE THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR DECADES. UM, AND YOU SEE PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TAKING THESE TOURS AND BEING INVESTED IN WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE HISTORY AND THE SCIENCE. UH, SO THAT'S FROM SEVEN TO EIGHT. AND THEN AT EIGHT THE LECTURE BEGINS. UM, THERE'S ABOUT A HUNDRED SEATS, THEY'RE ALMOST ALL FULL. AGAIN, PEOPLE OF ALL AGES. UM, AND THESE LECTURES ARE SO ACCESSIBLE. THEY'RE TOPICS THAT I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. I WROTE DOWN A COUPLE, UH, OF THE [03:00:01] RECENT ONES. I LEARNED ABOUT MIGRATORY BIRDS. I LEARNED ABOUT PREDATOR PREY DYNAMICS. I LEARNED ABOUT THE IMMUNE SYSTEMS OF FROGS AND I LEARNED ABOUT WEIRD PLANTS. AND WHAT'S GREAT IS AT THE END OF THESE LECTURES, THEY LEAVE LIKE 15, MAYBE EVEN 20 MINUTES FOR QUESTIONS. AND YOU SEE THESE PRECOCIOUS SIX YEAR OLDS RAISING THEIR HANDS AND ASKING REALLY INTELLIGENT, THOUGHTFUL THINGS THAT ARE ANSWERED BY THE GRAD STUDENTS THAT ARE GIVING THESE LECTURES. UM, AND SO IT'S A REALLY WONDERFUL COMMUNITY EVENT. I PLAN ON CONTINUING TO GO TO THESE EVENTS FOR YEARS TO COME. AND MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS TRACT OF LAND HAS GROWN AS I'VE LEARNED ABOUT IT, AND I HOPE IT CONTINUES TO GROW. UM, AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RYAN HERNANDEZ. HELLO. OKAY. HI, I AM RYAN HERNANDEZ. UM, I WOULD LIKE TO PREFACE THIS WITH, UM, I'M SPEAKING AS A CITIZEN, NOT AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF UT. UM, I'M A GRADUATE STUDENT AT UT. UM, LIKE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES, UM, WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB. UM, THE FIELD STATION IS INSTRUMENTAL FOR CONDUCTING RESEARCH IN EDUCATION AND EVERY YEAR HUNDREDS OF UNDERGRADS USE THE FIELD STATION TO LEARN ABOUT THE NATURAL SCIENCES. AND NOT MANY UNIVERSITIES CAN CLAIM TO HAVE SUCH A CLOSE, UH, RESEARCH FIELD STATION, LIKE RIGHT NEXT TO THEIR HOME CAMPUS. UM, I'VE PERSONALLY LED CLASSES ABOUT PLANT BIOLOGY THERE, FOR INSTANCE. AND IN MANY CASES I GET TO SEE ALL OF THESE STUDENTS GET A NEW FOUND APPRECIATION FOR NATURE. A LOT OF THEM ARE MEDICAL STUDENTS AND THEY'RE NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN ECOLOGY, SO IT'S NICE TO SEE THEM KIND OF HAVE THEIR EYES OPEN TO SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT USUALLY UH, EXPOSED TO. UM, I ALSO VOLUNTEER WITH THE PROGRAM CALLED SCIENCE CENTER THE STARS, WHERE EVERY MONTH WE INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT TO THE FIELD STATION AND LEARN ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TOPICS FROM, UH, GUEST SPEAKERS. THEY GET A TOUR OF THE BFL FIELD STATION AND WE EVEN HAVE INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES FOR THE CHILDREN TO GET TO THE, HAVE SOME HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE TOPICS OF THE TALKS. UM, BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB IS NOT JUST INSTRUMENTAL TO THE UNIVERSITY, BUT IN THIS RESPECT, UH, TO AUSTIN ITSELF IN TERMS OF FOSTERING A, A STRONG SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY, NOT JUST WITH THE COLLEGE, BUT WITH AMONGST THE RESIDENTS. UM, AND INTEGRAL TO THIS IS KEEPING THE FIELD STATION AND THE AREA AROUND IT AS NATURAL AS POSSIBLE. SO BRUSHED DEVELOPMENT PLANS DO NOT SEEM TO FAVOR THIS . UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD TRACK MORE ACCURATELY REC PRESERVATION OF THE FIELD STATION. THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM. FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT SPEAKING, IS RERECORDED ON THE SITE, WHICH INCLUDE 36 PEOPLE IN FAVOR AND THEN FIVE IN OPPOSITION. THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. BROWN. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS FOR STAYING LATE AND MAKING YOUR VOICES HEARD ON THIS ISSUE. AS A REMINDER, PLANNING COMMISSION DOES NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ANY ACTION. ON THIS INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT TONIGHT. SO WE WILL BE ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT WE WILL NOT BE TAKING A VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT OR AT ANY POINT. UM, LET'S MOVE INTO COMMISSIONER Q AND A. I WANNA GIVE EVERYONE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS ON THIS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK QUESTIONS, UM, BUT I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND ASSUME THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO TAKE A FIVE MINUTE QUESTION SLOT. UH, WE HAVE STAFF HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS. YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO ASK QUESTIONS OF ANY OF THE SPEAKERS. WE ALSO HAVE MR. SETTLE HERE WHO'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS AGREEMENT, UM, TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WELL. SO I'M GOING TO GO DOWN THE LIST AS I SEE IT ON THE AGENDA, AND IF FOLKS WANT ME TO COME BACK TO 'EM, THEY CAN FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW. I WILL START WITH VICE CHAIR HANEY PASS. ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL. THANKS, UH, CHAIR, I APPRECIATE THE ORDER YOU'RE CHOOSING THIS EVENING, . UM, OKAY. I DEFINITELY DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND I'M GONNA START WITH MS. OLIVERS, IF THAT'S OKAY. UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TOURS AND WHY THAT'S AN INSTRUMENT THAT WE MIGHT NEED FOR THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT AND HOW THAT IMPACTS THE UPDATES THAT YOU ALL ARE CONSIDERING AND BRINGING FORWARD. SURE. SO ACCORDING TO THE EXISTING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO FUND, UH, AT THE UTILITIES AND OBSTRUCTION NECESSARY TO SERVE. THE, THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, OUR OPTIONS ON HOW WE GO ABOUT PAYING FOR THAT INFRASTRUCTURE ARE LIMITED. [03:05:01] UH, SO IN ORDER TO, UH, PRESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT, UH, THE, THE ADDITIONAL PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH THAT, UM, THE DEVELOPMENT CAN CREATE AND ALLOW FOR IT TO HELP PAY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ALSO, UM, MINIMIZE THE IMPACT ON TAXPAYERS OVERALL AND ALSO IN ALIGNMENT WITH TEXAS TAX CODE. UM, REGARDING THE UNDEVELOPED LAND AND LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WE HAVE PROPOSED UTILIZATION OF TAX, OF INVESTMENT REINVESTMENT ZONE. UH, IN THIS CASE, THE LAND IS AS, WHEN IT'S UNIVERSITY OWNED LAND AND IT'S, UH, NOT BEING USED FOR NON-UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY PURPOSES, UH, IT IS TAX EXEMPT. SO MUCH OF THE LAND HAS ZERO TAXABLE VALUE. SO WITH THE CREATION OF A TURS, UH, AND AS PROPERTY IS EITHER GROUND LEASED OR SOLD OFF THERE, IT WOULD THEN BECOME ADDED TO THE TAX ROLLS AND CREATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO GO TOWARDS THE INFRASTRUCTURE COST ON SITE. GREAT. AND THEN JUST TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE I THINK WE'VE HEARD SOME NUMBERS THROWN AROUND, UM, THE CURRENT PROPOSAL WOULD INCLUDE BOTH MUNI AND WAY OF BEING SORT OF, UM, UN REMAINING UNDEVELOPED OR CERTAINLY KEEPING IN THE CER THE WAY THEY'RE BEING USED CURRENTLY, AND THESE OTHER TRACKS BEING POTENTIALLY REDEVELOPED INTO TAXABLE ENTITIES THAT WOULD THEN, UH, FUND THE TURS. IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THE NUMBER THAT WE SEE, THE 190 ACRES, THAT'S EVERYTHING EXEMPTING, MUNI AND WAY, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. YES. OKAY. AND SO THAT, I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, I'M LOOKING AT A MAP AND I'M HEARING SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE FIELD LAB AND THE AMAZING THINGS THEY'RE DOING, BUT THAT PIECE IS CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN THE REDEVELOPMENT AND WOULD BE PART OF THE TOURS, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. YEAH. OKAY. SO THE EXPECTATION IS THAT EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF MUNI AND WAYA WOULD THEN BE ESSENTIALLY OPEN FOR REDEVELOPMENT, AND THAT'S THESE OTHER AMENDMENTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT FORWARD IN TERMS OF THE HEIGHT AND FAR LIMITS? CORRECT. OKAY. TURNING TO THOSE JUST FOR A SECOND. AND I KNOW MS. LINK, I'M SURE, I KNOW YOU HAVE THESE NUMBERS, SO I'M, I'M GONNA COUNT ON YOU HERE, . UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT THAT'S SOMEWHAT ADJACENT TO THIS SITE. I MEAN, CERTAINLY NEAR ENOUGH, IF YOU LOOK ALONG THE LAKESHORE, AND I KNOW THAT IN CERTAIN CASES WE'VE REDONE SOME OF OUR HEIGHT AND FAR REQUIREMENTS, BOTH BECAUSE OF STATE REGULATIONS AND BECAUSE OF CHANGING DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS. AND I, I, MAYBE I'M JUST MISUNDERSTANDING THIS, BUT THESE DO SEEM SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE DONE IN OTHER AREAS CLOSE TO THE LAKESHORE, PARTICULARLY CLOSE STRAIGHT TO DOWNTOWN. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT PLEASE? SO WHAT WE HAVE RECOMMENDED IS A HEIGHT OF 65 ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD, WHERE IT IS ADJACENT TO EXISTING, UH, RESIDENTIAL AND, AND OTHER COMMERCIAL USES. THEY WOULD ALSO BE SUBJECT TO COMPATIBILITY ON THE SOUTH SIDE. IT'S, THE HEIGHT IS CAPPED AT 65 FEET, AND AS YOU LOOK ACROSS THAT IS, YOU WILL ALWAYS SEE IT ONLY AT 65 FEET FROM THE ROADWAY, BUT AS YOU GO DOWN, IT CAN GO UP TO 105 FEET. AND THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE NEGOTIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY. UM, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR ON THE NOTION NEGOTIATION THAT WAS AGREED UPON BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THAT, THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO FULFILL THE SORT OF REQUIREMENTS OF THE TOURS AND THE FINANCING THAT MIGHT BE REQUIRED FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE APPARENTLY HAVE TO PROVIDE. IS THAT CORRECT? THE, THE EARLY ESTIMATES INDICATE YES. UH, WHAT WE AS NOTED IN THE SCHEDULE OF THE PRESENTATION, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE UNIVERSITY THROUGH THE SPRING MONTHS TO DEVELOP THE DETAILS OF THAT PRELIMINARY PROJECT FINANCING PLAN. UM, THERE, THERE'S A CERTAIN LIMITATION OF, UH, DEVELOPMENT PLANS. UH, SO WE, WE DO NEED AN ADDITIONAL TIME TO WORK THROUGH THOSE DETAILS. AND I GUESS ONE FINAL QUESTION, 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT, WE'RE JUST ASKING QUESTIONS TONIGHT. WE'RE NOT MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS. UM, BOTH OF THESE AMENDMENTS, IF THEY WERE CODIFIED AT THE NOVEMBER 5TH, UH, NOVEMBER MEETING AT CITY OF COUNCIL, CITY OF AUSTIN, WE WOULD THEN BE UNABLE TO REALLY CHANGE THEM IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT LATER. LIKE THIS IS SORT OF A BASELINE THAT WE'RE ACCEPTING AS WHAT WE WOULD SORT OF TARGET FOR DEVELOPMENT. IS THAT UNDERSTANDING? CORRECT, YES. OKAY. SO THAT WHEN WE, UH, POTENTIALLY MAYBE WE'D WANTED ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO MAKE SOME OF THE TOUR PENCIL BETTER OR TO MAYBE SET ASIDE PART OF THE FIELD LAB, THINGS LIKE THAT, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GO BACK LATER TO FIX THESE THINGS BECAUSE THESE AMENDMENTS WOULD BE IN PART OF THE ORIGINAL AGREEMENT AND NOT IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. THAT WOULD COME LATER. THEY WOULD ACTUALLY BE IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. AND WHEN WE COME BACK WITH THE REGULATING PLAN, IT NEEDS TO MIRROR THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. NOW, IF COUNSEL, WHEN THEY TAKE IT UP ON THE 19TH, WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A HIGHER HEIGHT, I DOUBT THE UNIVERSITY WOULD OBJECT. THANK YOU. THANKS, COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, COMMISSIONER AHMED, ANY QUESTIONS FROM YOU? ONE QUESTION OFF HAND. UM, MY QUESTION IS, UH, I I THINK WE, WE HEARD A LOT OF VERY IMPASSIONED TESTIMONY ON, YOU KNOW, HOW IMPORTANT MUNI IS, UM, FOR A LOT OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS. MY QUESTION IS, IF THIS DEAL DOES NOT GO THROUGH, IF THIS CONTRACT WITH THE UNIVERSITY DOES NOT GO, GO THROUGH, UH, I, I UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHT NOW THERE'S A MONTH TO MONTH AGREEMENT THAT IS CURRENTLY IN PLACE. UH, WOULD [03:10:01] THAT CONTINUE? WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THERE? UH, CAN YOU GIVE SOME, UM, UH, I GUESS EXPOUND ON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, UH, WITH THAT AGREEMENT AND WITH MOONEY? UH, IF, IF THIS DEAL DOES NOT GO THROUGH RIGHT NOW? UH, SO I'LL SPEAK TO THE, THE LEASE AGREEMENT ASPECT OF IT AND I'LL, I'LL TURN TO MY COLLEAGUE TO, TO SPEAK MORE RELATIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT CAPABILITIES AS THEY EXIST TODAY. SO THE, THE LEASE AGREEMENT, UM, YES, IT'S A MONTH TO MONTH BASIS. UH, THERE IS A, UH, A COMPONENT ALLOWS FOR EITHER PARTY TO TERMINATE THAT LEASE WITH A FIVE MONTH MINUTES NOTICE. UH, SO AT ANY TIME, UH, TODAY THAT LEASE COULD BE ENDED, UH, WITH, WITH JUST NOTICE FROM THE OTHER PARTY AND AS TO, UM, IF THE DEAL DOESN'T GO THROUGH AND, AND WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO MUNI, IT'S STILL UNIVERSITY PROPERTY, SO IT'S STATE PROPERTY, SO THE STATE LEGISLATURE OR THE UNIVERSITY COULD MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THAT LAND WITHOUT OUR INVOLVEMENT WHATSOEVER. GOT IT. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW. THANKS, COMMISSIONER AHMED. COMMISSIONER BENNETT, UH, JUST ONE QUESTION. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE, UH, THE NEW PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT HAS STRONGER ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS THAN THE PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. CAN YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? SO THE EXISTING AGREEMENT, UH, DOES NOT PROTECT, THERE IS A TRIBUTARY THROUGH THE PROPERTY AND THAT IS NOT PROTECTED UNDER THE CURRENT DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. ADDITIONALLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE AGREED TO, UH, REVIEW THE CER, UH, CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, WHICH ARE NOT ADDRESSED IN THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT EITHER, UM, THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL THING THAT WE'LL BE WORKING TOWARDS. UM, THE CURRENT AGREEMENT DOES NOT ADDRESS HERITAGE TREES. UM, AND WE'VE AGREED TO COME UP WITH A KIND OF A COMBINED POLICY BETWEEN WHAT THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY DO TO PROTECT THOSE TREES. UM, AND I THINK, UH, YEAH, LIKE THOSE ARE THE THINK BIG ONES. THANK YOU. THANKS, COMMISSIONER BENNETT. COMMISSIONER GANNON, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO COME BACK TO YOU? UH, COMMISSIONER BRE RAMIREZ, CAN YOU, UH, SPEAK TO THE NO REGULATED CUT AND FILL, UH, CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES PIECE? SO THE CURRENT, UH, BDA DOES NOT REGULATE CUT AND FILL OR CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES, AND THAT WILL BE CARRIED FORWARD. WHY? BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING AS PART OF THE AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY, BUT IT'S NEXT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NEXT TO THE LAKE. AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IS YOU'RE SAYING IF YOU SAY IT'S 65 FEET, THAT MEANS YOU HAVE TO DIG DOWN 40 FEET TO GET TO 105 FEET. NOT NECESSARILY. IT'S THE LAND ISN'T, IT'S ALREADY SLOPED. RIGHT. THERE'S SOME SLOPE TO IT. SO, BUT THERE WILL BE TODAY I THINK OUR CUT AND FILL IS FOUR FEET BEFORE IT'S, SO THAT IS CORRECT, BUT IF THEY WERE TO REDEVELOP ANY OF THAT LAND TODAY, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CUT AND FILL OR CONSTRUCTION ON SLOPES LIMITATIONS. 'CAUSE THE REGULATION ISN'T THERE TODAY. WE DON'T. CORRECT. OKAY. UM, CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE MUELLER GROUND LEASE EXCHANGE? SURE. WITHIN, UH, MILLER, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 11 ACRES THAT THEY HAVE HAD, UH, LEASE AGREEMENT FOR. THE INTENDED USE OF THAT PROPERTY WAS FOR LIFE SCIENCES, UH, PURPOSES. THAT IS WHEN THE INTENT WAS FOR THE MEDICAL SCHOOL TO BE LOCATED IN MILLER. OBVIOUSLY THAT IS NOT WHERE IT'S LOCATED TODAY. UH, SO THE UNIVERSITY IS ASKED FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THEIR LEASE AGREEMENT TO ALLOW FOR OTHER USES. UH, RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ASKING FOR THE ABILITY TO DO STUDENT AND FACULTY HOUSING ON SITE. UH, SO, UH, WE JUST, WE HAVE TO WORK THROUGH THAT LEASE, THAT AMENDMENT TO THE LEASE TO ALLOW FOR THAT USE. OKAY, THANK YOU. AND THEN, SO YOU HAVE THE COLORADO APARTMENTS AND THE BRECKENRIDGE APARTMENTS, AND THEN THE OTHER APARTMENTS THAT ARE LOCATED NEXT TO THE CBS, UM, I IMAGINE THAT WE WOULD WANT, THEY WOULD WANT TO REDEVELOP, OR WE, THAT WOULD BE PART OF THIS AGREEMENT IS TO REDEVELOP THOSE AT HIGHER DENSITY. 'CAUSE IT THERE'S NO LIMIT ON THE DENSITY OF MULTIFAMILY. CORRECT. THERE'S NO LIMIT ON THE DENSITY. SO THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO DEVELOP IT, UH, MORE DENSE THAN IT IS TODAY, BUT IT WOULD BE CAPPED AT 105 FEET ON THE SOUTH SIDE, SOUTH SIDE. OKAY. UM, AND SO THE UNIVERSITY NO LONGER WANTS TO MANAGE THE BFL IS THAT THEY'RE TAKING IT, THEY'RE TAKING IT OUT OF THEIR, IT WILL NO LONGER BE A UNIVERSITY USE AS OF RIGHT NOW IT IS A UNIVERSITY USE. IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO OR IF THEY CHOOSE TO STOP THE FIELD LAB, THEY CAN DO THAT UNDER THE CURRENT AGREEMENT. UM, AND THEN UNDER THIS AS WELL, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO USE IT, DEVELOP IT FOR NON UNIVERSITY PURPOSES. SO JUST SO I'M UNDERSTANDING, 'CAUSE THE, THE MAP SHOWS THE BFL INCLUDED IN THE DEVELOPABLE AREA, THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE EXPECTING? YES. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE EXPECTING. SO THEY NO LONGER WANT TO USE IT FOR UNIVERSITY USE. THAT IS WHAT WE UNDERSTAND. OKAY. OKAY. [03:15:01] I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME. COMMISSIONER ROEN. THANK YOU CHAIR. UM, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE CITY IS GONNA BE PAYING FOR ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURAL AND UTILITY IMPROVEMENTS ON THE SITE. IS THAT CORRECT? WE, YES, THAT'S CORRECT. WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO SO WITH THE CURRENT AGREEMENT. AND THE WAY THE DEVELOPMENT USUALLY WORKS IS THAT ALL HAS TO BE DONE BEFORE ANY OTHER DEVELOPMENT CAN BE COMPLETED. CORRECT. GENERALLY SPEAKING, THERE'S A CERTAIN DEGREE OF, OF BACKBONE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE, UM, TO, AND THEN TYPICALLY YOU DO THAT IN PHASES. SO THERE WOULD BE, UH, A PHASE PLAN EVENT. I GUESS ANOTHER WAY TO PUT IT IS THAT WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE ANY TAXES ARE COLLECTED TO HELP PAY FOR SAID WORK. UM, FROM A COMMISSION THAT SITS AND LISTENS TO A BUNCH OF CASES, UH, FOR HOUSING AND NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE'RE ASKING THEM TO TAKE ON PROPERTIES THAT ARE MUCH LARGER THAN THE PROPOSED HEIGHT LIMITATIONS ON THIS SITE IN AREAS WHERE THE CITY IS WOEFULLY IN NEED OF INFRASTRUCTURE. AND I'M ROUTINELY TOLD BY CITY STAFF THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR SET INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS. THIS SEEMS LIKE A BIT OF A, AN UNUSUAL CONDITION WHERE WE'RE PREFERENCING THIS DEVELOPMENT OVER EVERY OTHER DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY. IS THAT NOT CORRECT? SO WITH THE EXISTING AGREEMENT, WE ARE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR THIS INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HAVE, AS STAFF HAVE LOOKED AT THE OPTIONS, THE FINANCING OPTIONS AVAILABLE THAT CAN HAVE, UH, HAVE THE, THAT ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW, BUT ALSO ARE, HAVE THE LEASE IMPACT ON, ON TAXPAYERS AS POSSIBLE. AND IN THIS CASE, LIKE I NOTED, THERE IS, IT'S ALL TAX EXEMPT LAND LARGELY. UH, SO IS YOUR DOLLAR VALUE. SO IT DOES CREATE SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT TO IN, IN FACT, PAY FOR ITSELF. AND THEN THE CITY STILL MEETS ITS OBLIGATION UNDER EXISTING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. UNDERSTOOD. BUT THE, THE MONEY AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW TO PAY FOR THAT WORK TODAY WOULD BE AT THE DETRIMENT TO OTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CITY? NO, UH, SO WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IS WE, AS WE DEVELOP THE PRELIMINARY PROJECT FINANCING PLAN IS ALSO INCORPORATE A FINANCING AGREEMENT. UH, THAT CREATES THE GUIDELINES FOR HOW WE GO ABOUT, UH, PAYING FOR THAT OVER TIME. UH, THERE WE WOULD CREATE THE, THE GUIDELINE GUARDRAILS TO PROTECT THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE CITY, UM, AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WE ARE SCHEDULING DEBT ISSUANCES IN ACCORDANCE WITH REVENUE PROJECTIONS. SO UNTIL THE THE CHURCH IS ABLE TO SUPPORT THE DEBT ISSUANCE, UM, WE WOULD NOT BE ISSUING DEBT. UNDERSTOOD. YEP. CAN YOU EXPOUND A LITTLE BIT ON THET REQUIREMENTS AS FAR AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING WOULD APPLY TO, WHETHER IT'S ONSITE OR OFFSITE, ET CETERA? SO OUR, OUR, THE CITY'S FINANCIAL POLICY IS THAT, UH, A DEVELOPMENT, UH, THAT IS UTILIZING A TOURS INCLUDES 20% AFFORDABLE HOUSING. UH, WE HAVE, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, NEED FOR HOUSING ACROSS THE, THE COMMUNITY, ALSO THE NEED FOR HOUSING, UM, IN A LARGER SWATH OF, UH, THE AREA FOR THE, THAT THE UNIVERSITY WOULD HAVE NEED FOR, UH, WE HAVE ALLOWED FOR THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE EITHER MET ON SITE OR OFFSITE. UH, CONSIDERING THE, UH, UH, ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL NATURE OF MUNI, IT SEEMS LIKE HAVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THIS SITE WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE TO THE CITY. AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AS A STATEMENT. UM, MY FINAL QUESTION IS, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT YOUR ALLOWABLE USES. YOU TOUCHED ON THE GOOD ONES AND YOU SKIPPED OVER ALL THE WEIRD BAD ONES LIKE EXTERMINATION SERVICES, ET CETERA. CAN YOU EXPOUND ON WHY WE'RE SPECIFICALLY ALLOWING THESE THINGS LIKE FOR INSTANCE, PAWN SHOP USE ON THIS SITE? THOSE ARE TRADITIONAL COMMERCIAL USES THAT ARE ALLOWED IN A VARIETY OF DISTRICTS AND WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL WHAT GOES ON THIS PIECE OF LAND AND WHAT DOESN'T. IS THERE A REASON WE'RE NOT TAKING SOME OF THESE USES OFF? THE UNIVERSITY HAS ASKED FOR THESE USES TO BE ALLOWED ON THE SITE. UM, THEY WILL BE THE DEVELOPER OF THE PROPERTY IN CONTROLLING FROM A, UM, TRANSACTIONAL STANDPOINT WHAT THEY ARE WANTING FOLKS TO DEVELOP PRIVATELY. SO THAT WOULD BE TO A DEGREE UNDER, UM, WOULD BE THEIR PURVIEW. IF THEY DON'T WANT EXTERMINATING SER SERVICES IN THE FUTURE, THAT COULD BE SOMETHING THAT THEY WORK THROUGH PRIVATELY IN THEIR AGREEMENTS WITH LANDOWNERS OR THE, UH, INDIVIDUALS OR ENTITIES THAT THEY MAY DO GROUND LEASES WITH. SORRY, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HAS SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR PAWN SHOP USES ON THEIR PROPERTY. CORRECT. WOW, THAT IS SO INTERESTING. UH, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE. THANKS COMMISSIONER IAN, COMMISSIONER POWELL, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR, UH, DR. BOWMAN, IF SHE'S UP FOR ANYONE WHO'S COMFORTABLE KIND SPEAKING ON BFL. UM, AND AS SHE'S MAKING HER WAY UP, I ALSO JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU TO STAFF. THIS IS A MASSIVE ISSUE THAT HAS TAKEN A LONG, LONG, LONG AMOUNT OF TIME AND PASSED THROUGH MANY HANDS. SO I JUST REALLY [03:20:01] APPRECIATE THE DETAIL Y'ALL HAVE GONE INTO WITH US TODAY AND THIS BRIEFING HAS BEEN SUPER HELPFUL. UM, SO I GUESS JUST TO FIRST OFF, UH, GO THROUGH THE, THE PLEASANTRIES OF IT. I'M ASKING YOU QUESTIONS AS A EXPERT, AS A SCIENTIST AND NON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. CORRECT? CORRECT. THANK YOU. PERFECT. JUST GOTTA MAKE SURE. UM, I AM LEARNING, I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT BFL JUST TONIGHT AND I'M KIND OF JUST CURIOUS TO LEARN A BIT MORE ABOUT THE NATURE OF THE RESEARCH THERE. UM, IT SOUNDS LIKE IN GENERAL A LOT OF THE RESEARCH IS EXPLICITLY KIND OF LONG-TERM IN NATURE. COULD YOU SPEAK TO SOME OF THAT? YEAH. UM, SO LAWRENCE GILBERT, WHO HAS UM, RUN BFL FOR 40 YEARS, UH, HE IS A RESEARCHER AT UT UM, TENURED PROFESSOR. HE HAS A COLLEGE COURSE AS AN UNDERGRADUATE COURSE AND AS PART OF THAT, HIS STUDENTS GET A BLOCK OF LAND THAT THEY SURVEY AS PART OF THE COURSE. SO THEY SURVEY THE PLANTS, THE INSECTS, THE ANIMALS. THERE'S SOME STUDENTS HERE WHO ARE CURRENTLY IN THAT CLASS. UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO DO AN ECOLOGICAL EXPERIMENT. SO IT'S HANDS-ON ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH FOR UNDERGRADUATES WHO WOULDN'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY IF BFL DID NOT EXIST. UM, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF GREENHOUSES WHERE RESEARCH GOES ON. SO, UM, THE GROUP, I'M PART OF THE INVASIVE SPECIES RESEARCH GROUP. UM, WE UTILIZE ONE OF THESE GREENHOUSES TO STUDY, UH, INVASIVE GRASSES. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A BUNCH OF, UM, EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO DO LONG-TERM EXPERIMENTS. UM, DR. AMY WOLF, WHO'S A PROFESSOR AT UT, SHE JUST COMPLETED A FIVE YEAR, I THINK LONG EXPERIMENT LOOKING AT DIVERSITY. UM, TOM YOUNGER HAS SOME RAIN OUT SHELTERS AND HE'S DONE A NUMBER OF STUDIES THERE WITH SWITCHGRASS. UM, I JUST STARTED A FIVE YEAR, UM, EXPERIMENT THIS SEASON, , WHICH WAS UPSETTING TO SEE THIS 'CAUSE WE MAY NOT GET TO FINISH IT. UM, IT WAS A LOT OF WORK TO PUT IN. SO THERE IS A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT'S GOING ON THERE. OH, THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, I'M ALSO THINKING, UH, MAYBE A COMPARABLE SITE AND I'M THINKING I REPRESENT DISTRICT SEVEN. SO NORTH AUSTIN WE HAVE THE PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS. AND I'LL SAY FROM EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, THOUGH THERE ARE SECURITY STALLS, IT'S THE TYPE OF PLACE PEOPLE COULD BIKE ON TO WALK THROUGH. IT'S KIND OF SOMEWHAT OPEN. UM, I'M EMBARRASSED TO SAY I HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE BFL. WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF LIKE PUBLIC ACCESSIBILITY? I HEARD THE SCIENCE ON THE STARS PIECE, BUT IS IT THE TYPE OF PLACE FOLKS COULD GO AND VISIT AND TOUR OR HOW DOES THAT LOOK? DEFINITELY ANYONE IS WELCOME TO COME. I MEAN, IT'S PAID FOR BY YOUR TAX DOLLARS. SO ANYONE IS WELCOME TO COME AND GET A TOUR, UM, VISIT THE RESEARCH SCIENTISTS LOVE TO TALK ABOUT RESEARCH AND WE WILL DO IT UNTIL YOU'RE SICK OF IT. UM, I'VE SEEN MANY PEOPLE'S EYES GLAZE OVER WHEN I STARTED TALKING ABOUT MY RESEARCH FOR TOO LONG. SO VERY HAPPY TO DO THAT. UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT OPEN FOR PEOPLE JUST TO WALK INTO, 'CAUSE WE DO HAVE EXPERIMENTS ONGOING AND SO WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, DISTURB THOSE. BUT IF YOU SCHEDULE IT, YOU CAN LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY AND IT DOES HAVE A VERY INTERESTING LONG HISTORY. GOTCHA. I THINK THAT IS IT FOR MY QUESTIONS, BUT AGAIN, JUST KINDA CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BFL AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING UP AND ANSWERING THIS. THANK YOU. THANKS COMMISSIONER POWELL. COMMISSIONER BRETON. THANK YOU CHAIR. OKAY, I WOULD LIKE TO START FROM ZERO A LITTLE BIT. SO THE BDA, IT COVERS DEVELOPMENT FROM UT, NON UT DEVELOPMENT OR BOTH? SO ITS MAIN FOCUS IS THE NON UNIVERSITY PURPOSES. UM, BUT IT DOES REFERENCE THAT THEY GET TO DECIDE HOW TO DEVELOP THEIR PROPERTY AND THAT IS NOT A FIGHT I THINK WE WOULD HAVE WITH THEM ABOUT HOW THEY DEVELOP THEIR OWN PROBLEM FOR THEIR UNIVERSITY USES. AND SO IF OUR AMENDED BDA GOES THROUGH AND THE REGULATING PLAN HAPPENS, EVEN IF UT OR IF UT DECIDES I'D LIKE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IT'S MY LAND AND I'LL BUILD WHATEVER I WANT, THEY COULD DO THAT. IS THAT CORRECT? THEY COULD DO ALL OF THIS AND IN THEORY THEY COULD, UM, DEVELOP IT ALL ENTIRELY FOR UNIVERSITY PURPOSES. OKAY. I THINK THAT IS A HELPFUL POINT IN MIND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE THE BFL, UH, UNDERSTANDING WHAT UT MIGHT WANT AND MIGHT WANT TO DO, AND TALKING THROUGH WHAT THIS MIGHT NEED TO BE. UH, QUESTION IF IT'S ALREADY KNOWN, WHAT RIGHT OF WAYS ARE WE PLANNING TO VACATE TO UT SO THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS ARE REQUESTED AT ALL, ESSENTIALLY ON OR IMMEDIATELY AROUND CAMPUS? OKAY. UH, SO, UH, THERE'S DESIRE FOR THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THE, UM, THE LOOK, FEEL OF THOSE RIGHT OF WAYS RELATIVE TO THE SURROUNDING CAMPUS USES. UH, SO WE'RE, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THEM ON THOSE TO GET THEM COMPLETELY NAILED DOWN AS TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE VACATED VERSUS CAN BE HANDLED THROUGH SOME OTHER AGREEMENTS TOO. YOU SAY CAMPUS, DO YOU MEAN THE MAIN CAMPUS? YES. AH, WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. UM, SO, UH, YOU TALKED ABOUT FINDING THE NUMBERS, THE HEIGHT, THE IMPERVIOUS COVER, THE OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL REGULATIONS NEEDED FOR THE UPDATED BDA [03:25:01] THAT WOULD HELP. HOPEFULLY, UH, THOSE NUMBERS WERE A PART OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT FINDING APPROPRIATE AMOUNTS OF FINANCING THROUGH THE TURS TO PAY FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED FOR THE AREA. DID I GET THAT PART RIGHT? AS I UNDERSTOOD THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN Y'ALL AND COMMISSIONER MAXWELL? SO WE'VE DONE INITIAL ESTIMATES OF IT'S, I MEAN, IT'S AS HARD WHEN YOU, IT'S NOT FINAL. YEAH. BUT THAT'S THE, WHEN THERE'S NOT A DEVELOPMENT PLAN PART, INITIAL PIECE OF THIS. YES. SO WE'VE DONE THE INITIAL ANALYSIS AND, AND I WOULD ALSO ADD TO AS WELL, PART OF IT, THEY HAVE A VISION IN FAIRNESS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE VISION IS, BUT WE DO KNOW THEY HAVE A VISION AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING FROM FOR THE TS THAT WORKS, THE WORK THAT OUR FINANCIAL STAFF DOES IS BASED ON WHAT THEY'RE KIND OF ENVISIONING WITHOUT SPECIFICS. THANK YOU TOO MUCH. YEAH. SO THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WILL REFLECT TO A DEGREE WHAT THEY HAVE ENVISIONED FOR THE AREA. SO, UH, A QUESTION AS WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS, HAS THERE BEEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT HELPING FUND A TRAIL EXTENSION IN AND ALONG THIS AREA THROUGH THE TURS? AND SIMILARLY, UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT CAN JUST FUND THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR WHAT UT WANTS, BUT DO WE HAVE A VISION OF WHAT THIS AREA COULD BE WHERE WE CAN ALLOW ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY BENEFIT TO OUR CITY OUTSIDE OF JUST WHAT UT WANTS? SO THE TRAIL HAS BEEN PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT THE UNIVERSITY HAS BEEN HAVING. UM, WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFICS RIGHT NOW AS IT RELATES TO THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. UM, FOR YOUR SECOND QUESTION, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT OUR LAND. WE USE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, UM, IN THE, WELL, LET ME SAY IT THIS WAY. THE UNIVERSITY HAS A, UM, DIFFERENT VISION OF A COMMUNITY BENEFIT THAN I THINK WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY AT THE CITY THINK OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS AS. AND SO THE, THE THE ELEMENTS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THINGS LIKE THAT. UM, THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, LIKE WE HAVE A PROVISION, WE WILL HAVE A PROVISION THAT SAYS THAT THEY NEED TO REDEVELOP ESSENTIALLY THE EXISTING MARRIED STUDENT HOUSING TO MIRROR THAT SOMEWHERE ELSE, EITHER AT BRACKEN RIDGE AREA OR OFFSITE, UM, IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF UNITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. SO WE WANT STUFF LIKE THAT. UM, WE'VE ALSO TALKED OF IT AS IT RELATES TO THET. SO, UM, YOU KNOW HOW THAT PLAYS OUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY AS THE LANDOWNERS IS, LOOKS DIFFERENT THAN WE'RE USED TO. AND I UNDERSTAND RIGHT, THAT THEY ARE A, A DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY. OF COURSE, THEY WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT VISION OF WHAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT IS THAN THE CITY. WE SERVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND HAVE DIFFERENT GOALS. RIGHT. I'M WONDERING IF PART OF THAT VISION IS, UH, HELPING AS WE UPDATE THINGS FOR THEM AND AGREEMENT WITH THEIR LAND, THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY THAT HAS BEEN NOT BEING MOVED UPON AT ALL IN CONVERSATION WITH THEM AND THEIR MASTER PLAN ON CAMPUS. AND APPARENTLY THERE'S CONVERSATIONS ABOUT RIGHT OF WAY IN THAT AREA. SO I'M INTERESTED IF THERE'S BEEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT UPDATING AND MOVING FORWARD WITH UNO THAT WOULD BE ABOVE MY PAY GRADE , SO I DON'T THANK YOU. WE, WE CAN, YOU CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION IF THERE IS AN ANSWER. NO, THE THE ANSWER IS THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY, NO NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY ARE ABOVE MY PAY GRADE. UNDERSTOOD. OKAY. THANKS. COMMISSIONER BRETTON. COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE? MM-HMM . THANK YOU. I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? UH, I GUESS THE QUESTION FOR PLANNING DEPARTMENT STAFF OF LOOKING AT THE SLIDE DECK Y'ALL WENT THROUGH AND THE PROPOSED REGULATORY AMENDMENTS AND USES, WHEN DID Y'ALL START WORKING ON THIS PROJECT? SO THE, THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE UNIVERSITY HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR MANY YEARS WAY BEFORE. UNDERSTOOD ANY OF OUR TIMES? YES. UM, AS TO THE SPECIFICS WE'VE REACHED RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT TIMEFRAME. VERY SHORT. IT'S BEEN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THOUGH. WHEN WERE YOU FIRST ASKED? WAS IT, HOW MANY MONTHS WAS IT WEEKS AGO, MONTHS AGO. YOU GOT, YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN YOU WERE ASKED TO START RIGHT AFTER BUDGET? YEAH, I THINK IT WAS RIGHT AFTER BUDGET. RIGHT AFTER BUDGET ADOPTION? I BELIEVE. SO AFTER BUDGET ADOPTION, CAN YOU GIVE ME A A APPROXIMATE DATE FOR THAT? I BUDGET WAS IN MIDGUT, SO OKAY. SO AFTER THAT, SO SOMETIME IN LATE AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER. OKAY. OF, I GUESS BACK TO PLANNING STAFF, WAS THE BRACKENRIDGE TRACK 2009 MASTER PLAN THAT UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM PREPARED THAT PROJECT REPORT. HOW EXTENSIVELY WAS THAT CONSULTED AS PART OF DEVELOPING THESE PROPOSED REGULATORY AMENDMENTS? SO WHAT [03:30:01] THE UNIVERSITY HAS ASKED FOR, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT DOCUMENTS OR REPORTS THEY MAY HAVE RELIED ON IN TERMS OF THEIR ASKS OF THE CITY. UM, AND WE HAVE WORKED FROM THE ASKS THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN, BUT DID CITY CITY STAFF EVER CONSULT THAT REPORT? NO. CITY STAFF HASN'T LOOKED AT ALL AT THE 2009 BRACKENRIDGE FINAL PROJECT REPORT? NO. WE'VE WORKED FROM THE ASKS OF THE UNIVERSITY. HAS CITY STAFF REVIEWED CHAPTER SEVEN, THE BRACKENRIDGE FIELD LAB COLLABORATIVE PLANNING STUDY PLANNING STAFF? NO. NO. UH, THE QUESTION ABOUT THE TURS, WHAT'S THE GEOGRAPHIC LIMIT OF THE TURS? IT WOULD BE LIMITED TO THE, THE, THE PROPERTIES THAT THE UNIVERSITY OWNS, PROPERTIES THE UNIVERSITY OWNS. WOULD THAT ALSO INCLUDE THE TRACT OF LAND THAT WOULD BE CONVEYED TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR MUNI? NO, BECAUSE THAT WOULD REMAIN TAX EXEMPT AND CITY OWNED AND CITY OWNED. WOULD FUNDS FROM THE TERRAS BE USED TO PURCHASE THE GOLF COURSE? NO. SO NO, THE GOLF COURSE IS GONNA BE PURCHASED ENTIRELY WITH, UH, DONATED FUNDS, NOT CITY MONEY. OKAY. UH, IS OF, IS THE GATEWAY APARTMENT SITE, HAS THAT BEEN PART OF THE AGREEMENT OR DISCUSSIONS AT ALL? IS THAT THE FORMAL I, IS THAT THE GABLES? IS THAT NO. GATEWAY. GATEWAY OR THE APARTMENTS ON WEST SIXTH STREET THAT ARE LOCATED SIXTH, AND FORGIVE ME, NOT PATTERSON, JUST BEFORE YOU GET TO MOPAC, ALSO UNIVERSITY TRACKED LAND. IT USED TO BE THE OLD CONFEDERATE SOLDIER'S HOME OF PIECE OF PROPERTY. THAT'S UNIVERSITY HOUSING. UH, HAS THAT BEEN PART OF ANY DISCUSSIONS, UH, WITH THIS AGREEMENT? NO. THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THAT PLANNING STUDY IN 2009 WAS, UH, A COLLABORATIVE PLANNING STUDY ON WHERE STUDENT HOUSING MIGHT BE RELOCATED OF WILL PLANNING COMMISSION BE ASKED TO VOTE ON THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS IN THE FUTURE. AS WE'VE BEEN REQUESTED, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE TO BE ABLE TO, TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS WILL COME INTO THOSE CONVERSATIONS. BUT THE, THE, THE TIMELINE FOR THIS IS COUNSEL IS GOING TO VOTE ON THIS AGREEMENT ON NOVEMBER 17TH, IS THAT RIGHT? THE 19TH. 19TH. IT WILL BE NOVEMBER 19TH FOR THE VOTE ON THE AGREEMENT. BUT ESSENTIALLY IN THE AGREEMENT, WE'RE GOING TO AGREE TO COME BACK IN 2027 TO WORK THROUGH THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS TO WORK THROUGH THE LEASE AT MUELLER AND, AND SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES. OKAY. I THINK SO THE CONVEYANCE OF LIONS IS DEPENDENT UPON COMPLETING ALL THOSE OTHER STEPS. I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT, THAT WE'RE FINDING A WAY TO SAVE THE LION'S GOLF COURSE. BUT I, I GUESS I'LL JUST EXPRESS MY FRUSTRATION THAT ONCE AGAIN, PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS BASICALLY BEING TOLD THIS IS HAPPENING AND, UH, WITHOUT A WHOLE LOT OF WHAT FEELS TO ME LIKE WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER BEST PRACTICES PLANNING. SO I THINK I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS MOMENT. I'M THANKS COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE. AND I JUST WANNA MAKE CLEAR TO ALL OUR COMMISSIONERS THAT WE'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE COMMENTS AS WELL AFTER WE GO THROUGH OUR QUESTIONS. COMMISSIONER HILLER. THANK YOU CHAIR. I, UH, QUESTION FOR CITY STAFF. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A TRAFFIC STUDY THAT'S BEEN PERFORMED. UM, CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT OR MAYBE TALK ABOUT, UH, WHAT INFORMATION YOU HAVE AVAILABLE ON, ON TRAFFIC IMPACTS? SO THERE WAS A STUDY DONE EARLY OR PRE COVID. UM, WE DO HAVE, LIKE, I'M, I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DETAILS OF THAT OFFHAND. UM, BUT THERE WOULD UPDATES WOULD BE NECESSARY. UH, WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS, UM, NEEDED ON LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD, UM, FOR SAFETY AND ACCESS PURPOSES. SO WE, THAT WILL BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THE TOURS. GOTCHA. OKAY. THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT. HAVE A GOOD EVENING. THANKS, COMMISSIONER HELLER. OKAY, LET'S COME BACK TO SOME FOLKS. WE SKIPPED THE FIRST TIME. VICE DEAR HANEY. THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR. UM, JUST MAYBE A QUESTION FOR Y'ALL. MAYBE IT'S FOR UT. UM, IS ALL OF THIS UT LAND OR IS ANY OF IT IN THE PUFF IT THIS IS ALL UNIVERSITY OWNED LAND. OKAY. UM, AND THEN, SO SINCE THIS IS ALL, YOU KNOW, I GUESS ON THE TAX ROLLS FOR ZERO [03:35:01] NOW, CORRECT. WHAT, WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE BASE VALUE FOR THE TURS? IS, IS IT ZERO OR, OR HOW, HOW'S THAT, HOW DOES THAT WORK? I JUST, I I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THAT ON A RIGHT ZERO VALUE. SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF ALL THE PROPERTY IS ZERO VALUE. UM, THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE THERE'S, THERE'S SMALL, UM, COMPONENTS OF IT THAT ARE TAXABLE, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT IS ZERO VALUE. SO WHEN YOU START AT $0 VALUE AS YOUR BASE, THAT MEANS THAT ALL VALUE THAT'S ADDED TO THE ROLES FROM THAT POINT FORWARD IS, UM, PART OF YOUR CAPTURED VALUE. UM, AND AT THAT POINT, THE CITY IS ABLE TO, UH, COLLECT A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF THE PROPERTY TAXES, UM, COLLECTED AGAINST THAT PROPERTY VALUE AND PUT IT TOWARDS THE PROJECTS NOTED IN THE PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN FOR THE, SO IT COULD BE SOME PERCENTAGE, AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT PERCENTAGE IS RIGHT NOW. UH, SO, BUT SAY FOR HYPOTHETICAL PURPOSES IT'S 50% THEN, UM, SINCE YOU'D BE STARTING LARGELY AT A $0 VALUE PROPERTY TAXES COLLECTED AGAINST ALL THE VALUE GROWTH, BEYOND THAT 50% OF THAT REVENUE COULD GO TOWARDS, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. BUT I WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR AGAIN, A PERCENTAGE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AT THIS POINT. THERE IS STILL MUCH WORK TO DO OVER THE SPRING MONTHS TO, TO GET TO THAT NUMBER. OKAY. AND, UM, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION. UM, SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A DOLLAR VALUE THAT, THAT WE'RE AIMING AT HERE BECAUSE WE, I'M ASSUME WE HAVEN'T VALUED THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH THEY'RE GONNA COST. SO THERE'S A BIT OF A, THE, THE CHICKEN AND EGG KIND OF A SITUATION OF UNDERSTANDING, BUT THE UNIVERSITY HAS REALIZED THAT, UM, IT IS IN THEIR BEST INTEREST TO EITHER GROUNDLING SOURCE SELL THE PROPERTY TO PUTTING ABLE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT ON THE TAX ROLL AND THEREFORE BE ELIGIBLE FOR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE TO GO TOWARDS THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS. UH, AS WE WORK THROUGH THE PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN, UH, AS WE DO WITH ANY , WE ALWAYS WORK WITH VERY CONSERVATIVE VALUES. UM, BECAUSE WITH A TURS, YOU ALWAYS WANT TO, UH, UNDER PROMISE AND OVERDELIVER, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO THE REVENUE GENERATION, UH, WE WILL ALSO BE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THEM ON WHAT IT IS THEIR VISION IS TO, UM, FOR US TO BE ABLE TO STRUCTURE THAT TOURISM IN A WAY THAT, UM, WE HAVE AN APPROPRIATE, UM, PROJECTION ON REVENUE AND THEREFORE THE CONTRIBUTION RATE THAT THE CITY WOULD PROVIDE TO ORDER TO MEET ITS ITS INFRASTRUCTURE OBLIGATIONS. PERFECT. THANK YOU. UM, I GUESS, SO THERE'S NOTHING IN ESSENCE THAT WOULD STOP THE UNIVERSITY FROM BUILDING A WHOLE BUNCH OF UNIVERSITY RELATED STUFF AND THEN CLAIMING THAT IT'S NOT ON THE TAX ROLL? THAT IS CORRECT. THEY COULD DEVELOP THE A HUNDRED AND THE BALANCE OF THE ACRES THAT HAVEN'T BEEN DEVELOPED TODAY AS UNIVERSITY PURPOSES. OKAY. UM, AND PROBABLY NOT YOUR QUESTION, BUT I'M JUST GONNA ASK THIS BECAUSE IT'S ON THE RECORD. UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE AND HOW THE UT HERITAGE TREE PROGRAM OR, OR WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING IT, UM, DIFFER? I WISH I COULD TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW. I ACTUALLY CANNOT, BUT WHAT I DO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THEIR POLICY IS MODELED AFTER OUR CODE. OKAY. SO I, I ANTICIPATE THAT THERE'LL BE SIMILAR, NOT EXACT NECESSARILY, BUT SIMILAR. GREAT. UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW. THANK YOU. THANKS. VICE CHAIR, COMMISSIONER GANNON COMING BACK TO YOU. SURE. THANK YOU. UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. FIRST FOR STAFF. UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE 65 FOOT CAP. WHERE DID THAT NUMBER COME FROM? THAT WAS WHAT WAS NEGOTIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY AND THAT IS WHAT THEY ASKED FOR. THE UNIVERSITY ASKED FOR 65 FEET, CORRECT. IT SEEMS LIKE. UM, WELL, I GUESS FIRST I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO'S HERE. I DON'T GOLF MYSELF AND I'VE, I GUESS I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW MUCH GOLF MEANS TO PEOPLE, UM, WHO DO GOLF. UH, SO I APPRECIATE THAT. I ALSO APPRECIATE, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE FOLKS FROM BFL, UM, UH, WHICH I WAS UNAWARE OF, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO GO SEE SCIENCE ON THEIR STARS. I THINK IT'S, IT SOUNDS LIKE A WONDERFUL PRO PROGRAM AND I'M, UM, UM, IT IS REALLY MOVED ME. I THINK THAT THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT I HOPE THE UT DOES NOT CUT AND, AND KEEPS A HOME FOR. UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS, UH, JUST AS VALUABLE, UM, AS LIONS. AND AGAIN, SORRY, THIS IS FROM A NON-GOLFERS, SO DON'T THROW STONES OR ANYTHING. UM, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE IS A LOT OF VALUABLE NATURAL OPEN SPACE HERE THAT THAT COULD BE PRESERVED IF WE WENT HIGHER ON OUR, UM, OUR HEIGHTS SIX FIVE FEET IS NOT, UH, IN LINE WITH, WITH THINGS [03:40:02] JUST SOUTH ON THE RIVER, UH, LOOKING AT DOWNTOWN. UM, SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A, A CAKE AND EAT A TWO SITUATION WHERE THEY, YOU KNOW, UH, WELL ANYWAYS, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTIONS. UM, IF, IF UT CELLS THEIR LAND, DOES THAT GET REMOVED FROM THE TUR? NO. THAT IF ONCE YOU ESTABLISH THE ZONE, IT'S, THAT IS SET, UM, REGARDLESS OF THE OWNERSHIP OF THE PROPERTY. OKAY. UM, DO WE HAVE AN ESTIMATE ON HOW MANY RESIDENTIAL UNITS WILL BE BUILT OR WHAT IT'S ZONED FOR? WHAT THE ZONING CAPACITY IS? WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, INDICATION OF HOW MANY RESIDENTIALS THEY RESIDENTIAL UNITS THEY WOULD WANT TO BUILD. UM, UNDER THIS, THEY COULD DO SINGLE FAMILY UP TO THE THREE UNIT TO MULTIFAMILY, UM, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN. OKAY. UM, AND DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR THE TURS? IS THERE A A AN AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE ARE EXPECTING FOR THE TOUR TO PAY THE INFRASTRUCTURE BACK? THAT'S, THAT'S TO BE DETERMINED AT THIS POINT. OKAY. UM, OUR, THE LENGTH OF OUR CHARGES, UM, FOR CITY PROJECTS HAS VARIED, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY SO, UM, IT'S ONE OF THOSE WHERE, WE'LL, WE'LL SET IT UP IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE, UM, BOTH FINANCIALLY, INFRASTRUCTURE WISE AND THEN ALSO, UM, RELATIVE TO JUST THE, THE, THE HEALTH, FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE ORGANIZATION AS WELL. THE ORGANIZATION BEING THE CITY. OKAY. OKAY. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, AND I HAVE A QUESTION FOR RICHARD SUTTLE, AND THIS IS, I'M SORT OF ASKING ON, ON, UH, AS ALMOST A REPRESENTATIVE OF UT UM, DO WE HAVE A VISION FOR THIS LAND OR DOES UT HAVE A VISION FOR THIS LAND? I'M, I'M RICHARD SU. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS. UM, IF YOU'RE ASKING, IS THERE A LAND PLAN OR A VISIONARY PLAN? NO. UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS CREATE GUARDRAILS. UH, YOU'D ASKED ABOUT THE 65 FEET, WHERE'D THAT COME FROM? THERE IS AN EXISTING YOUTUBE BUILDING ON LAKE AUSTIN THAT'S 57 FEET. WE KINDA LOOKED AT THAT AND THOUGHT A LITTLE TALLER THAN THAT ALONG LAKE AUSTIN MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE. THAT'S, THAT'S ABOUT THE SCIENCE THAT WENT INTO THE 65 FEET. BUT IN TERMS OF A LAND PLAN, THERE'S NOT ONE, HMM. THERE'S NOT A LAND PLAN, BUT THEY DO WANT TO KEEP AUTOMOTIVE RENTALS AND PAWN SHOPS ON THE BOOKS. WELL, TERRY TOWNERS NEED PAWN SHOPS TOO, YOU THINK? YEAH. I'M SORRY IT'S LATE. MY SENSE OF HUMOR'S NOT FOR EVERYBODY , UM, THERE WASN'T, WE, WE WENT THROUGH THE LIST. THERE WASN'T A WHOLE LOT OF THOUGHT ON DELETING USES. IF THE CITY PROPOSED, SOME OF THOSE USES GET DELETED, SPECIFICALLY PAWN SHOPS AND AUTOMOTIVE USES MAYBE EXTERMINATION. SURE. UNIVERSITY WOULD CONSIDER THAT. AND, AND, AND YOU'RE GONNA GET ANOTHER LOOK WHEN, WHEN THE REGULATING PLAN COMES BACK, YOU'RE GONNA GET A LOOK AT THAT. AND THIS IS NOT AN ADVERSARY SITUATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND, AND AUSTIN. WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, TRYING TO KEEP IT AS COLLEGIAL AND AS COLLABORATIVE AS WE CAN. SO IF AS THE PLANNING COMMISSION, OF COURSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THOSE WILL ALL BE CONSIDERED. AND IT'S JUST LIKE ANY OTHER LAND USE CASE. WELL, IF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE NOT IN THE AGREEMENT OR OUTSIDE OF THE AGREEMENTS, SAY THAT WE RECOMMENDED A HIGHER HEIGHT OUTSIDE OF THIS AREA, UM, IT SOUNDS TO ME, AND, AND AND STAFF, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT SOUNDS THAT THOSE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD NOT GO ANYWHERE. SO IF YOU WERE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, THEY WOULD BE HEARD BY THE COUNCIL. SO COUNCIL CAN TAKE THOSE INTO ACCOUNT. UM, THIS DOESN'T STOP THAT, UH, APPROACH TO HOW WE TRADITIONALLY, UH, LOOK AT, UH, ZONING CASES OR THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IF THIS BODY DOES MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR A HIGHER HEIGHT, THEN COUNSEL, I MEAN, AS I KNOW MR. SUBTLE SAID THIS, THE SCIENCE OF THEIR HEIGHT WASN'T, UM, VERY PRECISE, BUT I DOUBT THEY WOULD OBJECT IF THE CITY COUNCIL AGREED TO A HIGHER HEIGHT, IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WISH TO DO. UNIVERSITY RESPECTS, OF COURSE, THE PLANNING, COMMISSION'S OPINIONS AND, AND, AND RECOMMENDATIONS, EVERYTHING CAN BE CONSIDERED. EVEN THOUGH IT MAY BE CONTRARY TO THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, IT DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T BE CONSIDERED. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANKS COMMISSIONER GANNON, I'M GONNA TAKE A QUESTION SLOT AND THEN WE WILL DETERMINE WHETHER WE NEED A SECOND ROUND. I'M JUST GONNA PICK UP ON THAT LINE OF QUESTIONING. ARE YOU SUGGESTING IF WE MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A HIGHER HEIGHT TONIGHT OR WHEN WE CONSIDER [03:45:01] THE REGULATING PLAN NEXT YEAR? SO I DON'T BELIEVE THE COMMISSION WILL MEET AGAIN BEFORE THE 19TH. UM, SO THE HIGHER HEIGHTS COULD BE DISCUSSED IN THE REGULATING PLAN, BUT IF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT HAS A HEIGHT REQUIREMENT BUILT INTO IT, WE ACTUALLY CAN'T MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR A HIGHER HEIGHT THAT COUNSEL COULD ACTUALLY CONSIDER. IS THAT CORRECT? YOU CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND IF COUNSEL AND THE UNIVERSITY WANT TO CHANGE THE AGREEMENT IN SPRING, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT DOING. SO THE AGREEMENT IS FLEXIBLE. ONCE COUNCIL SIGNS THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT IN NOVEMBER AND WE CONSIDER THE REGULATING PLAN NEXT YEAR, THAT AGREEMENT COULD CHANGE BASED ON OUR RECOMMENDATIONS IF THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY AGREE TO THE CHANGES. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF THIS BODY RECOMMENDS A HEIGHT OF 75 FEET SOMETHING HIGHER AND THE UNIVERSITY IS INTERESTED IN IT AND THE COUNCIL IS SUPPORTIVE OF IT, THEN THAT IS AN AG AN AMENDMENT WE COULD MAKE TO THE AGREEMENT. BUT IT, IT WILL REQUIRE THE UNIVERSITY'S AGREEMENT. BUT I, YOU GUYS ARE GOING THE DIFFERENT DIRECTION THAN UM, WHERE WE THINK IT WOULD BE LESS OF AN ISSUE. SO I, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD NECESSARILY OBJECT TO THAT, BUT THAT'S, UH, THE 65 FEET IS WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. MR. SETTLE, IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING AS WELL THAT THE UNIVERSITY WOULD BE OPEN TO AMENDING THE AGREEMENT BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS THAT PLANNING COMMISSION MIGHT MAKE NEXT YEAR? I THINK THE UNIVERSITY WOULD TAKE ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO ACCOUNT AND CONSIDER THAT, YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. UH, I WANNA UNDERSTAND BETTER THE REQUIREMENT FOR 20% AFFORDABLE HOUSING. IF THE, IF A, IF UT OR A DEVELOPER CHOOSES NOT TO PROVIDE THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ONSITE, ARE THEY REQUIRED TO BUILD THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ELSEWHERE OR PAY A FEE AND LIE IT IS SET UP AS A, UM, IT'S, IT'S REQUIRED TO BE DEVELOPED EITHER ON SITE OR OFFSITE. IS THERE A GEOGRAPHIC FENCING REQUIREMENT? IF THEY DEVELOP IT OFFSITE? IT HAS TO BE WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR, AND, AND I WOULD EXPECT, UM, THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE BUILT ON UNIVERSITY PROPERTY BECAUSE U2 WOULD BE THE ONLY POTENTIAL DEVELOPER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THIS AREA OF HOUSING IN THIS AREA. UNLESS THEY WANT TO MAKE, UM, SOMEONE WHO BUYS LAND FROM THEIR GROUND LEASES LAND FROM THEM TO DO THAT. BUT OUR EXPECTATION AT THIS POINT WOULD BE THAT IT WOULD BE THE UNIVERSITY. OKAY. SO I JUST WANNA CLARIFY THAT WE REQUIRE IN OUR EODS AFFORDABILITY ON SITE AS PART OF ANY MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN AS PART OF OUR IDENTITY BONUS PROGRAMS, WE REQUIRE EITHER AFFORDABILITY ON SITE OR A GEOGRAPHICALLY FENCED FEE IN LIEU THAT IS USED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN A HEIGHT AREA OF THE SITE THAT IS TRIGGERING THAT. BUT ON THIS WEST AUSTIN SITE, A DEVELOPER SPECIFICALLY UT CAN CHOOSE TO BUILD THEIR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN EAST AUSTIN AS OPPOSED TO IN THIS AREA. YES, BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE BUILDING IT FOR UNIVERSITY PURPOSES. UNDERSTOOD. UM, SO TO GO BACK TO THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS, WOULD THESE BE INCLUDED IN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AT ALL? SO WHAT WE WILL BE DOING RIGHT NOW IS MAKING PROVISIONS THAT THAT IS WHAT WE WILL WORK TOWARDS. WE CAN'T VACATE RIGHT OF WAY WITHOUT AN ORDINANCE. SO THERE'S STILL MORE PROCESS THAT HAS TO HAPPEN. BUT ESSENTIALLY THE AGREEMENT'S GOING TO SAY WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS FIGURING OUT WHAT THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS LOOK LIKE AND WHAT WE WANT TO, HOW WE'RE GOING TO WORK FORWARD TO ACHIEVE THAT. WILL ANY SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF RIGHT OF WAY BE CALLED OUT IN THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT? I DON'T BELIEVE AT THIS TIME THAT WE WILL, BUT THAT IS STILL TO BE DETERMINED. OKAY. I HAVE NO MORE QUESTIONS AT THE MOMENT. DO WE WANT A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS? DO ANY COMMISSIONERS? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE WILL JUST MOVE THROUGH ONE MORE ROUND. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MOTION TO EXTEND OUR MEETING TO, I'LL BE AMBITIOUS. LET'S SAY 10 30. I HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BRETTON WITHOUT OBJECTION. THAT ITEM PASSES. WE'LL MOVE INTO A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS. I'LL GO AHEAD AND START WITH COMMISSIONER MAXWELL. GREAT. AND I'M ACTUALLY GLAD THAT MR. SETTLE HAS JOINED US. UM, I JUST, A QUICK QUESTION REGARDING THE OPTION TO EITHER SELL OR LEASE THE LAND. DOES, DO YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW UT MIGHT PREFER TO DISPOSE OF OR MANAGE THE LAND GOING FORWARD? WOULD THEY PREFER ONE OF THOSE TWO OPTIONS OR IS THERE A SENSE OF THAT? I DON'T THINK THAT ANY DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE ON THAT. UM, THEY, THEY HAVE A FIDUCIARY DUTY TO TURN THIS LAND INTO BENEFIT FOR THE UNIVERSITY. SOMETIMES THE GROUND LEASE MIGHT BE BETTER, SOMETIMES THE SALE MIGHT BE BETTER. I DON'T THINK IT'S BEEN DETERMINED. UM, AND THEN I GUESS THE RELATED QUESTION, WHICH I KNOW YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HELP US ANSWER AND UNDERSTAND [03:50:01] AS A LAND USE ATTORNEY, IF THERE'S PRETTY STRICT DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS ON A PARTICULAR TRACT THAT INHERENTLY LIMITS WHAT CAN BE BUILT AND HOW IT CAN BE DEVELOPED. CORRECT. IF BY AGREEMENT THE UNIVERSITY AND CITY OF AUSTIN AGREE ON THE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, THEN THOSE BECOME THE LAW OF THE LAND. AND I GUESS I'M JUST CONCERNED GOING BACK TO THE TERRORIST QUESTIONS WE WERE DISCUSSING EARLIER, IF WE HAVE SOME PRETTY STRICT DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS, THE OPPORTUNITIES TO EITHER LEASE THAT LAND THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OR TO SELL IT TO A BIDDER TO DO SOME SORT OF DEVELOPMENT THAT INHERENTLY UNDERVALUES THE LAND IN SOME WAYS IF WE ARE OVERLY RESTRICTIVE, WOULD YOU SAY THAT'S CORRECT? THAT COULD BE. SO I, I WANNA JUST JUMP IN FOR A QUICK SECOND. THE DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS IN THE BDA WILL REFLECT WHAT THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY AGREE TO AND THEY ARE BUILT AND PREMISED ON WHAT THE UNIVERSITY WANTS TO ACHIEVE. THE TS IS A FINANCING MECHANISM THAT IS NOT RELATED TO OUR LAND USE REGULATIONS. I, I MEAN, I, I TAKE THAT POINT. I GUESS WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS IF WE SAID THIS SAID UNLIMITED DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, I THINK MR. SUBTLE MIGHT AGREE THAT WE'D BE ABLE TO BUILD A LOT MORE AND THEN WE BE ABLE TO RECOUP A LOT MORE OF TAX REVENUE AS A RESULT FROM THAT SITE. IS THAT INCORRECT OR CORRECT? IF YOU, WE HAVE A LOT OF LAND IN THE CITY THAT'S ZONED TO THE SKY. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT IT'S ZONED, IT MATTERS WHAT THE MARKET WILL BEAR AND WHAT MAKES SENSE TO BUILD ON IT. UM, IF YOU PUT CBD ZONING ON ALL THIS LAND, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT CBD DEVELOPMENT WILL OCCUR AND THAT WILL DETERMINE THE TAX VALUE. I THINK THAT'S WELL UNDERSTOOD. AND I GUESS WHAT I'M JUST CURIOUS IS, YOU KNOW THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS LOOKING TO, AS YOU POINT, BE GOOD FIDUCIARY STEWARDS OF THIS PARTICULAR LAND OPPORTUNITY, YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO HAVE THE MAYBE CHANCE TO BUILD SOMETHING SIMILAR TO UNO OR CERTAINLY AT A HIGHER HEIGHT THAN 65 FEET, WHICH IS NOT CERTAINLY A STANDARD WE USE IN OTHER PARTS ALONG LAKESHORE OR YOU KNOW, SORT OF IN PRIME AREAS. SO I GUESS I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY WE'RE PUTTING MAYBE HANDCUFFING WHAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE DONE WITH THIS LAND. SO EARLY IN THIS PROCESS IT WAS KIND OF A BALANCING ACT BETWEEN WHAT UNIVERSITY THINKS IS APPROPRIATE, WHICH GETS INTO A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONVERSATION ABOUT UNO DIFFERENT NIGHT. UM, WHAT HAPPENS HERE. THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S CONCERNS WHAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE CAN BEAR, WHAT THE TRAFFIC NETWORK CAN BEAR. IT'S THE, THAT PART IS COMPLICATED WHEN YOU TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY MAKE WORK ON A PIECE OF PROPERTY REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT'S ZONED. UNDERSTOOD. AND I, I GUESS MY FINAL QUESTION WOULD BE THAT SOMEONE MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME RESISTANCE TO DOING SOME ADDITIONAL UPDATES TO THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY, OBVIOUSLY UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY ON THIS TOPIC. IS THERE A CHANCE TO MAYBE ENCOURAGE THE UNIVERSITY TO RECONSIDER THOSE UNO UPDATES AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS SINCE THAT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY POTENTIALLY ACT AS A BALANCING ACT TO SOME OF THE STUDENT HOUSING WE ARE LOSING? IF THIS DOES GET REDEVELOPED, I THINK REASONABLE MINDS STILL DIFFER ON WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPOSED UNO REGULATIONS WILL ACTUALLY RESULT IN MORE STUDENT HOUSING. GREAT. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. THANK YOU CHAIR. COMMISSIONER AHMED, WOULD YOU LIKE A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS? NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. COMMISSIONER BENNETT, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER BARRE RAMIREZ, I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BEREN? NOT AT THIS TIME. OKAY. COMMISSIONER POWELL, JUST TWO SUPER QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTIONS. I THINK I UNDERSTAND THIS SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE CURRENT STATE OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IS SUCH THAT IF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN WANTED TO DO AWAY COMPLETELY WITH THE BFL DEVELOP SOMETHING ON IT TODAY, THEY COULD DO IT NEXT MONTH 'CAUSE IT'S A MONTH TO MONTH BASIS. IS THAT CORRECT? SO BECAUSE IT IS UNIVERSITY OWNED LAND, YES THEY CAN CLOSE IT TOMORROW IF THAT'S WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO, THEY COULD CRUSH IT TOMORROW IF THAT IS WHAT THEY CHOOSE TO DO. GOTCHA. AND THEN MR. SETTLE, UH, YOU'RE SAYING THERE ISN'T A VISION PLAN, THERE ISN'T LIKE A PUBLICLY SHAREABLE THING WE CAN SEE THAT UT'S ENVISIONING THIS SPACE FOR YET? THERE'S NOT ONE THAT EXISTS. OKAY. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A PLAN. THE, UH, UT DOES HAVE A PLAN FOR THE BIOFIELD LAB NETWORK, WHICH MAY INCLUDE MORE THAN JUST THIS ONE. GOTCHA. BUT THAT GETS INTO THE ACADEMIC PLANNING, WHICH IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THROUGH THIS AGREEMENT. SURE. OKAY. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BRETTON. THANK YOU. SO AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE BDA WILL [03:55:01] IN SOME WAY OVERRIDE SOME OF THE OTHER AGREEMENTS WE MAKE IN THE FUTURE AT, OR MAYBE NOT OVERRIDE, BUT BE, IF IT IS MORE RESTRICTIVE, WE ARE DEFAULTING TO THAT. SO THE 65 FOOT, UH, AS VIEWED FROM LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD. IF IN THE FUTURE WE WORK TO DO A REGULATING PLAN OR THESE SORTS OF THINGS AND IT IS LESS RESTRICTIVE, SAY A HUNDRED FEET OR 120 FEET, WE WOULD STILL BE REVERTING TO THE BDA BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S BEEN AGREED UPON. IN THE EVENT THAT, UM, THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION AND COUNCIL SUPPORT AND UNIVERSITY AGREEMENT, WE WOULD LIKELY GO AHEAD AND AMEND THE AGREEMENT SO THAT THEY WILL STAY, UM, EQUAL IN TERMS OF WHAT THE REGULATIONS ARE. BUT THE THING TO ALSO KEEP IN MIND IS IN THE EVENT THE UNIVERSITY DOES SELL THAT LAND, ANY OF THE LAND THAT WILL BE COME UNDER PRIVATE OWNERSHIP, WHICH WE DEFINITELY, WE DEFINITELY NEED THE REGULATING PLAN FOR. UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT DYNAMIC BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT IT'S CURRENTLY STATE OWNED PROPERTY. BUT MY EXPECTATION IS THAT IF THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION AND AN AGREEMENT TO GO HIGHER, WE WOULD LIKELY DO AMEND THE AGREEMENT TO ACHIEVE, UM, PARODY BETWEEN THE TWO DOCUMENTS. SO TO UNDERSTAND IF, UH, UNDER THE CURRENT REGIME AND THE PROPOSAL THAT THE BDA UH, COVERS AN AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THE UNIVERSITY, IF THE AGREEMENT DECIDES IF THE UNIVERSITY DECIDES RATHER SORRY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO BUILD UP TO A HUNDRED FEET, THEY COULD, IF THEY DECIDE THAT THEY WILL SELL THE LAND, THE AGREEMENT AND THAT IS WHAT GOVERNS THE ABILITY TO DEVELOP THAT SITE. IS THAT RIGHT? DID THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH. SO FOR NON UNIVERSITY USES FOR NON UNIVERSITY USES, YES. THEY SELL THE LAND, IT'S NON UNIVERSITY AND THEN THE BDA AND THE REGULATING PLAN CAP, WHAT IS DOABLE ON THAT SITE? CORRECT. RIGHT. SO I'M STRUGGLING TO UNDERSTAND WHY IF WE ARE DOING A PRELIMINARY LOOK AT FINANCING FOR THE TOURS, THAT WE WOULD AIM AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE TO MAKE THE MONEY THAT WE CAN PUT THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN RATHER THAN THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE. THAT SEEMS REASONABLE. AND WE CAN, INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GO THROUGH WHERE TWO GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES HAVE TO MAKE AN AGREEMENT , WHICH AS YOU CAN SEE HAS BEEN A BIG PROCESS HERE, THAT INSTEAD THERE IS SOME REGULATING PLAN THAT WE CAN WORK ON. AND OF COURSE THERE'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT PROCESS FOR THIS. GO AHEAD. SO THE REGULATING PLAN IS SO THAT WE HAVE A SET OF REGULATIONS IN OUR CODE. THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE UNIVERSITY IS AT THIS POINT THE CONTROLLING DOCUMENT. YES. AND SO IN THE EVENT, UM, THE PARTIES AGREE THAT THE HEIGHT SHOULD GO HIGHER, THEN THAT IS WOULD BE SOMETHING WE WOULD AMEND THE AGREEMENT FOR. AND THE REGULATING PLAN THAT WILL COME TO THE COMMISSION WILL MIRROR THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT. SO IF THERE IS AN AGREEMENT TO INCREASE HEIGHT, SO LET'S SAY HYPOTHETICALLY WE GO TO COUNSEL ON THE 19TH, I AND COUNSEL GOES HIGHER THE, AND EVERYBODY AGREES TO IT, THEN THAT'S WHAT WOULD BE REFLECTED IN THE REGULATING PLAN. I I UNDERSTAND THIS POINT AND I AM, I AM STATING THAT IT SEEMS LIKE IT MAY WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE IN THE REGU OR IN THE BDA AND RATHER BE FOCUSING ON THIS IN THE REGULATING PLAN WHEN WE HAVE SOME MORE DATA AND COULD SUPPORT THAT. I HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK REALLY QUICKLY. UM, SO WHAT ARE THE STIPULATIONS ON THE USES POST CONVEYANCE FOR MUNI, IF ANY? SO THE, THE OF MUNI ITSELF? YES. UM, OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THE UNIVERSITY'S EXPECTATION IS THAT IT WILL BE A GOLF COURSE GOING FORWARD AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WILL REQUIRE OF THE CITY. THE UNIVERSITY WILL SELL THE LAND TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN WITH A STIPULATION THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A GOLF COURSE IN PERPETUITY. CORRECT. THANK YOU. SLIGHT DISTINCTION. THE UNIVERSITY IS NOT SELLING THE GOLF COURSE TO THE CITY, CONVEYING, CONVEYING, AND IT IS DIFFERENT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. UM, ARE THERE ANY HISTORICAL DESIGNATIONS PLANNED FOR THE TRACKS? UH, WHAT IMPACT WOULD THAT HAVE ON THE CITY'S ABILITY TO MAINTAIN OR ADJUST TO ANY CHANGING CONDITIONS IN THE AREA? THE OTHER TRACKS OF THE, IN THE BRACKENRIDGE? YES. OR MUNI ITSELF. IF, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LOOK TO DO OURSELVES. UM, AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD DESIGNATE ANYTHING HISTORIC THAT IS UNIVERSITY OWNED, BUT 'CAUSE WE WOULD PROBABLY RELY ON THE TEXAS, THE STATE COMMISSION TO DO THAT. UM, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, IN THE EVENT THAT THAT'S AN OPTION, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE'D TALK ABOUT. [04:00:01] THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE. I JUST HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION. I GUESS IT'S A FOLLOW UP TO SOMETHING THAT MR. SUTTLE JUST SAID, UH, CORRECTING THAT THE, THE UNIVERSITY IS NOT SELLING THE MUNI TRACT TO THE CITY BUT CONVEYING IT. SO IS THE UNIVERSITY RECEIVING COMPENSATION FOR THE MUNI TRACT? NOT IN THE TRUEST SENSE OF THE WORD, BUT IF ALL THESE THINGS COME TOGETHER, THE LAND PLANNING THE RIGHT OF WAYS, THE LEASE AT MILLER, THE DONORS CONTRIBUTION, IF ALL THESE THINGS COME TOGETHER, THAT ENABLES THE UNIVERSITY TO BE ABLE TO CONVEY THE GOLF COURSE TO THE CITY AND THE WAY A WEST AUSTIN YOUTH ASSOCIATION FACILITY TO WAYA. OKAY. SO WHEN PEOPLE SPEAK ABOUT DONORS, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DONATIONS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM. IS THAT, IS THAT WHAT THAT MEANS THEN? OR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN? YES. OR AT AUSTIN. OKAY. AND THEN IT WOULD JUST BE, UH, LIKE YOU SAY, CONVEYED TO THE CITY. OKAY. THANK YOU. JUST CURIOUS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. COMMISSIONER HILLER? UH, I'M GOOD. I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. CHAIR. OKAY. COMMISSIONER GANNON, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. UM, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW, UH, HOW THE DONATION WORKED? I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS AN ANONYMOUS, A LARGE ANONYMOUS DONATION THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE. UM, WAS THAT DONATION MADE TO THE CITY OR TO THE UNIVERSITY? IT'S MADE TO THE UNIVERSITY. OKAY. UM, LET ME, LET ME, THAT WAS DO TABLE A LITTLE BIT. THE UNIVERSITY IS UNABLE TO JUST GIVE ITS PROPERTY AWAY, JUST LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAMP. THIS WAS A GIFT TO THE UNIVERSITY. THE LAND WAS FOR THE PURPOSE OF UNIVERSITY. THEY, THEY ARE UNABLE TO JUST, EVEN IF THEY WANTED TO, THEY CAN'T JUST GIVE IT TO THE CITY. BUT WHAT THEY CAN DO IS COME UP WITH A, A PACKAGE PLAN THAT MAKES IT LEGAL TO DO IT. OKAY. UH, DO WE KNOW WHAT THE DONATION WAS? HOW MUCH I'M NOT AT LIBERTY TO SAY. OKAY. IF, AND, AND THIS IS KIND OF A WILD QUESTION, BUT IF SOMEONE WANTED TO USE THE REMAINDER OF THE TRACK OUTSIDE OF MUNI FOR A SINGLE PRIVATE RESIDENCE, WOULD THE CITY THEN BE ON THE HOOK TO, THROUGH THE TOURISM MECHANISM, UM, BUILD ALL THE INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE ONE HOUSE ON THE 190 ACRES? CORRECT. WOW. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO A WHOLE LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, BE PRETTY SMALL INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE THERE THAT WOULD PROBABLY COVER A HOUSE. THAT'S NOT THE PLAN. OKAY. ? UM, IT'S NOT A HOUSE PLUS LIKE A LARGE NO, IT'S LABORATORY. IT'S NOT NO . OKAY. THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL MY QUESTIONS. OKAY. THIS BRINGS US TO THE END OF OUR SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS. DOES ANYONE FEEL STRONGLY THAT WE NEED A THIRD ROUND? OKAY. WE CAN TAKE, WE CAN TAKE ONE SMALL CLARIFYING QUESTION. CAN I GET A CLARIFICATION? AND MAYBE THE AUDIENCE WOULD NEED THIS AS WELL, WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN SELLING ATTRACTIVE LAND TO THE CITY VERSUS CONVEYING IT, AND WHO'S ON THE HOOK FOR MAINTAINING IT, REGULATING IT, SO ON. SO FOR MUNI, IF IT IS CONVEYED TO THE CITY, WE WILL BE THE OWNERS AND WE'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING MUNI JUST AS WE DO TODAY AND ALL OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT COME WITH THAT. BUT IT WOULD BE STILL CONSIDERED UNIVERSITY LAND OR IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED CITY LAND? NO, THE CITY, IT WOULD BE CITY LAND. OKAY. SO WE COULD, IF WE WANTED TO GO AND PUT HISTORICAL DESIGNATION ON IT, ON MUNI. YEAH. YES. ONCE IT IS CITY PROPERTY, YES, THANK YOU. BUT RIGHT NOW AS UNIVERSITY, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE. THAT'S THE CLARIFYING QUESTION I HAD EARLIER ABOUT HISTORICAL DESIGNATION ON THE TRACKS. THANK YOU. OKAY. SINCE WE ARE NOT TAKING A VOTE ON THIS ITEM, I WANNA GIVE FOLKS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE COMMENTS ON IT. UM, BUT I'M WILLING TO TAKE A POINT OF PRIVILEGE TO START US OFF WITH COMMENTS BECAUSE I HAVE A SCHEME THAT MIGHT IMPACT OTHER COMMENTS. SO WE DO ACTUALLY HAVE A MEETING BEFORE COUNCIL CONSIDERS THIS AGREEMENT ON NOVEMBER 10TH. I AM PLANNING TO REQUEST A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM AT THE END OF THIS MEETING. HOPEFULLY SOMEONE WILL SECOND ME. THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE FORMAL RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL ON THIS. SO WE HAVE NOT BEEN ASKED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THIS PROCESS, BUT WE ARE GOING TO FORCE OUR WAY INTO IT, AND I'M GOING TO ASK FOR [04:05:01] STAFF'S FORGIVENESS INSTEAD OF PERMISSION ON THIS ONE. UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT IN MIND, I'M SURE A LOT OF FOLKS ON THIS COMMISSION LIKE ME HAVE MANY THOUGHTS ON THIS THAT ARE A LITTLE JUMBLED AT 10:00 PM AND SO WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A COUPLE OF WEEKS, COLLECT YOUR THOUGHTS AND SHARE RECOMMENDATIONS MORE FORMALLY AT THE NEXT MEETING. UM, BUT WE'LL STILL GO THROUGH, I'LL GIVE EVERY COMMISSIONER THREE MINUTES IF THEY DO WANNA MAKE COMMENTS AT THIS TIME. UM, I WILL JUST SAY I'M SO GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THE SPEAKERS. I'LL ECHO COMMISSIONER GANNON THAT I DID REALLY LEARN A LOT ABOUT HOW MUCH GOLF MEANS TO FOLKS IN THE CITY AND THIS COURSE IN PARTICULAR, AND THEN WAS REALLY GRATEFUL TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BRECKENRIDGE FIELD LAB. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SPEED OF THIS PROCESS, AND I REALLY HOPE THAT COUNCIL IS GONNA TAKE THEIR TIME IN CONSIDERING THIS AGREEMENT, WHICH FEELS LIKE IT DOES LOCK US INTO A REGULATING PLAN, THAT THERE MAY BE FLEXIBILITY ON UPDATING, BUT I'M NOT SURE HOW CONFIDENT I FEEL ABOUT THAT FLEXIBILITY. I HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT REQUIRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE BUILT SPECIFICALLY IN THIS PART OF WEST AUSTIN WHEN WE REQUIRE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO BE BUILT IN A LOT OF OTHER PARTS OF THE CITY. AND IT DOES FEEL LIKE THE UNIVERSITY ASKS ARE REALLY DRIVING THE PROCESS AS OPPOSED TO MAYBE WHAT MAKES SENSE FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE OR PLANNING BEST PRACTICES. SO I WILL CERTAINLY HAVE, UH, MORE RECOMMENDATIONS AT OUR NEXT MEETING, BUT MY MY HOPE IS THAT COUNCIL WILL TAKE THEIR TIME IN CONSIDERING THIS AGREEMENT THAT COULD REALLY DETERMINE THE FUTURE OF THIS PART OF TOWN FOR A LONG TIME. VICE CHAIR HANEY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK? I'LL JUST ECHO WHAT I, UH, WHAT YOU, UH, MADAM CHAIR JUST SAID. UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYONE COMING OUT TO EXPLAIN, UH, EXACTLY WHAT MUNI MEANS TO THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS, UH, ENLIGHTENING. I HAD SOME IDEA, BUT NOT NEARLY THE DEPTH OF SENTIMENT, UM, UH, THAT EXISTS. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. UH, SAME FOR ALL THE FOLKS THAT, UH, THAT CAME OUT TO TALK ABOUT THE BFLI, YOU KNOW, DRIVEN BY IT A, A A HUNDRED TIMES AND KINDA WAS LIKE, EH, I I WONDER WHAT THAT IS OVER THERE. AND, AND NOW I KNOW. UM, AND, AND NOW I KNOW SOME OF WHAT Y'ALL DO IN THE PUBLIC PROGRAMMING AND, UH, AND, UH, DON'T BE SHOCKED IF YOU SEE ME OVER THERE AT SOME POINT. UM, I, I WILL ALSO ECHO WHAT, UH, WHAT CHAIR WOODS SAID. UM, IT DOES SEEM REALLY QUICK. UH, UH, WE HAD A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS HERE TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS PROCESS STARTED 50 YEARS AGO. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, WE HEARD RIGHT BEFORE THIS CASE, UM, IN SOME GREAT DETAIL ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, POSTPONING A MUCH SMALLER, UM, DEAL, UM, THAT IMPACTED FAR FEWER PEOPLE AND, UH, FAR SMALLER, UH, AREA OF LAND. AND SO IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THIS ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL, AND, AND I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A, I I GUESS THE REGENTS VOTE ON THIS, UM, IN, IN FRONT OF EVERYONE IN, YOU KNOW, THE SPAN OF A MONTH IS, IS QUICK AND I'M, I'M ALL FOR EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT. I, I, I THINK THAT'S GREAT. BUT, UM, I, I, I REALLY AM GLAD THAT, UH, CHAIR WOODS IS GONNA MAKE THE MOTION THAT SHE'S GONNA MAKE. I WOULD, UH, LIKE TO HAVE A COUPLE MORE WEEKS TO DISCUSS AND MAYBE EVEN, GOD FORBID, MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL BEFORE ALL OF THIS, UH, ALL OF THIS HAPPENS. SO, UM, AGAIN, APPRECIATE EVERYONE BEING HERE AND, UH, APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S REMARKS AND GOOD HUMOR AT 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW THIS ALL ENDS UP. COMMISSIONER MAXWELL, UH, YEAH, I, I PARTICULARLY WANNA APPRECIATE OUR STAFF WHO'VE GIVEN US REALLY PATIENT ANSWERS AND ANSWER ANSWERED A LOT OF TECHNICAL QUESTIONS THIS EVENING. I THINK I ECHO EVERYONE ELSE TO SAY THAT IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE SO MANY COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS, AND I PARTICULARLY WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF OUR AUSTIN HEIM RUINS. I AM A PROUD AUSTIN HEIM PARENT, AND I'M VERY DELIGHTED TO SEE OUR YOUTH COME OUT AND TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THEY HAVE GREAT AND PASSION FOR. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE HEARD THEIR VOICES THIS EVENING. AND I WOULD JUST SAY WE ARE HAVING A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TOURS RIGHT NOW, AND A PERSON WHO LIVES IN SOUTH AUSTIN. IT, I'M PARTICULARLY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THE SOUTH AUSTIN CENTRAL, SOUTH CENTRAL WATER FOR WATERFRONT IN SOUTH AUSTIN HAS BEEN STALLED, STALLED BECAUSE WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND IN SIX WEEKS WE'RE SUDDENLY HOW TO FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO THIS FOR AN ENTIRE TRACT. AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING CONVERSATION, THAT THERE'S AN URGENCY TO GET THIS DONE, AND I RESPECT THAT. BUT WE ALSO DO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT OTHER PARTS OF OUR CITY [04:10:01] WOULD LIKE TO SEE THESE SIMILAR TYPES OF AGREEMENTS MADE WHERE WE COULD GET SOMETHING REALLY MEANINGFUL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL DONE, AND PRESERVE PARTS OF OUR OWN CITY HERITAGE, GROW OUR GREEN SPACES. SO WHILE WE ARE GLAD TO SEE THIS POTENTIAL DEAL COME TOGETHER, I DO ACTUALLY WANNA ECHO THE SPEED IS AN ISSUE. WHAT WE'RE NOT DOING FOR OTHER PLACES IN THE CITY IS AN ISSUE. AND HOW WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT THIS HOLISTICALLY IS ABSOLUTELY AN ISSUE. AND I HOPE THAT WE DO HAVE THE CHANCE TO GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL BE STRONGLY CONSIDERED BY COUNSEL. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER AHMED. I'VE APPRECIATED ALL OF THE, UH, TESTIMONY, UM, LIKE WHAT ALL THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS SAID, LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE BFL AND, UH, THE, UH, UH, AND MUNI AS WELL, AND JUST HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS, UH, IN THE LIVES OF SO MANY PEOPLE. UH, HAVING SAID THAT, THERE'S A LOT TO DIGEST HERE AND THERE'S A LOT OF IMPLICATIONS OUTSIDE OF JUST THOSE TWO ENTITIES HERE. UH, AND I THINK A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE, UM, ARE, UH, CONCERNS THAT I SHARE AS WELL. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, GIVING THIS MORE THOUGHT AND, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY MAKING SOME GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS AS A COMMISSION, UH, IN A COUPLE WEEKS. COMMISSIONER BENNETT? WELL, I PICKED AN EXCITING FIRST MEETING, JIM . I THINK AS MOST PEOPLE HEARD, THIS IS MY FIRST MEETING, AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S REALLY EXCITING OVERALL. I MEAN, I, WE, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN THE CITY FOR A VERY LONG TIME, AND THE FACT THAT, UH, THAT THE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY ARE AT THE TABLE IS I THINK REALLY, REALLY EXCITING AND, AND THE DONORS AS WELL THAT, THAT MADE THIS HAPPEN. UH, I ECHO, UH, WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SAID. THANKS FOR EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT. UM, IT'S LATE AND, UH, IT SHOWS THE PASSION THAT THE CITY HAS FOR, FOR, FOR GOOD PROJECTS. UM, BUT I, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON THIS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS. I GUESS WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS AND GO FROM THERE. COMMISSIONER GANNON. OKAY, WELL, I GUESS, YEAH, WELCOME COMMISSIONER BENNETT. THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS THIS EXCITING. UM, AND I, I DO WANT TO ECHO WHAT CHAIR WOOD SAID ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING. I THINK, UM, IT WASN'T MENTIONED, AND I'M SURPRISED, BUT IT WASN'T MENTIONED AT ALL TODAY, BUT WE'VE, WE'RE LOOKING CLOSELY AT ANOTHER TOURIST THAT'S GOING THROUGH OUR CITY RIGHT NOW, DOG HEAD. AND IF WE LOOK AT THE ENTITLEMENTS THAT ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, EXPECTED ON THE EAST SIDE VERSUS THE ENTITLEMENTS THAT ARE EXPECTED ON THE WHITE ON, ON THE WEST SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME RECKONING THAT WE HAVE TO DO THERE. UH, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING BACK IN TWO WEEKS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BARRE RAMIREZ. OH, I HAVE A BS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND CONSERVATION. AND I WAS A 17-YEAR-OLD AT BFL TRAMPLING ON KING BLUE STEM GRASS AND COLLECTING INSECTS. SO I'VE BEEN KNOWING ABOUT THE BFL. UM, SO I, I, AGAIN, YOU'VE HEARD IT, THE 65 FEET SEEMS LOW, AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO ENCOURAGE US TO THINK WISELY AND HOLISTICALLY ABOUT HOW WE DEVELOP THIS AREA. AND IF WE CAN SAVE THE BFL IN THAT PROCESS, THAT WOULD BE MY GOAL. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. COMMISSIONER ROJAN. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE ONCE AGAIN FOR COMING OUT. UM, I SPENT MY YOUTH LEARNING HOW TO PLAY GOLF FOR MY GRANDFATHER ON THE COURSE, UH, BY HIS HOUSE. AND I UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS TO PEOPLE. I THINK IN MY OLDER YEARS I HAVE COME TO LOOK AT GOLF COURSES AS SOMETHING THAT IS A VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF LAND FOR VERY FEW PEOPLE TO USE. UM, BUT I THINK THAT IT REALLY MEANT SOMETHING FOR US TO HEAR THE PERSONAL STORIES AND THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF THE GOLF COURSE. AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT. I WILL SAY, I WANT TO ECHO THE COMMENTS THAT THE CASE THAT WE HEARD BEFORE AND THE CONTRAST OF THAT CASE TO THIS CASE IS NOT LOST ON ME AND SIGNIFICANT. AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, AS PART OF THE, ONE OF THE REASONS I VOTED FOR THE POSTPONEMENT OF THAT CASE, BECAUSE I THINK THOSE ARE THE FOLKS IN THIS, OUR COMMUNITY THAT REALLY NEED TO BE HEARD AND NEED TO BE GIVEN TIME TO ACTUALLY ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS. UM, THAT SAID, I THINK EVERYBODY WHO CAME OUT TODAY, I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE EVERYBODY. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A SOLUTION ON THIS TRACT OF LAND THAT RESULTED IN, UM, THE FIELD LAB BEING KEPT. UM, IT FEELS LIKE WORKING ON DENSITY ON THE ALREADY DEVELOPED PORTIONS IN ORDER TO ALLOW SOME OF THAT GREEN SPACE THAT'S NOT FOR WONDERFUL GOLFERS TO USE, BUT FOR THE REST OF OUR NON-HUMAN RESIDENTS TO USE SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY IMPORTANT USE OF THAT LAND AND MAINTAINING THAT INTO THE FUTURE. I FEAR THAT THE, UH, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MAY HAVE FOUND A WAY TO SELL YOU BACK YOUR EQUIPMENT AT THE PAWN SHOP. AND FEAR FOR WHAT THE EXTERMINATION SERVICES THEY PLAN TO STICK IN THOSE BUILDINGS MIGHT BE USED FOR COMMISSIONER POWELL, . OH, MAN, THAT WAS, THAT WAS HILARIOUS. NOW I'M GONNA FOLLOW IT UP WITH THE RANT. UM, SO, UH, YEAH, THIS SITUATION'S COMPLETELY RIDICULOUS. AND I THINK IF, IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN ALL AGREE, AND I MEAN LITERALLY EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM IS [04:15:01] THAT THE CURRENT STATE IS JUST CRAZY. LIKE WE'RE SAYING IT'S A MONTH TO MONTH LEASE ON HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LAND IN OUR CITY, LAKEFRONT, IMPORTANT LAND. LIKE WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? FROM ANY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S A TERRIBLE UNTENABLE SITUATION. SO I JUST WANNA START BEFORE I KINDA COMPLAIN ABOUT A FEW THINGS AND, AND THANK THE STAFF MEMBERS, MR. SUBTLE, THE UNIVERSITY CITY COUNCIL, EVERYBODY WHO'S WORKING IN ON THIS, TRYING TO NOT TURN LEMON INTO LEMONADE, BUT LIKE GRAB A, A BRANCH FROM A TREE AND MAKE IT EDIBLE IN THE FIRST PLACE. LIKE THIS IS A ROUGH SITUATION TO START FROM. UM, AND I DO WANNA SAY TOO, I MEAN THE, THE CONTRAST IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY IS WILD BECAUSE FOR MUNI WE HAVE FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR YEARS AND ORGANIZING AND EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY. I PERSONALLY FEEL EDUCATED TONIGHT ON THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT OF THIS. ALSO, AS A NON GOLFER, I REALIZE WE MAYBE DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH GOLFER REPRESENTATION UP HERE, BUT, UM, AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE HAVE FOLKS WHO ARE DOING RESEARCH WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY HERE IN AUSTIN WHO ARE REALIZING, OH MY GOD, ALL OF THIS IS AT RISK AND IT'S AT RISK MONTH TO MONTH NEXT MONTH, THIS COULD GO AWAY. AND THAT'S HORRIFYING. SO, TO, TO PUT IT THIS WAY, I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING, IT PLAYS LIKE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNITY ASSETS THAT GIVE OUR CITY A LOT, THAT GIVE ANY GREAT CITY A LOT TO HAVE COMMUNITY SPACES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE, LOW COST PLACES OF GATHERING, PLACES OF COMMUNITY, PLACES OF EDUCATION, AND THEN ALSO MAYBE THE QUIETER, BUT I THINK STILL EXTREMELY VALUABLE SPACES OF NOT JUST GREEN SPACES, BUT SCIENTIFICALLY ACTIVATED GREEN SPACES THAT, FROM WHAT I'M HEARING AND I HAVE A LOT MORE TO LEARN, IS PART OF AUSTIN'S INFLUENCE ON THE WORLD, NOT JUST AUSTIN'S INFLUENCE ON AUSTIN. AND I'M GONNA BE HONEST, JUST TO ECHO A BIT OF WHAT MY FELLOW COMMISSIONERS HAVE BEEN SAYING, IF WE'RE GONNA, IF WE'RE GONNA BE A PART OF FACILITATING A DEAL THAT ALLOWS THAT TO BE DEVELOPED, WE GOTTA GO WAY HIGHER THAN A HUNDRED FEET. I'M TALKING LIKE, LIKE THAT MAY SOUND RIDICULOUS, BUT HOW CAN WE POSSIBLY OFFSET THAT COMMUNITY BENEFIT IF IT'S NOT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH LAND AND HEARING A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF, YOU KNOW, FUNCTIONALLY A HUNDRED FEET OR SO TO ME, JUST DOESN'T REALLY DO IT. AND IF WE'RE TALKING FIDUCIARY, FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY, THE UT SYSTEM IS WORTH $47.5 BILLION. UT AUSTIN HAS $21 BILLION OF THAT. YES, THIS LAND IS HILARIOUSLY VALUABLE, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S A COMMUNITY ELEMENT HERE, AND FRANKLY, MY CHALLENGE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, MY CHALLENGE TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THAT WE GET THE BEST POSSIBLE DEAL HERE BECAUSE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO THE COMMUNITY, THE RESPONSIBILITY TO KNOWLEDGE, TO SCIENCE, TO THE, THE THINGS THAT MAKE AUSTIN GREAT, PAST THE OBVIOUS THINGS THAT THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY 'CAUSE I THINK THE UT SYSTEM IS GONNA BE FINE WHETHER THEY DEVELOP THIS OR NOT. AND I JUST WANNA SAY THAT LIKE THE BLACK BOX NATURE OF THIS ALL, AND AGAIN, I'M SAYING THIS WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE, THAT PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM ARE NOT THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM. WE DID NOT CAUSE THIS, IT IS NOT OUR FAULT, IT'S JUST OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX. BUT I THINK THE IDEA OF US SIGNING OFF ON OR RECOMMENDING OR CO-SIGNING SOMETHING THAT HAS NO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE PLAN, YOU KNOW, I, MY THOUGHTS ARE CLEARLY JUMBLED. Y'ALL ARE SAYING THAT VERY JUMBLED, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYTHING I'M GONNA LEARN IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IS GOING TO CHANGE MY MIND ON THAT. BECAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA BE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS GONNA HAPPEN TO THIS MASSIVE AMOUNT OF EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IRREPLACEABLE LAND TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SCIENTIFICALLY, COMMUNITY WISE, AFFORDABLE, HOUSING WISE, WHATEVER PERSPECTIVE, I THINK THE COMMUNITY DESERVES TO SEE WHAT THAT SHOULD BE. SO I'M CHALLENGED BY THIS, BUT I THINK THE GOOD THING HERE IS THAT WE ALL RECOGNIZE WHAT IS WORTH, WHAT IS WORTHWHILE HERE, WHERE THE VALUE ACTUALLY IS. AND TO THE CITY STAFF, TO MR. SETTLE, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, CITY OF AUSTIN, I DO NOT ENVY THE TASK THAT Y'ALL HAVE. WE HAVE THE FUN PART OF JUST MAKING RECOMMENDATION RECOMMENDATIONS AND RANTING LIKE I AM RIGHT NOW. BUT THE REALITY IS, IS WE DON'T JUST HAVE TO FIX THIS. WE HAVE TO FIX THIS IN A WAY THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO SUSTAIN AUSTIN FOR THE NEXT A HUNDRED YEARS. AND SO THAT A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW IN 2126, WE'RE NOT IN THESE CHAMBERS. AND THEY'RE LIKE, WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY THINKING IN 2026 TO GET INTO A DEAL LIKE THIS? AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE IN A BETTER SPOT THAN WE WERE BEFORE, BUT I THINK WE COULD DO BETTER THAN WHAT WE'RE HEARING TONIGHT. AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD TAKE THE TIME AND THINK THROUGH THE DAMN THING. COMMISSIONER BRETTON. WELL SAID. UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE, MR. SUBTLE CITY STAFF, PEOPLE GIVING TESTIMONY. WE ALL DEEPLY APPRECIATE IT, AS HAS BEEN STATED MANY TIMES BEFORE, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A WINDING PATH, UH, AND TAKE [04:20:01] A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE FOR A MOMENT TO SAY THAT I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A DEEPLY COMPELLING OPPORTUNITY. AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR HAVING MUNI SAVED, IT IS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ABUNDANT HOUSING ON THIS AREA OF LAND IN THIS PART OF TOWN, WHICH IS NOT A COMMON THING OFTEN ON PURPOSE. THERE'S ALSO THE ABILITY TO DO MULTIMODAL TRANSIT ORIENTED THINGS THAT DO NOT BRING MORE CARS OR BRING LESS CARS THAN THE TYPICAL DEVELOPMENT WOOD. YOU CAN BUILD DENSE HOUSING WITHOUT BRINGING CARS. I LIVE IN A DENSE PLACE. I DON'T OWN A CAR. I WANT MORE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE LIFESTYLE THAT I HAVE. I DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR CAR MAINTENANCE, GAS, INSURANCE, ALL OF THIS SORT OF STUFF. IT IS A AFFORDABILITY AND A QUALITY OF LIFE THING. AND TO BE ABLE TO LIVE NEXT TO A WONDERFUL GREEN SPACE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, AND TO BE ABLE TO HAVE HOPEFULLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHERE ALL PEOPLE, ALL KINDS OF WALKS OF LIFE ARE ABLE TO LIVE THERE, THIS IS A DEEPLY COMPELLING OPPORTUNITY. WE SHOULD BE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND TO COMMISSIONER POWELL'S POINT, MAKING THE BEST POSSIBLE PLAN THAT WE CAN. I WANT TO ADD ONE MORE PIECE ABOUT THE GREEN SPACE, THE TRAIL OPPORTUNITY HERE. THIS IS ONE OF THE JEWELS OF AUSTIN THAT WE ALREADY HAVE RIGHT NOW SITTING OUTSIDE ACROSS THE STREET. WE CAN MAKE THAT BIGGER AND BETTER. THE SECOND THING IS, IN TERMS OF TRANSIT, WE CAN DO SOMETHING LIKE, UH, BY CONNECTING DOG'S HEAD, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THAT WAS DENSE AND OVER HERE IS DENSE, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A VERY STRONG TRANSIT CORRIDOR THAT RUNS EAST WEST. THERE ARE NOT MANY STRONG TRANSIT CORRIDORS THAT RUN EAST WEST IN AUSTIN. AS SOMEONE WHO TRIES TO GET EAST WEST IN AUSTIN, I'VE BIKED LANCE ARMSTRONG ONTO CESAR CHAVEZ AND THEN VETERANS AND THEN LAKE AUSTIN. I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO INVEST AND HAVE A STRONGER MULTIMODAL AND TRANSIT CONNECTION THAT GOES ALONG THIS PART OF TOWN. WHILE THIS IS DEEPLY COMPELLING, THIS HAS BEEN DEEPLY TROUBLING. UM, THERE'S MASSIVE SPEED WITHOUT INSIGHT INTO WHAT WILL HAPPEN. AND I WANT TO POINT OUT YES, OF COURSE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE BFL AND ABOUT WHAT MAY BE DEVELOPED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD. I'M DONE. OH, NO. OOPS. THANK YOU. YOU'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON IT AGAIN IN OUR NEXT MEETING. YES. I'M GONNA MOTION TO EXTEND OUR MEETING TO 10:45 PM SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR HANEY WITHOUT OBJECTION. THAT PASSES. AND WE'LL MOVE TO COMMISSIONER SKIDMORE. THANK YOU CHAIR. I DON'T HAVE MUCH MORE TO ADD. I KNOW I SHARED MY THOUGHTS DURING THE Q AND A. I MEAN, I, AGAIN, I'LL JUST QUICK COMMENTS TO THANK STAFF FOR THE WORK THEY'VE DONE. I MEAN, I KNOW THEY'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, AND I'M REALLY THANKFUL FOR HOW THE COMMUNITY HAS MOBILIZED AND TURNED OUT OF. SO I, I THINK THAT I JUST NEED TO SAY IT DIRECTLY IS THAT IT FEELS VERY MUCH TO ME THAT WHEN WE HAVE A PROJECT LIKE THIS, OR WHEN WE HAVE A PROJECT LIKE DOG'S HEAD AND IT'S BASICALLY BEING SHOVED DOWN OUR THROATS, UH, IT FEELS LIKE THAT'S BY DESIGN. AND, AND THAT IS DEEPLY FRUSTRATING TO ME BECAUSE FOR THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'LL SPEND ON AN INDIVIDUAL ZONING CASE AND THE AMOUNT, UH, AND THE AMOUNT OF DELIBERATIONS THAT WE ARE ASKED TO HAVE, TO HAVE TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS FOR OUR CITY, ENORMOUS TRACKS OF LAND, BASICALLY BE PUSHED THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, NOT JUST US, BUT WITHOUT REAL SUBSTANTIVE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS, IS JUST DEEPLY FRUSTRATING. AND A REMINDER THAT OUR DEMOCRACY, EVEN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, IS REALLY FRAGILE. AND, UH, AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT IN TWO WEEKS. I APPRECIATE YOUR MOTION THAT'S COMING, CHAIR, BUT I ALSO HOLD NO ILLUSION THAT OF WE DON'T HAVE ANY SAY IN THIS PROCESS. AND AGAIN, I'M AFRAID THAT IS ACTUALLY BY DESIGN, BY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING THESE DECISIONS PRIVATELY. SO THEN I'M GONNA END THERE. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER HILLER. [04:25:02] THANK YOU CHAIR. I, I I'M GOOD. LET'S WRAP THIS UP. ALL RIGHT, , APPRECIATE THAT. LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR PERMANENT [PERMANENT COMMITTEE UPDATES ] COMMITTEE UPDATES, CODES AND ORDINANCES, JOINT COMMITTEE. UM, OUR LAST MEETING WAS CANCELED DUE TO LACK OF BUSINESS, COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, JOINT COMMITTEE. UH, WE HAD OUR LAST MEETING CONDUCTED ELECTIONS. UM, AND SO WE HAVE A NEW CHAIR AND VICE AND SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE. WE MEET TOMORROW, SMALL AREA PLANNING JOINT COMMITTEE. UH, WE MEET ON NOVEMBER 4TH, WORKING GROUP UPDATES. WE HAVE OUR URBAN DESIGN [WORKING GROUP UPDATES ] GUIDELINES UPDATE WORKING GROUP, UH, NO UPDATE. DOG'S HEAD WORKING GROUP, STILL WAITING ON PRESENTATION FROM STAFF SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER. ALL RIGHT. UH, FOLKS, IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST VISITING OUT IN THE LOBBY, THAT WILL HELP US TO FINISH UP OUR MEETING. LET'S MOVE INTO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I'M [FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ] GONNA ASK FOR A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM FOR THE COMMISSION TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL ON THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR THE BRECKENRIDGE TRACT, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MAXWELL. UH, I WOULD ASK THAT EVERYONE BE PREPARED WITH YOUR INDIVIDUAL RECOMMENDATIONS, AND AS WE GO THROUGH THEM, IF SOMEONE IS MAKING A RECOMMENDATION THAT IS SIMILAR TO YOURS, BE READY TO KIND OF STRIKE THOSE AS WE GO SO THAT WE'RE NOT BEING REDUNDANT. ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? UM, CHAIR ONE QUESTION. SURE. UM, DO WE HAVE, THAT IS OUR LAST PLAN. WE HAVE TWO MORE PLANNING COMMISSIONS, IS THAT CORRECT? WE HAVE THAT MEETING. THEN WE HAVE A CONSENT ONLY MEETING ON, I'M SORRY, ON NOVEMBER 17TH. THEN WE HAVE A FULL MEETING ON DECEMBER 8TH AND A CONSENT ONLY MEETING ON DECEMBER 15TH. AND CHAIR. UM, REGARDING THOSE MEETINGS, UM, WE HAVE THE 10TH, WHICH IS GONNA BE A FULL MEETING. UM, WE'RE GONNA CANCEL THE NOVEMBER 17TH MEETING. AND THEN YOU HAVE DECEMBER 8TH AND THEN DECEMBER 15TH AS A CONSENT ONLY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SO EVERYONE CAN NOTE THAT THE DECEMBER, I'M SORRY, THE NOVEMBER 17TH MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELED. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THE EIGHTH AS A FINAL FULL MEETING AND THE 15TH AS CONSENT ONLY AT 5:00 PM THANK YOU SO MUCH, DESTINY, FOR THAT CLARIFICATION. MS. BROWN, ANY OTHER FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? OKAY, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION AT 10:30 PM WE, WE DIDN'T NEED TO EXTEND . * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.