[00:00:01]
[Call to Order]
ONE OF 3:00 PM ON FRIDAY, MAY 15TH, AND THIS IS THE MAY EDITION OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.UH, I'M FILLING IN FOR MARIO RIGHT NOW.
HE'LL BE JOINING LATER TO, UH, CONTINUE CHAIRING THE MEETING.
UM, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS TO DISCUSS BEFORE WE GET TO THE AGENDA ITEMS. I WANTED TO NOTE THAT UH, ITEM TUESDAY ON THE AGENDA ABOUT STREET IMPACT FEE HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL JUNE.
UM, THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE POSTING NOTICE, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC ABOUT THAT ITEM WAS THAT'LL BE PUT OFF UNTIL JUNE.
AND SIMILARLY WE HAVE ITEM TWO EIGHT BACK TO US TONIGHT BECAUSE OF A SIMILAR ISSUE.
[Additional Item]
UH, AND ABOUT THAT WE HAVE A LONG LIST OF SPEAKERS SIGNED UP TO TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ITEMS AND I WANTED TO GAUGE THE COMMISSION'S INTEREST IN DISCUSSING A TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKERS TODAY.UH, GIVEN THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS, I THINK WE HAVE ALMOST 30 SIGNED UP CURRENTLY TO TALK.
UH, WE GOT MORE THAN A HUNDRED PAGES OF BACKUP IN THE FORM OF LETTERS, UH, REGARDING THE ISSUE.
UH, I'VE SEEN THE SPEAKER LIST OF NUMBER OF THE SPEAKERS ARE SIMILARLY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
I DON'T WANT TO PROHIBIT THEM FROM SPEAKING, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO TECHNOLOGY ISSUES AND I ALSO, UH, WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL OF EVERYBODY'S TIME.
SO, UM, IS THERE INTEREST IN, IN LIMITING OR, UH, PUTTING A SPECIFIC LIMIT ON FOCUS TIME DIFFERENT THAN OUR TYPICAL, UH, THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT FOR SPEAKERS? SO WHAT DID YOU HAVE IN MIND? MAYBE A MINUTE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST, PARTICULARLY GIVEN THAT WE HAD SO MUCH, UH, IN THE FORDHAM FORM OF LETTERS, UM, AND ESPECIALLY MANY OF THE LETTERS, UM, THAT EXACTLY THE SAME THING, WHICH IS FINE, BUT I IMAGINE THAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR THE SAME THING.
YEAH, I'D BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
JUST SO THAT WE CAN FORMALLY DO THIS.
I MOVED, I SOMEONE FOR UNCLE MOVE THAT WE LIMIT THE TIME PER SPEAKERS TO ONE MINUTE FOR THIS PARTICULAR MEETING.
AND I'LL SECOND THAT MIKE WILLFULLY.
FRANCO MOTION WILLFULLY SECOND.
UH, EMILY, WE'RE GOING TO DO VOTES ONE AT A TIME, CORRECT? YES.
UM, COMMISSIONER RUENA? YEAH, I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING.
MY HEADSET HAS AN INSET IN VERSA.
ALRIGHT, I'M A I UH, COMMISSIONER, WHETHER IT BE HI, CAN YOU HEAR COMMIT, COMMIT COMMISSIONER ALVARADO? AYE.
WHO'S JUST SPEAKING? WE CAN'T HEAR YOU.
SO ONE MINUTE FOR SECRETS TODAY AND WE APPRECIATE EVERYBODY SIGNING UP TO SPEAK, BUT ALSO WANT TO KEEP THIS MOVING TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN.
OH, COMMISSIONER DAVIS, DID WE RECORD YOUR VOTE? OH, I'M SORRY.
ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? SO THERE'S EIGHT ZERO ZERO ON THAT.
THAT'S APPROVED ON THE SPEAKERS.
UH, SO NOW WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA
[Item 1]
ITEM ONE, WHICH IS THE MINUTES FROM THE PREVIOUS MEETING.IS THERE A MOTION REGARDING MINUTES FROM THE MARCH 10TH MEETING? I'LL MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THEM.
I'LL SECOND THE MOTION AND WILLFULLY MOTION FRANCO SECONDS AGAIN.
UH, CAN I TAKE YOUR MOTION AND YOUR SECOND AS EYES? YES.
[00:05:02]
AYE.MISSION OR WHETHER IT BE EMISSION ARENAS.
AND I'M A YEAH, I ALSO ATE THE ZERO AGAIN THERE.
[Item 2A (Part 1 of 2)]
SO NOW WE ARE TO NEW BUSINESS AND ITEM A, THERE IS THE RIGHT OF WAY THEY CATION, UH, REGARDING 572 SQUARE FEET OF ALLEY ABUTTING 599TH STREET, UH, POSTED FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.AND, UH, STAFF IS LISTED AS MICHELLE SMITH FROM OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE SERVICES, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR HER WHILE WE WERE LOGGING ON SO THAT MIGHT NOT BE CORRECT.
I'M EMILY SMITH JUMPING IN HERE.
UM, I BELIEVE KIM VASQUEZ FROM OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE SERVICES IS ON THE LINE, BUT I DID WANT TO CLARIFY FIRST THAT WE WERE DIRECTED BY THE CITY TO TAKE ALL PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE TOP OF THE MEETING.
SO I HAD A 22 BOOKS, I THINK, REGISTERED TO SPEAK FOR THIS ITEM, TWO A AND THREE BOOKS REGISTER TO SPEAK IN ADVANCE FOR ITEM TO BE.
UM, SO I PROPOSE THE CHAIR CALL ALL OF THOSE NAMES.
UM, WHERE SHE, YOU SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO, UM, ONCE, YEP.
YOU JUST WANT ME TO GO THROUGH THIS LIST ONE OF THE TIME? EMILY? YES, THEY'RE LISTED IN THE ORDER RECEIVED THE REQUEST.
UH, SO THESE WILL BE, WE'VE GOT 22 NAMES FOR ITEM
UH, FIRST STEP IS TAYLOR WOOD.
YOU'LL HEAR ME? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH HUSH BLACKWELL AND I REPRESENT THE TYNDALL OR SOME LIKE TO THINGS COMMISSIONER FOR LONG MUSIC SOME YEARS TIME TODAY.
UM, AND JUMPING RIGHT IN, I AM CALLING TO OBJECT TO THE VACATION OF THE ALLEYWAY.
UM, THE MAIN CONCERN I'M THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION IS THAT THIS VACATION WITH FISH, THE PROPERTY LINE DOC BY ABOUT 10 FEET, UM, MAINLY THE APPLICANT'S BUILDING WOULD BE EVEN CLOSER TO PORTIONS OF THE TYNDALL.
UM, THAT'S BEEN A CONCERN KIND OF THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF FIRE STRUCTURE JUMPING.
UM, IN ANY SCENARIO, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S VERY SCARY, BUT PARTICULARLY HERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL BE HOUSING SENIORS.
UM, WE DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE TAKING ACTIONS THAT WILL INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF A FIRE SPREAD, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S ONLY ONE ACCESS ROAD WHICH IS NARROW, CONGESTED DEAD-END.
UM, I ALSO JUST WANTED TO QUICKLY POINT OUT THAT THE APPLICANT AND PARTY STATED THAT THIS VACATION IS NOT NECESSARY PRECISELY IN APPROVAL.
THIS WAS CONFIRMED BY THEM ON TUESDAY'S PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.
SO I THINK THIS IS A SITUATION DEFINITELY WHERE THE DEVELOPER BUILDING PREFERENCES NEED TO BE BALANCED WITH THE NEEDS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND CLEARLY WE THINK THE VALLEY SHOULD NOT BE VACATED.
SO FOR THOSE REASONS I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE VOTE NO ON THE ALLEGATION.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
AS I GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN A TIMER AND THE LIST.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS LYDIA CLAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
PLEASE CONFIRM THAT YOU CAN HEAR ME.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I OWN UNIT FIVE 26 AND THE TYNDALL WHICH FACES SOUTH.
MY VIEW WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY THE LOPEZ TOWER, BUT THE SAFETY OF MYSELF AND NUMEROUS OTHER RESIDENTS WOULD.
I'M A STAUNCH ADVOCATE FOR DENSITY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I HAVE WORKED TO BUILD AND DEVELOP BOTH, BUT THIS IS A TRULY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE WHERE I MUST SPEAK IN STRONG OPPOSITION TO ITEM TWO.
A I WOULD ASK THE COMMISSIONERS TO PLEASE PLAY THE SIX SECOND VIDEO OF AN INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON WEDNESDAY IN FRONT OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT LOCATION ON EIGHTH NINTH STREET, WHICH WAS PROVIDED TO UTC, UH, BY CYNTHIA NELSON, ANOTHER SPEAKER.
UM, THE CLOSE PROXIMITY BETWEEN THE REAR OF THE PROPOSED LOPEZ TOWER IN TYNDALL WOULD BE ASSISTED BY THE VACATION OF THE ALLEYWAY.
VACATION WOULD FURTHER EXACERBATE THE FIRE RISK FOR BOTH BUILDINGS, WHICH WILL COLLECTIVELY HOUSE NEARLY 300 PEOPLE, INCLUDING THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR POPULATION, MOBILITY IMPAIRED SENIOR CITIZENS.
AFTER WATCHING THIS VIDEO I ASKED YOU, TC, HOW ARE EMERGENCY VEHICLES TO ACCESS A THREE-SIDED BLOCKS BUILDING AT THE END OF A 260 FOOT LONG DEAD END STREET WITH INADEQUATE TURNING RADIUS? PLEASE VOTE NO OR TO POSTPONE A VOTE ON THE ALLEYWAY VACATION, UH, UNTIL UTC
[00:10:01]
IN THE CITY CAN ASSURE RESIDENTS OF OUR COLLECTIVE SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF FIRST RESPONDERS.I URGE YOU TO PLEASE VOTE NO, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SHOW THE VIDEO.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, THAT VIDEO WAS POSTED IN THE BACKUP.
IT'S ALSO IN THE MATERIAL THAT EMILY HAD A GOOGLE DRIVE FOR US BEFORE THEN.
LIKE LYDIA SAID, IT WAS EXPECTANCE AND IT WAS JUST UP ON OUR SCREENS HERE.
UM, SO HOPE EVERYBODY HAS HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MATT MATHIAS.
I AM HERE AT MR. COMMISSIONER, THERE YOU GO.
READY? CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COMMUNITY.
MOST VOTES ON REMNANT ALLEYWAY REALLY DON'T MEAN MUCH IN THIS CASE.
YOUR DECISION HAS DIRE CONSEQUENCES.
THE VACATION OF THIS ALLEY ALLOWS A DANGEROUS BUILDING TO BE BUILT THAT WILL PUT LIVES OF SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS, OUR SENIOR CITIZENS AT RISK.
THIS IS A FACT THAT ALLIE VACATION ALLOWS A SEVEN LEVEL WOOD-FRAME BUILDING TO BE BUILT AT THE END OF A DEAD END STREET WITHOUT A TURNAROUND IN PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY IN THE BACKYARD OF A HISTORIC HOME, WHICH HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY THE CITY FOR SINGLE FAMILY AFFORDABLE USE.
TODAY YOU SIT AS A JURY WITH LIVES AT STAKE, NOT JUST TO VOTE ON AN ALLEYWAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GRANDMOTHER BEING TRAPPED ON THE SIXTH FLOOR OF A BURNING WOOD FRAME BUILDING THAT YOU ALLOWED TO GO FORWARD AS CURRENTLY DESIGNED BY GIVING AWAY THIS ALLEYWAY.
VOTE NO ON THIS ALLEY VACATION.
IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
ALRIGHT, NEXT IS CYNTHIA NELSON.
TODAY I'M THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE TANGLE CONDOS, WHICH ARE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE ALLEY BEING DISCUSSED AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF 180 HOMES.
I STRONGLY OPPOSE THE VACATION OF THE ALLEY.
THE PROPOSED TOWER WOULD CREATE A DANGEROUS AMOUNT OF CONGESTION AND DIFFICULT ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES.
WE EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE EARLIER THIS WEEK AND I PROVIDED PICTURES AND VIDEO DEMONSTRATING THIS FOR YOUR REVIEW.
I'M EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE JUMPING.
IF THERE WERE A FIRE AND REALISTIC ACCESS FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES, NED BUILDING WAS ONLY ONE ACCESS POINT.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROJECT AND WE PUT TOO MANY PEOPLE AT RISK.
I ASK YOU TO POST THE VACATION OF THE ALLEY OR AT LEAST UNTIL THE PROJECT IS REVIEWED.
FURTHER LOOKING AT THE SITE, THE PROPOSED WOOD FRAME STRUCTURE AND THE PROXIMITY TO OTHER STRUCTURES.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR INSIGHTS REMARKS.
UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS GERMANE, WILLIAM.
HELLO MICHELLE, CAN YOU HEAR ME? THAT'S OKAY.
SO MY NAME IS DR JERMAINE WILLIAMS. I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF THE TYNDALL AND ALTHOUGH THE APPLICANT BELIEVES THAT ALL OF US ARE IN IT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR VIEWS ARE UNOBSTRUCTED, I ALWAYS SEE THE COURTYARD AND THAT'S GONNA BE MY VIEW FOREVER.
UM, THE BIGGEST THING THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT SAFETY IN TERMS OF THE FIRE, WHICH IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE FIRES DO HAPPEN.
IT'S NOT JUST IF IT'S BUT, BUT WHEN, BUT THEN ALSO SINCE YOU GUYS ARE THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE AND YOU'RE, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOBILITY IMPAIRED.
ANOTHER CONCERN THAT I SEE IS THAT BY ALLOWING THIS PROJECT TO GO FORWARD, THAT THESE SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ARE GOING TO BE MOBILITY IMPAIRED WON'T NECESSARILY BE ABLE TO USE THE BUS OR THE RAIL SYSTEMS AS DESIGNED.
AND IF THE SOLUTION IS METRO ACCESS, AS YOU SAW IN THE VIDEOS, METRO ACCESS CAN'T EVEN GET DOWN THERE AND TURN AROUND IN THAT AREA.
SO THAT ALSO MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO EVEN USE THAT SYSTEM.
SO IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE SAFETY CONCERNS, IT'S JUST REALLY NOT A GOOD IDEA, NOT A GOOD PROJECT, AND NOT GOING TO SERVE OUR LOW INCOME SENIORS.
SO PLEASE VOTE NO ON EVALUATE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS DARREN MILLER.
HI, HOW ARE YOU DOING? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
UH, MY WIFE LEE AND I LIVE IN UNIT SIX OH FIVE AT THE TINDALL.
UH, THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH THE COMMISSIONERS TODAY.
[00:15:01]
ARE VERY CONCERNED WITH THE MANY SAFETY ISSUES ALREADY MENTIONED.SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE TO REITERATE THOSE AND WHY YOU SHOULD NOT APPROVE THE VACATION OF THE ALLEYWAY.
UM, THE PROPOSED SEVEN STORY BUILDING WILL ONLY BE FIVE FEET FROM THE PROPERTY LINE OF 15 FEET FROM PORTIONS OF THE TYNDALL.
YOU KNOW, NO TOWERS SHOULD BE BUILT IN BACKYARDS OF SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON DEAD END STREETS IN AUSTIN.
FURTHERMORE, AUSTIN HAS ALWAYS BEEN RECOGNIZED AS A PROGRESSIVE GREEN CITY THAT WE ALL ALL ARE PROUD TO CALL HOME.
THIS PROJECT DOES NOT MEET THOSE ASPIRATIONS.
WE CERTAINLY DO SUPPORT, UH, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, BUT IT HAS TO BE SAFE, NOT CREATE MANY MORE PROBLEMS AND ISSUES THAN IT SOLVES.
BESIDES THOSE ISSUES, THIS PROJECT INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF FIRE STRUCTURE JUMPING IN WHERE CREATE FALL HAZARDS DURING THE CONSTRUCTION.
I WOULD IMPLORE EVERYBODY TO WALK THE SITE.
THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD UNDERSTAND ALL THIS IF YOU HADN'T ACTUALLY GONE OUT THERE AND LOOKED.
SO I IT, IT WOULD MATTER TO YOU, I BELIEVE.
WE RESPECTFULLY ASKED YOU OUT.
OKAY, NEXT SPEAKER IS JOE KEELAN.
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A RESIDENT OF UNIT FIVE OH TWO BASED IN THE COURTYARD AT THE KENDALL AND I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY AND STRONG OPPOSITION OF THE PROPOSED VACATION OF THE LOA.
I AM A SUPPORTIVE URBAN DENSITY MEASURES AND INCREASED AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE PROMINENT HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN.
UM, IT NOT ONLY PUTS THE SAFETY AND WELLBEING OF CURRENT RESIDENTS HERE AT THE TYNDALL AS WELL AS THE ONLY EAST SIDE, BUT ALSO FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THIS DEVELOPMENT.
I'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE, THE, THE COMMENTARY THAT YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD FROM SOME OTHER RESIDENTS AS WELL AS, UM, PEOPLE THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE TYNDALL PROJECT AND ON THE SAFETY CONCERN.
I FEEL IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE, UM, MAINTAIN SAFETY MEASURES, UM, PROTECT THE MOST VULNERABLE OF OUR POPULATION.
UM, AND ENCOURAGE YOU AS WELL TO, UM, VISIT THE SITE BEFORE YOU MAKE A DECISION AND, AND STRONGLY URGE YOU TO VOTE.
NO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THESE RESIDENTS HAVE EASY ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR SHOPPING, OUTDOOR SPACES AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
THESE AREN'T READILY AVAILABLE, UM, IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE BUILDING.
AND I FEEL IT'S, UM, IT'S IN SERVICE TO THOSE, UH, RESIDENTS.
UM, AGAIN, I URGE YOU TO VISIT THE SITE AS WELL AS VOTE NO ON THE VACATION OF THE ALLEYWAY.
NEXT SPEAKER IS HANNAH FEAR? I'M GETTING WORRIED THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE.
ALRIGHT, I WILL NOTE THAT THEN WE'LL GIVE ONE MORE CALL FOR HER AT THE END.
UH, HOW ABOUT BRIAN PERRY? TINA, SORRY IF I BUTCHERED THAT LAST NAME.
I'M HEARING THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE EITHER.
UH, HOW ABOUT PATRICK O'SULLIVAN? THINK I GOT THAT NAME RIGHT OUT HERE.
KEVIN DUNLAP WOULD BE YOUR YEARLY? YES, AGAIN.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I'M A RESIDENT AT THE KENDALL, UH, THREE 27.
MY UNIT FACES SOUTHWEST SO I WOULDN'T SEE A NEW PROJECT THAT'S PROPOSED.
UH, MY CONCERN IS MAINLY AROUND THE SAFETY AS WELL.
FIRE SAFETY SPECIFICALLY ON THIS ALLEY CURRENTLY EXISTS AS A SAFEGUARD BETWEEN THE TWO EXISTING PROPERTIES.
UM, THE PROPOSED PROJECT RELIES ON REDUCING THIS, UH, THIS BUFFER, UH, AND THE SPACE ALREADY HAS VERY LIMITED FIRE AND EMERGENCY ACCESS.
SO THIS ULTIMATELY INCREASES THE RISK OF FIRE DAMAGE BETWEEN BOTH PROPERTIES I JUST MENTIONED EARLIER.
FIRE STRUCTURE JUMPING IS ALSO DEFINITELY A SERIOUS RISK GIVEN.
PRETTY CLOSE PROXIMITY IS PLAN.
IT'S ABOUT FIVE FEET FROM THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE AND THERE'S ALREADY NO REAL MECHANISM FOR EMERGENCY VEHICLES TO TURN AROUND, UM, OR GET INTO NINTH STREET, WHICH IS A DEAD END ROAD.
AND THEN THIS ALLEY WOULD BE A FURTHER DEAD END, EVEN SMALLER.
AND SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE FUTURE RESIDENTS OF THIS PROJECT ARE ALSO GOING TO DEPEND ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
BUT IF YOU CAN'T GET A FIRE TRUCK DOWN THAT STREET, YOU PROBABLY HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET A BUS OR ANY SORT OF UM, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION DOWN THAT STREET AS WELL.
AND YOU KNOW, THE CLOSEST PUBLIC TRANSIT STOP AT THE MOMENT, IT WOULD REQUIRE THOSE RESIDENTS TO CROSS.
UH, SEVENTH STREET BASICALLY IS A FOUR LANE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE.
SO IT'S NOT VERY GOOD SPOTS FOR THIS TYPE OF PROJECT.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, REGISTER MY, MY OBJECTION TO NO ONE THAT CAN BE OUT OF THE WAY.
[00:20:01]
HERE.CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? IF YOU CAN.
SO GOOD AFTERNOON COMMISSIONERS.
I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR HOLDING THIS MEETING TO HEAR ALL OF OUR CONCERNS.
SO I'M HERE TODAY TO PROTEST VACATIONING THE ALLEY, THE LOPEZ PROJECT.
ESSENTIALLY THE LAYOUT OF THE PROJECT ITSELF LIMITS TRANSPORTATION FOR RESIDENTS.
I MEAN THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN PARKING SPACES FOR 24 UNITS, AND THE NEAREST PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS REALLY ON SEVENTH AND 11TH STREET, WHICH REQUIRE THE ELDERLY TO CROSS DANGEROUS TRAFFIC.
IN ADDITION, THE PROJECT IS A HIGH RISE MADE WITH WOODEN FRAMES AND SO THE WOODEN FRAME PRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD TO THE BUILDINGS, OLDER RESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY HAVE IMPAIRED.
IN ADDITION, IT ALSO PRESENTS FIRE HAZARD SAFETY TO US.
AND A RESIDENT TOO ARE ONLY JUST A FEW YARDS AWAY.
IN ADDITION, BECAUSE THE PROJECT WOULD SURROUND THE LOPEZ HOUSE, THE WOODEN FRAMES INCREASE THE RISK OF BURNING DOWN THE HISTORIC LOPEZ HOUSE.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY ESSENTIAL THAT WE VOTE NO ON VACATION IN THE ALLEY AND FOR THE LOPEZ PROJECT IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THIS HISTORIC SITE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M A BOARD MEMBER OF THE TYNDALL HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION AS WELL AS THE MULTIFAMILY HOUSING DEVELOPER.
MY DAY JOB IS TO PLAN AND PERMIT AND DEVELOP THE RBJ CENTER REDEVELOPMENT, WHICH INCLUDES A TOWER FOR SENIOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I'M EXPERIENCED WITH THE CITY'S FIRE INSURANCE ROTATION.
AND RIGHT AWAY REVIEW PROCESS.
WE AT THE TYNDALL HAVE MANY OUTSTANDING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE PROPOSED LOPEZ TOWER IN RELATION TO THE TYNDALL, PARTICULARLY IF THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THE BUILDINGS THAT THE RIGHT OF WAY IN QUESTION CURRENTLY PROVIDES IS LOST TO NO AVAIL.
WE HAVE SOUGHT SPECIFICS FROM THE CITY AND THE DEVELOPER ON FIRE SUPPRESSION PLANNING AND HOW FIRE AND SAFETY VEHICLES AND PERSONNEL WOULD OVERCOME THE CONGESTION ON THE DEAD END STREET THAT THE TOWER IS PROPOSED TO BE LOCATED ON.
THE CITY'S PERMITTING WEBSITE DOES NOT HAVE THE PLANS POSTED.
OUR REQUEST TO MEET WITH THE CITY FIRE REVIEWER IS UNANSWERED.
WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT DUE TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE PROPOSED TOWER TO THE TYNDALL THAT ARE UNANSWERED, QUESTIONS ABOUT FIRE SUPPRESSION, EMERGENCY ACCESS, AND THE ROLE OF THE ALLEY AS BUFFER DESERVE TO BE ANSWERED IN DETAIL BEFORE IT VACATION COULD BE REASONABLY CONSIDERED.
THE EXISTING ALLEY IS PUBLIC PROPERTY AND THE PUBLIC INTERESTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED IN LIGHT OF ITS REQUESTED VACATION FOR A PRIVATE USE.
I ASK THAT YOU VOTE AGAINST THE VACATION OF THIS, ALLIE.
NICOLE MEAD, CHAIRMAN AND COMMISSIONERS IN THE CALLA MEET.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH HUSH BLACKWELL REPRESENTING THE 10 DAWN.
I WANT TO START BY SAYING I THINK THIS IS A GOOD PROJECT.
THIS DEVELOPER ALWAYS DOES GET PROJECTS, BUT THIS PARTICULAR PROJECT AND THIS LOCATION IS NOT A GOOD PROJECT.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF SENIORS BEING DOWNTOWN, BUT THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS PUT SENIORS, MANY OF WHOM HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES AND HARMS AWAY THE LACK OF ACCESS TO THIS PROJECT AND THE LACK OF CONNECTIVITY.
MAKE THIS PROJECT REALLY INAPPROPRIATE FOR SEVEN STORIES OF RESIDENTIAL, ESPECIALLY RESIDENTIAL FOR SENIORS.
NO STAKEHOLDERS AS THE LAST SPEAKER SAID, HAVE SEEN THE CURRENT PLANS FOR THE PROJECT.
WE'VE REQUESTED THEM SEVERAL TIMES, BUT AS OTHER SPEAKERS HAVE SAID, THE DEVELOPERS MADE THE COMMENT AND STATEMENT THAT THE ALLEY VACATION IS NOT NEEDED FOR THEIR PROJECTS.
I WOULD ASK THE COMMISSION TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER WHY THE CITY WOULD GIVE THEM THIS PROPERTY.
IT IS PUBLIC PROPERTY AFTER ALL, AND THE DEVELOPER IN FACT IS ASKING TO TAKE THE PROPERTY FOR NO AT ALL BECAUSE THEY ARE DOING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE REALIZED THE CITY'S POLICY IS TO NOT HOLD ON TO THESE ODD PIECES OF RIGHT OF WAY THAT DON'T OFFER GOOD CONNECTIONS TO EXISTING ROADWAYS.
BUT IN THIS CASE, THE REALLY, REALLY TINY SIZE OF THIS LOT AND INTENSITY OF DEVELOPMENT PLANNED ON IT REALLY DO CALL FOR SO MUCH AVAILABLE SPACE AROUND THE DEVELOPMENT AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE URGE THE COMMISSION TO PLEASE REJECT THIS REQUEST FOR ALLEY VACATION.
UH, DON MORROW, CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? THAT'S OKAY.
I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION FOR ALLOWING ME TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS RELATED TO THE VACATION OF THIS ALLEY.
I'M ASKING YOU TODAY TO VOTE NO ON THIS ISSUE.
I'M AN OWNER OF A UNIT AND THE TYNDALL WHERE MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY LIVE AND I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT MY FAMILY'S SAFETY.
IF YOU VOTE YES TO VACATE THIS ALLY AT THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE DEVELOPER STATED THAT THE VACATION TO THIS ALLEY WAS NOT NECESSARY FOR HIS PROJECT TO CONTINUE.
IF THAT IS THE CASE, WHY GIVE AWAY A PIECE OF PUBLIC PROPERTY TODAY WITH OVER $50,000
[00:25:02]
OF VALUE RIGHT NOW? WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT I 35 WILL BE MODIFIED AND EXPANDED.THIS ALLEY INTERSECTS AGE 35 THE EXPANSION PLANS AND PROJECT DESIGN FOR PRICE 35 AT THIS TIME ARE UNDECIDED AT THE VERY LEAST IN THE INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC.
THIS DECISION SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL THOSE EXPANSION PLANS ARE FINALIZED.
IT MAKES NO SENSE TO GIVE AWAY THIS PROPERTY TODAY WHEN THERE'S A CHANCE THAT THE CITY WOULD NEED TO REPURCHASE IT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE FOR AGE 35 EXPANSION.
THIS ALLEY VACATION IS REQUESTED FOR LOW INCOME SENIOR HOUSING.
IN POINT OF FACT, THE VERY PEOPLE WE ARE TRACKING, PLEASE WRAP UP.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY IN VERY IN POINT OF FACT, THE VERY PEOPLE WE'RE TRYING TO HELP WILL BE THE PEOPLE WE PUT IN MOST DANGER.
PLEASE VOTE AGAINST THIS PROJECT.
UH, BOB GAS IS THE NEXT SPEAKER.
GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
THE TYNDALL PARTNERS HAVE WORKED IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
IF LOPEZ TOWER IS BUILT, IT'D BE A DANGEROUS, POSSIBLY PRECEDENT SETTING FIRST FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, ALLOWING A SEVEN STORY TOWER IN THE BACKYARD OF A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.
PERCHED IN A VERY DANGEROUS LOCATION ON A VERY STEEP HILL, SURROUNDED BY FOUR AND FIVE STORY BUILDINGS AT THE END OF A NARROW STREET THAT IS ALMOST ALWAYS CONGESTED WITH CARS, DUMPSTERS, AND DELIVERY TRUCKS.
VACATION AT THE SALLY, UH, ALLOWS A LOPEZ TOWERED.
IT'S POSITIONED AS YOU KNOW, VERY CLOSE TO THE TINDALL AND CREATES A FIRE HAZARD FOR BOTH RESIDENTS OF BOTH BUILDINGS.
BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A GOOD IDEA.
BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR SENIORS IS A PARTICULARLY GOOD IDEA.
DOUBLING THIS TOWER IN THE BACKYARD OF A SINGLE FAMILY HOME IS A PARTICULARLY BAD.
UH, ORLANDO KAWASAKIS NOT HERE.
NEXT, I ASSUME THERE'S NOT TWO OF YOU I'M HEARING.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
I'M SCOTT BREWER, OWNER OF TYNDALL THREE 36 I'M 42 YEARS OF COMMERCIAL INSURANCE BROKER WORKING WITH COMPLEX BUSINESS PROPERTY AND CASUALLY INSURANCE.
THAT'S THE PREEMINENT INDEPENDENT FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING FIRM IN THAT STAGE.
STATES RICH CARDAMON, ENGINEER OR RISK MANAGER FOR RISK LOGIC.
REVIEW THE 15 FOOT DISTANCE TO THE TYNDALL SHOULD THE VACATION BE APPROVED WITH A SIX STORY FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR SENIOR LIVING OCCUPANCY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODES WITH AUSTIN AMENDMENTS.
THIS BUILDING FALLS UNDER IFC CODE R TWO WHICH REQUIRES IT TO BE SPRINKLERED AND IF NO VARIANCE RECOMMENDS A FIREWALL BETWEEN GETTING THE TYNDALL BECAUSE A FIRE MIGHT EASILY JUMP 15 FEET, HE ADDED SENIOR LIVING IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE OCCUPANCY.
IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION, THE PROPOSED PROJECT REPRESENTS ADDITIONAL RISKS AT TYNDALL FAMILIES AND A LIFE SAFETY ISSUE FOR SENIOR CITIZENS.
AND AT THE LOPEZ, PLEASE VOTE.
WELL THAT WAS OUR LIST FOR ITEM TWO A.
I'M GOING TO GIVE A CHANCE TO ANYBODY WHO WE CALLED AND WAS NOT READY AT THE TIME JUST TO SPEAK UP NOW IF THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE OTHERWISE.
THAT'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
[Item 2B (Part 1 of 2)]
TO MOVE TO TO B.[00:30:01]
UH, SPEED LIMIT MODIFICATIONS ITEM AND THE FIRST SPEAKER IS ADAM GREENFIELD.ADAM ARE YOU THERE? ALL RIGHT.
WE'LL GIVE HIM A SHOT AT THE END OF THEN.
AND THE SECOND SPEAKER SIGNED UP IS HAYDEN WALKER.
CAN YOU CONFIRM? YOU CAN HEAR ME? YES WE CAN.
IT'S HARD TO TELL FROM THE END OF THE PHONE.
UM, MY NAME IS HAYDEN BLACK WALKER.
UM, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE TESTER ADVISORY COUNCIL SINCE IT WAS FORMED IN 2014.
IN FACT, I WAS THE ORIGINAL CHAIR AND I'VE BEEN WORKING ON VISION ZERO ISSUES AND, AND HAVE BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR VISION ZERO FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS.
UM, I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT SPEED IS A HUGE, MAKES THE DIFFERENCE.
REALLY BETWEEN A TRAFFIC CRASH THAT MIGHT CAUSE A MINOR INJURY AND LIFE ALTERING INJURIES OR EVEN FATALITIES, UM, FROM TRAFFIC.
UM, I WAS GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT FRIENDS.
I'VE LOST THE TRAFFIC, BUT TODAY AT NOON I WATCHED MY DAUGHTER'S COLLEGE GRADUATION FROM MY COMPUTER WHILE SHE WATCHED IT FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY FROM HER COMPUTER.
AND THE THING THAT STRUCK ME IS ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE GIVEN UP, EXCUSE ME.
UM, IN THIS CRISIS, THIS HEALTH CRISIS, THE MANY, MANY WAYS THAT WE'VE GIVEN UP OUR REGULAR LIVES.
AND YOU KNOW, I COMPARE THAT TO THE HEALTH CRISIS WE HAVE WITH TRAFFIC.
I THINK SPEED MANAGEMENT IS SUCH A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THAT.
AND WHILE WAS COVEN 19, WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTIONS ARE.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF SOLUTIONS IN OUR TOOLBOX FOR TRAFFIC FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES.
AND THE SPEED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IS A REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT STEP.
UM, IN ADDRESSING THIS CRISIS, I THINK WE CAN ALL HOPEFULLY AS A SOCIETY AGREE THAT WE COULD GIVE UP A FEW SECONDS OR MAYBE EVEN A FEW MINUTES OF TRAVEL TIME IN ORDER TO PRESERVE HUMAN LIFE.
SO, UM, I WOULD JUST CONGRATULATE, UM, THE STAFF ON PUTTING TOGETHER A REALLY, REALLY GREAT PLAN WITH A LOT OF RESEARCH AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL VOTE IN FAVOR, UM, AND MOVE IT FORWARD TO, UM, COUNCIL ACTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UH, COLLIN AND STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS ITEM AND HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU WILL STRONGLY SUPPORT IT.
UM, AND JUST MAKE A COUPLE POINTS.
UM, ONE KEY POINT IS THAT SPEED IS A SAFETY PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE OF ALL MODES IN AUSTIN AND THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO DIE IN CAR CRASHES OR IN CARS.
UM, AND SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THIS, THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL HELP PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING OR BIKING OR USING A WHEELCHAIR AND PEOPLE IN CARS.
UH, AND IT'S REALLY ABOUT ALL OF US, UM, NOT HAVING TO RISK OUR LIVES WHILE USING THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
UM, AND A COUPLE OTHER JUST, YOU KNOW, THE NATIONWIDE, ALL THE ACRONYMS, THE AND, UM, ASTO AND NETO AND EVERYONE HAS BEEN PUBLISHING REPORTS ABOUT HOW WE'VE MADE MISTAKES ON SPEED AND WE NEED TO FIX THEM.
SO I THINK THERE'S BROAD SUPPORT THAT CITY SUING, UH, AND JUST THE TEXAS STRATEGIC HIGHWAY SAFETY PLAN SPECIFICALLY CALLS FOR MEASURES LIKE WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS DOING NOW.
AND SO, UM, THIS IS PART OF THE STATE'S PLAN TO START SOLVING OUR CRISIS.
SO, UH, UM, I KNOW WHAT I WANT TO CONGRATULATE TO THE STAFF ARE REALLY LEADING THE FAITH ON THIS ISSUE.
SO I HOPE YOU ALL WILL STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS AND SEND IT TO COUNCIL QUICKLY.
UH, ADAM GREENFIELD ARE YOU IN YET? OKAY.
THEN WITH THAT, UH, EMILY CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS OKAY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ALL REMAINING OUTSTANDING AGENDA ITEMS. OKAY.
[Item 2A (Part 2 of 2)]
TO A THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATION, UM, AND HEAR FROM STAFF AND UH, CAN BEST GUYS.[00:35:01]
SERVICES, UH, TO PRESENT THIS ITEM ITEM TO A CALL NUMBER ONE ZERO ZERO SEVEN SIX DASH ONE NINE ZERO ONE IT IS AN APPLICATION REQUEST TO VACATE 572 SQUARE FEET TRACT OF LAND OUT OF THE LEFTOVER 20 FOOT WIDE ALLEY, WHICH THE ALLEY IS KNOWN AS THE ELLIOTT EAST EIGHTH STREET AND THAT ABUTS THE ADJOINING PROPERTY AT EIGHT OH NINE EAST NINTH STREET.IT IS AN UNPAVED ALLEY THAT WAS VACATED BACK IN MARCH, UH, 20 MARCH 22ND, 1990 AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THIS REMNANT PIECE THAT WAS LEFT BEHIND THE REMNANT ALLEY, UM, THE APPLICANT PROPOSES TO ADD THAT TO THE ADJOINING LAND TO DEVELOP A MULTIFAMILY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT AND STAFF, CITY DEPARTMENTS, PRIVATE UTILITY FRANCHISE HOLDERS HAVE REVIEWED THE VACATION REQUEST AND HAVE GIVEN THEIR SUPPORT TO VACATE THE ALLEY.
UM, AUSTIN WATER UTILITY SUPPORTED THE APPLICATION REQUESTS WITH CONDITIONS AND UH, THIS APPLICATION DID OR WAS, UH, DID RECEIVE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION SUPPORT BACK ON NOVEMBER THE 12TH IN 2019.
IT IS NOW BEING PRESENTED AGAIN BROUGHT BEFORE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IN ORDER TO COMPLETE A RIGHT AWAY DICTATION PROCESS, WHICH IS, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC NOTICE REQUIREMENT.
THE PUBLIC NOTICE HAS NOW BEEN COMPLETED.
UH, THE NOTICE WAS ISSUED ON MARCH 13TH 20 AND THIS YEAR OF THIS OF UH, 2020.
UM, I CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT'S RELATED TO THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATION PROCESS.
ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE APP, THE DEVELOPMENT, THE PROJECT ITSELF, THE APPLICANT NOT HO HAVE TO GO.
THE TWO ENGINEERS AND PLANNERS IS ON THE CALL FOR, FOR THOSE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR THE APPLICANT? I HAD A QUESTION.
SO WE HEARD A LOT OF UM, REMARKS ABOUT FIRE SAFETY AND UM, FIREWALLS AND DIFFERENT ELEMENTS.
I KNOW THAT OBVIOUSLY IN OUR CITY CODE THERE'S A LOT OF ELEMENTS ABOUT FIRE SAFETY AND NEW BUILDINGS ARE ALWAYS BEING BUILT TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF FIRE SAFETY WITH SPRINKLERS AND MULTI, ESPECIALLY MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS HAVE MANY DIFFERENT REGULATIONS THEY WOULD HAVE TO MEET WITH THAT.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS TO HEAR ABOUT HOW, I DON'T KNOW THE FIRE MARSHAL, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ENGINEERING EXPERTS ON FIRE SAFETY, UM, HAD TO SPEAK WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY ABOUT SOME OF THE ELEMENTS THAT WERE MENTIONED IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY ABOUT FIRE SAFETY FOR THE NEW BUILDING AND ALSO FOR ADJOINING BUILDINGS AND MAYBE EMERGENCY, UM, ACCESS TO THE BUILDING FOR OUR RESCUE WORKERS RELATING TO THE, UH, THE, THE FIRE SAFETY CONCERNS.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID APPROVE OR DID SUPPORT THE VACATION REQUESTS WHEN IT, WHEN IT WAS SENT FOR REVIEW.
UM, WE DID REACH OUT OUR OFFICE, THE OFFICE OF REAL ESTATE SERVICES REACHED OUT TO A CONSULTING ENGINEER WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO GET MORE CLARIFICATION AND TO CONFIRM THE SAFETY IN TERMS OF FIRE ACCESS, EMERGENCY ACCESS.
AND, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO, TO, UH, TO CLARIFY THESE, THESE CONCERNS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARE STILL LOOKING INTO THAT IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING THESE, THESE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED.
UM, WE DO HAVE THE, THE APPLICANT, UM, HAS GONE THROUGH THE REVIEW WITH DEVELOPMENT AND, AND PERHAPS THEY CAN ANSWER BETTER ON BEHALF OF THAT, UH, TO ADDRESS THE FIRE CONCERNS.
ONE REAL QUICK CLARIFICATION QUESTION.
OUR CHAIR, UM, YOU SAID AFD ALREADY APPROVED THE ALI VACATION.
SO THE CONCERNS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO ARE THE CONCERNS THAT ARE BEING BOUGHT THAT WE JUST HEARD THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT BY THE, THE, UH, SAME CALL IN THE PEOPLE THAT CALLED IN EARLIER TODAY OR ARE THEY OTHER CONCERNS THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO THESE, THESE, UM, CONCERNS FROM THE COMMUNITY.
BUT WITH REGARDS TO ACCESS AND WHATNOT, IT LOOKS LIKE THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLEARED BY IT OR IT SOUNDS LIKE THOSE HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLEARED BY FT.
IT'S THE ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, OTHER, OTHER CONCERNS THAT HAVE JUST RECENTLY BEEN RAISED THAT THEY'RE LOOKING INTO.
[00:40:08]
OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS APART? MICHAEL? I CONTINUE TRYING.UM, SO IF THE DEVELOPERS ON, I KNOW ONE OF THE CONCERNS BROUGHT UP, UH, WAS ABILITY TO GET PROPERTY CATEGORY INSURANCE AND I WANT TO KNOW IF, UM, AS PART OF THEIR REDEVELOPMENT, THEY'VE, UH, REACHED OUT TO THE RISK COMMUNITY AND WILL THEIR PROJECT, UH, BE INSURABLE WHEN IT'S COMPLETED, GIVEN WHAT WE HEARD EARLIER, DO WE HAVE THE DEVELOPER NOW? ARE YOU AVAILABLE OR ABLE TO CHECK ON? YEAH, I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE NDC.
THEY, THEY COULDN'T, UH, UH, JOHN IN TODAY.
UM, WE, UH, WE, UH, I CAN SAY THAT THE APPLICATION IN FRONT OF YOU IS, IS RELATED TO THE RIGHT OF WAY AND THE PROJECT HAS GONE THROUGH INDEPENDENT REVIEW WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR THE SITE PLAN ITSELF, WHICH IS NOT PART OF THE CONSIDERATIONS, UH, THE PROJECT MEET ALL OF THE CODE REQUIREMENTS WITH SPRINKLER SYSTEM AND BUILDING SEPARATIONS AND OPENING.
AS FAR AS HIGH ACCESS, UH, I DON'T HAVE THAT SPECIFIC ANSWER FROM THE DEVELOPER, BUT I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY THIS PROJECT WILL BE ANY DIFFERENT FROM OTHER PROJECTS THAT MEET CODE REQUIREMENTS.
CAN YOU STILL HEAR ME? THE SCAM? YES.
UM, I DID JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID GET APPROVED.
THE, THE REQUEST FOR THE ALLEY ACCESS TO VACATE THAT ALLEY PORTION.
SO MY, MY, MY COMMENT ABOUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, SO LOOKING AT THE COMMENTS, WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR IS THE, UH, THE PREVIOUS, THE REVIEWER THAT PROVIDED THE APPROVALS, UM, HAS SINCE RETIRED AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR.
THEY WERE LOOKING FOR THE COMMENTS FROM THAT REVIEWER.
UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ALVARADO.
UM, SO FOR THE DEVELOPER AND UM, REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE CITY, UM, HAS THERE BEEN ANY EFFORT ON YOUR PART TO MAYBE TRY AND IMPROVE, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION AND ACCESS CONDITIONS ON THAT STREET? UM, UH, SUCH AS, UH, REDUCING, UH, STREET PARKING OR, UM, FINDING WAYS TO, UM, WIDEN THE STREET OR CREATE A COLDER SACK, SOMETHING TO KIND OF ALLEVIATE THE CONCERNS OF THE RESIDENTS WE HEARD BEFORE.
UM, BUT ALSO ALLOWING THE, UH, PROJECT FORWARD.
THIS IS NOT HOW, AGAIN, AS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF GMDC, UH, AGAIN, THE REQUEST IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY FOR THE ORPHAN ALLIE, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY SAY THAT FOR THE SITE PUNDIT ITSELF, WHICH IS ADMINISTRATIVE LEAGUE, A MINISTRATIVE LEE APPROVED ATD AND TRANSPORTATION HAVE A REVIEW EXTENSIVELY AND WE DID COME TO SOME DISCUSSION RELATED TO REQUESTING NO PARKING ALONG THE STREET, UH, OF EIGHT, NINE TO, UH, PROVIDE MORE ROOM WITH QUITE A BIT OF IMPROVEMENT TO THE DRIVEWAY.
UH, AGAIN, THAT'S PART OF THE SITE PERMIT ITSELF.
BUT AS FAR AS THE ALLEY AND THE STREET, I MEAN WE BUILDING ON THE SAME STREET THAT THE EMILY PROJECT JUST TO THE NORTH AND THE TYNDALL PROJECT TO THE SALVAGE IS MUCH BIGGER, WHICH WAS NOT REQUIRED TO IMPROVE THE STREET.
SO AT THIS TIME THE SITE PLAN ITSELF IS NOT REQUIRED BY ANY FORM OF TIA TO IMPROVE PUBLIC ROADWAY.
OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. FRANCO? YEAH, I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING, UM, IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A REALLY, I WAS LOOKING AT AN A GOOGLE ON GOOGLE EARTH TRYING TO GET FAMILIAR WITH A LITTLE MORE AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S A REALLY SMALL PORTION OF THAT OUT THE WAY IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE ENTIRE ALLEY.
AND I THINK I HEARD, UM, THE OFFICER BRUNO STATE SERVICES SAY THAT THE OTHER PORTION OF THAT ALLEY WAS VACATED WAY BACK WHEN.
I WOULD JUST, I'M WONDERING WHAT, WHO, WHO VACATED THAT ALLEY AND WHAT THE OTHER PORTION OF THAT OF THE ORPHAN VALLEY IS CURRENTLY BEING USED FOR.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAS THAT INFORMATION, WHETHER IT'S GOING TO SAY SERVICES OR POTENTIALLY THE ENGINEER WHO'S ON THE LINE
[00:45:01]
RIGHT NOW.BUT IF SOMEONE KNOWS THE HISTORY OF THAT ALLEY AND WHAT IT'S BEING USED FOR NOW, I'D BE REALLY INTRIGUED TO KNOW WHAT'S, WHAT'S THERE.
EMILY, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO PULL UP THE FIELD NOTES ON YOUR SCREEN? AND, AND WHEN I SAY, WHEN I SAY THE ALLEY, I DON'T MEAN THE 572 SQUARE FEET IN QUESTION.
I'M SAYING THE OTHER PORTION OF THE ALLEY, WHICH WAS VACATED PREVIOUSLY.
I'VE ATTEMPTED TO SHARE MY SCREEN.
CAN YOU ALL SEE WHAT I'M SEEING? A PDF MAP? YES.
SO AS EMILY POINTED OUT, THIS IS NOT HOW, AGAIN, UH, I JUST KINDA, UH, ENTER THAT QUESTION.
THE REMAINDER OF THE ALLEY, UH, WAS VACATED BY THE TYNDALL PROJECT.
THAT'S WHERE MAJORITY OF THE TYNDALL BUILDING IS LOCATED ON WHAT WE VACATING IS HALF OF THE ALLEY THAT RUN ALONG THE FRONTAGE OF NOT THE FRONT END, BUT THE BACK OF THIS SIDE.
SO THE OTHER HALF IS WHETHER IT BEEN THE TYNDALL, UH, IS LOCATED ON.
AND UH, SO IT'S ONLY BEEN USED, UH, THE REASON WHY YOU PROBABLY SAW THE CONDITION THAT AUSTIN WATER, UH, PUT ON THERE IS BECAUSE PART OF THAT REMNANT PIECE OF RIGHT AWAY WAS STILL HAVE THE WASTEWATER LINE THAT SERVED THE EXISTING HISTORIC HOUSE.
SO PART OF THE HATING WORK THAT WE GOT TO DO IS TO CONVERT THAT TO IMPROVE THAT WASTEWATER LINE SO THAT CAN SERVE THE NEW PROJECT AND VACATE THAT PUBLIC WASTEWATER LINE.
BUT ALL OF THE REST OF THE ALLEY HAS BEEN VACATED AND USED FOR A PART OF THE TENDER PROJECT.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, SO, SO THE REMAINING PORTION OF THIS ALLEY IS CURRENTLY BEING USED BY THE TYNDALL PROJECT NEXT DOOR, WHICH IS WHERE WE'D HEARD ALL OF THE PEOPLE TALKING FROM.
YEAH, JUST OTHER NOTES THAT I THINK THE IMAGE THERE IS HELPFUL TO NOTE THAT THIS IS SOUTH, THE SOUTH PART OF THE PROPERTY AND SOUTH OF NINTH STREET.
UM, AND SO ALL OF THAT OTHER PORTION OF VACATED ALLEY TO THE EAST ALSO IS NOW BUILDING OF, UH, THE $10 JUST FOR CLARIFICATION AND ORIENTATION.
YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL TO KNOW.
UM, OTHER COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS? I HAVE TWO THAT I JUST WANT TO BRING UP.
UM, BASED ON COMMENTS WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE SPEAKERS, ONE WAS, UM, A REQUEST TO HAVE SHARED THE MOST RECENT SITE PLAN WITH THE TINDALL HOA AND JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION ON WHY THAT HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO OCCUR.
I CAN MENTION THAT THIS IS NOT HOW, AGAIN, UH, THE, I BELIEVE THE FALL IS THROUGH THE, UH, THE OWNERSHIP OF STAFF.
IT'S THE SB, UH, THE APPLICATION FOR THE VACATION IS SEPARATE FROM THE SITE PUNDIT ITSELF.
SO NORMALLY FOR EVERY PROJECT UNTIL THE PROJECT IS APPROVED, THE FILE IS USUALLY NOT UPLOADED TO THE WEBSITE.
UH, I BELIEVE THE FILE, THE PAPER FILE WAS LOST DURING THE CORONA TRANSITION, UH, THAT MAY BE BEST ANSWERED BY THE DSB, UH, STAFF.
UH, AND I DEFER, UH, THE DESIRE TO SHARE THE PLAN THROUGH THE OWNERSHIP OF GMDC, WHICH I THINK REACHED OUT TO SET UP MEETING, DOING A COBIT 19 TIME.
UM, SO THAT'S THE BEST ANSWER I CAN GIVE RIGHT NOW.
AND THEN ANOTHER SPEAKER HAD MENTIONED THAT THE, THIS VACATION OF THE ALLEY WAS NOT REQUIRED FOR YOUR SITE PLAN OR FOR APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT.
CAN YOU GIVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT EXACTLY THE GOAL OF THE ALLEY VACATION AND WHAT THAT HELPS YOU ACHIEVE AND ESSENTIALLY WHY GMDC WANTS IT FOR THIS PROJECT? YES, SIR.
UM, I THINK TO CLARIFY THE STEPS AND WHAT MARK FROM CNBC STATED IS THE PROJECT WAS STILL BEING FEASIBLE WITHOUT THE ALLEY.
AND I THINK THE REASON WHY IT'S NEEDED IS BECAUSE WHAT EVERY SMART HOUSING PROJECT IN TOWN, AND THAT'S, YOU CAN IMAGINE THIS PROJECT WILL BE ON THE EXPENSIVE SIDE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
MAXIMIZING UNIT COUNT FOR THE BOARD.
HOUSING IS CERTAINLY A VERY, UH, THAT'S THE GOAL OF THE ENTIRE CITY AND I'LL PROJECT AS WELL.
BUT THE TENT, IF YOU TAKE AWAY THE 10 FOOT, THE BUILDING WOULD STILL HAVE TO MEET FARCO AND IT WOULD STILL NEED TO SET BACK FIVE FEET MINIMUM AWAY FROM
[00:50:01]
THE PROPERTY LINE THAT IS CURRENTLY IS WITH A 10 FOOT.IT JUST MEANS THAT THE PROJECT CAN BE SLIGHTLY BIGGER SO THAT THEY'RE MORE, YOU KNOW, AT ROOM FOUR UNITS AND ALLEY, UH, AND BOY DOOR.
BUT ALL THE OTHER REQUIREMENT WOULD NOT CHANGE, WHICH IS WHY THIS STATEMENT WAS, THE PROJECT WAS STILL BE FEASIBLE WITHOUT IT.
BUT WE CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND THAT, MAXIMIZE THE PROJECT, UH, IN, IN THE GOAL OF EXPANDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, USUALLY THERE'S A LOT OF WAY TO DESIGN.
UH, IF I HAVE TO APPROXIMATE, I WOULD SAY THE LAST PROBABLY IN AROUND FIVE TO CLOSE IT TO 10%, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT WOULD DEPENDS ON THE CALIBRATION, THE UNIT SIZE.
IT COULD BE A COMBINATION, IT COULD BE A SLIGHT LOSS AND YOU'RE GONNA COUNT IN SMALLER UNIT.
UM, BUT IT CERTAINLY AFFECTS THE FUNDING AS WELL.
THERE'S TAX FUNDING, UH, RELATED TO THESE PROJECTS AT DIFFERENT LEVELS.
UH, AND SO THERE, THERE, THERE'S A MAGIC, UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT A MAGIC, THERE'S A CRITICAL MASS IN ORDER TO MAKE THE FUNDING NUMBER WORKS AS WELL.
UM, CAN YOU CLARIFY THEN THAT, UM, WHETHER OR NOT WE, UM, VACATE THIS ALLEYWAY TODAY, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROJECT AND IT'S JUST A MATTER OF ADDING MORE UNITS OR UNIT SIZE A WEEK THROUGH WORKING WITH DSP STAFF.
THE VERSION OF THE SITE PLAN TODAY IS DESIGN WITH THE ALLEYWAY APPROVED TO BE EXPENDED.
SO WE HAD CONDITIONALLY APPROVED, UH, WITH THE EXPANDED VERSION OF THE DESIGN, UH, PENDING THE, UM, UH, THE APPROVAL OF THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND AS KIM MENTIONED, THIS WAS APPROVED BACK IN NOVEMBER AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY BY COUNCIL IN JANUARY I THINK.
AND SO WE ACTUALLY IN THE PROCESS OF WRAPPING UP THE BUM AND RIGHT NOW THEY'RE JUST FEE THAT, YOU KNOW, SMART HOUSING TAKES TIME TO COME UP WITH AND THERE ARE THE EASTMAN DOCUMENTS THAT NEED TO, UH, THERE'S OTHER RECORDING DOCUMENTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN.
SO YEAH, THE PLAN RIGHT NOW REFLECTING THE VISION OF THE APP, THE HALF ALLIE BEING VACATED BECAUSE IT WAS APPROVED IN THE PAST.
UH, THIS COMING BACK, IT'S CERTAINLY A BIT OF A CURVE BALL.
UH, BUT WE RESPECT THE PUBLIC NOTIFICATION PROCESS.
SO HERE, THAT'S WHAT WE, WE OUT HERE.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR AFRICANS? ALL RIGHT.
ANY PRE MOTION DISCUSSION? UM, I CAN RESERVE IT FOR NOW OR AFTER THE MOTION, BUT I WOULD LIKE SOME DISCUSSION ON THIS IF YOU DON'T MIND.
DOES ANYBODY FEEL SO MOVED TO MAKE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE ALLEY VACATION, UM, AS REQUESTED.
WE ARE NOW DISCUSSING THE MOTION.
AND JUST BEFORE WE GET INTO DISCUSSION ON THIS, EMILY, I WANT TO CLARIFY ONE THING.
THERE ARE CURRENTLY EIGHT OF US AND THIS WILL REQUIRE AT LEAST SIX VOTES TO BE APPROVED.
AND WAS WHO MADE THE MOTION? I GOT ALLIE SECONDS, BUT I MEANT THE MOTION COMMISSIONER FRANCO MADE THE MOTION NOTED.
COMMISSIONER FRANCO, IF YOU WANT TO START THE DISCUSSION, GO FOR IT.
YEAH, I JUST HAVE A FEW THOUGHTS.
I JOT DOWN SOME NOTES SO I APOLOGIZE IF I'M LOOKING DOWN AND NOT AT THE SCREEN.
YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT IN THESE DISCUSSIONS AT OUR, AT OUR COMMISSION MEETINGS, AND I HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF ALL THE TIME THAT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PURVIEW OF X, RIGHT? AND WE ALL HAVE THOUGHTS ON, ON, ON MULTIPLE THINGS IN, IN, IN THIS WORLD.
BUT OUR PURVIEW FOR THIS COMMISSION IS URBAN TRANSPORTATION.
AND I DON'T PRETEND TO BE AN EXPERT ON, ON ACCESS FOR, FOR FIRE DEPARTMENTS OR EMERGENCY SERVICES OR WHATNOT.
BUT I DO PUT A LOT OF FAITH AND I, AND I RESPECT THE, UH, THE, UH, ORGANIZATION THAT IS AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT IF THEY THEMSELVES AND ALSO THEIR CONSULTING ENGINEERS HAVE APPROVED THIS AND THINK IT WORKS, I AM, WHO AM I TO GO AGAINST THAT? SO I THINK WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PERIPHERY OF THIS, OF THIS, OF THIS COMMISSION, IT'S ALREADY BASICALLY BEEN APPROVED BY, FOR, FROM A, FROM A TRANSPORTATION PERSPECTIVE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSPECTIVE.
BUT THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST TO GIVE A LITTLE COMMENTARY, IS THERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS
[00:55:01]
AROUND, AROUND UM, YOU KNOW, RISK OF FIRE AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE SENIOR CITIZENS? AND NO, ONCE AGAIN, I'M NOT A FIRE EXPERT.UM, I WOULD JUST ASK THE QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, THE TYNDALL IS BUILT, UH, WAS BUILT HERE RECENTLY AND ACROSS THE STREET IS A FIVE STORY APARTMENT COMPLEX.
I WOULD IMAGINE BASED ON CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES IS MOST LIKELY A WOOD STICK FRAME BUILDING AS WELL.
GET TYNDALL BUILD RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM IT.
SO IF THERE WAS THAT RISK AND CONCERN OF FIRE, WHY WAS THAT NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THEY BUILT THE BUILDING IN THE FIRST PLACE? MMM.
AND THEN AS FAR AS, AS FAR AS SENIORS LIVING THERE, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HOPE THAT THE RESIDENTS OF THE TYNDALL WANT TO GO IN THIS COMMUNITY AS WELL.
AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'RE CHOOSING TO LIVE IN THE TYNDALL AND THERE THEY WILL EVENTUALLY RETIRE THERE AS WELL AS CAN THE SENIORS WHO CHOOSE TO LIVE IN THIS VERY, VERY WONDERFUL PROJECT.
SO, UM, I, I FULLY SUPPORT THE PROJECT.
I THINK IF IT'S ALREADY GONE THROUGH REVIEW OF AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, AND GIVEN THAT THERE'S, THERE IS A BUS STOP ABOUT A QUARTER MILE DOWN THE WAY SENIORS DO HAVE ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, THE CAPITAL METRO, RIGHT.
I WOULD IMAGINE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE SERVED MUCH LIKE THE RBJ BY SPECIAL SERVICES THROUGH CAP METRO.
SO SOME OF THOSE, SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION AND WHATNOT.
I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THEY'RE VALID TO BE HONEST.
YOU, YOU KNOW, IN THE LARGER CONTEXT OF WHAT IS OUR, OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND NETWORK AND SERVICES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, I JUST WANT TO SHARE TO FRANCO'S COMMENT ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT'S, UH, PURVIEW ON THIS.
UH, FROM MY EXPERIENCE WORKING ON PROJECT BASED PROJECTS, UM, UH, THE, THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GENERALLY IS THE MOST SKEPTICAL.
AND IF THEY'RE ON BOARD WITH THIS, THEN I, I REALLY, UH, HAVE A HARD TIME SEEING WHERE THE HANGUP IS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN, IT IS A UNIQUE AND KIND OF, UH, ODD PROJECT, BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UH, THE AUDACITY IS, UM, WORTH PURSUING.
AND I AGREE ALSO THAT, UH, THE TENZEL, UM, DEVELOPMENT KIND OF PUT THEMSELVES IN THIS POSITION BY CREATING SUCH AN ISOLATED LOT AND NOW THEY KIND OF HAVE TO SLEEP IN THE BED THEY MADE WITH THIS PROJECT.
UM, I'M AFRAID THAT AS WELL, I'D LIKE TO JUST ADD, UM, ONE THING TO SORT OF WHAT THE OTHER TWO COMMISSIONERS HAVE ALREADY SAID.
UM, THAT BEING, THAT, UM, IT SEEMS THAT THE GOOD PORTION OF THE ALLEY IS ALREADY VACATED.
I LOVE THE ALLEYS THAT WE HAVE IN EAST AUSTIN.
I DO THINK THEY PROVIDE A GREAT TYPE OF ACCESS.
UM, AND WALKING TRANSPORTATION.
I'M, I'M IN FAVOR OF ALLEYS, BUT UM, IN THIS CASE IT SEEMS LIKE THE ALLEY HAS ALREADY SORT OF BEEN DISCONNECTED BY THE, THE TYNDALL BUILDING ITSELF.
SO LIKE A LOT OF THE BENEFITS OF HAVING COMPLETE THROUGH ALLEY ACCESS, UH, FOR WALKING OR WHATEVER ARE ALREADY GONE SINCE THAT IS, UM, LARGELY VACATED BY THE TYNDALL ITSELF.
SO I DON'T REALLY FEEL LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE JUST KIND OF A CONTINUATION OF STEPS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN TAKEN.
WE'RE NOT OBLITERATING, ARE REALLY FULLY FUNCTIONAL AND COMPLETE ALLEY.
SO I THINK THAT THAT WAS A BIG FACTOR FOR ME.
I WOULDN'T SAY THAT I'D ALWAYS APPROVE VACATE IN AN ALLEY, BUT IN THIS CASE IT KIND OF SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALREADY BEEN EFFECTIVELY VACATED IN A WAY.
IT'S JUST A SMALL LITTLE STUB PORTION.
MAYBE OTHER COMMENTS, I THINK, YEAH, JUST TO PUT IT OUT THERE.
I AGREE WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER SUMMERS SAID.
THAT'S, UM, I THINK A BIG PART OF WHERE I'M COMING FROM ON THIS, WHERE IT'S LOOKING LIKE, UM, IT'S JUST A SMALL PORTION AND IT, IT'S JUST A CON OF WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN GOING ON.
ANYTHING ELSE THEN I'M GOING TO CALL THE VOTE.
UH, I'LL START WITH COMMISSIONER FRANCO AND COMMISSIONER RUDENESS.
AND COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY? AYE.
I OKAY, I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN AND THAT WOULD MAKE THE VOTE SIX FOR ONE AGAINST ONE OBSESSION.
[01:00:04]
GOT IT.AND THAT COULD SEGUE THAT MORNING.
OH, I WAS JUST MAKING, I WAS JUST CONFIRMING THAT I GOT THAT FOR THE SAKE OF THE MINUTES AND WHATNOT.
THAT FINISHES ITEM TWO A ON THE AGENDA.
[Item 2B (Part 2 of 2)]
WE'LL MOVE TO, TO BE A FEED MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDED SPEED LIMIT MODIFICATIONS FOR URBAN CORE RESIDENTIAL AND DOWNTOWN STREETS POSTED FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.AND IN OUR INTRODUCTIONS I HEARD ERIC BOLICK AND A MARTIN AND LEWIS LEFT ON THE PHONE FROM ATD.
CAN YOU CONFIRM? YOU CAN HEAR ME OKAY.
MY NAME IS ANNA MARTIN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE HERE TODAY TO BRIEF YOU ON, UM, THE OUR SPEED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS AND TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW, UM, THE RESULTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF AN OVER A YEAR LONG STUDY.
WE'RE LOOKING AT SPEED LIMITS ON CITY STREETS AND SO TODAY WE'RE GOING TO BRIEF YOU ON ATDS RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, AS A RESULT OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE ENGINEERING STUDY.
SO WITH ME TODAY, UM, OUR TWO PRESENTERS, ERIC BOLICK ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ATD AND LEWIS LEFT, UM, TRANSPORTATION SAFETY OFFICER FOR ATD.
UM, I'LL REMAIN ON THE LINE AS WELL TO LISTEN AND HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UM, BUT AT THIS POINT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO ERIC TO KICK OFF THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I'LL BE LEADING MOST OF THOSE PRESENTATIONS.
I'LL JUST BEGIN WITH A SUMMARY OF THE OVERALL RECOMMENDATION.
UH, BASICALLY THE OFFICE OF THE CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER WAS, WHICH IS WITHIN THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OR 18 D AS DETERMINED THAT SPEED LIMITS ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF STREETS IN AUSTIN SHOULD BE REDUCED TO ACHIEVE SAFE AND PRUDENT SPEEDS.
AND THIS DETERMINATION IS BASED ON A COMPREHENSIVE YEARS LONG ENGINEERING STUDY OF THE CITY STREETS.
THIS PRESENTATION WILL COVER THE SPEED MANAGEMENT PROGRAM INCLUDING ITS MISSION AND OBJECTIVES.
WE'LL ALSO COVER THE METHODOLOGY USE AND THE ENGINEERING STUDIES TO DEVELOP OUR FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
THEN FINALLY, WE'LL PRESENT UH, THE NEXT STEPS THEY WILL TAKE AFTER THIS TO IMPLEMENT OUR RECOMMENDATION NEXT WEEK.
SO ASIDE FOR THOSE, SO SPEED MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS ARE BEING DEVELOPED NATIONALLY WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, MANY COMMON MISSIONS AND OBJECTIONS.
OUR PROGRAM AIMS TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY AND LIVABILITY OF OUR STREETS BY IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES APPROPRIATE MEET THE CONTEXT OF EACH STREET.
NOW THIS RECOGNIZES THAT SOME OF THE SAME STRATEGIES MIGHT NOT BE NEEDED FOR ALL SITUATIONS.
AND OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF ALL SERIOUS INJURY INJURIES AND FATAL CRASHES BY REDUCING THE SPEED OF ALL TYPES OF STREETS.
PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH THE HIGHEST END SPEEDS.
YOU KNOW, BASICALLY THOSE STREETS WHERE THE SPEEDS ARE MOST EXCESSIVE OVER A PARTICULAR SPEED LIMIT.
AS WE KNOW THAT SPEEDING IS A LEADING, CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THESE TYPES OF CRASHES.
NOW I'LL TURN IT OVER TO LEWIS LEFT TO PRESENT MORE ON THE CRASH DATA IN AUSTIN AND OUR REVIEW OF A BEST PRACTICES.
SO UNPLUGGED FIVE WE'RE SHOWING THAT OUR CITY'S VISION ZERO PROGRAM IS BASED ON WHAT'S KNOWN AS A SAFE SYSTEMS APPROACH.
IT TAKES A HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK AND HOW WE MIGHT IMPROVE THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ALL ROAD USERS, INFRASTRUCTURE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND MORE.
AT ITS CORE, IT RECOGNIZES THAT THE HUMAN BODY'S TOLERANCE TO THE FORCE OF THE CRASH IS WHAT DETERMINES THE INJURY SEVERITY OUTCOME FOR THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE CRASH.
SO FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF THE SAFE SYSTEMS APPROACH IS REDUCING THE SPEED AT WHICH DRIVERS CHOOSE TO OPERATE THEIR VEHICLES IN ORDER TO REDUCE THAT CRASH FORCE.
THIS REDUCTION CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH VARIOUS TOOLS, INCLUDING POLICY CHANGES TO LOWER SPEED LIMITS, ENGINEERING TREATMENTS, EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF DRIVER BEHAVIOR.
SPEEDING IS ONE OF JUST FOUR DRIVER BEHAVIORS THAT CONTRIBUTES TO MOST OF OUR INJURY CRASHES AND IT'S DOCUMENTED ON A QUARTER OF OUR FATAL CRASHES.
IT'S ALSO HIGHLY LIKELY THAT SPEEDS PLAY A ROLE IN CRASHES EVEN WHEN IT DOESN'T MEET THE CRITERIA TO BE DOCUMENTED AS A FACTOR ON A CRASH REPORT, AND WE'LL BE SPEAKING A LOT TODAY ABOUT DATA AND NUMBERS, SO WE ALWAYS TRY TO REMIND THOSE LISTENING THAT THIS IS ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ACTUAL PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE OVER 500 CRASHES A YEAR WHERE A MOTHER OR FATHER, A FRIEND OR A NEIGHBOR IS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.
[01:05:01]
WE ALSO USE A PUBLIC HEALTH METRIC YEARS OF LIFE LOST TO DEMONSTRATE HOW THESE MOSTLY PREVENTABLE DEATHS, TAKING YEARS OF LIFE AWAY FROM THOSE KILLED IN THESE CAR CRASHES, THESE BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GRANDPARENTS AND CHILDREN WILL NOT BE PRESENT AT BIRTHDAYS, GRADUATIONS, OR HOLIDAYS.AGAIN, LAST YEAR ALONE, OUR COMMUNITY LOST OVER 3,100 YEARS OF LIFE DUE TO CAR CRASHES.
AND THE RESEARCH COMPLETED IN RECENT YEARS HAS MADE IT INCREASINGLY CLEAR HOW CRITICAL MANAGING SPEEDS IS TO ACHIEVE A SAFER TRANSPORTATION NETWORK.
OUR TEAM OF PLANNERS AND ENGINEERS STARTED THIS PROCESS ALMOST A YEAR AGO WITH A REVIEW OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION RELATED TO THE IMPACT OF VEHICLE SPEEDS ON HUMAN BODIES SPEED LIMIT SETTING METHODOLOGIES AND RECOMMENDED BEST PRACTICES AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD REPORTED THAT SPEEDING INCREASES CRASH RISK IN TWO WAYS.
THE LIKELIHOOD OF BEING INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE SEVERITY OF THE INJURIES IN THAT CRASH THERE WILL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, A REPORT ON MULTI-MODAL NETWORKS STATED THAT ROADWAY DESIGNERS SHOULD MINIMIZE THE SPEED DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN MODES TO ENSURE THAT IF A CRASH OCCURRED THE SEVERITY OF INJURY IS LIKELY TO BE LOWER.
THE GOVERNOR HIGHWAY SAFETY ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDED IN A SPEEDING REPORT THAT LOCALITIES SHOULD SET REASONABLE SPEED LIMITS IN ACCORDANCE WITH VISION ZERO PRINCIPLES IN BUILT UP AREAS.
BUT THERE'S A MIX OF VULNERABLE ROAD USERS AND MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
AND HERE IN TEXAS AS AN EARLIER SPEAKER MENTIONED TECHS OUT AND HIS PARTNERS ARE WORKING ON A NEW STATE TARGET OF ZERO DEATHS THROUGH ITS ROAD TO ZERO INITIATIVE.
THAT EFFORTS INCLUDES A SPEEDING RELATED STRATEGY THAT ENCOURAGES USE OF TARGET SPEEDS FOR ARTERIAL COLLECTOR AND LOCAL ROADWAYS TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION PEDESTRIAN LAND USE AND ROADWAY CONTEXT INCLUDES OPTIONS FOR TARGET SPEEDS OF 35 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS ON ARTERIALS AND THE EVALUATION OF EXISTING SPEED LIMITS TO APPROPRIATE TARGET SPEEDS.
WE'RE COMFORTABLE THAT OUR APPROACH HAS BEEN INFORMED BY STATE, NATIONAL AND OTHER BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SETTING APPROPRIATE SPEED LIMITS.
UH, I'LL SPEND SOME TIME ON THIS ONE.
IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT OF A TRAFFIC ENGINEERING ONE OH ONE, IF YOU WILL.
SO THE HISTORICAL ENGINEERING APPROACH TO SETTING SPEED LIMITS REALLY FOCUSES PRIMARILY ON THE PREVAILING SPEED OPERATING SPEED OF STREETS, WHICH IS TYPICALLY THE 85TH PERCENTILE SPEED OR THE SPEED OF WHICH 85% OF MOTOR VEHICLES ARE TRAVELING AT OR BELOW.
AND IT'S MADE, THIS METRIC IS BASED ON THE PREMISE THAT DRIVERS UNDER UNIMPEDED FREE FLOWING TRAFFIC CONDITIONS TO CHOOSE TO TRAVEL AT SAFE AND PRUDENT SPEEDS FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS USING THE STREETS.
BUT RESEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT OVER TIME THIS METHODOLOGY HAS CATERED TO HIGHER SPEEDS AND THAT HAS LIMITATIONS AND URBAN SETTINGS WHERE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS SUCH AS TURNING CONFLICTS, DRIVEWAY DENSITY, TRAFFIC SIGNALS IMPEDE THE NATURAL FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND REALLY REQUIRE MORE ATTENTION FOR DRIVERS TO OPERATE SAFELY.
AND MANY OF US IN THE STREETS DO SHARE THESE OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF URBAN SETTINGS, WHICH IS WHY FOLLOWING THIS HISTORICAL METHODOLOGY AS IN CAMDEN CANON HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING TO US AND ATD WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR OTHER WAYS TO COMPREHENSIVELY AND CONSISTENTLY ANALYZE STREET'S OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS.
UM, PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT WE KNOW LEAD TO DECREASED SAFETY.
UH, I SHOULD NOTE THAT IN TEXAS, ENGINEERS HAVE HISTORICALLY FOLLOWED A MANUAL CALLED PROCEDURES FOR ESTABLISHING SPEED ZONES, WHICH IS PUBLISHED BY TEXAS, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
UH, WHICH IN TURN TAKES GUIDANCE FROM THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
THIS MANUAL DOES INCLUDE A HANDFUL OF OTHER CONSIDERATIONS APART FROM THE 85TH PERCENTILE SPEED THAT ENGINEERS SHOULD CONSIDER AND USE TO DETERMINE SPEED LIMITS, SUCH AS PAVEMENT WITH STREET CURVATURE DRIVE A DENSITY AND CRASH HISTORY.
HOWEVER, IT DOES NOT PROVIDE CLEAR GUIDANCE ON HOW THESE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD BE EVALUATED IN A CONSISTENT MANNER TO RECOMMEND THEY CAN FRUIT AND SPEED LIMITS.
SO THE RESULT ATD EVALUATED EMERGING SPEED LIMIT SETTING METHODOLOGIES, NAMELY EXPERT SYSTEMS AND EXPERTS SYSTEMS. THERE ARE REALLY KNOWLEDGE BASED APPROACHES.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING ENFORCEABLE INCREDIBLE SPEED LIMIT.
THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION HAS DEVELOPED A WEB BASED TOOL CALLED ELS AND LIMITS TO THAT INCORPORATES THE CONSIDERATION BOTH IN THE HISTORICAL SPEED LIMIT METHODOLOGY ALONG WITH ABOUT 10 OTHERS, SOME OF WHICH ARE LISTED ON THIS SLIDE, UH, TO LOOK AT 50TH PERCENTILE, UH, BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN, PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, ADJACENT LAND USE, THOSE TYPES OF CONSIDERATIONS.
SO WE IN ATD, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BE USING THIS TOOL BECAUSE IT FINALLY GIVES US AN A METHODOLOGY BACK ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO CONSISTENTLY EVALUATE OUR URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND THESE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS THAT WERE FRANKLY ALWAYS AVAILABLE UNDER STATE GUIDANCE.
BUT NOW WE HAVE A CONSISTENT METHODOLOGY.
LOOKING AT SLIDE EIGHT, UH, THIS NEXT PART OF THE PRESENTATION WILL BE SPECIFIC
[01:10:01]
TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WHEN THE AUSTIN OR URBAN CORE STREETS, WHICH WE'LL DEFINE A LITTLE BIT LATER.THE, THE OFFICE OF THE CITY AFTER TRAFFIC ENGINEER HAS THE AUTHORITY TO RECOMMEND SPEED LIMITS BASED ON ENGINEERING STUDIES.
AND THIS IS DERIVED FROM BOTH STATE AND LOCAL CODE.
AS WE KNOW, AUSTIN HAS EXPERIENCED REALLY DECADES OF DOUBLE DIGIT POPULATION GROWTH, WHICH INCREASES THE POPULATION DENSITY AND CHANGING THE OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITY'S URBAN CORE OVER THIS TIME.
AND THIS IS THE PRIMARY REASON WHY WE DECIDED TO COMPLETE THIS COMPREHENSIVE ENGINEERING STUDY.
YOU KNOW, ATD FOCUSED ON STREETS WITH THE HIGH SPEEDS AS THEY ARE SHOWN, REPRESENT THOSE WITH THE MOST SERIOUS INJURIES AND FATALITIES.
UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IMAGE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS SPEEDS RISE ABOVE 30, JUST 30 MILES AN HOUR, CRASHES WITH PEDESTRIANS FOR EXAMPLE, AT MORE THAN A 50% CHANCE OF RESULTING IN A SERIOUS INJURY OR FATALITY.
SO IT IS A, YOU KNOW, IT IS A CONCERN AND A CRISIS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
ULTIMATELY WE AT ATD, WE COLLECTED DATA ON ABOUT 80% OF THE URBAN CORE NETWORK, WHICH WE FOUND WAS, WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF AN ENTIRE NETWORK BASED ON OURS JUST TO GO ANALYSIS OF OUR COLLECTED DATA.
I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO LEWIS REAL QUICK TO PRESENT MORE ON A CRASH DATA AND THE SAFETY RECORDS OF AUSTIN STREETS.
SO ON SLIDE NINE, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS, UH, THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK.
WHILE WE PREPARED THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN AND LATE 2018 WE PERFORMED ANALYSIS OF THE MOST RECENT FIVE-YEAR CRASH DATA SET TO UNDERSTAND WHERE MOST OF OUR NON FREEWAY SERIOUS INJURIES AND FATALITIES WERE OCCURRING.
THAT ANALYSIS RESULTED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS HIGH INJURY NETWORK WHERE WE FOUND APPROXIMATELY JUST 8% OF OUR STREET NETWORK REPRESENTED ALMOST 70% OF OUR SERIOUS INJURIES AND FATALITIES.
AND ON SLIDE 10, YOU'LL SEE THIS REPRESENTED GEOGRAPHICALLY.
THE REALITY IS THAT INJURIES AND FATALITIES ARE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
UH, WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE TYPE OF GROWTH THAT HAS OCCURRED PARTICULAR TO CENTRAL AUSTIN IN RECENT YEARS, IT'S EVIDENT THERE'S MORE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY CONSISTENTLY ALONG SOME OF THESE KEY ARTERIALS IN CORRIDORS.
THEN WHEN THE POSTED SPEED LIMITS MIGHT'VE BEEN SET YEARS AGO, YOU'LL SEE THAT JUST OVER HALF OF THE STREET LANE MILES ASSOCIATED WITH THE HUNDRED NETWORKS ARE REPRESENTED IN THIS URBAN CORE AREA.
AS WE DEFINED IT BY SAY HIGHWAY ONE MOPAC ON THE WEST.
SO IT'S 71 DIDN'T WHITE ON THE SOUTH AND US ONE 83 ON THE EASTON AND BACKUPS IN THE NORTH.
OUR TEAMS STUDY THE STREETS IN THE URBAN CORE APPLIED THE SPEED THING METHODOLOGY, INCLUDING THOSE VARIOUS INPUTS THAT ERIC MENTIONED EARLIER AND DEVELOPED THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH IN PART AIM TO ACHIEVE MORE CONSISTENT SPEED LIMITS THAT WOULD REFLECT THE CONTEXT AND OPERATING CONDITIONS.
WE SEE ON THE GROUND TODAY FOR ALL ROAD USERS.
WHILE WE'VE ALREADY RECEIVED MOSTLY POSITIVE COMMENTS ON OUR APPROACH, THERE HAS BEEN SOME FEEDBACK THAT SAID WE SHOULD HAVE GONE BIGGER AND WE SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED MORE THAN NETWORK AND MORE STREETS.
YOU KNOW, WE STARTED HERE WITH THIS BROAD BASED APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY AND WE CERTAINLY PLAN TO CONTINUE TO STUDY AND MAKE PROGRESS ON THE REST OF THE NETWORK OVER TIME.
THIS IS A GREAT STARTING POINT FOR THIS APPROACH.
ARE YOU ADVANCING THE SLIDES? UH, SLIDE 11, UH, WE'LL BE SPEAKING ABOUT SLIDE 11.
SO BEFORE I COVERED THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE URBAN CORE, I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ATD DID TAKE SPEED LIMIT REDUCTION RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL.
UH, LAST SUMMER, SORRY, LAST SUMMER, LAST SEPTEMBER, WHICH WERE ADOPTED AND THIS WAS MORE OR LESS OUR FIRST USE OF THE U S LIMITS TO EXPERT SYSTEMS METHODOLOGY.
AND THIS REALLY LAID A REALLY GOOD GROUNDWORK FOR THE LARGER SCALE SET OF RECOMMENDATION INCLUDED IN THIS PRESENTATION.
AS A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY'S URBAN CORE STREET.
THE OFFICE OF THE CITY TRAFFIC ENGINEER HAS DETERMINED THE 35 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED FROM MOST STREETS IN THIS AREA.
AND IN THE URBAN CORE, A FEW EXCEPTIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS TABLE, UH, SHOWN ON THE SLIDE.
UM, THEY BOTH INDICATE REDUCTIONS DOWN TO 30 MILES AN HOUR, SO EVEN LOWER THAN 35.
UM, SOME DO REMAIN AT, UM, LOWERED BUT DO REMAIN THE HIGHER THAN 35 MILES AN HOUR, EITHER 40 OR 45 MILES AN HOUR.
AND THIS WAS BASED ON OUR ENGINEERING STUDIES AND THE OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS AND JUST THE APPROPRIATENESS AND THE CONTEXT OF THESE STREETS NEXT WEEK.
THE ONE ON THE LEFT SHOWS STREET WITH EXISTING SPEED LIMITS OF 35 MILES AN HOUR OR BELOW SHOWING HIM, UH, WHERE THAT ORANGE COLOR, UH, THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS HOW SPEED LIMITS IN THE URBAN CORE WOULD CHANGE WITH THE APPROVAL OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND I THINK LOUIS KIND OF BROUGHT UP EARLIER, BUT ONE MAJOR OUTCOME, THE HIGHLIGHT IS THIS WOULD PRODUCE CONSISTENT SPEED LIMITS BASED ON SIMILAR OPERATING STREETS AND THEREBY GIVING DRIVERS CONSISTENT EXPECTATIONS ON SPEED LIMIT WITHIN THE URBAN CORE.
AND ULTIMATELY THIS LOWERS THE SPEED LIMIT ON ABOUT 20% OF THE STREET LANE MILES IN THE HIGH INJURY NETWORK OVERALL.
[01:15:03]
SO SLIDE 14, UH, NOW WE'RE GOING TO SHIFT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO AUSTIN'S RESIDENTIAL STREETS.AND FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR STUDY, WE DEFINE RESIDENTIAL STREETS TO BE NON-MAJOR NON ARTERIAL STREETS, IF YOU WILL, WITH SOME PORTION OF ADJACENT FRONT OR SIDE FACING RESIDENCES.
WE SAMPLED DATA ON APPROXIMATELY 600 RESIDENTIAL STREETS, CITY WIDE COVERING ALL PARTS OF THE CITY.
RAN A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS ON A SAMPLE OF THESE AND WE DETERMINED THAT OUR SPEED DATA WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF OPERATIONS AND SIMILAR RESIDENTIAL STREETS CITYWIDE.
NEXT ONE, SLIDE 15, THE DATA INDICATES THE PREVAILING SPEED, WHICH IS MORE OR LESS 85TH PERCENTILE INCREASED NEARLY LEONARD REALLY LITERALLY WITH THE STREET WIDTH, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, INTUITIVE.
YOU KNOW, DRIVERS ARE INFLUENCED BY THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, NAMELY ON STREET PARKING DRIVEWAY CONFLICTS AND THE VISUAL CUES THAT FRONT FACING RESIDENTS GIVE DRIVERS FOR STREETS NARROWER THAN 36 FEET WIDE.
UM, THIS REALLY CAUSES, UM, CAUSES AND UM, FACILITATES A YIELD FLOW OPERATION.
MEANING DRIVERS AREN'T ABLE TO TRAVEL, TRAVEL AT FREE, FROZE SPEEDS, YOU KNOW, WITH ON STREET PARKING AND ENCOUNTERING ONCOMING VEHICLES.
BASICALLY A DRIVER NEEDS TO PAUSE, YIELD, DETERMINE WHO CAN, UH, GO THROUGH THE AVAILABLE STATES FIRST.
AS THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CITY'S RESIDENTIAL STREETS, WE HAVE TWO PARTS.
FIRST, THE STREETS LESS THAN 30, SIX FEET WIDE AND HAVING FRONT FACING RESIDENCES, THE SPEED LIMIT SHOULD BE SET AT 25 MILES AN HOUR CITYWIDE FOR THOSE RESIDENTIAL STREETS BETWEEN 36 AND 40 FEET LINE, WE WERE RECOMMENDED THE OFFICE IN THE CITY AND THE TRAFFIC ENGINEER HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH A 25 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT IF DETERMINED TO BE SAFE AND UPROOTED BASED ON AN INDIVIDUAL ENGINEERING EVALUATIONS OR INFLAMMATION OF OTHER SPEED MITIGATIONS OR TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES, FOR EXAMPLE.
THE SLIDE 17, WE'RE SEEING A COUPLE MORE IMAGES AND THE ONE ON THE LEFT SHOWS RESIDENTIAL STREETS WITH EXISTING 25 MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMITS IN BLUE OR THE ONE ON THE RIGHT SHOWS HOW SPEED LIMITS WOULD CHANGE WITH THE APPROVAL OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS RECOMMENDATION WOULD RESULT IN A RATHER COMPREHENSIVE AND CONSISTENT 25 MILE AN HOUR MILE AN HOUR SPEED LIMIT FOR MOST OF AUSTIN'S RESIDENTIAL STREETS, QUITE 18.
UH, SO DURING THE PROCESS OF THIS ENGINEERING STUDY, ATD RECOGNIZED THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE NEED TO ALSO ANALYZE RESIDENTIAL STREETS, WHICH WOULD NOT MEET THE CRITERIA I JUST PRESENTED FOR MODIFICATIONS WHEN THERE OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION.
SO WE IDENTIFIED APPROXIMATELY 45 MILES OF RESIDENTIAL STREETS NEEDING ANALYSIS, WHICH HAS SOME PORTION OF ADJACENT FRONT OR SIDE FACING RESIDENTIAL USE OR EXISTING SPEED LIMITS ALREADY GREATER THAN 30 MILES AN HOUR OR STREETS WIDER THAN 36 FEET.
SLIDE 19 THEREFORE, THE SECOND RECOMMENDATION IS FOR RESIDENTIAL STREETS INCLUDE LOWERING THE SPEED LIMIT ON THESE PARTICULAR 18 STREET TO BE CONSISTENT WITH OTHER SIMILAR RESIDENTIAL STREETS IS SIMILAR OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS, BUT THEY DO NOT MEET THE STRICT CRITERIA.
ONE, THE MOST OF THEM DO LOWER TO 30 MILES AN HOUR, SOME LOWER TO 35.
AND RIGHT NOW ON THE IMAGE WE'RE JUST SHOWING THE, UM, THE STREET AND THE SPEED LIMIT.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THE ENTIRE LENGTHS ARE EXTENSIVE.
ALL OF THESE STREETS, UH, WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THE SPEED LIMITS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, UM, THE STREETS WOULD LOWER TO UM, THE SPEED IS SHOWN HERE FOR THEIR EXPENSE.
LOOKING AT SLIDE 20, OUR FINAL STATE LIMIT RECOMMENDATION FOR 10 PERTAINS TO DOWNTOWN CORE STREETS, WHICH WE DEFINE AS THOSE INCLUDED WITHIN NORTH LAMAR, MARTIN LUTHER KING HIGH 35 AND LADY BIRD LAKE IN OUR DOWNTOWN CORE IS OUR OLDEST PART OF THE CITY, WAS BUILT ON A GRID LAYOUT WITH CONSISTENT BLOCK LENGTHS.
AND THESE STREETS GENERALLY HAVE LOWER PREVAILING SPEEDS BECAUSE THEY'RE CONTROLLED BY EITHER CLOSELY A SPACE TRAFFIC SIGNALS SET TO A CERTAIN PROGRESSION SPEED OR ALWAYS STOPS IN SOME CASES.
LOOKING AT SLIDE 21 FOR THE DOWNTOWN CORE, WE RECOMMEND SPEED LIMITS BE SET TO 25 MILES AN HOUR WITH THE TWO EXCEPTIONS.
UM, LAMAR GUADALUPE LAVACA MLK TO REMAIN AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.
THESE ARE KIND OF OUR, UM, HIGHER SPEED OR I SHOULDN'T SAY OUR SPEED, BUT HIGHER VOLUME, MORE WORKHORSE STREETS THROUGH THE URBAN CORE.
UM, AND WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT 15TH STREET AND CESAR CHAVEZ, WHICH CURRENTLY HAVE 35 MILES AN HOUR, SHOULD BE LOWERED TO 30 MILES AN HOUR.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THIS, UM, ATD, WE'LL LOOK AT SIGNAL TIMINGS, UM, REVIEWED THEM TO FACILITATE 25 MILE AN HOUR OPERATION
[01:20:01]
TO ALIGN WITH THESE NEW SPEED LIMITS.THIS IS A, UM, A CLOSEUP IMAGE OF THE DOWNTOWN CORE.
THE ONE ON THE LEFT SHOWS EXISTING STATE LIMITS WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN CORE, WHICH ARE MOSTLY 30 MILES AN HOUR AS THE ONES SHOWN IN GREEN
AND THIS WILL HELP ME IN OUR GOAL OF ESTABLISHING CONSISTENT AND PREDICTABLE SPEED LIMITS WHILE PROVIDING SAFER STREETS, UH, PARTICULARLY IN THE STREETS IN THIS AREA OF THE CITY WITH HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS, AND MICRO MOBILITY USERS.
NEXT SLIDE WITH SLIDE 23 WHERE WE ARE HERE AT UTC FOR BRIEFING AND DISCUSSION, BUT WE'RE UP WITH SCHEDULING TO DO THE SAME MAY 28TH WITH COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND THEN WE PLAN TO TAKE OUR RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL ON JUNE 11TH FOR APPROVAL OF THESE ORDINANCES.
UM, ALONG WITH THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, ATD IS DEVELOPING THE SIGN INSTALLATION PLAN, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE DESIGN PLACEMENT, SPACING OF ENFORCEABLE SPEED LIMIT SIGNS INDICATING WHERE SPEED LIMITS HAVE BEEN LOWERED.
THE ONE POTENTIAL DESIGN FOR RESIDENTIAL STREETS AS SHOWN HERE, WHICH COULD BE PLACED AT ENTRANCES TO NEIGHBORHOOD TO ESTABLISH 25 MILES AN HOUR, A 25 HOUR SPEED LIMITS WHERE APPLICABLE WITHOUT HAVING TO SIGN EACH IMPACTED STREETS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
FOR URBAN CORE STREETS, WE'RE EXPLORING FINE DESIGNS WHICH WILL HELP THEM BE MORE EASILY NOTICED AND OBSERVED.
AND THEN REGARDING A PRIOR PRIORITIZATION OF INSTALLATION, WE CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW A DOCUMENTED CAT CRASH HISTORY.
YOU KNOW, TOOLS SUCH AS THE HIGH ENERGY NETWORK, START WITH THOSE STREETS AND THEN UM, GO TO THE OTHERS IN THE FUTURE.
AND FINALLY, ATD IS REVIEW OF THE BEST PRACTICES REVEALED THAT REALLY COMPREHENSIVE SPEED LIMIT MODIFICATIONS ARE MOST EFFECTIVE WHEN COUPLED WITH PUBLIC AWARENESS EFFORTS AS THEY HELP REACH A BROAD AUDIENCE WITH A FOCUSED AND CONSISTENT MESSAGE TO BRING THAT BRING ATTENTION TO THE PURPOSE AND THE DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THE SPEED LIMIT MODIFICATIONS, THEY TO BE ATD DEVELOPING THIS PUBLIC AWARENESS EFFORT WITH THEIR OWN PUBLIC INFORMATION TEAM AND ALSO WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT ON THE ENFORCEMENT SIDE OF THIS PLAN.
SO I WANT TO CONCLUDE BY SAYING THAT THE SPEED LIMIT MODIFICATIONS RECOMMENDED IN THIS STUDY ARE THE RESULTS OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE YEARS LONG STUDY OF STREETS.
WE FEEL IT IS PROGRESSIVE AND BOLD APPROACH, YOU KNOW, BASED ON NATIONAL BEST PRACTICE, IT'S REALLY MODERNIZED THE LIMITS ON YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS OF STREETS WITHIN THE CITY AND MEETING THESE BASIC PRIMARY GOALS TO REDUCE SERIOUS INJURIES AND FATALITIES.
AS FAR AS OUR VISION ZERO GOALS.
AS WE KNOW, SPEEDING IS A MAJOR, MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.
IT WILL ALSO INCREASE CONSISTENCY OF SPEED LIMIT BASED ON CHARACTERISTICS SHARED BY STREET CITYWIDE.
THAT'S BETTER SETTING EXPECTATIONS FOR DRIVERS AND ALL OTHER STREET USERS AND ALSO PROVIDE STREETS WITH LOWER SPEED LIMIT WHICH ARE MORE TO NON-MOTORIZED MODES OF TRAFFIC AND HELP FACILITATE THEIR USE.
OUR DATA AND RESEARCH INDICATES SLOWER SPEEDS OR ARE SAFER FOR ALL USERS, WHICH I BELIEVE IS ONE OF THE POINTS EARLIER SPEAKERS SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS WAS TRUE BEFORE THE COVEN 19 CRISIS, BUT PARTICULARLY IN THESE TIMES CLEANER STREETS HELP CREATE EQUITY OF ALL USERS OF THE STREETS AND CAN HELP HER HEALTHIER COMMUNITIES.
AS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION, WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
I, I ALSO BELIEVE WE MIGHT HAVE THIS DEPARTMENT COMMANDER ERIC NIECY ON THE LINE.
HE MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR AN ENFORCEMENT RELATED QUESTION.
BOTH ERIC AND LOUIS AND ANNA TOO.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR, YEAH, MR. DAVIS, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, WHAT ARE, ARE THE DATA LECTURED, UM, RECOMMENDATION AVAILABLE TO PUBLISH? UM, UM, MISSIONARY? I KIND OF HAVE A, HAD A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING.
I THINK YOU'VE ASKED WHEN WILL THE DATA BE AVAILABLE? IS THAT WHAT YOU ASKED? YEAH, TO THE PUBLIC, NOT HAVING TO ASK FOR IT ONLINE.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO HEAR YOU, BUT WE ARE, WE WILL MAKE AVAILABLE THE, UM, THE STUDIES, UM, NATAN AVAILABLE PUBLICLY TO, UM, UM, WE DIDN'T INCLUDE THEM IN THE BACKUP FOR THE CTC PRESENTATION, BUT THEY WILL BE AVAILABLE, UM, TO BE REVIEWED.
[01:25:01]
A QUESTION, DAN.SO REDUCING SPEEDS TO 25 MILES AN HOUR, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO OTHER CITIES? I MEAN, IS IT, IS THIS A KIND OF A COMMON SITUATION OR, I DON'T SEE THAT VERY MUCH.
I'M NOT, I MEAN, NOT IN A LOT OF OTHER CITIES, BUT EVEN IN TEXAS.
UH, BUT YOU KNOW, 30 SEEMS TO BE HISTORICALLY THE, YOU KNOW, THE LOW SPEED IS, ARE THERE A LOT OF OTHER CITIES THAT ARE REDUCING THEIR, UH, RESIDENTIAL STREETS TO 25 JUST ACROSS THE BOARD? YEAH, I THINK, UH, MAYBE LOUIS YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT ONE? SURE.
SO WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM OTHER VISION ZERO CITIES, PARTICULARLY IN THE UNITED STATES IS THAT MOVING TO 25 OR EVEN 20 HAS BECOME COMMON.
I THINK NEW YORK CITY WAS REALLY THE FIRST ONE TO TAKE A REAL STRONG APPROACH WITH THIS.
AND HE GOES BACK IN 2014, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND THEY DID IT THROUGHOUT THEIR, THEIR CORE.
UH, WE'VE SEEN PORTLAND I THINK GET DOWN TO 20.
AND SO YOU START TO SEE SEATTLE, PORTLAND, DENVER'S UH, OTHER PEER CITIES TO AUSTIN BASICALLY SIZE AND SCALE AND TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT TAKING THESE SORTS OF ACTIONS FOR CONSISTENCY AND FOR THE SAFETY OUTCOMES THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH THEIR VISION ZERO PROGRAM.
SO IT IS DEFINITELY BECOMING MORE COMMON.
AND I THINK, UM, EVEN THE CITY OF ATLANTA JUST ADOPTED VISION ZERO AND THAT WAS PART OF THEIR ADOPTION OF THE PROGRAM.
AND POLICY WAS TO LOWER THEIR CITYWIDE, UM, CORE CITY FEEDS DOWN TO EITHER 20 OR 25 AS WELL, BUT NOBODY ELSE IN TEXAS.
I THINK WE WOULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST, UM, YOU KNOW, THE STATE LAW DOES ALLOW FOR THIS, UH, OCCUR.
UH, THE PRIME EFFICIENT SPEEDS ARE SET AT 30, BUT BECAUSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH AND THE GREAT WORK OF OUR ENGINEERS, UH, AND THE STUDY THAT THEY'VE DONE TO BE ABLE TO GET DOWN TO 25 WITH ALL OF THE DOCUMENTATION AND THE DATA TO SUPPORT THAT AND THEIR ENGINEERING JUDGMENTS, UH, I THINK WE'D BE ONE OF THE FIRST, IF NOT THE FIRST IN TEXAS.
OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? I'LL JUST NOTE THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY THOROUGH AND I THINK THE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH WAS GREAT AND I EXPECT YOU'RE GOING TO GET A, IF NOT COMPLETE AND CLOSE TO COMPLETE SUPPORT FROM THIS COMMISSION AND ECHOING MANY OF THE SENTIMENTS THAT UH, JAY AND HAYDEN MENTIONED EARLIER.
SO, UM, YEAH, THIS IS IMPRESSIVE WORK AND I WOULD PERSONALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO JUST KEEP GOING FARTHER AND, AND KEEP MAKING THE CITY AS SAFE AS YOU GUYS CAN.
UM, DO WE WANT TO, IS THERE A MOTION TO, UH, ERIC, I THINK YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THERE'S A ORDINANCE THAT'S GOING TO COUNCIL IN EARLY JUNE.
WE'RE STILL COMPLETING THE DARCY LANGUAGE THAT WOULD BE USED, BUT YES, JUNE 11TH IS OUR TARGET DATE FOR COUNCIL.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOT A SPECIFIC DOCUMENT THAT WE COULD BE REFERENCING NOW, BUT WE CAN THROW OUR GENERAL SUPPORT BEHIND THIS SHOULD WE SO CHOOSE.
GO AHEAD COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY I WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE A MOTION TO OFFER OUR SUPPORT RECOMMENDATION.
UH, WE'LL DO THEM ONE AT A TIME AGAIN.
THEN, UH, I FOR ME, UH, FRANCO MISSION OR SUMMERS.
FOR ME IT WAS WELL, MISSION OR WILLFULLY BYE.
YEAH, MISSION ARUNA HI, MR. DAVIS.
I CARE CHAMPION AND I'M A YET I ALSO, SO THAT WOULD BE NINE ZERO ZERO THERE.
VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE GOOD WORK.
UM, BUT TO SEE WE WERE GOING TO PUSH THAT.
SO JUNE, UH, I NOTICED MARIO JOINED US.
MARIO, DO YOU WANT YOUR MEETING BACK? BUT YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE DOING A FINE JOB IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE HAVING FUN YOU CAN KEEP WITH IT.
THIS IS HOW COOS STARTED, MARIO.
[01:30:03]
SCARED.I MISSED, UM, THE SECOND FOR THAT LAST NOTION THAT JUST PASSED.
OKAY, SO TWO OLD BUSINESS ITEM
[Item 3A]
THREE A ON THE PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM PLAN, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UH, SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER CHAMPION CO-SPONSORED BY COMMISSIONER ALVARADO.AND I KNOW THAT, UM, AT LEAST ONE COMMISSIONER HAS PREPARED A POTENTIAL MOTION FOR US TO, UH, OUR A RECOMMENDATION FOR US TO LOOK AT.
SO, UH, KRISHA CHAMPION, COMMISSIONER ALVARADO, COMMISSIONER, WHETHER IT BE ANY OF YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THIS TOPIC OR UH, FRAME THE DISCUSSION FOR US.
I CAN DO A SORT OF A REMINDER, UM, AND ME BRING THOSE UP ONE SECOND AND LAST WEEK, I MEAN LAST MONTH.
SO ARE WE GOING TO DO BOTH OF THESE? THERE WAS ACTUALLY TWO ITEMS FROM LAST MONTH.
I MISSED THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SECOND ONE WOULD BE.
UM, WELL WHEN I LOOK AT LAST MONTH'S, UH, AGENDA ITEMS, THERE WAS A, UM, UNDER ITEM TWO C THERE WAS A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION ONE AND A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION TWO.
ONE OF THEM WAS ABOUT, UM, COMPLETE ACCESS TO PROJECT CONNECT AND THE OTHER ONE WAS, UM, DIFFERENT THAN FROM THAT IT WAS, UM, UH, JUST SORT OF SUPPORT OF A PROJECT, CONNECT WITH A FEW.
I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE IS ACTUALLY ON THIS AGENDA BECAUSE CLARIFIED, THAT'S JUST OUR GENERAL DISCUSSION ITEM FOR US TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
UM, WELL THERE WERE TWO, THERE WERE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
ONE IS CALLED COMPLETE ACCESS TO PROJECT CONNECT AND THE OTHER ONE WAS JUST A KIND OF A RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE, WHETHER IT BE, IF YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE SOME COMMENT ON ONE OF THEM, DID YOU COME WITH THEM? BOTH OF THEM OR ONE OF THEM OR I CIRCULATED THIS MORNING AND MAYBE YOU DIDN'T SEE IT, A RECOMMENDATION LAST MONTH OR THE LAST TIME WE MET THE RESOLUTION NUMBER ONE WAS PASSED AND THE RESOLUTION WAS NOT PASSED, BUT THEY WERE ON MORE THAN PROJECT CONNECT BECAUSE OF UH, THIS PROCESS THAT WE'RE IN NOW AND NOT KNOWING WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO MEET AGAIN BEFORE JUNE 10TH.
I FELT LIKE IT WAS, UM, TIME FOR US TO JUST MAKE ONE STRONG STATEMENT ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT AND THE INFORMATION THAT I SAID I CAN READ TO YOU.
BUT JUST AS SORT OF PRELIMINARY BACKGROUND, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECT CONNECT PROCESS HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW AND I THINK THAT I DO, AND I BELIEVE THE REST OF THE UTC BELIEVES THAT THERE'S REALLY A NEED FOR SUCH A COMPREHENSIVE DETAILED PROPOSAL THAT'S SO VITAL TO OUR SUSTAINABILITY.
AND IT'S REALLY UNFORTUNATE THAT WE'RE IN SUCH A UNCERTAIN TIME PERIOD AS PROJECT CONNECT WRAPS UP AND IS FINALLY APPROACHING THE FINISH LINE, WILL BE CONSIDERED, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, JUNE 10TH OR SOMEWHERE IN THAT TIMEFRAME, BUT I BELIEVE THEY'RE STICKING TO JUNE 10TH FOR THE LAST MEETING OR THE NEXT MEETING I SHOULD SAY OF THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAP METRO BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO FUND THIS AT THIS POINT, BUT I THINK IT'S RE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE STRONGLY ENDORSE CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF THE SYSTEM PLAN AND MEMORIALIZE IT NOW FOR FUTURE IMPLEMENTATION SO THAT WE CAN, UH, GET IT PUT INTO THE SYSTEM, THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM PLAN.
AND IT COULD BE THE PLAN OF RECORD FOR, UH, CAP METRO AND GET IT PUT INTO THE CAP CAMPO REGIONAL PLAN.
SO AS I SAID, THE LAST TIME WE MET, WE APPROVED SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR ANCILLARY CITY OF AUSTIN ONLY INITIATIVES.
AND THIS, UH, ITEM THAT I PUT BEFORE YOU IS JUST TO CEMENT OUR SUPPORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE PROJECT CONNECT PLAN.
AND, UH, THE READING YOU HAVE IT, EMILY, YOU PUT IT UP A MOMENT AGO.
I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN AND CLARIFY THAT.
FYI, I HAVE SANDY, UM, THE, I'LL PASS BACK IN MARCH, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS DRAFTED
[01:35:01]
BUT NOT PASSED IN MARCH AND THE LATEST MEMO FROM UM, RANDY CLARK AND APMT AND DACA ABOUT THE LATEST IN THE PROCESS AND UPDATES TO THE PLAN THAT WENT ON ON MAY SIX.I'M A SENIOR, I CAN SHARE IF ANYONE WANTS TO REFERENCE THAT DURING THE DISCUSSION.
AND THEN I ALSO HAVE, UM, WHETHER IT BE NEW.
AND THEY SIGN UP SO THEY'LL JUST HOLLER IF YOU NEED TO LOOK AT ANY PARTICULAR THING.
I JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE IT WAS THE TIME TO COMMENT ON ANY INDIVIDUAL LINES OR ELEMENTS OR TO TALK ABOUT FUNDING AT ALL AT THIS POINT BECAUSE THE CITY DOESN'T KNOW WHAT ITS SITUATION IS KEPT.
METRO DOES IT, THE STATE DOESN'T, THE FEDS DON'T, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'LL BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES, LIKE THERE WASN'T 2008 WHERE THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILLS SAVED THE BACON FOR TECH STOCK, BUT WE CAN'T COUNT ON ANY OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
BUT I THINK WE CAN SAY THAT WE BELIEVE IN THIS REALLY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT HAS ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE EVER MENTIONED AS BEING IMPORTANT AS BEING INCLUDED IN IT.
AND WE'VE HAD REALLY TERRIFIC COOPERATION COORDINATION BETWEEN THE TWO STAFFS AND IN, IN FITTING TOGETHER WHAT MAKES SENSE FOR BOTH THE CITY AND CAP, METRO AND ALL PARTS OF THE CITY.
AND ALSO SUGGESTS THAT, UM, FOR THOSE WHO WERE FOLLOWING THE NEWS ABOUT THE CAMPO 2045 PLAN ADOPTION AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM PUBLIC OFFICIALS ABOUT, UM, A LACK OF CLARITY AND, UM, KIND OF THE BACKBONE BEHIND IT.
UH, I WOULD ONLY SAY THAT AS OFTEN AS WE CAN, UH, OFFERING SUPPORT FOR THESE IMPORTANT PROJECTS AND JUST CONTINUING TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO MOVE THEM FORWARD IS WITH AS CONCRETE INFORMATION AS WE HAVE AT ANY GIVEN TIME, I THINK IS HELPFUL.
UM, HOW USEFUL IT IS TO AN INDIVIDUAL, UH, ORGANIZATION.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S AT LEAST SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY CAN REFERENCE THAT SAYS, IF YOU SEE ONCE A MEETING SAYS DO PROJECT CONNECT.
AND I PUT IN MY STATE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT OUR INVOLVEMENT STOPS HERE, BUT THAT AS THE MONETARY RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION BEGAN TO SURFACE, THEN WE EXPECT THAT THEY WOULD BE CONTINUED IN AN OPEN AND COLLABORATIVE MANNER.
IF I COULD MAKE ONE COMMENT AS WELL.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, I, I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT CONNECT FIRST, THE MCAC AND NOW THE P CAN, AND THIS HAS BEEN A BIG, BIG PORTION OF WHAT I'VE DONE AS FAR AS CITY VOLUNTEERISM FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I THINK.
UM, SO I LOVE TO DIG INTO THE DETAILS HERE.
AND, UM, CRITIQUE METAL ELEMENTS.
I THINK RIGHT NOW IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO, UM, SAY THAT WE WILL PASS A LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE, UM, THAT WILL RECORD AND CRYSTALLIZE THAT REGARDLESS OF THE FUNDING SITUATION.
BECAUSE IN ORDER TO BE NIMBLE AND TO BE ABLE TO REQUEST FEDERAL FUNDING OR BE ELIGIBLE FOR ANY KIND OF TRANSPORTATION OR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, STUDENT LIST FUNDS LIKE COMMISSIONER, WHETHER IT BE MENTIONED, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT, UH, LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE RECORD.
IT BECAUSE THAT IS, UM, UH, A BIG PART OF BEING ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING.
UM, SECONDARILY THOUGH WHEN WE, THIS COMMISSION WOULD ABSOLUTELY, I'M SURE, RESERVE OUR RIGHTS TO COME IN AND MAKE A COMMENT ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF ANY BOND OF ANY TEXTS, UH, TAX STICKS, DISTRICTING ELECTION, UM, OF ANY PHASING ELEMENTS, UM, OR GO BACK AND CRITIQUE BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS PLAN, VERY DIFFERENT COMPARED TO MANY OF THE OTHER, UH, EXPERIENCES THAT WE'VE HAD WITH LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE DISCUSSIONS IN THE CITY IN 2000 2004, UH, 2014.
THIS IS NOT JUST ONE LINE, IT'S A MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT LINES USING DIFFERENT MODES.
AND MY KIDS ARE SCREAMING, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT UH, SO IT'S VERY DIFFERENT.
AND SO JUST SAYING THAT WE'RE PASSING THE OVERALL PLAN DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY, I THINK AS A COMMISSION OR AS A CITY, AS A REGION TO GO BACK AND SAY THIS SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FIRST.
THIS, THIS PORTION IS MORE OPTIMAL THAN THE OTHER.
SO I, I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH WHAT MS SHARON, WHETHER IT BE A SAME
[01:40:05]
LIKEWISE.DO WE NEED TO MAKE A MOTION OR I GUESS DAN, SORRY.
I THINK WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF US.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THAT RECOMMENDATION? I WOULD MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
SO I'LL SECOND GUESS BUNCH OF SECONDS THERE.
I THOUGHT COMMISSIONER FRANCO'S HANDS FIRST.
UM, WE'LL DO ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.
A COMMISSION OR WHETHER BE, YAY, MR. FRANCO.
THERE ARE THERE OTHER AGAIN, THANKS.
THANKS FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.
SO THAT CONCLUDES OLD BUSINESS.
[4. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
AGENDA ITEMS. SO A QC WILL BE ON THE JUNE AGENDA.UM, EMILY UPDATES ON 4:00 AM FOUR B, SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE AGENDA HANDY BECAUSE TREY IS URBAN TRAILS PLAN AND SIDEWALK ADA TRANSITION PLAN UPDATE BY VIRGINIA.
AND THEN B B AS OFTEN COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN UPDATES SLATED FOR AUGUST.
SO BOTH OF THOSE TEAMS ARE WORKING ON YOU KNOW, BIG COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATES AND UM, THEY BOTH OFFERED TO COME TO THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, PRE KOBE THAT RECOGNIZING THAT THINGS ARE SO IN FLUX RIGHT NOW.
AND OFTEN AGENDAS ONLY HAVE SPACE FOR TIME SENSITIVE ITEMS. UM, BOTH OF THOSE TEAMS ACTUALLY SENT ME MEMOS OR AND OR, UM, KIND OF STANDALONE PRESENTATIONS WITH CONTENT FOR Y'ALL TO REVIEW IN ADVANCE.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE THE ASPIRATIONAL DATES.
FOR THEM TO, TO GET IN FRONT OF YOU.
IF THERE IS TIME THAT'S FOR URBAN TRAILS AND COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN.
AND THEN WITH STREET IMPACT, THE STAFF IS EXPECTING THAT THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT WAS GOING TO BE SET FOR JUNE 11TH WILL BE PUSHED BACK TO JUNE, JULY 30TH ACTUALLY.
BUT THEY'RE STILL TARGETING YOUR JUNE MEETING AND JUNE, JUNE MEETINGS FOR OTHER RELEVANT BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS LIKE PLANNING COMMISSION, ETC.
UM, SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, SPEED MANAGEMENT WAS SORT OF THE TOP BUILD ITEMS FOR THIS.
THE, THE REASON I HAVE THIS KIND OF TIME SENSITIVE MEETING, I THINK FIS WILL BE STUDENT PEPSI POLICY, UM, WILL BE THE BIG TOPICS FOR JUNE.
AND I ALSO, JUST WHILE I HAVE ALL OF YOU OUT HERE, YOU KNOW, WANT TO SAY THAT KIND OF EXPECT OVER THE SUMMER, THE SAME PROCESS, UM, FOR, FOR MEETINGS.
YOU KNOW, THAT REGRETTABLY WE CAN'T REALLY PREDICT EXACTLY WHAT TIME AND TIME SLOT IN WHICH, WHICH DAY WE'LL EXPECT TO SCHEDULE MEETINGS FOR, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE, BUT YOU CAN'T EXPECT, UM, THE SECOND WEEK OF THE MONTH, UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKS OUT TO GET, UM, AN UPDATE ON IT.
AND IF SO, YOU KNOW AT WHAT TIME THAT WE'RE, WE'RE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
OTHER ITEMS FUTURE LOOK, SORRY, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER ROLE-PLAY.
WHAT ABOUT THE, UH, STREET IMPACT FEE? IS THAT COMING BACK TO US OR NOT? YEAH, THAT WILL BE OKAY.
COULD I JUST MAKE A SORT OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH IS THAT THE PROJECT CONNECT, UH, THERE'S A VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE GOING ON RIGHT NOW WHERE YOU CAN, UH, REVIEW A WEALTH OF INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT AND GIVE FEEDBACK.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO CHECK THAT OUT AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR NETWORKS.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS? OKAY.
[01:45:01]
ADJOURNMENT.IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
WE CAN DO THIS MAYBE VERBALLY.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN TO ME.
IF YOU WANT TO BE MY NEW VICE CHAIR.