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IS ANYONE ON THE LINE? THIS IS DAVEY.
SINCE WE'RE NOW ON BROADCAST, JUST A FRIENDLY REMINDER FROM THE IVY TECH.
IF YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING THIS DAY, I'M HERE, PLEASE.
[CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL]
AND GET STARTED.UM, COULD YOU CALL ROLL PLEASE? YES, SIR.
JEREMY CAMPBELL, PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER FRANKEL, COMMISSIONER MINORS, PRESENT COMMISSIONER TANIGUCHI PRESENT COMMISSIONER FRAIL HERE.
COMMISSIONER ROLISON COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, COMMISSIONER WATLEY AND COMMISSIONER LOGINS.
I SEE COMMISSIONER LOCKERS, BUT I DIDN'T HEAR YOU.
WE'LL GO STRAIGHT INTO NEW BUSINESS ITEM ONE,
[1A. Discussion and possible action to evaluate and make recommendations regarding whether 617 Colorado, addressed at 617 Colorado Street, complies with the Urban Design Guidelines, for the City of Austin; Leah Bojo Drenner Group, Drew Raffaele Drenner Group, Andrew Hartman Baskervill, Conners Ladner Design Workshop, Bailey Harrington WGINC, Roger Plourde Turn Bridge Equities.]
A DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE ACTION TO EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER SIX 17 COLORADO COMPLIES WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.THIS IS LEAH BODO REPRESENTING THE PROJECT.
UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? AND ARE YOU READY? I CAN BARELY HEAR YOU.
I'M CRANKING MY VOLUME ALL THE WAY UP.
UM, WELL, IF, IF EVERYONE IS READY, UM, I'LL GET STARTED.
UH, I'M LEAH MOJO WITH JENNER GROUP HERE REPRESENTING THE APPLICANT I HAVE WITH ME.
UH, ROGER PLOURDE WITH HERBRIDGE, UH, EQUITIES WITH WHO'S THE DEVELOPER.
I HAVE CONNORS LADNER WITH DESIGN WORKSHOP, THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT.
I HAVE ANDREW HARTMAN WITH BASKERVILLE, THE ARCHITECT, AND I HAVE BAILEY HARRINGTON WITH WGCI THE CIVIL ENGINEER.
SO I HOPE THAT IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS THAT COME UP THROUGH OUR PRESENTATION, UM, WE HAVE SOMEONE HERE WHO CAN ANSWER YOUR ANSWER THEM FOR YOU, UM, IS, IS MY PRESENTATION UP? YES,
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THERE IT IS.OKAY, SO WE ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT SIX 17 COLORADO.
UM, SO HERE WE HAVE A, AN AERIAL MAP TO, TO ORIENT EVERYONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SEVENTH AND COLORADO STREET THERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE, TO A VERY SMALL LOT THERE ON THAT, ON THE CORNER.
UM, WE ARE OBVIOUSLY HERE, UH, FOR OUR DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS APPLICATION.
WE'RE IN THE CORE WATERFRONT DISTRICT, WHICH ALLOWS UP TO 25 TO ONE FAR AND NO LIMIT ON HEIGHT.
UM, HERE, YOU CAN SEE THAT ON SLIDE FOUR, THAT THE, UH, CURRENT USE OF THE SITE IS A SURFACE PARKING LOT.
ON SLIDE FIVE, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE ZONED CPD COURSE.
UM, AND TO GIVE YOU ON SLIDE SIX, A LITTLE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPERTY.
UM, SO IT'S A VERY SMALL SITE, JUST OVER 10,000 FEET.
UM, IT IS CBD ZONED AND WE'RE PROPOSING A HEIGHT OF 192 FEET AND 17 FLOORS WITH THE DENSITY BONUS.
UM, THE CBD ZONING OBVIOUSLY ENTITLED TO, TO EIGHT TO ONE.
AND THEN WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM WOULD BE AN FFR OF 13 TO ONE ON SLIDE SEVEN.
UH, I LAY OUT A FEW DETAILS ABOUT THE PROJECT ITSELF.
WE'RE PROPOSING 130, 2,655 TOTAL GROSS SQUARE FEET.
THAT'S A BONUS AREA OF JUST, JUST OVER 52,000, UM, ADDITIONAL GROSS SQUARE FEET.
UM, THE, THE HOTEL, UH, IS 119,401 SQUARE FEET, 344 ROOMS WITH THE LOBBY SPACE, WHICH SERVES AS AN AMENITY.
UM, AND THEN WITH AN OUTDOOR TERRACE AS WELL ON SITE EIGHT, UM, YOU CAN SEE HOW WE ARE GOING TO BE MEETING THE, UH, GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENTS.
UM, THOSE ARE TWO STAR, TWO STAR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING.
WE ARE PLANNING ON ACHIEVING THREE-STAR AUSTIN ENERGY, GREEN BUILDING STATUS, UM, GREAT STREETS COMPLIANCE, AND OF COURSE, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH THE DOWNTOWN, UM, DESIGN GUIDELINES HERE ON SLIDE NINE.
YOU CAN SEE A RENDERING OF THE PROJECT OVERALL, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, OF WHAT OUR VISION IS HERE, UH, FOR THE BUILDING, UH, ON SLIDE 10, UM, IS WHERE WE LAY OUT OUR GREAT STREETS COMPLIANCE.
SO I WILL, AT THIS POINT, LET, UM, CONNORS LADNER WITH DESIGN WORKSHOP, WALK YOU THROUGH OUR GREAT STREETS.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? OKAY, THANKS.
THANKS AGAIN FOR EVERYONE'S TIME TODAY.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO JUST WALK YOU THROUGH AND PLAN VIEW, UH, WHERE WE ARE WITH THE OVERALL STREETSCAPE DESIGN.
UM, AND THEN LEAH, A LITTLE BIT LATER DOWN THE ROAD IS GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME THREE D SIMULATION GRAPHICS THAT REALLY KIND OF, I THINK, ARTICULATE THE DESIGN A LITTLE BIT FURTHER THAN PLAN B, BUT I WANTED TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE LOGISTICS HERE.
SO WE'VE HAD SOME REALLY GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, REALLY ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY OF BOSTON AND IN PARTICULAR URBAN DESIGN AND CAP METRO, THERE ARE SOME CONSTRAINTS HERE, BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM TO REALLY, UM, I THINK GET CREATIVE AND, AND HAVE GREAT SHEETS COMPLIANCE HERE.
AND SO JUST STARTING ON COLORADO STREET, I'M GOING TO ZOOM INTO MY PLAN HERE A LITTLE BIT, BUT, UM, YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE KIND OF THE STANDARD 10 FOOT SIDEWALK OFF OF THE PROPERTY LINE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE EIGHT FOOT AMENITIES OUT NEXT TO THAT, THAT EIGHT FOOT AMENITIES ZONE IS WHERE ALL OF OUR BENCHES BIKE RACKS AND STREET TRADES GO.
AND SO WE HAVE TWO STREET TREES, UH, TWO BENCHES AND FOUR BIKE RACKS, UH, ON COLORADO STREET, WHICH, UH, GIVES US COMPLIANCE FOR GREAT STREETS ALONG THAT BLOCK FACE.
UM, WE ARE USING, UM, PAPER GRADES, UH, TO ALLOW MORE ADA AND AN AROUND THE TREES.
UH, AND THEN I'LL TALK BRIEFLY ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
ONCE WE GET THERE, DON'T WENT OUT THE SLIP SWITCH SLIDES YET ABOUT KIND OF, UM, A CREATIVE WAY TO, UH, ENHANCE THE OVERALL SOILS FOR THE TRAYS.
SO I'M GONNA MOVE UP NOW, UM, TO WEST STREET AND SO ON WEST SEVENTH STREET, AGAIN, UH, SAME SITUATION, 10 FOOT OFF OF THE BUILDING EDGE FOR THE CLEAR ZONE, UH, CONCRETE WALKWAY SIDEWALK THERE.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE STANDARD CITY OF BOSTON PAVERS, UH, WITHIN THE EIGHT FOOT AMENITIES ZONE.
WE DO HAVE A CAP METRO BUS STOP THERE THAT YOU CAN SEE, UH, SLOWED IN BETWEEN TWO, UH, FIVE INCH DRAKE ELMS. AND THEN, UH, KIND OF ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT, UH, WE HAVE TWO BENCHES AND ANOTHER STREET TRUE.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO KIND OF MAXIMIZE THAT, UH, AND GET OUR GREAT STREETS COMPLIANCE IN THAT AREA.
UM, THE ONLY THING THAT'S, UH, NOT WITHIN THE 10 FOOT AMENITIES ZONE IS A SMALL PLANTER.
IF I GO BACK TO COLORADO STREET, SORRY TO MAKE YOU BOUNCE AROUND WITH YOUR EYES THERE.
UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE WE'VE INTEGRATED A SMALL PLANTER ALONG THE BASE OF THE BUILDING,
[00:10:01]
UH, THERE TO HELP US WITH ADA ACCESSIBILITY TO THE ENTRANCE, UH, AND TO ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE SOFTSCAPE TO THAT FACADE.I THINK THAT CAPTURES THE OVERALL GREAT STREETS.
AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THIS IN MORE DETAIL AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS THREE D SIMULATION IMAGERY.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
AND SO THEN ON SLIDE 11, UM, THIS, WE JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL SOIL SYSTEM.
SO WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CLIENT'S BEEN REALLY GREAT ABOUT THIS PUSHING US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PARADE, A LARGE GROWING MEDIUM FOR OUR SRI, SO THEY CAN GET BIG AND SHADY AND REALLY GIVE US THAT HUMAN COMFORT ALONG THE STREETSCAPE AND A LOT SHORTER OF THE TIME PERIOD, UH, THAN JUST A STANDARD, UH, TYPICAL TREE VAULT.
AND THEN I THINK THIS GETS KICKED BACK TO LEAH OR ROGER FOR SLIDE 12.
I'LL LET ROGER, UM, I'LL LET ROGER WITH THE DEVELOPER, UH, TO BRIDGE EXPLAIN, UM, OUR SECOND FLOOR ACTIVATED USE.
CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME OKAY? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
UH, SO YEAH, SO THIS BRINGS US TO OUR SECOND FLOOR, WHICH I THINK IS ONE OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT AND ALSO THE MOST EXCITING ELEMENTS OF OUR DESIGN AND OUR OBJECTIVE HERE WITH THIS FLOOR IS TO CREATE THE ABSOLUTE, MOST ACTIVE USE THAT WE CAN.
AND WITH THAT IN MIND, YOU'LL SEE, UM, THAT THERE IS, UH, THERE ARE VERY, UH, THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT USES ON THIS FLOOR, UH, BAR, THERE IS A LIVING ROOM FOR SOME LOUNGE SPACES, AS WELL AS SOME WORKING AREAS.
AND THE REASONING BEHIND THAT IS THAT WE'VE LEARNED THAT, YOU KNOW, ACTIVITY BEGETS MORE ACTIVITY WHEN YOU WALK INTO A PLACE AND YOU SEE PEOPLE ALREADY THERE, IT BECOMES INVITING.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, B GETS EVEN MORE SORT OF OCCUPANCY AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR.
WE WANT THIS FLOOR TO BE ALIVE AND WE WANT TO BE ALIVE REALLY 24 HOURS A DAY.
SO YOU'LL SEE THERE WHERE WE HAVE THE BAR SEATING.
THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT, WHERE YOU'LL SEE COFFEE IN THE MORNING TO SEE LIGHT SNACKS DURING LUNCH.
AND YOU ALSO SEE COCKTAILS IN THE EVENING.
UM, AND THEN THROUGHOUT ALL THOSE DIFFERENT TIMES A DAY, I'LL ALSO SEE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COMING THROUGH IN DIFFERENT WORK AREAS AND ALSO PLACES JUST TO, UH, LOUNGE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, THAT'S AN OUTDOOR TERRACE AREA THERE WHERE YOU CAN SEE LESS OF A PLAN, UM, SO THAT THIS ACTIVE USE REALLY JUST SHOWS TO THE STREET, UM, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND SO THAT KIND OF BRINGS US TO, YOU KNOW, HOW, WHAT WE'RE GOING, WHAT WE'RE DOING IN ORDER TO LORE MORE FOLKS UP THERE.
AND I GIVE THE DESIGN TEAM AN ABSOLUTE TON OF CREDIT FOR THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE HERE.
UH, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WHICH IS SLIDE 18, UM, THIS KIND OF GIVES YOU A LOOK INTO THE ICONIC STAIR THAT WE'VE PLACED INTO THE FIRST FLOOR THAT LEADS UP INTO, DIRECTLY INTO THE SECOND FLOOR.
YOU'LL SEE, YOU'LL SEE FLOOR TO CEILING GLASS, JUST MAKING THIS AREA SUPER VISIBLE.
UH, YOU'LL ALSO SEE SOME LOCALLY SOURCED ART THEY'RE INTO THE LEFT, THE RENDERING, AS WELL AS CUSTOM CABINETRY, JUST KIND OF SHOWING THE WAY UP INTO THE SECOND FLOOR.
UM, SO IF YOU NOW TURN INTO SLIDE 14, YOU CAN SEE, UM, THERE'S A COUPLE OF RENDERINGS OF WHAT THIS IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
SO YOU SEE LOTS OF ACTIVATION, LOTS OF PEOPLE, LOTS OF DIFFERENT USES, BUT EVERYTHING KIND OF COMING TOGETHER REALLY COHESIVELY.
UM, SO IF YOU CONTINUE TO GO NOW INTO SLIDE 15, JUST KIND OF ANOTHER LOOK, UM, INTO WHAT THIS WILL ULTIMATELY BE.
UM, SO I THINK WE CAN ADD, GO ON TO SLIDE 16, UM, WHICH IS WHERE WE START TO TALK ABOUT A DAY PASSES, YOU KNOW, IN CONVERSATIONS WITH STAFF WE WANTED, AND FRANKLY JUST BEEN IN, IN CONNECTION WITH WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH FROM A BRANDING PERSPECTIVE, WE WANT IT TO BE REALLY JUST INTERACTED WITH.
WE THOUGHT WE WANTED TO FIND A WAY TO BE INTERACTIVE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
AND OUR IDEA HERE WAS TO OFFER DAY PASSES TO TEACHERS IN THE AREA AND EFFECTIVELY WHAT THIS IS, IS A, YOU KNOW, A FREE PASS TO COME IN AND ENJOY SUPER FAT.
WHAT IS GOING TO BE SUPER, SUPER FAST WIFI.
AND THERE'S THE COOL PLACE TO GO GET AWAY, HANG OUT, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THERE'S SOME EVENTS AND EVERYTHING THAT THEY WOULD HAVE FREE ACCESS TO, UH, AND JUST KIND OF ENJOY, ENJOY WHAT IS GOING TO BE REALLY BEAUTIFUL, REALLY FUNCTIONAL SPACE FOR THE DAY.
AND I THINK WITH THAT, WE HAD, I THINK I HANDED BACK TO YOU.
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UM, YEAH, AND I, AND I, AND WHAT I WOULD ADD AS WE'RE LOOKING AT SLIDE 16 IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY WITH ALL THAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC FELT LIKE THEY WERE NOT JUST ALLOWED TO COME IN, BUT REALLY INVITED IN.AND SO BY SPECIFICALLY MAKING SURE THAT TEACHERS FEEL WELCOME, THIS IS A PLACE WITH REALLY GREAT WIFI, UM, YOU KNOW, A COMFORTABLE PLACE TO WORK.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT, THAT, THAT SPACE REALLY SERVES THAT PURPOSE.
UM, AND SO ON THAT POINT, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE AREA WIDE GUIDELINES.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE DID GET A RECOMMENDATION OF COMPLIANCE FROM THE WORKING GROUP, WHICH WE'RE VERY HAPPY ABOUT.
UM, THERE WERE A FEW ITEMS IN THAT MEMO THAT, UM, THAT WE WERE ASKED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT.
AND SO I'M JUST GOING TO MOVE THROUGH THOSE ITEMS HERE, YOU KNOW, RELATIVELY QUICKLY.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE ITEMS OR ABOUT ANY OTHER ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN, WE CAN ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS FROM THERE.
UM, SO THE FIRST AREA WIDE GUIDELINE, WE WERE ASKED TO TAKE A LOOK OUT, UM, A LITTLE CLOSER TO LOOKOUT WAS INCORPORATING CIVIC ART INTO THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 18, UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE, WE DO HAVE PRETTY EXTENSIVE PUBLIC ART, UM, REALLY ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE BUILDING ON THE OUTSIDE.
AND A LOT OF IT REALLY, UM, KIND OF MOVE FROM THE OUTSIDE, THROUGH, INTO THE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, LIKE ROGER MENTIONED, UM, THIS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS BEING LOCALLY SOURCED ART, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE ON SLIDE 17, HOW THAT, HOW THE ART ON SEVENTH STREET, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, GOES FROM THE OUTSIDE ALSO THROUGH TO THE INSIDE AND IS VISIBLE FROM THE STREET LEVEL.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 19, WE LOOKED THE MOVE OVER TO THE COLORADO SIDE.
UM, IN OUR WORKING GROUP MEETING, ONE SPECIFIC QUESTION WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS AREA, UM, THIS AREA SORT OF TO THE RIGHT OF THE LOBBY THERE, WHICH IS WHERE OUR FIRE DOOR IS.
UM, IF WE, IF WE COULD DRESS THAT UP AND INCLUDE PUBLIC ART ON THAT WALL AS WELL.
UM, WHAT WE PUT IN HERE IS NOT OUR, IT'S NOT OUR FINAL DECISION, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU COULD SEE WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE WHEN WE DO HAVE PUBLIC ART, UM, IN THAT PORTION OF THE PROJECT AS WELL.
YOU CAN SEE HERE ALSO WITH OUR, WITH OUR FULL, UM, OUR FULL WINDOWS, UM, THAT YOU CAN SEE THE ART THAT'S EVEN IN LIKE IN THE LOBBY AREA FROM THE STREET.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU MOVE ON TO SLIDE 20, YOU CAN SEE HOW THE, THE R ON SEVENTH STREET WRAPS AROUND FROM SORT OF FACING SEVENTH STREET INTO THAT ENTRYWAY.
AND THEN ANOTHER POINT THAT I'LL RAISE AT THIS ON THE SLIDE, UM, UH, IS THAT WE WERE ASKED TO INCORPORATE A BENCH INTO THIS AREA TO MAKE IT FEEL INVITING.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT PART OF THE GREAT STREETS, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS INSIDE OUR, OUR PROPERTY LINE.
UH, BUT WE DID ADD THESE BENCHES, THESE SORT OF ARTISTIC BENCHES HERE, UM, IN THE LOBBY, UM, TO MAKE ANOTHER, ANOTHER PLACE, UM, FOR ACTIVATION.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT SLIDE 21, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN FROM THE INTERIOR, HOW THAT ART LOOKS INSIDE, HOW IT, IT KIND OF WRAPS FROM THE, OF THE BUILDING INTO THE INSIDE THERE, ON THAT WALL.
AND ON SLIDE 22, WE TALK ABOUT THE PUBLIC STREETSCAPE GUIDELINES.
UM, SO THE ONES THAT WERE MENTIONED WERE, UM, PROTECTION PROTECTING, UM, PEDESTRIANS FROM CARS AND PROMOTING CURBSIDE PARKING.
AND THEN ALSO THE GENEROUS STREET-LEVEL WINDOWS, WHICH I'VE TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ALREADY, UM, ON SLIDE 23.
UH, WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS, UM, THIS IS THE VIEW FROM THE DROP OFF AREA, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A MINUTE.
UM, WE DO THIS, THIS PROJECT DOES NOT HAVE ANY PARKING SPACES ON SITE.
SO WE'RE EXPECTING ALL OF OUR, UM, GUESTS, UM, AND, AND USERS OF THESE PUBLIC SPACES TO COME, YOU KNOW, EITHER ON BIKE, ON FOOT, UM, ON TRANSIT OR DROPPED OFF BY A TAXI OR A, OR A TNC.
UM, SO THIS IS THE AREA WHERE PEOPLE WOULD BE DROPPED OFF AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE GREAT STREETS AREA DOES BUFFER IT, UM, FROM THE STREET ITSELF.
AND THEN ON AN ACTUALLY ON THIS ONE, YOU CAN ALSO SEE THOSE, THOSE, UM, THOSE WINDOWS AND THE TRANSPARENCY OF THOSE WINDOWS.
UM, AND THEN ON SLIDE 24, I TALK AGAIN ABOUT, UM, CONTROLLING ON PARKING.
SO OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE PARKING ONSITE TO CONTROL.
UM, BUT WHAT YOU CAN SEE IF YOU GO TO SLIDE 25 AND THIS, UM, IN THIS AERIAL SHOT IS WHERE THAT PASSENGER LOADING AREA IS, IS LOCATED THERE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE COLORADO BLOCK.
UM, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING EXTENSIVELY WITH CAP METRO AND ATD ON HOW TO, HOW TO MAKE THE SITE REALLY FUNCTION WELL FOR ALL OF THE, ALL THE WAYS THAT PEOPLE WILL GET THERE.
UM, AND SO, UM, WHERE WE ARE, I THINK, UM, PRETTY WELL FINALIZED IS PUTTING A SMALL LOADING AREA THERE IN FRONT OF THE BUS STOP.
WE DO HAVE BUS STOPS ON BOTH THE COLORADO FRONT EDGE AND THE SEVENTH STREET FRONTAGE, WHICH WE'VE ACCOMMODATED, UM, ON OUR SITE WHILE, WHILE COMPLYING FULLY WITH GREAT STREETS.
UM, AND SO WHILE WE DON'T HAVE ON STREET PARKING TO BUFFER THAT AREA, WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE BUS STOPS AND VEHICLES THERE TO BUFFER THE PEDESTRIANS FROM THE STREET.
UM, AND THEN, UH, ON 26, I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, WE OF COURSE REQUESTS YOUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE COMPLY WITH THE DOWNTOWN, UM, DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, AND WE'RE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
[00:20:01]
SLIDE 27 IS AGAIN A, UM, A RENDERING OF THE WHOLE BUILDING.ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I GUESS I HAVE SOME, SINCE I WROTE THE LETTER ON THE MEMO, THERE'S SOME THAT WEREN'T CONCERNED ABOUT A DROP OFF FOR A RIDESHARE CARS AND ALL THAT.
I'M NOT SURE IT'D BE ALL DRESSED THEM UP SINCE WE DON'T HAVE PARKING.
I'M SURE THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF RIDESHARES PULLING UP THERE AND LETTING PEOPLE OFF OR TEXTING OR WHATEVER I'M WE DID.
I DIDN'T, I'M NOT SURE I HEARD THE WHOLE QUESTION.
I APOLOGIZE, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE DID WORK VERY CLOSELY AND ARE STILL WORKING CLOSELY WITH, WITH CAPITAL METRO AND, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION FOLKS ON HOW TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.
I THINK THIS IS WHAT WE ALL SORT OF HAVE AGREED TO IS THAT, YOU KNOW, RIDE SHARE VEHICLES, AREN'T THERE FOR VERY LONG.
THEY JUST NEED A SAFE PLACE TO PULL UP THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE STREET, UM, WHERE PEOPLE AREN'T GOING TO BE INTERFERING WITH THE BUS OPERATIONS, IF YOU DON'T MAKE A DROP OFF AREA, PEOPLE TEND TO DROP OFF IN BUS STOPS, WHICH, WHICH IS NOT RIGHT AND, AND NOT WHAT PEOPLE WANT.
UM, SO I THINK, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT FINALIZED ON THAT.
UM, AND BAILEY HERE MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK I CAN SAFELY SAY THAT BOTH OF THOSE ENTITIES FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH, WITH THIS PROPOSAL, UH, AS FAR AS THE WAY OF APPROPRIATELY ACCOMMODATING THE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE DROPPED OFF.
AND SO YOU'RE SAYING TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT LIKES THAT SOLUTION.
SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH, WITH BOTH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND CAP METRO ON BOTH OF OUR FRONT EDGES AND HOW TO MANAGE THOSE.
I HONESTLY SHARE COMMISSIONER OF GUCCI'S CONCERN IN MY EXPERIENCE STOPPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD LIKE THAT, UM, IS VERY DANGEROUS.
I'VE ACTUALLY SEEN PEOPLE GET REAR-ENDED AS THEY'RE TRYING TO EXIT THE CAR LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY IN THIS SCENARIO WHERE THERE'S A TRAFFIC LIGHT THAT CAN BE GREEN AND PEOPLE ARE JUST STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD.
UM, YEAH, BUT I THINK, I THINK WHAT'S HELPFUL ABOUT THIS ONE IS BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THAT BUS STOP.
IT'S NOT REALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, LIKE IT'S NOT IN THE DRIVE LANE.
UM, IT'S ACTUALLY IN AN, IN WHAT WOULD BE PARKING IF THERE WAS, UM, IF THERE WAS ONSITE PARKING, BUT BECAUSE IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION, THE ONSITE PARKING IS INSTEAD, UM, A BUS STOP, IT'LL BE MARKED ON A CURB AS A PASSENGER DROPBOX ZONE, AND THEN IT IS THERE IN FRONT OF, UM, OF THE BUS STOP.
ALRIGHT, SO YOU PULL OVER AND YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY IN THE LAND TRUST.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? UH, I'M SURE.
I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS. OKAY.
SO QUESTION REALLY QUICK, UH, ABOUT THE TERRORISTS.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THERE'S A TERRORIST.
I'M NOT SURE THAT I SAW IT ON THE RENDERING AND I JUST AM CURIOUS, IS THAT ON THE FIRST FLOOR, AND I I'M CURIOUS HOW IT INTERACTS WITH THE OTHER SPACES AND IF IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, FOR SURE.
UM, I'LL, I'LL GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THAT AND THEN I'LL LET OUR, UM, I'LL LET OUR FOLKS PROBABLY FROM BASKERVILLE LEANNE AS WELL.
UM, SO THE PARIS IS A PUBLIC SPACE.
IT IS OFF OF THE SECOND FLOOR AND IT IS DESIGNED IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT WILL INTERACT WITH THOSE ON THE, ON THE STREET BELOW.
UM, THE REASON OUR SITE IS DESIGNED THIS WAY IS BECAUSE THERE ARE, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSTRAINTS AND IT IS A VERY SMALL SITE.
SO WE'VE WORKED HARD THROUGH THE DESIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS VERY INTERACTIVE.
UM, I THINK THAT SLIDE NUMBER, UM, 19, THANK YOU.
SO IT WAS FROM THE STREET LEVEL, UM, HOW THAT, HOW THAT TERRORISTS LOOKS AND HOW FOLKS CAN SEE BOTH UP AND DOWN A STREET CAN SEE UP TO THOSE FOLKS.
AND THE PEOPLE ON THE TERRORISTS CAN SEE DOWN TO THE STREET.
CAN YOU RESHARE THAT SLIDE ON THE, ON THE WEBEX? OKAY.
UM, THE CITY IS RUNNING IS RUNNING THAT SHOW, BUT YEAH, OF COURSE.
UM, AND THAT SPACE, THAT SPACE, SO THAT SPACE IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
THAT'S SORT OF AN EXTENSION OF OUR SECOND FLOOR SPACE, RIGHT? HAVE THE COWORKING SPACES.
YOU HAVE THE, THE BAR, RIGHT? WELL, WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE COFFEE, BUT WE'LL ALSO HAVE COCKTAILS IN THE EVENING AND WHERE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR LIVING ROOMS, THAT SPACE EXTENDS TO THAT OUTDOOR SPACE, WHICH THEN I'M FROM COLORADO.
AND AGAIN, JUST CONFIRMING IT IS OPEN TO BOTH.
I LOVE PUTTING THE PUBLIC INTO THAT SPACE.
[00:25:01]
I LOVE THAT YOU HAVE A NIGHTLIFE CONCEPT, WHICH I THINK SO MANY PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED THAT OUR NIGHTLIFE IS JUST GOING TO DISAPPEAR POST PANDEMIC.UM, THE ONE THING THAT I WILL ADD, AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS AT NAUSEUM TO PRETTY MUCH EVERY DEVELOPER IS THAT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER THE FACT THAT WE HAVE THIS BRAND AS A CITY OF HAVING LIVE MUSIC AND ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN DO TO PROACTIVELY INCORPORATE THAT INTO YOUR DESIGN, I THINK IS GOING TO BE SUPER IMPORTANT IN CONTINUING THAT BRAND.
UM, SO I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU THOUGHT ABOUT IF AND WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT PUT MUSIC, UH, NOT NECESSARILY AS A CONSTANT AMENITY, BUT IN GENERAL, YOU KNOW, AROUND FESTIVALS AND WHATEVER ELSE, IS THERE AN AREA THAT YOU'VE ALREADY PREDETERMINED THAT COULD FACILITATE THAT? UM, I THINK THAT IT HAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT, THAT IS DOABLE, RIGHT? I THINK IT MAY TAKE SOME SORT OF MOVING AROUND IN THE SECOND FLOOR AREA.
WE WERE GOING TO MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN AND LOOK AROUND FESTIVALS.
I'M SURE, FRANKLY, THAT ONCE WE GET OUR OPERATIONS PEOPLE AND OUR MARKETING PEOPLE ALL GEARED UP AND READY TO GO, THAT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO, YOU KNOW, ACTIVATE AND, UH, YOU KNOW, DO WHAT THEY CAN TO, TO INTERACT WITH FESTIVALS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
UM, BUT NO, NO SPECIFIC, THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH IT YET.
I WOULD JUST STRONGLY ENCOURAGE IT AS BEING SOMETHING TO CONSIDER WITH A LEVEL OF PERMANENCE.
AND, UH, WITH THAT I YIELD, UH, VICE CHAIR.
UH, OH, THANK YOU, EVERYONE FOR PRESENTING TODAY.
AND I JUST WANT, AND THANK YOU TO THE WORKING GROUP.
I REALLY WANT TO SUPPORT, I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT SLIDE 18 AND 19, AND THAT THE BUILDING FACADE HAS COLOR AND PERSONALITY AND VIBRANCE.
AND I, AND I BELIEVE REALLY PRESENTS THAT GENIUS LOW SIDE, THAT SENSE OF PLACE.
SO I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE YOU GUYS INTEGRATING THIS INTO THE ARCHITECTURAL, UM, LANGUAGE.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S VERY EXCITING.
I HOPE IT, I HOPE THIS HAPPENS.
UH, YES, I'LL ECHO A LOT OF THE COMMENTS ALREADY.
I LOVE THE COLOR AND VIBRANCE AND PERSONALITY.
UM, THE, I LOVE THE TERRORISTS ON THE SECOND LEVEL OF, UH, OVERLOOKING COLORADO STREET.
I THINK THAT THE ADDED LIKE LAYERS OF ACTIVITY AND THE WAY THAT ENCOURAGES FOLKS, I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD SUCK PEOPLE IN.
UM, AND I LOVE HOW ACTIVATED THAT SECOND FLOOR IS WITH THE LOUNGE AND THE BAR AND, UM, BEING SUPER VISIBLE FROM THE STREET.
AND I LOVE HOW THE VESTIBULE IS VERY GLASSY, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SET BACK.
AND AGAIN, HAS THAT FEELING THAT SENSE THAT, UM, PEDESTRIANS MIGHT WANT TO DEFINITELY GO AND EXPLORE AND GO ONTO THAT SECOND LEVEL? UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO IT'S FOR.
SO I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT IT BEING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, BUT I'M CONFUSED ABOUT WHO GETS TO GO UP THERE AND IF IT'S ONLY PAYING PEOPLE PAYING FOR THE SPACE OR TEACHERS WITH PASSES, UM, AND SO IS THERE LIKE AN INCOME THRESHOLD FOR WHO GETS TO BE IN THE COOL SPACE UP THERE? UM, AND THEN, UH, SIMILARLY ON THE STREET LEVEL, I WONDERED ABOUT THE GREAT STREETS LIKE SEATING.
UM, I KNOW THAT THOSE BENCHES WITH THE, UM, KIND OF LIKE ANTI HOMELESS BARS ARE PREVALENT ALL OVER OUR CITY, BUT I JUST WONDERED ABOUT WHETHER SOMETHING WAS CREATIVE AND INCLUSIVE COULD BE UTILIZED ON THE STREET.
UM, I LOVE THE STONE BENCHES, FOR EXAMPLE, OUTSIDE OF THE LIBRARY, AS AN EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT FEELS VERY INCLUSIVE AND CREATIVE AND ENHANCING THE STREET SKATE.
UM, BUT I DO LOVE THE, YOU KNOW, THE ADDED SOFTSCAPE AND WHAT THAT'S GONNA DO FOR THAT VESTIBULE.
AND, UH, I THINK THE DESIGN IS BEAUTIFUL.
SO I JUST HAVE THOSE TWO QUESTIONS REALLY ABOUT WHO REALLY GETS TO BE IN THE SPACE.
UM, AND DO YOU HAVE TO PAY, UM, AND THEN I ACTUALLY, I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE ART.
UM, HOW WILL YOU GO ABOUT HIRING A LOCAL ARTIST FOR ALL OF THIS EXPENSIVE PUBLIC ART SCOTT? UM,
[00:30:01]
I CAN TAKE THE, I'M JUST MAKING NOTES REAL QUICK, SO I DON'T MISS ANY OF THEM.UM, SO I WILL GO IN ORDER IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ROGER OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN AT ANY POINT.
UM, SO AS FAR AS WHO'S ALLOWED INTO THAT PUBLIC SPACE, UM, THE IDEA IS THAT, UM, I MEAN, ANYONE, ANYONE FROM THE PUBLIC IS A LOT OF THERE IT'LL FUNCTION SIMILAR TO THE WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, A RESTAURANT OR BAR OR, UM, COWORKING SPACE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD FUNCTION.
UH, IF YOU'RE UP THERE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BUY, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME, SOME SMALL FOOD AND, YOU KNOW, COFFEE AND COCKTAILS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF YOU'RE UP THERE FOR THOSE THINGS, UM, YOU'RE ALLOWED TO BE UP THERE, OF COURSE, JUST LIKE A, JUST LIKE A RESTAURANT OR A BAR.
UM, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BUY THOSE THINGS, UM, THEY DO SELL DAY PASSES JUST SO YOU CAN USE THE WIFI, UM, AND, AND USE THAT SERVICE.
AND THEN, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE, WE'RE MAKING THOSE PASSES AVAILABLE TO TEACHERS FOR FREE.
UM, THE IDEA BEING OF COURSE, THAT, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS MAY BE LOOKING FOR PLACES TO WORK AND PLACES PARTICULARLY WAS REALLY GOOD WIFI.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE WELCOME THERE.
UM, JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, MAYBE EVEN, MAYBE EVEN PARTICULARLY WELCOMED THERE, UM, TO USE THAT SPACE, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A SPACE THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, PATROL FOR PEOPLE.
BUT THE IDEA IS OF COURSE, IS THAT THERE'S LIMITED SPACE THERE.
AND SO THE IDEA IS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE, YOU KNOW, TO USE IT, UM, AS FAR AS THE BENCHES GO, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PRETTY LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS THE GREAT STREETS BENCHES GO, WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH A SPECIFIC GREAT STREETS DESIGN.
HOWEVER, UM, BASED ON THE WORKING GROUPS FEEDBACK, W WE, THEY DID ASK ABOUT AN ADDITIONAL BENCH INSIDE THAT ENTRYWAY AND BECAUSE THAT BENCH, WHICH IS SHOWN ON SLIDE 20, IF YOU'D LIKE TO PULL IT UP, UM, THAT IS A PLACE WHERE WE COULD BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CREATIVE AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE CAME UP WITH A DESIGN FOR THOSE BENCHES, THAT WE FEEL, YOU KNOW, WORKS WITH THE DESIGN OF THE BUILDING, HAS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A CREATIVE KIND OF ARTISTIC QUALITY TO IT.
AND SO THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE PLACE WHERE WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE ROOM TO, UM, TO BE CREATIVE WITH OUR, WITH OUR SEATING.
UM, AND THEN ON THE THIRD QUESTION, AS FAR AS CHOOSING THE PUBLIC ART, I WILL, I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE ARE AT THE POINT YET WHERE WE HAVE A PROCESS DETERMINED SPECIFICALLY FOR AUSTIN.
UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO, YOU KNOW, TO LOCAL ART AND TO, TO THESE KINDS OF BRIGHT COLORS, WHICH IS WHAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS WHAT, WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE DESIGNED AND WHAT THE KIND OF THE DESIGN OF THE HOTEL CENTERS AROUND.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK WE WOULD BE OPEN IF THERE ARE PARTICULAR IDEAS ABOUT HOW WE SHOULD GO ABOUT THAT.
I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT LOOKING AT LOCAL ART TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS HOTEL REALLY HAS THAT YOU LOCAL AUSTIN HILL.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOU ANSWERED THAT.
UM, I THINK, UM, MAYBE MY, I LIKE COMMISSIONERS OR SOME OR YOUTUBE.
EDUCATE ME ON THE GRAPE STREET BENCHES AND WHY IT NEEDS TO HAVE, UH, IS THAT ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS OF THAT, THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE THE, BY THE MAYOR TO STOP PEOPLE FROM GETTING TOO COMFORTABLE.
IT IS STANDARD FURNITURE THAT EVERYONE HAS TO USE.
SO IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, THE PROPERTY THAT BELONGS TO THE STREET OR TO THE CITIZENS, WE DO HAVE TO USE WHAT'S SPECIFIED, BUT AT THE LIBRARY, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT THAT BLOCK SEATING AND AT THE MARRIOTT ON SECOND TO CONGRESS.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT BLOCK CD IS ACTUALLY JUST WITHIN THE PROPERTY LINE.
SO YOU CAN DO THE CREATIVE THINGS INSIDE THE PROPERTY LINE, BUT ON THE RIGHT OF WAY ITSELF UNDER CURRENT REGULATIONS.
NO, UNLESS THERE'S SOME SPECIAL CONSIDERATION MAY, WHICH COULD BE, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S VERY STANDARD TO HAVE THE STANDARD.
I THINK IT'S A BEAUTIFUL DESIGN, VIBRANT, SO MUCH OFTEN PERSONALITY, UM, ROUGHER, REALLY AMBITIOUS, UH, DESIRE TO HAVE THAT SENSE OF PLACE AND SOULS.
SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT CALLING.
I DID GET ON LAKE BECAUSE I HAD TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY.
SO FORGIVE ME IF I'M ASKING YOU TO REPEAT SOMETHING, BUT ARE ALL OF THE TREES SHOWN IN THE SITE PLAN, NEW TREES AND I, I, I GOOGLE EARTH THIS SITE AND THERE ARE SOME EXISTING, GREAT STREETS TREES AND A COUPLE OF TREES THAT WERE PLANTED WITH THE PARKING LOT.
ORIGINALLY WHEN ONE AMERICAN CENTER WAS CONSTRUCTED, THEY'RE NOT IN SUCH GREAT SHAPE.
SO CAN YOU GIVE ME A BRIEF TREE OVERVIEW, PLEASE? WE HAVE PARTNERS FROM DESIGN WORKSHOP ON THE LINE WHO SHOULD BE OKAY.
I'LL TAKE IT TO YOU THAT WOMAN, HEY, SORRY.
[00:35:01]
MADE THE MISTAKE THERE, NOT MY MISTAKE.UM, YEAH, SO THEY, THEY ARE ALL NEW TREES.
UM, WE FELT LIKE THEY WERE THE EXISTING TREES IN PLACE TODAY ON COLORADO.
WE'RE NOT, UM, WE'RE IN POOR HEALTH AND SO WE NEEDED, AND WE ALSO NEEDED TO KIND OF SQUEEZE THINGS IN A LITTLE BIT.
SO THE TREES ARE GOING IN THERE IS SIMILAR LOCATION.
UM, BUT WE ARE GOING AHEAD AND KIND OF EXTENDING OUT THAT TREE VOLTS WITH STRUCTURAL SOIL.
SO WE FELT LIKE BRINGING IN NEW TREES AND THAT AREA WAS GOING TO BE THE IDEAL SCENARIO.
SO WE HAVE TWO, FIVE INCH CALIPERS GOING IN ON COLORADO STREET AND THEN, UH, THREE, UH, GOING IN ON WEST SEVENTH STREET.
UM, AND THEN OUR REMOVING, UH, THE TREES THAT ARE EXISTING WITHIN THE EXISTING SITE.
ARE YOU USING STRUCTURAL SOIL OR THE SILVER CELLS? WHERE ARE YOU USING STRUCTURAL SOIL SYSTEM? WHICH MY UNDERSTANDING WAS USED CATTY CORNER TO THE SITE.
UH, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY AND THOSE ARE LOOKING QUITE NICE.
UM, SO, UH, WE ARE USING STRUCTURAL SOILS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AND COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS? UM, OKAY.
WELL, I WILL, UH, I JUST WANT TO ECHO A LOT OF, WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, I, I CAN APPRECIATE THE CONSTRAINTS ON THE SMALL SITE AND WHAT NEEDS TO GO ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT THE ARTWORK THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED, UH, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE ADJACENCY THAT THIS PROJECT TO THE CONTEMPORARY, UM, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO THE SECOND FLOOR.
I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT WERE SORT OF MENTIONED, UM, BY COMMISSIONER ROLOSON AND MAYBE IT'S JUST, UH, A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW, REALLY FOCUSING ON WAYFINDING, BUT SINCE THERE ISN'T REALLY ANYTHING ON THE GROUND FLOOR IT'S HOW DID PEOPLE KNOW TO GET TO THAT SECOND FLOOR THAT THERE'S STUFF UP THERE? YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, UM, THE, WHAT IS IT, THE CAROLINA RED, THE HAYLOFT I THINK IT WORKS CAUSE IT HAS A GROUND FLOOR AND A SECOND FLOOR.
AND SO YOU KIND OF WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH BOTH, UM, WITH THIS DOESN'T HAVE THAT.
SO I THINK, UM, REALLY FOCUSING ON BRINGING PEOPLE IN AND LETTING THEM KNOW, INVITE THEM UP TO THAT SECOND FLOOR TO HELP ACTIVATE THAT SPACE.
UM, I KINDA LAUGHED TO MYSELF, I APPRECIATE YOUR RENDERINGS, YOU STUFFED THEM FULL OF PEOPLE TO, TO SHOW ACTIVITY.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY IT WORKS OUT THAT WAY.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THE, THE TEACHER PROGRAM IT'S SIMILAR CONCERN.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, BUT HOW TO REALLY HOW THE TEACHERS KNOW THAT, HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO THERE AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE PROMOTED AND KIND OF ROLLED OUT AS A, AS A PROGRAM I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK IF I, IF I MAY, I THINK MY RESPONSE, I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS.
AND I THINK OUR RESPONSES THAT WE, THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS HOTEL HAS A REAL INTEREST IN HAVING THAT ACTIVITY.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT, OF WHAT THEY WANT AND WHAT SERVES THEM.
SO I THINK IT'S IN THE HOTEL'S INTEREST TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DO KNOW THAT THEY CAN COME UPSTAIRS, THAT TEACHERS DO KNOW THAT THEY CAN USE THE SPACE.
LIKE IT'S SIX, IT'LL MAKE THE HOTEL SUCCESSFUL.
IF THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE AND IT FEELS LIKE A PLACE WHERE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE IS A REAL INCENTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S WORKING AND THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHERE THEY CAN GO.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT IT HAS THAT FEELING.
I GO BACK AND THEN I HAVE, I HAVE ONE QUESTION AND THE DRIVE THAT GOES AROUND THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.
UM, IT'S LAY, THERE'S A LABEL OF A GARAGE.
IS THERE AN ACTUAL GARAGE BACK THERE? OKAY.
THAT IS AN ADJACENT GARAGE FOR A SEPARATE PROPERTY, BUT OUR SITE DOES NOT HAVE A GARAGE.
THAT'S JUST A LOADING AREA BEHIND THAT.
NO LOADING HAPPENS IN THE STREET.
THAT'S THAT'S THE ADJACENT SITE.
I JUST TRIED TO CONNECT TO THE COMMENT THAT YOU JUST MADE.
AND THEN ALSO MY THOUGHT ABOUT LOCAL MUSIC.
UH, I'M WONDERING IF OUTSIDE, IF YOU'RE ANTICIPATING WIRING THAT WITH SPEAKERS, UM, I KNOW SOMETIMES JUST HAVING MUSIC PLAYING CAN DRAW PEOPLE TO A SPACE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S EVEN BEEN CONSIDERED, IF NOT, WOULD YOU CONSIDER IT?
[00:40:04]
WELL, I THINK WE COULD CERTAINLY CONSIDER IT.UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD, WE COULD, WE COULD LOOK INTO.
I DON'T KNOW, PERSONALLY, I STOPPED MY HEAD WHAT, WHAT THE RULES ARE AROUND THAT, BUT, UM, I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK INTO COMMISSIONER ROLISON YOU'RE ON MUTE, I THINK.
I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ABOUT THE PUBLIC ARTISTS AND HOW YOU MIGHT GO ABOUT THAT.
I FOUND A GROUP CALLED CAPITAL VIEW ART, UM, THAT YOU COULD LOOK INTO, UH, THEY HAVE A PRETTY STRONG, UH, UH, PASSION AND MISSION AROUND EQUITY AND, AND RAISING UP VOICES OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THEIR, UM, EXCEEDED THE TABLE.
IF THAT MAKES SENSE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
CAPITOL VIEW APP.ORG IS THAT IS THE, IS THE WEBSITE I'M LOOKING AT AND THERE ARE TRANSLATION ALL ABOUT HELPING LOCAL ARTISTS, I THINK, PARTICULARLY, UM, ARTISTS OF COLOR.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK INTO FOR THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
DOES ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION TO SAY THAT IT MEETS THE STANDARD, SO EMOTION THAT COMPLIES WITH URBAN ZONE GUIDELINES? UH, IS THERE A SECOND, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? OKAY.
UH, THEN WE'LL TAKE IT TO A VOTE.
I'M GOING TO MAKE IT ACCURATE.
I'M JUST GOING TO CALL ON YOU INDIVIDUALLY.
JUST LET ME KNOW HOW YOU VOTE.
COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, COMMISSIONER MINORS BY COMMISSIONER TANA, GUCCI HIGH COMMISSIONER.
WHO NOW ROBLEDO COMMISSIONER FRAIL AND I AM AN EYE AS WELL.
[1B. Discussion and possible action to evaluate and make recommendations regarding whether Brush Square, addressed at 504 E. 5th Street, complies with the Urban Design Guidelines, for the City of Austin; Brendan Wittstruck Asakura Robinson, Scott Sinn COA Parks & Recreation Department.]
ONE, THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER THE BRUSH SQUARE ADDRESS AT FIVE OH FOUR EAST FIFTH STREET COMPLIES WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.WE HAVE THE APPLICANT ONLINE FOR THAT.
WHICH TRUCK CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
SO I'M BRENDAN, WHICH STRUCK, UM, UH, WITH AFRICA OR ROBINSON.
WE ARE THE LEAD DESIGNER, UM, FOR THE BRUSH SQUARE PHASE ONE IMPROVEMENTS.
I'M JOINED ON THE CALL BY A PROJECT MANAGER WITH PARKS AND REC SCOTT SIN.
UM, AND WE ARE KIND OF, WE ARE TOGETHER THE APPLICANT ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, WE ARE HERE, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS A PUBLIC PROJECT.
UM, AND BECAUSE WE ARE, UM, SEEKING, UH, YOUR SUPPORT FOR, UM, OUR MEANS OF ALTERNATIVE EQUIVALENT COMPLIANCE TO SUB CHAPTER II AND, UH, COMPLIANCE WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, ERIN, UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO, UH,
[00:45:01]
PUT OUR PRESENTATION UP TO PAGE ONE? ANYONE ELSE HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING? YEAH.BRENDAN, YOU'RE A LITTLE MUTED.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY ADJUSTMENT ON YOU.
THIS IS THE AB TAKE CARE OF PRESENTATION IS ON THE SCREEN.
NOW I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU OFF SPEAKER.
DOES THIS, IS THIS BETTER? MAYBE SLIGHTLY, A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
I'M JUST USING EASY OLD FASHIONED PHONE TO MY EAR.
I UNDERSTANDING THE TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS OF THIS FORMAT.
PLEASE DO FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT.
STOP ME IF, IF SOMETHING IS MISSED, BUT I'M GOING TO TRY TO PLOW ALONG WITH THIS.
UH, SO WE ARE HERE, UM, DISCUSSING PHASE ONE, UH, REHABILITATION IMPROVEMENTS TO BRUSH SQUARE.
UM, THIS, UH, PROJECT FOLLOWS, UH, THE, UH, 2019 BRUSH SQUARE MASTER PLAN.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE, THE INTEREST SLIDE HERE, BECAUSE I'M KIND OF LEADING WITH THE RENDERING.
UH, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES HERE, UM, WITH THE PROJECTS DEALING WITH ONE OF THE CITY'S ORIGINAL SQUARES IS TO, UM, IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND RESPOND TO THE GREAT WORK THAT WAS DONE OVER AT REPUBLIC SQUARE AND PROVIDING SOME, SOME LEVELS OF CONTINUITY IN THE DESIGN, BUT ALSO CREATING, UM, A UNIQUENESS TO THIS SPACE.
AND WE'RE USING A MORE OF A MERCUTIO MATERIAL LANGUAGE THAT REFERENCES THE FIRE STATION, UH, EXISTING ON THE SITE.
UM, AND SOME SIMILARITIES WITH THE LIGHTING.
UH, CAN WE MOVE TO SLIDE TWO, PLEASE? A LITTLE BIT JUST BRIEFLY BACKGROUND, UM, FROM THE MASTER PLAN, THIS IS ONE OF THE ORIGINAL FOUR SQUARES FROM THE 1839 WALNUT PLAN.
UM, IT WAS, UH, THE FOURTH STREET, UH, UH, EXCUSE ME, FIFTH STREETS IN THE NORTH OF THE SITE WAS, UH, PROPOSED FOR THE ORIGINAL RAIL LINE INTO A TOWN.
THIS RAIL LINE WAS NEVER BUILT.
UM, BUT THE, UH, UM, DEEPA HOTEL WAS CONSTRUCTED, UM, FOR THAT PURPOSE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF HISTORY OF THE SITE TIED TO THE RAILROAD.
IT WAS OPERATED AS A COTTON YARD BY SEBA BOGART BRUSH, UM, FROM WHICH, UH, FROM WHOM IT GETS ITS NAME, UH, IN THE LATE 18 HUNDREDS, UH, FIRE STATION.
NUMBER ONE WAS BUILT ON THE SITE IN 1938, UH, AND REMAINS IN OPERATION TODAY, THE HENRY HOUSE AND, UM, WAS MOVED TO THE SITE IN 1935.
AND THIS IS IN A DICKINSON HOUSE, WAS MOVED TO THE SITE IN 2008.
UH, BUT THE FIRE STATION IS THE SOLE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE TO THE SITE.
UH, THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE SITE WAS MOSTLY USED FOR SURFACE PARKING, UH, IN THE, IN THE MID 20TH CENTURY.
UM, AND THE LOWER PART OF THE SITE HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED, UH, PARKING LOT, STILL REMAINS ON THE SITE SERVING, UH, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE SITE IS NOTABLY, UH, USED FOR LARGE EVENTS, INCLUDING THE ANNUAL HENRY PAWN OFF, UH, AND VARIOUS EVENTS TIED TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.
WE'VE MOVED TO SLIDE THREE, PLEASE.
UH, THE ENGAGEMENT PROCESS FOR THAT MASTER PLAN, UM, CONTINUED THROUGH THE LIFE TO THE APPROXIMATELY ONE YEAR LIFE SPAN OF THAT PROJECT.
UM, IT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN MARCH OF 2019.
UM, COUNCIL WENT ON TO, UH, IN MARCH OF 2019 COUNCIL WENT ON TO DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER TO CONSIDER DEVELOPING A PLAN, DETERMINING A LOCATION AND IDENTIFYING FUNDING TO RELOCATE FIRE STATION.
NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS KEY TO THE PHASING OF THE MASTER PLAN, ULTIMATELY FEEDBACK FROM THAT PROCESS, UH, UM, REACHED MORE THAN 400, UM, DIFFERENT INPUTS FROM STAKEHOLDERS, UH, INCLUDING THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
UH, WE WENT BEFORE THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON THE MASTER PLAN IN JANUARY OF 2019.
UH, CAN WE MOVE TO SLIDE FOUR, PLEASE? UH, I SPOKE ABOUT THE PHASING OF THE MASTER PLAN.
THE PHASING OF THE MASTER PLAN IS DUE TO THE OPERATIONS OF THE FIRE STATION.
THERE ARE LIMITED IMPACTS THAT CAN BE DONE, UH, IN EARLY PHASE.
UH, ONE OF THE KEY RECOMMENDATIONS COMING OUT OF THAT MASTER PLAN WAS TO PRIORITIZE GETTING THE FUNDING FOR PHASE ONE AND GETTING MOVING WITH THE PROJECT THAT'S BEEN A PRIORITY FOR PART.
HOWEVER, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WITH THE FIRE STATION OPERATION, UH, FULL EXTENT OF A MASTER PLAN CANNOT BE REALIZED.
SO IN PHASE ONE, THE IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE MASTER PLAN INCLUDED DEMOLISHING AND RELOCATING THE EXISTING PARKING LOT TO FREE UP MORE CENTRAL SPACE IN THE CENTER OF THE PARK TO CREATING THAT LARGER EVENT LAWN AND ADDING FOR THE FIRST TIME ACCESSIBLE SHADED PATHWAYS INTO THE PARK, PROVIDING SEATING, LIGHTING SITE FURNISHINGS, AND WORKING TO PRESERVE AND ENHANCE THE HERITAGE TREES ON THE SITE
[00:50:01]
IN PHASE TWO, UM, THE MASTER PLAN CALLS FOR THE COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE FIRE STATION PARKING LOT, AND THE DEMOLITION OF THE LATER CONSTRUCTED FIRE STATION ANNEX AND A, UM, RESTORATION OF THE ORIGINAL FIRE STATION BUILDING INTO A PUBLIC USE OF SOME SORT WITH A SORT OF PLAZA AND FEEDING AROUND IT, AS WELL AS EXTENDING OUT THE LAWN, UM, AND PERFORMANCE AREA, UM, AND COMPLETING OUT GREAT STREETS ON, UM, FORTUNES OF THE RIGHT OF WAY WHERE IT'S NOT ALREADY, UH, IN EFFECT.UH, IF WE CAN MOVE TO SLIDE FIVE, PLEASE.
UH, THE IMAGES ON SLIDE FIVE ARE INTENDED TO SHOW THE PHASE ONE MASTER PLAN IMAGERY ON THE LEFT AND OUR CURRENT, UM, IMAGERY FOR THE PHASE.
ONE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW, UH, SHOWING ADHERENCE TO THE PLAN.
UM, THE KEY SHOWS THE, THE EXISTING FIRE STATION, OH, HENRY MUSEUM AND DICKINSON MUSEUM ON THE NORTH HALF OF THE SITE, UH, AS WELL AS THE RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED PUBLIC RESTROOM ON TRINITY STREET ON, UH, UH, MISSES ON THE SLIDE, BUT ALSO, UH, RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED PUBLIC WATER FOUNTAIN THAT LOCATION AS WELL.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THE CONTINUITY BETWEEN THE TWO PLANS.
UM, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT LATER ABOUT THE SHIFTING OF THAT PARKING LOT, BUT WE ARE, UM, MAKING THAT PARKING LOT FAR MORE EFFICIENT FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TRYING TO MOVE IT, UH, AS FAR WEST TO THE SITE SO THAT WE CAN MAXIMIZE THE OPEN SPACE ON THE CENTRAL, UH, FOLLOWING SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT, INCLUDING FEEDBACK FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE PHASE ONE SITE PLAN NOW SHOWS A STRONGER DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE FOURTH STREET PLAZA, WHICH FRONTS THE CONVENTION CENTER AT FOURTH STREET PLAZA BEING THE PEDESTRIANIZATION OF FOURTH STREET, TIED TO THE CAP METRO DOWNTOWN STATION PROJECT.
IT'S CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UM, SUSTAINABILITY ELEMENTS ARE BEING ADDED.
WE HAVE ADDED, UM, UH, TWO RAIN GARDENS THROUGH THE PROJECT.
AND WE'RE CURRENTLY IN DISCUSSION WITH PART ABOUT PURSUING SITES, UM, FOR THE PROJECT, WHICH WOULD BE, I BELIEVE A FIRST FOR THE, UH, FOR THE DEPARTMENT, UH, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, UM, FROM THE DESIGN COMMISSION, WE DID ENLARGE THE DECK, UM, AREA, WHICH IS, UM, UH, ITEM TWO HERE ON THIS SLIDE, UH, AND REPLACED, UH, THE PREVIOUS, WE HAD PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED BOLLARD LIGHTING, UH, THAT HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH 12 FOOT PEDESTRIAN LIGHTS.
UH, ALSO ADD AN ADDITIONAL SHADE TREES TO THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE SITE, UM, AND CREATED MORE SEAT WALLS, UH, INFORMAL SEATING OPPORTUNITIES ALONG ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE SITE, ALONG TRINITY STREET, IF WE CAN MOVE TO SAY, UM, EXCUSE ME, UH, PAGE SIX ON PAGE SIX, THE FIRST ONE TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE DOTTED OUTLINE AND THE SORT OF CENTER OF THE SITE PLAN.
THAT IS THE FOOTPRINT OF THE CURRENT, UH, PAR, UH, PARKING LOT.
SO THIS SLIDE IS INTENDED TO SHOW THE DEGREE TO WHICH THAT PARKING LOT IS BEING SHIFTED TO CREATE A BETTER, MORE USABLE SPACE IN THE SOUTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE PARK.
UH, SO CONCURRENT PROJECTS, UM, OUR LEGION ON THIS SITE, UH, I MENTIONED THE CAP METRO DOWNTOWN STATION, UH, PROJECT IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
THE O HENRY MUSEUM, UM, IS CURRENTLY ALSO GOING ON UNDERGOING, UM, UH, REHABILITATION TO THE MUSEUM AND GROUNDS CONSTRUCTION SENSING WENT UP, I BELIEVE OUR LAST MONTH, UH, TO BEGIN THAT PROJECT, THE FIRE STATION ITSELF IS ALSO, UH, CURRENTLY, UM, IN EARLY DESIGN PHASE FOR, UM, A RENOVATION OF THAT ENTIRE PROJECT TOO.
AND, UH, OUR PROJECT MANAGER AND THAT PROJECT MANAGER ARE MEETING, UM, FAIRLY REGULARLY TO ENSURE, UM, THOSE PROJECTS ARE COLLABORATING SEAMLESSLY.
SO ALL THAT IS TO SAY THAT A LOT OF THOSE THINGS ARE DRIVING.
WHAT IS, UH, WHAT IS SHOWN HERE IN PINK AS, AS THE PROPOSED LIMIT OF WORK FOR THE PHASE ONE PROJECT? UM, SOME OF THOSE OTHER ELEMENTS ARE CONCURRENT ARE CONCURRENTLY HAPPENING.
UH, THE MAJOR ELEMENTS HERE BEING, EXPANDING THAT EVENT LAW AND PROTECTING THE HERITAGE TREES, UM, THAT SHADED DECK AREA WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, UH, PARTS THAT HAVE BEEN FORESTRY DIVISION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT PUTTING ANY FOOTINGS INTO THE 50% CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.
WE'LL BE CANDIDLY LEAVING OVER SMALL AREAS AND WE'LL BE USING 10 FOUNDATIONS TO MINIMIZE THE, UM, THE IMPACT WITHIN THE 100% CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OF THOSE HERITAGE.
UH, THOSE ARE BOTH LIVE OAKS IN THAT LOCATION.
UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, ADDING, UH, INTERNAL ACCESSIBLE CIRCULATION ROUTE TO ALL PROGRAMS WITHIN THE CENTER OF THE SITE.
WE COULD MOVE TO PAGE SEVEN, PLEASE.
UH, SPOKE A LITTLE ABOUT, ABOUT SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS.
UH, THE PHASING FOR, UH, THE MASTER PLAN DID RECOMMEND THAT A FULL GRAY STREETS BUILD OUT BE PART OF PHASE TWO THAT IS REALLY BEING DRIVEN BY THE OPERATIONS OF THE FIRE STATION, UH, REQUIRE A FAIRLY SUBSTANTIAL CURB CUTS
[00:55:01]
ON ACCESS TO BOTH TRINITY STREET AND FIFTH STREET, UH, AS SHOWN IN THIS DIAGRAM.OTHER REMAINDER OF TRINITY STREET, UH, COMPLIES WITH THE, THE PHYSICAL, UM, REQUIREMENTS FOR GREAT STREETS, UH, AND THE, UM, PEDESTRIANIZATION OF, UH, EAST FOURTH STREET, UH, WE BELIEVE ALSO MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE CHARACTER OF GREAT STREETS AND THAT LOCATION, UH, A COUPLE OF KEY, UM, ADDITIONAL CONSTRAINT AREAS INCLUDE THE AREA AROUND THE DICKINSON MUSEUM, WHERE WE'RE, WHERE WE ARE PHYSICALLY, UH, CONSTRAINED BY THE SMALL MUSEUM GROUNDS OF THAT BUILDING, UH, AND ALONG NICHES STREET WHERE, UH, RECENTLY CONSTRUCTED TRUCK TURNAROUND, UM, DRIVEN BY THE DOWNTOWN STATION PROJECT, WHICH, UM, CLOSED NET JUST TO THROUGH TRAFFIC HAS PUSHED THE CURB, UH, UP TO THE PROPERTY LINE WHERE WE HAVE AN EXISTING FIVE FOOT SIDEWALK.
WE ARE PROPOSING TO KEEP THAT SIDEWALK IN PLACE AS ANY DISTURBANCE OF THAT WOULD REQUIRE WORK WITHIN THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OF THAT HERITAGE TREE.
UM, CAN WE MOVE TO SLIDE EIGHT, PLEASE? SO AS A, AS A, AS A RELIEF AND TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE EQUIVALENT DESIGN FOR SOME CHAPTER E, UH, WHICH WE KNOW TO BE TRUMPED BY GREAT STREETS IN THIS, IN THIS CASE, UH, WE ARE, UM, PROVIDING, UH, AN INTERIOR CIRCULATION ROUTE THAT, UH, IT'S, IT ITSELF IS INTENDED TO, UH, MEET OR EXCEED ALL GREAT, UM, URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS.
UH, THIS IS AN ACCESSIBLE ROUTE INTO THE PARK, INTO THE LAWN AREA THAT HAS NEVER EXISTED BEFORE, UH, THAT WILL PROVIDE, UM, SHADED ACCESSIBLE PATHS TO THE LAWN AREA, TO THE DECK AREA, UM, AND ALSO PROVIDE, UH, CONNECTIONS TO THE, THE, UM, SOUTH SIDES OF THE DICKINSON AND OF HENRY MUSEUMS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
UH, PHASE TWO WOULD ULTIMATELY ENVISION THAT PATH CONTINUING OUT TO TRINITY STREET, BUT, UM, THE FIRE STATION, UM, DOES REQUIRE SOME SECURITY, BUT ALSO THAT WILL BE, UH, A LIMITED ACCESS GATE, UH, IN THAT LOCATION DURING PHASE ONE.
SO IT WILL BE THIS, THIS PATHWAY WILL BE LIGHTED WITH 12 FOOT PEDESTRIAN LIGHTS, AS I MENTIONED, UM, THEIR SPACING IS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 FEET ON CENTER, UM, WHICH EXCEEDS THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, UH, AND WILL BE, UM, EFFECTIVELY IN ITS, IN ITS ENTIRETY, SHADED BY EXISTING OR NEW TREES.
UH, THIS IS ALSO A DIRECT CONNECTION TO TRANSIT, UH, THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN STATION, AS WELL AS A MAJOR BIKEWAY AND THE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY THAT RUNS IMMEDIATELY TO THE SOUTH OF THE SITE, IF WE CAN MOVE TO SLIDE NINE, PLEASE.
SO ULTIMATELY I WANTED TO RUN THROUGH SOME OF THE, UH, SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, AGAIN, THE INTERNAL CIRCULATION ROUTE AND ACCESS TO THE CENTER OF THE SITE IS, IS REALLY THE KEY MOVE HERE.
UM, WE ARE OPENING UP SOME OF THE SIGHT LINES BY MOVING THE PARKING LOT, UH, INCREASING INCREASING SAFETY AND SENSE OF SAFETY THROUGH ADDING LIGHTING, ADDING TO THE PARK, UH, INCREASING SITE, UM, IMPROVING SIGHT LINES AND VISIBILITY LINES THROUGHOUT, UH, THE DOTTED ORANGE LINES.
WE'LL SHOW THE, UM, KEY FUTURE PHASE TWO CONNECTIONS THAT ARE ENVISIONED BY THIS, UH, PROJECT AS WELL.
UM, ULTIMATELY SOME OF THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT, UM, WE'RE ACKNOWLEDGING HERE, A CONNECTION TO OPEN SPACE, UM, AND ACCESS INTO THE PARK AND, AND PROVIDING MORE PATHS OF ENTRY TO THAT PARK FROM DIFFERENT, UM, UM, LOCATIONS AROUND IT, AS WELL AS PROVIDING ACCESSIBILITY FOR THE FIRST TIME.
LIKE I MENTIONED, OPENING UP, UH, VIEWS AND SIGHT LINES.
UH, THE SITE, THE SITE IS, UH, FAIRLY CONSTRAINED TO NATURAL BREEZES BECAUSE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER, BUT THAT, UM, THAT PRIMARY SELF EAST ENTRANCE, UH, IS ALIGNED WITH PREVAILING WINDS, WHICH IS ANOTHER URBAN DESIGN, UH, GUIDELINE PROVIDING CLEAR AND WELL LIT PATHWAYS WITH PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHTING.
UH, WE WILL BE ADDING, UH, 14 BIKE RACKS AS PART OF THE PROJECT.
UH, SOME OF THESE ARE LOCATED TO THE SOUTH OF THE PARKING LOT.
OTHERS ARE LOCATED AT THE ENTRANCE ALONG THAT JUST STREET, UH, FOR A TOTAL OF 28 NEW SPACES, UH, ADDING WASTE AND RECYCLING RECEPTACLES PART, UH, ONLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS ADDED RECYCLING TO ITS FACILITY.
SO THIS IS A, A FAIRLY NEW MOVE FOR THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, AS WELL AS ADDING BENCHES, UH, INSIDE THE PARK, AS WELL AS, UM, MYRIAD OPPORTUNITIES FOR INFORMAL SEATING THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE SMALL AND LARGE GROUPS ALONG THE SEAT SEAWALLS.
UM, THE, UH, AS I MENTIONED, WE ALSO WILL BE, WE'LL BE LOOKING AT PURSUING SITES, UH, FOR THE PROJECT, UM, ACCREDITATION, THAT'S A, UM, FOR ANYONE WHO IS UNFAMILIAR WITH THAT, UH, EFFECTIVELY, UH, UH, SORT OF LEAD ACCREDITATION FOR LANDSCAPE PROJECTS, UH, AND IN KEEPING WITH CRATE STREET STANDARDS FOR TREE PLANTING AT THE FOUR MAJOR SQUARES, WE WILL BE, UH, ANY NEW SHADE TREES
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WE WILL BE ADDING WILL BE LIVE OAKS.SO, UM, IN CONCLUSION, WE ARE, UH, WHERE REQUESTS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE HERE, UM, TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE PROJECT, UM, TO GET YOUR SUPPORT FOR, UH, MEETING THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES THROUGH THIS, UH, ALTERNATIVE DESIGN PATHS, UM, AND, UH, UH, UM, ALTERNATIVE EQUIVALENT COMPLIANCE SUBJECT.
ARE YOU, EXCUSE ME, UH, I GUESS WE CAN LAND ON SLIDE 10, WHICH IS JUST A THANK YOU, UH, AND BACK TO, UH, THE RENDERING, OR WE CAN STAY ON SLIDE NINE.
UM, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO, UM, UH, HAND THIS OVER TO YOU ALL FOR DISCUSSION.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE SANTA GUCCI.
HEY, BRIAN, I LIKED THE PROJECT AND I ACTUALLY LIKED THAT INTERNAL MOTIVATION, BUT THE BIGGEST QUESTION, WHAT IS THE ENCLOSURE PARKING A PARKING LOT? WHAT IS ENCLOSED IN THERE? WHAT MATERIAL? UH, SO THE, THERE WILL BE A SMALL, UM, RETAINING WALL, UM, AROUND THE EDGE OF THE PARKING LOT, NO TALLER THAN FIVE FEET.
AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE WILL HAVE A FENCE, UH, WE'LL BE USING A MARISTAR WIRE FENCE AT THE VERY FOOT OF, UM, UNOBTRUSIVE IT'S.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE NEW FENCING AT BARTON SPRINGS POOL, IT'S THE SAME PRODUCT THAT'S USED THERE.
IS IT PEOPLE GO BY YOU? SAME ONE? UH, NO, WE USED, UH, WE USED A DIFFERENT PRO WE USED A THICKER PRODUCT THAT GOES LIKE A VALLEY.
BECAUSE THAT IS KIND OF THE BACKDROP, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PARK AND FOR THOSE PATHS.
SO IT MIGHT BE NICE IF YOU COULD HAVE SOME KIND OF A GREEN WALL OR SOMETHING TO JUST LOOK IN IT AT THE END DENSITY, ESPECIALLY ON THAT ONE WALL.
IS THAT BEEN THOUGHT OF, SO THAT I DID NOT, I DID NOT TOUCH ON THAT IN, IN THE CONVERSATION, UH, EVAN, BUT, UM, EXCUSE ME, COMMISSIONER.
AND, UM, UH, THAT IS ACTUALLY IN OUR, IN OUR DD SET AND OUR 60, 60% DESIGN WE ARE SHOWING, UM, GROWING GREENERY AROUND THE EAST, WEST AND SOUTH SIDES OF THAT FENCE.
GOOD COMMENT, COMMISSIONER COLIN, THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
ONE IS, UM, THE SIDEWALKS BEING ONLY FIVE FEET AND DEPTH IS REALLY TROUBLESOME TO ME, ESPECIALLY AS WE GROW AS A COMMUNITY AND HOW MUCH MORE ACTIVE THIS PLACE IS BECOMING.
SO, UH, I LOOKED AT THE DITCHES SIDE AND IT SPAN THE SIDEWALK TO THE BACK OF CURB.
YOU WON'T BE IMPACTING THE TREE AND IT LOOKS TO BE ON GOOGLE EARTH THAT YOU COULD ADD ABOUT FIVE FEET AND WIDTH IS, AM I WRONG? AND THE WAY I'M LOOKING AT IT, AND THAT MAY BE TRUE FOR OTHER STREETS SIZE.
I'VE JUST, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT APPROVING, UH, OUT ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE WITH ONLY FIVE FEET OF SIDEWALK DEPTH.
UM, SO WE ARE WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
SO GOOGLE EARTH MAY NOT HAVE BEEN UPDATED TO SHOW HOW THE, UH, THE NEW, UM, CAP METRO DRIVEWAY FLARES OUT.
IF, IF IT'S NOT, I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, IT'S OKAY.
SO THAT, THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN THAT HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED ALREADY, AND THAT, THAT TURNAROUND LOOP GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE PROPERTY LINE, TO THE EDGE OF THE FIVE FOOT SIDEWALK.
AND THEN CAN WE PULL THAT UP WHILE YOU'RE PRESENTING BRENDAN SO I CAN GET IT? YEAH.
COULD, IF WE COULD GO TO, UH, ACTUALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF THAT CONVERSATION, PERHAPS WE COULD GO TO SLIDE SEVEN, SEVEN IS UP NOW.
SO THE PINK LINE IN THAT LOCATION REPRESENTS THE PROPERTY LINE, UH, AND THE, THE BLACK LINE REPRESENTS THE CURRENTLY EXISTING CURB AS IT'S BEEN RECONSTRUCTED.
SO THAT'S THAT, THAT'S THAT FIVE FOOT ZONE.
AND I THINK I AM ALL YOURS FOR, UM, FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO, TO WIDEN THAT SIDEWALK.
BUT I MEAN, THAT IS, THAT'S A TREE THAT'S OLDER THAN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE REALLY TRICKY SITUATIONS THAT WE FACE AS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, RIGHT.
WHERE THAT IS THE THAT'S THE 50% CRITICAL REASON YOU'RE SHOWING IN THE DASH LINE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE EXISTING SIDEWALK ALREADY INTRUDES INTO THAT.
UH, HA I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE GRADES ARE LIKE THERE, BUT HERE'S MY CONCERN.
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IF YOU DON'T HAVE WIDER PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO WALK, THE COMPACTION ON THAT TREE IS GOING TO HAPPEN.I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO WALK ANYWAY ON THE DIRT AND IT'S JUST GOING TO GET THAT MUCH WORSE.
UM, I THINK THAT THIS ONE OF THOSE REALLY RARE SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, ABIDING BY THE STRICT INTERPRETATION OF THE RULES MIGHT BE MORE DETRIMENTAL TO THE TREE THAN TRYING TO MANAGE IT.
AND THIS MAY BE ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE WE DON'T EXPLORE SOME SORT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY THIN, UH, GRAVEL CAKE WITH SOME SORT OF BASALT, GRANULAR, GRAVEL, NOT DECOMPOSED GRANITE, THAT'S BAD FOR TREES BECAUSE OF LACK OF PERCOLATION, BUT SOMETHING THAT CAN PROTECT THAT ROOT SYSTEM FROM THE INEVITABLE, WHICH IS PEOPLE WALKING ON IT, JUST GOING TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
THE OTHER DIMENSION ON FIFTH STREET, IS IT T WHAT IS THE WIDTH OF THE SIDEWALK ON FIFTH STREET? UH, THE WIDTH OF THE SIDEWALK ON FIFTH STREET.
I SHOULD HAVE, I SHOULD HAVE CALLED THAT OUT ON A PLAN.
LET ME TAKE A QUICK MEASUREMENT.
UM, ON MY PLAN, I DON'T MISTAKE.
I CAN SEE A WIDTH OF THE SIDEWALK.
THERE'S 10 FEET ON FIFTH STREET.
SO THE RIGHT OF WAY, THE RIGHT OF WAY IS, IS 10 FEET OF THE SIDEWALK IS SIX FEET.
CAN IT BE, THIS IS ONE AREA WHERE WE MAY BE, I, I, I THINK WE CAN EXPLORE THAT.
UM, AND THE, THE, THE MOST, I THINK THE MOST STREAMLINED WAY FOR US TO DO THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE TO WIDEN THE SIDEWALK INTO THE PARK AREA.
UM, THIS WOULD REQUIRE PERHAPS A LITTLE BIT OF COORDINATION WITH THE DICKINSON MUSEUM FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO RUN A FOUL OF ANY SORT OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
I MEAN, I KNOW THE, THE SITE OF THE SITE OF THE DICKINSON MUSEUM ITSELF IS NOT HISTORIC, BUT THEY MAY HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT THE, THE APPROACH TO THE MUSEUM, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING WHERE WE'RE HAPPY TO LOOK AT.
AND WHAT ABOUT TRINITY? WHAT'S THE WIDTH OF THE SIDEWALK AS, AS COMMISSIONER TANA, GIGI WAS TALKING ABOUT AT THE WALL AND AT THE CORNER ALL THE WAY AROUND SIDEWALK WITH, AND THIS SITUATION IS I THINK VERY CRITICAL TO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT IS OUR GREAT STREETS, RIGHT? LITTLE BIT OF CORRECT.
AND OUR INTERPRETATION IS THAT THAT AREA IS ALREADY MEETING THE DIMENSIONAL REQUIREMENTS.
SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF VARIATION, BUT IT'S APPROXIMATELY 21 FEET FROM THE CURB TO OUR MALL.
ARE THEY IN SQUARE OPENINGS OR TREE GRATES? I CAN'T REMEMBER.
ONE, ONE NICE THING ABOUT DOING THIS REMOTELY WITH GOOGLE IN THE MEETING.
THEY'RE EITHER IN TREE GRATES OR SMALL PLANTING AREAS, BUT YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S AN OLDER, UM, RIGHT AWAY DESIGN IN THAT LOCATION.
ARE YOU GOING TO IMPROVE THAT, CHANGE THAT, LEAVE IT ALONE.
WHAT'S THE IDEA THERE, WE WERE PLANNING TO NOT TOUCH IT, UM, FROM A PERMITTING STANDPOINT, THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, SOME PAVING MATERIALS IN THAT RIGHT OF WAY, AS WELL AS THE SORT OF EMBEDDED, UH, STARS, UM, HONORING CERTAIN PEOPLE.
UM, WE, WE FELT THAT IT WOULD BE, UM, PRUDENT FOR US TO NOT TOUCH THAT BECAUSE, UM, SO MUCH OF THE PAVING STUFF IS CONSIDERED NONCOMPLIANT BY DSD NOW, BUT WE WERE CONCERNED THAT WE'D HAVE TO BE RIPPING UP A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT ACTUALLY IN OUR OPINION ADDS TO THE CHARACTER OF THAT LOCATION.
WELL, LET'S LOOK AT THAT TOGETHER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE FACE THIS A LOT WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE REQUIRING THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPERS AND PROVE THE RIGHT OF WAY AS PART OF THE APPROVAL OF THE PROJECT.
SO WE MAY NOT GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO IMPROVE THIS IF WE DON'T DO IT WITH BRUSH SQUARE, THAT'S THE NATURE OF HOW THINGS ARE.
SO I JUST REMEMBER THAT NOT BEING A GREAT CONDITION, I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED AT IT PRIOR TO THIS MEETING, BUT I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO VISIT THE SIDEWALK WITH, WITH EXCEPTION OF FOURTH STREET PLAZA MAY NOT BE NECESSARY FOR STREET, EXCUSE ME, BUT THE OTHER THREE EDGES TO ME, I THINK WE NEED TO MAXIMIZE THE PEDESTRIAN REALM, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT 1930S WHIFFS, RIGHT.
SO IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO ACCOMMODATE OUR POPULATION AS, AS SHOWN.
I THINK THAT'S ANN'S OPINION, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN'S OPINION, UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKS FANTASTIC AND BEAUTIFUL, BUT THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN.
THERE MIGHT BE, THERE MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITY
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THE WAY I SEE IT IN PHASE TWO, WHEN THE PARKING LOT IS REMOVED AND THE CURB IS REMOVED, UM, TO ADDRESS TRINITY STREET AT THAT TIME TO, UM, JUST ASSIGN IT.SO IT'LL BE CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WORK DURING THAT PHASE.
AND AT RISK OF SOUNDING LIKE I'M MAKING EXCUSES, WHICH ARE NOT THE, THE CURRENT STATE OF PROJECT CONNECTS, CREATES A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR THAT CORRIDOR AS WELL.
UM, THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE ANSWERED SHORTLY.
BUT OUR CURRENT CURRENTLY WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF DIRECTION ABOUT WHAT CAP METRO WANTS TO DO WITH THE TRINITY CORRIDOR.
THAT'S ALWAYS THE BIG CONUNDRUM, ISN'T IT? WHETHER YOU, YOU MAKE A DECISION NOW TO, OR YOU MIGHT HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT FOR 34 YEARS, WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
BUT I THINK A REVISITED THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US, FOR ME.
AND I THINK, I THINK I'LL SPEAK FOR SCOTT AND MYSELF THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, WILL, THIS IS SOMETHING WE WOULD DEFINITELY BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT WITH, WITH AARON AND WITH JORGE AND HIS CREW ON, ON, UH, THE URBAN IN THE URBAN DESIGN DIVISION.
I HAD TWO, I'M SORRY, I'LL GET THE OTHER ONE OUT OF THE WAY YOU'RE INDICATING IN THE PARKS, SOME BRICK SEAT WALLS, IT LOOKS LIKE WITH A STONE CAP.
IS THAT BECAUSE THAT IS THAT FULLY DEFINED AND WHERE DOES THE INSPIRATION COME FROM? THE BRICK? AND OF COURSE, LIMESTONE CAPS AND THE DOWNTOWN AREAS ARE LIKE SKATEBOARDER PARADISE.
SO I'M JUST THINKING ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCY ABOUT HOW THAT KIND OF CONDITION.
SO WE HAVE BEEN, SO ON THE BRICKS, WE, WE ACTUALLY WORKED WITH A MANUFACTURER WHO PURCHASED ELEGANT BUTLER, UM, AND ASKED THEM TO PROVIDE US SOME SAMPLES THAT WOULD BE, UM, RESPONSIVE TO THE FACADE OF THE, OF A FIRE STATION.
SO THE, THE INSPIRATION FOR THE BRICK WORK, UM, BOTH THE COLORS AND THAT SORT OF, THAT HIGHLIGHT COURSE OF BRICK.
THOSE ARE BOTH DESIGN MOVES COMING STRAIGHT FROM THE BUILDING.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DESIGN TEAM FOR THE FIRE STATION TO, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THAT LANDSCAPE, UH, FEEL CONNECTED TO THE BUILDING.
UH, WE'LL PROBABLY BE NOT PROBABLY, WE'RE GOING TO BE SHARING, UH, ANDRADE HANDRAIL DETAILS BETWEEN THEIR PROJECTS AND OURS TO TRY TO HAVE A VISUAL SYNCHRONY VISUAL CONNECTION BETWEEN THOSE TWO, AS FAR AS THE LINE, THE CAPS ARE GOING TO BE A CAPSTONE PRODUCT IS, IS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING CURRENTLY.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE ARTS, UH, AREAS WHERE WE MIGHT, UH, VARY THE HEIGHTS OF THE CAST STONE TO, UM, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN'T CREATE A SKATING SURFACE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO BE, UH, W WE'RE TRYING TO BE VISUALLY, UH, VERY LIGHT HANDED AND NOT DETERRENT.
APOLOGIES IF I MISSED THIS ALREADY, BUT, UM, DID YOU HAVE DRINKING FOUNTAINS AND BIKE RACKS? AND, UH, THIS IS MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF A STRETCH, BUT I THINK THAT THE CITY NEEDS TO CONSIDER PUTTING MORE PUBLIC BATHROOMS AND ESPECIALLY PLACES LIKE THIS.
UM, HAS THAT BEEN A DISCUSSION? IS THAT PART OF THE SCOPE AT ALL? SO IT'D BE WELL, SO YES AND NO.
SO IT'S NOT PART OF OUR SCOPE, BUT ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE PORTLAND LOO PILOT PUBLIC RESTROOMS WAS RECENTLY INSTALLED, UH, IN THE RIGHT OF WAY ON TRINITY STREET, IN THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF THE SITE.
UH, I THINK THAT WENT IN LAST, LAST SPRING OR WINTER, UH, AND, UH, THIS MONTH, UM, PUBLIC WORKS IS ALSO INSTALLED A, UH, PUBLIC, UH, WATER FOUNTAIN, UH, I THINK WITH A BOTTLE FILLER AND A DOG FOUNTAIN, UH, IN THAT SAME LOCATION IN THE SOUTHEAST CORNER.
SO THEY ARE, UH, THE, THE WATER FOUNTAIN IS WITHIN THE PROPERTY LINE.
THE PUBLIC RESTROOM IS JUST OUTSIDE THE PROPERTY.
SO OUR PROJECT IS PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FACILITIES BEYOND THAT, BUT, UM, BUT THEY ARE ON THE SITE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS GREAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, I HAVE ONE COMMENT.
IT'S PHASE ONE, OR QUESTION IS PHASE ONE FULLY FUNDED.
UH, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 2.2 MILLION IN HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, UH, AS FUNDING FOR THE PHASE ONE.
LET ME, LET ME STEP BACK FROM THAT, BUT THAT IS NOT THE FULL FUNDING THAT WAS REQUIRED FOR PHASE ONE OF THE MASTER PLAN.
UH, WE, WE DID REMOVE, UH, SOME OF, UH,
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PROPOSED WATER FEATURE ELEMENTS TO GET THE PHASE ONE IMPROVEMENTS INTO THAT, UH, $2.2 MILLION BUDGET.BUT IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR PHASE ONE IN THE MASTER PLAN WAS CLOSER TO 3.4 MILLION, BUT AT THIS POINT, EVERYTHING THAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU TODAY IS FULLY FUNDED.
UH, WELL, I, I, UH, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRED SINCE WE SEEN IT LAST.
I, ESPECIALLY LIKE THE, UM, CONNECTION TO THE FOURTH STREET PLAZA.
I SEE THAT PLAZA, YOU KNOW, BEING AN EXTENSION OF THIS PARK.
UM, SO THAT CONNECTION, I THINK WILL BE VERY USEFUL.
UM, IT'S A SHAME THAT WE HAVE TO TEAR DOWN THE PARKING LOT AND MOVE IT OVER 50 SEATS.
BUT, UH, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING THAT.
UM, BUT I THINK EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU'VE SHOWN ME IS REALLY NICE.
UM, IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, UH, THIS IS POSTED FOR ACTION, UM, TO RECOMMEND THIS PROJECT.
UM, DOES ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A MOTION, MR. TAN? GUCCI YOU'RE ON MUTE, BUT I THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION.
YOU MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THIS PROJECT.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? CAN I ASK REALLY QUICK? ARE WE JUST APPROVING PHASE ONE OR IS THIS GOING TO BE FOR BOTH PHASES? THIS OTHER WAY I UNDERSTAND IS THIS IS JUST PHASE ONE.
UH, WE MIGHT REVIEW THE MASTER PLAN AND THAT'S CORRECT EARLIER LAST YEAR.
SO I ASSUME FATE WHEN PHASE TWO HAPPENS AND IN 10 YEARS, IT'LL COME BACK TO US.
DID YOU HAVE A DISCUSSION? I DID.
HOWEVER, I CAN'T SUPPORT THE MOTION BECAUSE I DO FEEL LIKE WE'RE LOOKING AT AN ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE, UH, RE APPROVAL FOR GREAT STREETS.
AND I DO NOT FEEL LIKE THE SPIRIT OF GREAT STREETS HAS BEEN ALTERNATIVELY EXPRESSED IN THE STREET BADGES.
SO FOR THAT REASON, THUMBS UP FOR THE PROJECT, I CAN'T SUPPORT IT FOR THAT REASON, BUT GREAT PROJECT.
YES, JORGE, PLEASE, JUST TO CLARIFY IT, THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE FOR GRAY STREETS.
UM, IF THE PROJECT THAT PHASE ONE OR PHASE TWO THROUGH THE SITE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS IS PROPOSAL STATE WOULD HAVE TO MEET THE DISTRICTS.
SO THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE FOR STREET.
UM, AND THAT ACTUALLY BRINGS UP A QUESTION, I GUESS, BECAUSE, UM, I KNOW BRENDAN, YOU MENTIONED THAT, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA THAT THERE WAS AN AEC OR THIS.
UM, BUT I KNOW YOU, YOU DID MENTION THAT WHAT THAT WAS FOR SUB CHAPTER E FOR WHAT SPECIFIC, UH, ITEM WAS THAT THAT IS, THAT IS RELATED TO THE RIGHT TO THE RIGHT OF WAY ON, MORE, ABOUT TO THE, UH, TO MEETINGS, UH, URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES AND SPIRITS OF GREAT STREETS.
UM, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT GREAT STREETS SUPERSEDES SUB CHAPTER II IN THIS CASE.
UM, THE REQUEST FOR AC WAS AN ATTEMPT TO GET OUT OF FRONT OF ANY CONFUSION THAT MIGHT DEVELOP A DSD.
UH, SO AS PART OF THE SITE PERMIT, UH, APPLICATION, UH, WE HAVE NOT YET SUBMITTED FOR SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT, BUT ARE HOPING TO DO SO IN THE NEXT MONTH.
DOES THAT CLARIFY COMMISSIONER COHEN? ACTUALLY, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR JORGE THEN THE, IN THAT, IN THAT REGARD, SO IS SUBCHAPTER E REQUIRED? TERRIFYING.
SUBCHAPTER IS ONLY REQUIRED IF RETREATS IS NOT BEING FOLLOWED, THAT IS THE DEFAULT FOR DOWNTOWN.
SO IT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH THE APPLICANT
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IF THEY ARE READING THE GRAY STREET STANDARDS.AND IF NOT, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PICK THIS UP AFTER THE STANDARDS.
AND THE, THIS PROJECT DOES NOT MEET SUB CHAPTER III STANDARDS BASED UPON HOW I UNDERSTAND IT.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ARE UNABLE TO MEET THE INTENT OF CERTAIN PORTIONS OF SUB CHAPTER II.
HENCE THE REQUEST FOR ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE FOR SPECIFIC SECTIONS OF SUBJECT CURRY.
AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE EQUAL OR BETTER DESIGN SOLUTION OF WHAT THE CODE ALLOWS, BUT SINCE IT HAS NOT BEEN SUBMITTED, THAT HAS NOT BEEN CODIFIED.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, WE HAVE, UM, WHETHER WE'VE SEEN AN ACTUAL SITE PLAN FOR PROCESS, I WOULD DEFER THAT TO THE APPLE.
CAN WE GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT PLEASE? BRENDAN, UH, COMMISSIONER THAT IS CORRECT.
WE HAVE NOT SUBMITTED FOR PERMIT OR COMPLETE THIS CHECK AT THIS POINT, THEN I'M GOING THROUGH, I'M GOING TO JUST HOLD TO THE SPIRIT OF MY DISCUSSION, UTILIZING OUR SUBSTITUTING SET CHAPTER II AS ALTERNATIVE EQUIVALENT COMPLIANCE.
I'D LIKE 10 SIMPLEST TERMS FOR THE STREET EDGES TO BE EXPLORED TO ITS FULLEST EXTENT TO TRY TO MAXIMIZE THE PEDESTRIAN WIDTH, TO BE SIMILAR TO WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR SUB CHAPTER II AND OR GREAT STREETS LIGHT.
SO, UH, SO I'M CLEAR COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU OFFERING A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION FOR THAT? NO, I'M SAYING I CAN'T SUPPORT THE MOTION.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? CAN I JUST CLARIFY SOMETHING FROM STAFF JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR THE COMMISSIONERS THAT THERE'S NOT A PATHWAY BY WHICH THIS COMMISSION CITY STAFF OR THROUGH ALTERNATIVE EQUALS A COMPLIANCE.
WE ARE ABLE TO GRANT ANY WAIVERS TO GRAY STREETS.
THAT'S A SEPARATE REVIEW PROCESS WHAT'S BEFORE YOU IS MY UNDERSTANDING IS ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE FROM SUB CHAPTER II, WHICH ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IN SECTIONS OF THE CODE.
MAYBE I WASN'T CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD.
AND, AND I GUESS PART OF MY OPINION ON THAT IS THAT I SEE THIS PROJECT A LITTLE DIFFERENT AS A PARK AND NOT A BUILDING BEING DEVELOPED, UM, THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PIECES OF SUBCHAPTER YOU THINK DON'T REALLY APPLY ANYWAY.
UM, SO THAT'S THAT'S BUT, UM, ANY MORE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT UP HAVE LOOKED AT OTHER PARKS IN THE PAST, AND, UM, OTHER PROJECTS THAT HAD STRUCTURES ON THEM, LIKE A FIRE STATION, LIKE A MUSEUM, WE DO LOOK AT THEM.
WHAT HAS STRUCTURES, JUST LIKE A DOWNTOWN BUILDING? SO, UM, THAT'S BEEN PART OF THE CON UH, SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, EXPLORE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LIBRARY PROJECT WHERE IT'S SHOAL CREEK WAS DESIGNED TO MEET THE INTENT OR THE ABSOLUTE IMPLEMENTATION OF GREAT STREETS.
SO WE HAVEN'T PULLED PARKS PROJECTS OUT.
IF YOU LOOK AT REPUBLIC PLAZA, IT HAS A GREAT STREETS, LIKE IF NOT EXACT REQUIREMENT FULFILLED FOR THE EDGES OF REPUBLIC SQUARE.
SO I'LL JUST PUT THAT OUT THAT THIS IS, I THINK I TOOK EXCEPTION WITH WHAT YOU SAID.
I THINK, I THINK THE CITY OF THE PAST HAS REVIEWED THESE TO BE IN COMPLIANT WITH SUB CHAPTER E AND OR GREAT STREETS OR SOMETHING SIMILAR.
WELL, I MEAN, IF WE'RE SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO STREET TREES, THEN, THEN YES, I, I AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, BUT THERE'S OTHER THINGS LIKE THE LOCATION ON THE PARKING LOT, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS DICTATED IN SOME CHAPTER THAT I WOULD SAY THEY DON'T HAVE THE OPTION IN THIS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU THERE'S CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, PHASE ONE, UM, DOESN'T COMPLETE, UH, GRAY STREETS.
I MEAN, IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE PHASE TWO IS GOING TO ADD SOME MORE, ESPECIALLY IT WILL COMPLETE TRINITY.
UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE SOME ISSUES ON THE NATCHEZ
[01:25:01]
SIDE WITH THE RIGHT OF WAY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.UM, SO ANYWAY, UM, I THINK WE CAN GO AHEAD AND VOTE, UM, CRUSHER COLEMAN, JUST FOR THE RECORD.
YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER LUKINS YOU'RE ON MUTE.
YOU STILL ON MUTE COMMISSIONER LUKINS CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY.
SO I HAVE THAT PASSING SEVEN TO ONE.
[1C. Staff briefing on the 5 year revision to the Austin Community Climate Plan to be presented by Zach Baumer and Celine Rendon from the Office of Sustainability.]
STAFF BRIEFING ON THE FIVE-YEAR REVISION TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY CLIMATE.HI, THIS IS DANA FOOTIE AND I HAVE SALINE RANT ON HERE WITH ME.
ARE YOU GUYS TODAY DOING WELL? HOW ARE YOU DOING ZACH? GOOD.
GOOD, GOOD TO HEAR YOUR VOICE, HEAR YOUR HEART.
UM, UM, WE BOTH ON, ON THE PROBLEM AND CAN'T SEE THE SCREEN.
SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE SLIDES.
UM, BEFORE I GET STARTED, HOW MUCH TIME DOES, DOES THIS MEETING HAVE REMAINING CHAIR? WE HAVE 30 MINUTES LEFT.
WE'RE MEETING TO GET THROUGH THE ENTIRE AGENDA CHAIR.
AND THIS IS THIS, THIS, AND THEN THE, UH, THE JSC RECOMMENDATION ARE THE LAST TWO, UH, NEW BUSINESS ITEMS. SO WE PROBABLY WANT TO CUT THIS TO ABOUT 20 MINUTES.
WELL, WE WILL, WE'LL TRY TO DO, WE'LL TRY TO DO IT IN 15.
WE'LL JUST KIND OF GO QUICKLY OVER THINGS, UM, AND NOT GO INTO ALL THE DETAIL CAUSE THIS CAN, THIS CAN GET REALLY LONG.
WE EXPLAIN EVERYTHING I'M SURE.
SO ARE THE SLIDE PULLED UP THE GREEN FLOOD? YEAH.
I'M THE CLIMATE PROGRAM MANAGER AND THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO REVISE THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN.
AND NOW WE HAVE THIS FULL, UH, NEW VERSION OF THIS PLAN.
UH, THIS IS THE FIVE YEAR REVISION OF THE ORIGINAL PLAN AND THE NEW TITLE IS THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR A YEAR NOW, UH, TO REVISE THIS PLAN.
THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS ADOPTED FIVE YEARS AGO.
UM, IT'S ON A FIVE YEAR REVISION CYCLE.
SO WE WENT THROUGH A LONG STAKEHOLDER PROCESS TO REVISE THIS AND THESE FULL DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, FOR THE LAST MONTH.
TODAY IS ACTUALLY THE LAST DAY OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD.
UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL, UH, BY THE END OF OCTOBER, EARLY NOVEMBER WITH THIS.
SO, UM, YEAH, WE'RE JUST HERE TO SHARE THIS AND HAVE ANY, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, UM, ET CETERA.
SO AS I SAID, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED THE GOAL OF NET ZERO COMMUNITY-WIDE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS BY 2050, AND BACK IN 2014, UH, THEY SET US OFF IN THIS INITIAL COURSE TO CREATE THE, THE CLAIM YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE.
SO IT WAS CREATED THROUGH A STAKEHOLDER PROCESS BACK IN 2014, 15 HAVE BEEN UNDER IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, AND YEAH, WITH OUR INITIAL SHOT AT A PLAN LIKE THIS AND ADDRESSING ALL EMISSIONS FROM
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ALL BUILDINGS, ALL BUSINESSES, ALL RESIDENTS, ALL TRANSPORTATION, LIKE EVERYTHING IN THE COMMUNITY.UM, SO WITH THE BIG FIRST ATTEMPT.
AND SO WE DID A LOT OF, UM, A LOT HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED, BUT A LOT OF LEARNING HAS GONE ON SINCE THEN.
SO, UH, AS WAS WRITTEN INTO THIS PLAN TO RE TO REVISE IT EVERY FIVE YEARS, YOU SET OFF ON THAT COURSE LAST FALL, NEXT SLIDE, SLIDE FOUR.
SO, UM, IT WAS CLEAR THAT WE NEEDED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LARGE INCLUSIVE PROCESS, UM, AND A LOT OF, UH, COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROCESS.
CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC.
SO WE HAD ABOUT 20, 24 CITY STAFF AND ABOUT 10 DEPARTMENTS, UH, WORKING ON THIS OVER 120 COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT DONATED THEIR TIME.
AND WE HAD EQUITY TRAININGS AND COMMUNITY FOCUS WORKSHOPS AND, UM, HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF MEETINGS.
UM, OUR STEERING COMMITTEE JUST MET FOR, I THINK THE 21ST TIME, UH, EARLIER TODAY.
UH, SO THOUSANDS OF HOURS HAVE BEEN PUT IN FROM THE COMMUNITY, COLLABORATING WITH STAFF TO CREATE THIS PLAN.
THIS IS JUST A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO OUR STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
UH, THESE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT DONATED THEIR TIME TO SUPPORT US AND SORT OF BE EVEN GUIDING DIRECTION, KIND OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO A BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THIS PROCESS.
SO THEY REALLY SORT OF KEPT US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND REALLY HELPED US, UM, WITH THE BIG PICTURE QUESTIONS BY SIX.
SO IT BECAME VERY CLEAR EARLY ON IN THIS PROCESS THAT WE NEED THEM TO CENTER EQUITY AND RACIAL EQUITY, UM, AS A, UH, CORE CORE SORT OF ANCHORING PRINCIPLE OF THIS PLAN OVER THIS DIRECTION CAME TO US, UM, FROM THE EQUITY OFFICE, WHICH OUR OFFICE WORKS CLOSELY WITH, BUT ALSO FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE, WHICH, UM, DAVID CARROLL SERVES ON THAT COMMITTEE AND THEY OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN.
SO THEY HAD BEEN GIVING US GUIDANCE THROUGH 2019, SO TO CENTER EQUITY IN THIS PLANET IN PROCESS.
SO WHERE THAT STARTS IS ACKNOWLEDGING THE INEQUITIES THAT EXIST IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THESE GO BACK TO CITY PLANNING EFFORTS BACK TO THE 1928 MASTER PLAN, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, CREATE ENDED UP SORT OF CONTRIBUTING TO AND CREATING, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL INEQUITIES, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, GENTRIFICATION, UH, HAS BEEN FUELING THESE CHANGES.
UM, THERE ARE DRAMATIC ECONOMIC INEQUITIES THAT OCCUR STILL TODAY THAT TIE BACK TO THIS, UM, WHICH ARE ALSO CONNECTED TO, UH, HEALTH INEQUITY.
SO WE ARE SEEING WITH, UM, WITH COVID RIGHT NOW.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT AUSTIN IS A, NOT, IS NOT A RACIALLY EQUAL PLACE AND, UH, DISPARATE OUTCOMES OCCUR FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND BY, YOU KNOW, AS A CITY ORGANIZATION, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKING PLANS, WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND FOCUS THIS ON OUR WORK.
SO AT THE SAME TIME, UH, THIS IS A CLIMATE PLAN.
SO THE CORE OF THIS IS FOCUSED ON THE CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUE.
SO, UM, WE HAVE BEEN, HUMANS HAVE BEEN BURNING, UH, BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF TONS OF COAL AND OIL AND NATURAL GAS SINCE THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION TO CREATE SOCIETY AS WE KNOW IT.
UM, BUT THOSE EMISSIONS ARE BUILDING UP IN THE ATMOSPHERE AND ARE CAUSING THE CLIMATE TO CHANGE.
SO WE HAVE ALREADY OBSERVED AT LEAST ONE DEGREE OF WARMING.
UM, MORE WARMING IS GOING TO HAPPEN AS GLOBAL EMISSIONS HAVE NOT STARTED TO COME DOWN YET.
SO THIS PICTURE OF GETTING DIRE AND, YOU KNOW, THE URGENCY TO DRAMATICALLY REDUCE EMISSIONS IS, UM, IS MORE AND MORE PREVALENT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SLIDE EIGHT, ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT EQUITY TIE IN WITH THIS.
MOST OF WHAT THIS PLAN IS ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT REDUCING EMISSIONS.
SO IT'S ABOUT REDUCING RELIANCE ON FOSSIL FUELS, BUT YOU CAN'T TALK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT THAT'S TALKING ABOUT THE REAL EFFECTS OF THAT ACTUAL CHANGE THAT THERE'S ALREADY STARTING TO BE FELT AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE FELT IN THE COMING YEARS AND THE EQUITY THAT THAT EXPOSES.
SO WE ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE HIGHER TEMPERATURES, EXTREME, UH, MORE PERIODS OF DROUGHT, INCREASED RISK OF WILDFIRE AND, UH, MORE INTENSE RAIN AND FLOODING.
AND THOSE ARE RISKS THAT WE ALREADY EXPERIENCED IN THE AUSTIN AREA, BUT ARE JUST PROJECTED TO GET WORSE AND TO GET MORE INTENSE AND TO GET MORE AND MORE FREQUENT.
SO THOSE THINGS, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THOSE THINGS AFFECT LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR DISPROPORTIONATELY.
UM, SO WE HAVE TO SORT OF BE THINKING ABOUT THEM AND CENTERING THEM IN THIS WORK.
SO GOT WHERE WE CAME TO AFTER, UM, WE HAD AN EQUITY, UH, WORKSHOP THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE PLAN PARTICIPANTS PARTICIPATED IN TO REALLY UNPACK HOW TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND RACIAL EQUITY INTERSECT AND CONNECT.
AND, UM, BY ADDRESSING TWO OF THESE, THESE, BOTH OF THESE ISSUES, WE CAME TO ENVISIONING
[01:35:01]
IN AUSTIN THAT WE WANT TO SEE THAT CENTERS, THESE VALUES IN THE CENTER.SO IF WE CAN'T FOR ALL AUSTINITES LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, REALLY PRIORITIZE HEALTH BENEFITS, AFFORDABILITY FOR ALL ACCESSIBILITY, PRESERVING CULTURE, BUILDING COMMUNITY CAPACITY, ADJUST, TRANSITION WITH JOBS AND THE ECONOMY, AND THEN TRUE ACCOUNTABILITY THAT WE CAN GET TO THE CORE ISSUES THAT, UM, ARE SORT OF CAUSING THESE TWO, THESE TWO BREAKDOWNS IN OUR, IN OUR SOCIETY.
SO, UM, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE REALLY KNOW NOW THAT IF WE'RE NOT PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING EQUITY, THAT WE'RE JUST PERPETUATING INJUSTICE AND THERE'S KIND OF NO WAY TO LIKE SEPARATE OUT RACIAL EQUITY AND SAY, WE CAN JUST FIX CLIMATE CHANGE AND IGNORE THIS OTHER THING.
UM, THIS IS JUST A VERY HIGH LEVEL LOOK AT THE COMMUNITY WIDE ADMISSIONS.
UM, SO WE DO THE CARBON FOOTPRINT FOR OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, UM, ENERGY AND BUILDING.
SO USE OF ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS AND BUILDINGS, UM, IS THE LARGEST SOURCE OF EMISSIONS RIGHT NOW.
BUT VERY SOON BECAUSE OF AUSTIN ENERGY'S, UM, SHIFT TO RENEWABLE ENERGY, THAT SECTOR IS GOING TO BE SHRINKING.
SO THE SECOND LARGEST SOURCE OF EMISSIONS IS TRANSPORTATION.
SO THAT'S ALL OF THE GASOLINE AND DIESEL FOR YOU TO MOVE ALL OF THEM.
SO, UM, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THE CURRENT TARGET IS NET ZERO EMISSIONS.
BY 2050, IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THIS PLANNING EFFORT.
DO WE MOVE THAT TARGET FORWARD TO BE NET ZERO EMISSIONS BY 2040 WITH THIS, UM, STEEP DECLINE AND THEN EVENTUALLY AIMING FOR NEGATIVE EMISSIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, THEY JUST WANTED TO SORT OF REEMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A CITY WITH THE ABILITY TO REDUCE THE EMISSIONS AND SORT OF ARE ADVOCATING FOR THE SMALL INVESTMENT TARGET SLIDE 11.
SO, AND WE FOCUS ON IN THIS PLANNING EFFORT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND THINK ABOUT ALL THESE TOPICS, IT'S A LOT OF STUFF.
SO WE HAD TO REALLY LIKE SCOPE AND NARROW DOWN WHAT WAS GOING TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS EFFORT.
UM, AND IT BECAME CLEAR THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN ENERGY HAD THE PLAN THAT WAS JUST ADOPTED BY COUNCIL THIS YEAR.
UM, THERE'S STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, PROJECT CONNECTS FULLY UNDERWAY, WATER FORWARD WAS JUST ADOPTED.
UM, SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO SORT OF GET IN THE WAY OF THESE OTHER PLANNING EFFORTS.
SO WHAT WE ZEROED IN AND FOCUSED ON WERE FIVE AREAS, SO SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, INSTITUTIONAL ELECTRIFICATION, TRANSPORTATION, LAND USE NATURAL SYSTEMS AND CONSUMPTION.
AND SO AROUND EACH ONE OF THOSE SECTIONS, WE HAD AN ADVISOR GROUP THAT WAS MADE UP OF, UM, FOUR OR FIVE CITY STAFF AND THEN LIKE 10, 15 PLUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE CO-CREATION, UM, SORT OF CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE WHAT ARE THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES IN THESE AREAS.
AND THIS PLAN, NEXT SLIDE IS THE EQUITY PROCESS.
SELENA IS GOING TO JUMP AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
MY NAME IS SWINGIN DAWN, AND I'M THE COMMUNE ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST WITH THE OFFICE.
UM, I'VE BEEN HERE A YEAR NOW WITH THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
UH, HAPPY TO BE HERE WITH ALL OF YOU HERE ON THE SLIDE.
UM, THIS IS WHAT OUR ADVISORY GROUPS USED, AND THIS WAS ADOPTED FROM THE GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE AND EQUITY, WHICH IS ALSO WHAT THE EQUITY OFFICE USES FOR THEIR ASSESSMENT REPORTS ACROSS THE CITY.
UM, LIKE EXACT MENTIONED, WE HAD A, UH, COMMITTEE ORGANIZERS, DR.
TONY WARD FACILITATE THE CLIMATE EQUITY WORKSHOPS BACK IN DECEMBER TO UNDERSTAND AND HAVE OUR PARTICIPANTS LEARN ABOUT, UH, THE HISTORY OF RACIAL PLANNING HERE IN AUSTIN AND HOW THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE LEGACIES OF MAJORING EQUITIES THAT WE SEE TODAY.
UM, GROUPS ALSO LOOKED AT, UH, DATA DEMOGRAPHIC DATA RELATED TO THEIR ADVISORY GROUP TOPIC.
AND THIS WAS JUST TO HELP ENSURE THAT THEIR GOALS, UM, ALSO INCLUDED BOTH CLIMATE AND EQUITY COMPONENTS, AND THEY ALSO WORKED TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES WITH EQUITY IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
IN MIND, WE HAD A EQUITY TOOL THAT WAS COCREATED WITH MEMBERS ON OUR STEERING COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THIS WAS BASED ON THE SEVEN THEMES THAT ZACH MENTIONED EARLIER AROUND AFFORDABILITY, UM, COMMUNITY CAPACITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND SO ON.
UM, AND THE EQUITY TOOL IS DESIGNED, UM, AS A UNDER EACH OF THOSE VALUES IS A SET OF QUESTIONS, THREE TO FOUR QUESTIONS, AND THAT'S WHAT THE GROUPS, UM, USE TO KIND OF EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THEIR PROPOSED GOAL AND STRATEGY.
BUT IT WAS MOSTLY USED AS A SUB AS AN, UH, A SUBJECTIVE TOOL TO HELP PUSH FOR, UH, FURTHER DISCUSSIONS, UM, WITHIN THOSE ADVISORY GROUPS.
UM, AND I CAN DO A FOLLOWUP TO SHARE ABOUT, UM, EQUITY TOOL AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FURTHER.
I CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE LIKE THE TEEN.
UM, ONE OF THE MAJOR ENGAGEMENT COMPONENTS OF THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN WAS THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR
[01:40:01]
CLIMATE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, UM, WHERE 12 INDIVIDUALS WERE SELECTED AND COMPENSATED TO FACILITATE THEIR OWN COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS RELATED TO CLIMATE AND SUSTAINABILITY.UM, UM, WITH OUR 12 AMBASSADORS, WE HAD A PANEL A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, TWO TO THREE WEEKS AGO, WE HAD SIX FOLKS AVAILABLE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE.
UM, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE, JUST PART OF THE COHORT FOCUSED ON DIFFERENT AREAS.
UH, ONE FOR EXAMPLE, JUST ONE PERSON FOCUSING ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, OTHERS FOCUSING ON CULTURAL CONNECTION ISSUES OF DISPLACEMENT, GENTRIFICATION.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO DEVELOPING A FINAL ON REPORT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT EACH AMBASSADOR AND THE MAJOR GATHERINGS THAT THEY HAD.
SO AGAIN, I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.
SO, SO THE DRAFT GOALS AND STRATEGIES, I'M GOING TO REALLY KIND OF READ OVER THESE.
SO, UM, SLIDE 15, THE SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE FULL VERSION OF, OF THIS REVISED CLIMATE PLAN IS 18 GOALS, WHICH ARE THE QUANTITATIVE SORT OF FOCUS OF THE OUTCOMES WE WANT TO ACHIEVE COMMUNITY WIDE BY 2030, AND THEN 75 STRATEGIES, WHICH ARE THE, UM, THE TACTICAL THINGS OF WHAT REALLY SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO MAKE PROCESS, TO MAKE PROGRESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE EQUITY CENTERED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE THING IS PRIORITIZING INCENTIVES AND TARGETING COMMUNICATIONS THAT LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES OR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, TRYING TO FOCUS ON IN A DISPLACEMENT STRATEGIES WHERE WE COULD, UM, FOCUSING ON, ON TRAINING AND JOBS, UH, HEALTH BENEFITS, AND THEN JUST ONGOING FOCUS ON, UH, LISTENING TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR.
UM, SO, UH, THE TITLE GOT MIXED UP HERE, BUT THESE ARE THREE OVERARCHING STRATEGIES THAT GO ACROSS THE ENTIRE, UH, PLANNING EFFORTS.
SO A REAL FOCUS ON GREEN JOBS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN THE COMING YEARS, THE NEED FOR REGIONAL COLLABORATION ON THIS TOPIC.
AND THEN THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING TO REALLY HAVE TO LONGTERM BE LOOKING AT, HOW DO WE, YOU KNOW, REALLY PULL CARBON DIOXIDE OUT OF THE ATMOSPHERE LIKE 17, OKAY, I'M NOT GOING TO HIT ON ALL THE GOALS AND STRATEGIES HERE.
I'M JUST GONNA HIGHLIGHT KIND OF ONE ON EACH PAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, A KEY KEY GOAL HERE IN SUSTAINABILITY, UH, SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS IS THIS FIRST GOAL OF BY 2030, TRYING TO GET TO, UM, 25% OF EXISTING BUILDINGS BEING NET ZERO CARBON, AND THEN TRYING TO, UH, REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM THE NATURAL GAS SECTOR AND TRYING TO GET TO, UM, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF NEW BUILDINGS FEES, UH, NET ZERO CARBON BY 2030, AND THE NEXT SLIDE SLIDE 18, UM, A KEY THING AND TRANSPORTATION LAND USE.
THERE ARE TWO GOALS HERE FOCUSED ON, UM, GROWTH AND NON RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, AND CHANNELING THAT INTO THE CITY'S GROWTH CENTERS AND HOARDERS.
UM, I'M GONNA HIGHLIGHT ON GOAL NUMBER THREE, GOAL.
NUMBER THREE IS ABOUT BOOSTING THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT USE PUBLIC TRANSIT FOR THE TRIPS.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE ARE AS LESS THAN 1% OF TOTAL DISTANCE OF ALL TRIPS IN THE, IN THE AUSTIN AREA ON PUBLIC TRANSIT.
SO FOR THIS GOAL, THE GOAL AT 5%, UM, THIS WOULD INCLUDE A FULL BUILD OUT A PROJECT CONNECT AND THEN LIKE FULL, YOU KNOW, UM, MEETING AND EXCEEDING RIDERSHIP ESTIMATES TO BE ABLE TO GET TO 5% OF TOTAL DISTANCE OF TRAVEL TRIPS, TRIPS TRAVELED.
NEXT SLIDE, TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION.
THE KEY GOAL HERE IS THAT WE WANT TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO NOT USE, HAVE TO USE CARS TO GET AROUND OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT HOW WE ARE SPRAWLED, UM, IS THAT PEOPLE GOING TO KITCHEN, YOU USE CARS INTO THE, UH, THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
SO THE GOAL HERE IS THE AIM OF TRYING TO GET TO 40% OF TOTAL VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED THE ELECTRIFIED BY 2030.
UM, AND THE KEY THING THERE IS THAT, UH, WE CAN REALLY LEVERAGE OFF THE ENERGY ZERO CARBON ELECTRICITY, UM, AND ALL THE RENEWABLE ENERGY THAT THEY WILL BE, UM, HAVE UNDERWAY BY THEN, UM, TO HAVE ZERO EMISSIONS TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE SLIDE 20, UM, THIS AREA IS FOCUSED ON FOOD AND PRODUCT CONSUMPTION AND KIND OF THINKING UPSTREAM AND WASTE GENERATION.
UM, I'LL JUST START LIKE THE, THE FIRST ONE HERE IS, UM, IS TRYING TO FOCUS ON, UH, ENDING FOOD INSECURITY AND TRYING TO FOCUS ON PRO CLIMATE AND PRO HEALTH SYSTEM THAT REALLY LIKE SUPPORTS PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND THEIR BODIES SUPPORTS FOOD THAT, UM, DOESN'T RESTORE THE EARTH AND SORT OF MINIMIZED MY WASTE IN THE FOOD SYSTEM.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST GOAL AREAS SLIDE 21 IS NATURAL SYSTEMS. UM, THE IDEA HERE, THIS WAS NOT IN THE FIRST TIME AT PLAN AND WE REALLY SORT OF EXPANDED, UM, THE SCOPE AND INTEREST IN THIS PLAN BY FOCUSING ON NATURAL SYSTEMS. SO THE IDEA THAT ACROSS ALL THESE TARGETS, SO PROTECTING CARBON POOLS, PROTECTING FARM LAND,
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INCREASING TREE CANOPY COVER AND MANAGING CITY LANDS, THE IDEA IS TO PROTECT THE CARBON THAT IS STORED IN THE SOIL AND IN THE TREE FOR THE LANDSCAPES IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN EXPAND THAT.UM, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, THERE IS A, A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF CARBON THAT'S ALREADY LOCKED UP IN THESE SYSTEMS AND WE CAN SEQUESTER EVEN MORE AND PULL CARBON INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, BUT WE HAVE TO, UM, DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THIS COULD VERY EASILY GO THE WRONG WAY AND SORT OF BE A MEETING CARPET OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
SO THIS IS A NEW IMPORTANT SECTION.
SO, UH, SLIDE 22 THAT WRAPS IT UP.
UM, LIKE I SAID, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ACTUALLY ENDS LIKE AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT.
SO, UM, THERE IS A SURVEY ONLINE, WHICH YOU CAN GO AND ANSWER.
UM, AND IF, YOU KNOW, GIVEN TALKING TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GUYS HAVE COMMENTS OR SPECIFIC THINGS YOU WANT TO WRITE TO ME IN EMAIL, LIKE ALEX SAID, THOSE THAT WERE THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS.
UM, AND YEAH, AND THEN WE WERE AIMING TO ADDRESS ALL THOSE COMMENTS AND REVISE THE PLAN AND, UH, MAKE IT FINAL BY THE END OF OCTOBER.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING.
I APPRECIATE YOU GOING THROUGH THAT SO QUICKLY.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION COMMISSIONER ROLE AT SIM.
IS NOW AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO GIVE COMMENTS ON IT OR NO? YEAH.
WE ONLY HAVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES A PORTION OF, OKAY.
I'LL TRY AND GO AS QUICKLY AS I CAN.
UM, MY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ARE ABOUT, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN.
I THINK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO MEET YOUR MAYBE.
UM, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE LOOKING BACK AS YOU KNOW, THE LEGACY OF RACISM AND OUR, AS IN FABRIC.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE OUTWORKING AMBASSADORS, ELEVATING VOICES TODAY ARE THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I JUST DON'T SEE LIKE A TON OF URGENCY IN THESE GOALS THAT REALLY ALIGNS AND RESPECTS LIKE ETHICALLY OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
UM, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION GOALS, I WAS REALLY DISHEARTENED BY 5%, UM, RIDERSHIP FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT.
AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE ONLY AT 0.3% TODAY, AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT A TON OF SPRAWL AND WE'RE TRYING TO UNPACK A MESS OF AN URBAN FABRIC WITH A TON OF LOW DENSITY.
AND I KNOW THAT IT'S A CHICKEN AND EGG PROBLEM AND THAT YOU DON'T HAVE RIDERSHIP.
AND, BUT WHAT YOU KNOW, WITH BUILDINGS AND DENSITY AND TRANSPORTATION, BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE WITH THIS CURRENT SET OF GOALS AND PLANS, IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE SAYING, LET'S LEAVE AUSTIN AS IT IS AND ELECTRIFY IT.
AND THAT WILL SOLVE SO MANY PROBLEMS, BUT I DON'T SEE ELECTRIFICATION OF OUR TRANSPORTATION BEING AN EQUITABLE, UH, LIKE WAY FORWARD, BECAUSE IF WE MAINTAIN AUSTIN AS THIS SUPER SPRAWLY CITY WITH, WITH OUR LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES, LIMITING, YOU KNOW, RELEGATED TO THE OUTSKIRTS, SPENDING A DISPROPORTIONATE AMOUNT OF THEIR INCOME ON TRANSIT, UM, AND HAVING TO SIT IN CONGESTION BECAUSE A PUBLIC TRANSIT ISN'T WELL-FUNDED AND YOU GET WHAT I'M SAYING, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE MIGHT, MY PUBLIC COMMENT IS THAT IF WE REALLY WANT TO HAVE THE EQUITY LENS, WE NEED TO BE MUCH MORE AMBITIOUS WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION, UM, GOALS AND DENSITY GOALS.
UM, I'VE, I'M PART OF A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
I KNOW WHAT OUR EXCLUSIONARY, UM, PROTECTIONIST NEIGHBORHOOD FOLKS FEEL ABOUT THIS.
I KNOW THEY DON'T LIKE DENSITY.
I KNOW THEY DON'T BELIEVE IN A FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, BUT THAT'S JUST NOT OKAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY CLIMATE PLAN THAT FOCUSES ON EQUITY.
LIKE WE NEED TO BE SUPER AMBITIOUS AND THAT'S MY SOAPBOX STEAL OVER.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
UH, ZACH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE A SORT OF QUICK RESPONSE TO WHERE THAT 5% NUMBER CAME FROM.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I, AND MANY OTHERS AGREE WITH YOU.
UM, THE CHALLENGE FOR A FLAME, LIKE THIS IS BALANCING AMBITION WITH LIKE REALITY
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WITH LIKE VISA.UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHERE WE GET STUCK IS, UM, YOU KNOW, PROJECT CONNECT IS LIKE, IT'S KIND OF FUNNY, YOU KNOW, THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, ONLY SO MANY PEOPLE CAN FIT ON A SYSTEM LIKE THAT.
AND THAT SYSTEM WOULDN'T, IF IT HALF IS, WOULD NOT EVEN BE FULLY BUILT OUT UNTIL 2029.
UM, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY, REALLY FAR BEHIND HERE.
UM, AND, AND THE GROUPS, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE JUST STRUGGLES WITH US.
IT'S LIKE, WE WANT TO RE ENVISION LIKE A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT CITY, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S REALISTIC TO ACTUALLY MAKE THAT SORT OF HAPPEN.
UM, SO WE, WE HAD TO BALANCE THAT IN THIS, UM, IN THIS CONVERSATION AND, AND I GUESS I WOULD JUST WRAP UP BY SAYING LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT SAME THING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR GROUP AND SEE WHERE WE GO NEXT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? Y'ALL ALL ARE TOO EASY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME COMING AND PRESENTING TO US TODAY.
UM, SO GIVEN THE, GIVEN THE TIME, UM, AND I KNOW THIS IS A TON OF INFORMATION THAT I DON'T KNOW IF, HOW MANY OF YOU ARE ABLE TO, TO CHECK OUT THIS DRAFT, UM, BEFORE THE MEETING.
UM, BUT THAT SAID, I THINK MAYBE WE CAN, CAN POSTPONE ITEM ONE D SO ITEM ONE D IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT TO JOIN A SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE MADE TO SUPPORT THE DRAFT.
UM, AND SO I W I WANTED TO BRING IT UP, UH, FOR THE DESIGN COMMISSION TO REVIEW AND POSSIBLY SUPPORT THEIR RECOMMENDATION, BUT WE CAN PUSH THAT TO THE NEXT MEETING.
SO PEOPLE HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO DIGEST THAT DRAFT.
CAUSE IT'S A LOT OF INFORMATION IT'S KIND OF EASY, EASY FOR ME TO FORGET THAT, CAUSE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS FOR SO LONG, UM, AND LOOKING AT IT, BUT I KNOW NOT EVERYONE ELSE HAS.
SO WE'LL JUST POSTPONE THAT ITEM.
SO NEXT MEETING, UM, AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW MINUTES LEFT.
[2A. Approval of the August 24th meeting minutes;]
GO TO ITEM TWO, A APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 24TH MEETING MINUTES.ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, MOTION TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER MINORS.
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? OKAY.
WE WILL TAKE THAT TO A VOTE, UH, BY SARAH NOW.
COMMISSIONER ROLISON, UM, COMMISSIONER TANA.
AND I AM AN I, SO THAT PASSES.
[2B. Liaison Reports: report from collaborative commissions from their most recent meeting]
THE LIAISON REPORTS, UH, KOSHER.DID YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES? THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WAS A VERY QUICK MEETING AND I DID MENTION TO THEM THAT THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES HAS, UM, A NEW WORKING GROUP AND THEY ASKED, OH, SO WHEN ARE THOSE GOING TO BE COMPLETED? AND I COMICALLY RESPONDED, LET ME GET BACK TO YOU.
AND THEN, UM, AND THEN GREAT JOB, UH, HAVE A, UH, CAROL AND THE CITY STAFF OR THE COMMENTS AND THE AUSTIN MONITOR WORD IS OUT.
Y'ALL, UH, I I'VE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE CONTACT ME, ACTUALLY.
ITEMS THREE, A CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[3B. Items from Commission Members;]
B ITEMS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS.UM, SO I WROTE AN ARTICLE THAT
[01:55:01]
TALKED ABOUT A MODIFICATION OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, AND CLEARLY THAT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT ON WHAT WE SEE.AND I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU HAD ANY UPDATES OR JORGE OR ANYONE ELSE THAT WAS AN ARTICLE THAT YOU SAW.
YEAH, I CAN SHOW IT WAS A PRIVATE, UH, ARTICLE, UH, LOCKED ON THE, UH, HIS JOURNALS, AUSTIN BUSINESS JOURNAL.
OTHERWISE I WOULD HAVE SHARED IT OUT.
UM, BUT I WAS ABLE TO GRAB THE TEXT OF IT AND IT JUST SAID IT WAS MORE DISCUSSION.
AND I HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING IN THIS MEETING, SO THAT'S WHY, I GUESS I'M ASKING IF OTHERS HAVE ANY INSIGHT.
I SAW AN ARTICLE WITH A SIMILAR TITLE THAT WAS ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT THE GRAY STREETS, SO IT WAS A BIT MISLEADING.
SO IT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT THE ONLY ITEM I KNOW OF NEW DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IS THE FEES WERE BEING, UM, RECALIBRATED, WHICH WE'D BEEN REQUESTING AN UPDATE.
NOW I DON'T KNOW IF AARON OR JORGE HAS ANY UPDATE.
DID YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT? YEAH.
AS OF NOW WITH REGARDS TO THE CALIBRATION, I HAVE NOT HEARD ANY UPDATES.
UM, I CAN FOLLOW BACK UP ON THAT SOMETIME THIS WEEK.
I HAVE TO LOOK AT MY EMAIL TO SEE WHAT THE LAST CORRESPONDENCE WAS WITH REGARDS TO THAT.
UM, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING LATELY, UM, WITH REGARDS TO AN UPDATE OR EVEN WHEN A BRIEFING WOULD OR COULD BE PROVIDED TO THE COMMISSION TERRIFY ME.
I BELIEVE THE ARTICLE YOU'RE REFERENCING CHAIR WAS RELATED TO RECOMMENDATIONS FROM STAFF AT THE REQUEST OF COUNSEL FOR A POTENTIAL FEE IN LIEU PROGRAM FOR GRAY STREETS, WHERE THERE IS EXTRA JURISDICTIONAL CONTROL OF RIGHT OF WAY.
ALL SOULS WAS EXTREMELY NARROW IN THEIR DIRECTION AS TO WHERE TO POTENTIALLY CONSIDER A FEE IN LIEU PROGRAM FOR GRAY STREETS OR PROPERTIES FRONT TEXTILE RIGHT AWAY.
FOR EXAMPLE, FOR TEXTILE DOES NOT ALLOW IMPROVED PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS ON THEIR RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL PROJECTS COMING DOWN, THE PIPELINE THAT DO FRONT ON TEXTILE CONTROLLED RIGHT AWAY AND ARE UNABLE TO MEET COMPLIANCE OF GREAT STREETS BECAUSE THE RIGHT OF WAY IS CONTROLLED BY AN EXTRA JURISDICTIONAL ENTITY IN THIS CASE, TEXTILE, BECAUSE THE CODE DOES NOT GRANT A WAIVER OF GRAY STREET COMPLIANCE, THE COUNCIL IS EXPLORING AND HAS ASKED THE STAFF TO EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEE IN LIEU.
ONCE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE PREPARED AND PRESENTED TO THEM.
I THINK THAT'S IT FROM WHAT I CAN READ.
DID ANYONE HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS? OKAY.
UM, FOR THOSE WORKING GROUP COMMISSIONERS FOR DESIGN THE UPDATE OF THE, OF THE DESIGN GUIDELINES, THAT MEETING WILL BE TAKING PLACE, UH, THIS UPCOMING FRIDAY.
UM, DO YOU WANT TO LOOK AT, I'M GOING TO SEND AN EMAIL TOMORROW TO CONFIRM WHO WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND BECAUSE TO ATTEND, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO NOT HAVE A CLEAR, UM, SO THE TWO ALTERNATIVE, UH, COMMISSIONERS YOU ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO ATTEND.
UM, BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN NETWORKING GROUPS THIS FRIDAY.
UM, IT IS 5:01 PM AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.