[CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL]
[00:00:05]
THIS IS A REGULAR MEETING OF DESIGN CONDITION THAT THE, UH, VIDEO CONFERENCING, UH, COULD STAFF PLEASE CALL ROLL.
GOOD EVENING STAFF BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND.
THIS IS ART, SOMEWHAT RENAULT.
WE'LL GET READY TO CALL STAFF.
UH, CHAIR CAROL PRESIDENT VICE CHAIR, GONZALEZ VICE, I MEAN, UH, COMMISSIONER FRANCO PRESENT COMMISSIONER MINOR COMMISSIONER, HER NAIL ROBLEDO 10 OF GUCCI PRESENT COMMISSIONER FRAIL.
COMMISSIONER ROLLINSON PRESENT COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, COMMISSIONER WATNEY, PRESENT AND COMMISSIONER LUFKIN.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO STRAIGHT INTO NEW BUSINESS ITEM
[1A. Discussion and possible action to evaluate and make recommendations regarding whether River Street Hotel and Homes, addressed at 61-69 Rainey Street and 60 East Ave, complies with the Urban Design Guidelines, for the City of Austin. Amanda Swor Drenner Group; Greg Verabian HKS; David Lake Lake Flato; Cameron Campbell CLA.]
ONE, A DISTRESSING AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO EVALUATE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHETHER RIVERS, HOTEL AND HOMES ADDRESS AT 61 THROUGH 69 RAINY STREET AND 60 ESTAB COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.CAN I ASK A QUESTION? CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION? OKAY.
WHICH, UH, WHICH ONE OF ITS PRESENTATION IS IT WE'RE SENT A BACKUP OR WE'RE GOING TO BE WATCHING DURING THE PRESENTATION? I HAVE NO IDEA.
OCTOBER 26 AND ONE DATED OCTOBER 2ND.
RIGHT HERE WHILE I'M LISTENING.
DOES THE APPLICANT HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT? UM, CHAIR? THIS IS AMANDA SWORE WITH RENNER GROUP.
UM, AND SO I DIDN'T HEAR THE FULL QUESTION.
I HEARD WHICH PRESENTATION, BUT I THINK I WAS BEING ADDED IN AS THE QUESTION CAME THROUGH.
SO THE QUESTION IS THERE WAS ONE DATED OCTOBER 22ND AND THERE WAS ONE OFF DATED OCTOBER 26.
UH, THE ONE THAT I TURNED IN WAS THE 22ND, SO I DIDN'T MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS TO IT.
IT'S UH, IT STARTS WITH A BLACK, UM, A BLACK BACKGROUND THAT SAYS RIVER STREET RESIDENCES AS THE FIRST SLIDE COMMISSIONER.
THE BEAUTY OF TURNING EVERYTHING IN A FEW DAYS EARLY, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO BEGIN THE PRESENTATION? YES, PLEASE.
UM, STAFF, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO SHOW THE PRESENTATION AGAIN, IT'S THE ONE THAT IT HAS A DATE ON THE FRONT OF IT, OCTOBER 26TH WITH A BLACK BACKGROUND AND REVERSE SHEET RESIDENCES IN FIT.
UM, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
MY NAME IS AMANDA SWORE WITH DRAENOR GROUP HERE THIS EVENING TO DISCUSS THE RIVER STREET RESIDENCES PROJECT I HAVE ON THE LINE WITH ME REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE ARCHITECT TEAM AND THE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT TEAM THAT YOU WILL HEAR FROM AS WELL AS REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE OWNERSHIP TEAM THAT WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, TO ORIENT YOU.
THIS PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF RAINY STREET AND RIVER STREET, AND AS BOUND BY RAINY STREET ON THE WEST RIVER STREET ON THE SOUTH AND EAST AVENUE ON THE EAST.
THE THREE LOTS THAT MAKE UP THIS PROPERTY ARE CURRENTLY OCCUPIED BY CRAFT PRIDE BAR HAVALINA BAR.
AND THE THIRD LIE IS CURRENTLY UNDEVELOPED.
THIS PROJECT IS A RESIDENTIAL PROJECT THAT IS PROPOSING APPROXIMATELY 409 RENTAL UNITS.
THE PROPERTY CONSISTS OF 0.54.
ONE ACRES IS ZONED CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT AND LOCATED IN THE RAINY STREET RAINEY STREET
[00:05:01]
DISTRICT OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM IN THE WATERFRONT OVERLAY AS SUCH THE PROPERTY MAY BE DEVELOPED UP TO AN EIGHT TO ONE FLORIDA AREA RATIO WITH UNLIMITED HEIGHT WITH THE PROVISION OF ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AS REQUIRED BY THE RAINY STREET WATERFRONT OVERLAY DISTRICT PROGRAM BY RIGHT BY PARTICIPATING IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.THIS PROJECT IS PROPOSING AN FDR OF APPROXIMATELY 21.43 TO ONE AND A HEIGHT OF 569 FEET.
THIS REQUEST WILL ALSO MOVE FORWARD TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE CITY COUNCIL TO ACHIEVE THE ADDITIONAL FAR ABOVE THE STANDARD 15 TO ONE THAT IS ALLOWED IN READING STREET AS OUTLINED IN THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
THIS SLIDE JUST RECAPS WHAT THE LAST ONE SAYS AGAIN, THE CASUALTY OF TURNING IN YOUR PRESENTATION, UH, FORTIES EARLY.
SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, TO MEET EIGHT KEEPER REQUIREMENTS.
THIS PROJECT WILL ACHIEVE A MINIMUM OF A TWO STAR GREEN BUILDER RATING.
IN ADDITION, THE DESIGN TEAM HAS WORKED WITH THE URBAN DESIGN DEPARTMENT TO ACHIEVE GREAT STREETS COMPLIANCE.
AND FINALLY, WE ARE EXCITED TO HAVE RECEIVED A PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATION OF SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE FROM THE WORKING GROUP AND ARE EAGER TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE INCORPORATED INTO THIS PROJECT TO ADDRESS COMMENTS THAT WERE RAISED BY THE WORKING GROUP.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, TO MEET THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS ASPECT OF THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
THIS PROJECT IS PROPOSING TO PROVIDE A MIX OF ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AS WELL AS A FAMILY TO ACHIEVE AN EIGHT TO ONE FAR IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE RAINY STREET PROGRAM.
THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT EQUALS APPROXIMATELY SEVEN, 7,593 SQUARE FEET.
UM, AND THAT AFFORDABLE PROJECT, AFFORDABLE PORTION OF THE PROJECT WILL BE A PROPORTION THAT UNIT MIX.
SO THE TOTAL UNITS IN THE PROJECT TO GET FROM IT FAR EIGHT TO ONE TO 15 TO ONE, THE PROJECT IS PROPOSING TO PAY A FEE IN LIEU OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS PRESCRIBED IN THE ORDINANCE TOTALING APPROXIMATELY $825,265.
AND THEN TO ACHIEVE THE ADDITIONAL FAR OVER 15 TO ONE, THIS PROJECT IS PROPOSING TO PROVIDE HALF OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT VIA ONSITE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HALF WITH AN ADDITIONAL FAMILY RAISING THE TOTAL ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO 15,179 SQUARE FEET IN THE FIELD LIEU CONTRIBUTION TO OVER $1.2 MILLION.
I'M GOING TO PAUSE HERE AND PASS THIS ON TO OUR AMAZING ARCHITECTURAL TEAM OF LAKE PLATO AND HKS.
UM, GREG AND DAVID ARE BOTH ON THE LINE.
THEY'RE GOING TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FIELD THEY OUT OF THE BUILDING, AND THEN I'LL COME BACK ON AND RUN THROUGH SOME OF THE SPECIFIC ITEMS THAT THE PROJECT DID TO ADDRESS THE PRELIMINARY COMMENTS FROM THE WORKING GROUP.
UH, WELL THIS IS GREG MORAVIAN, A PRINCIPAL AT HKS ARCHITECTS.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROJECT AND THE UPDATES.
UM, THE RENDERING YOU SEE HERE, UH, DOES SHOW KIND OF OUR LATEST APPROACH TO THE PROJECT WHERE WE TRY TO TAKE THE BUILDING AND EVOLVE IT FROM THE BASE TO THE TOP BASE, WHICH HAS MADE UP OF A MORE KIND OF HEAVY SUBSTANCE OF MATERIALS, UM, AND, AND INTEGRATE AND CONNECTS AND INTEGRATES ITSELF INTO THE GROUND PLANE, WHICH YOU'LL SEE LATER IN SOME CLOSE ABUSE, UH, EVOLVES.
AND AS IT GOES UP, THE IDEA IS THAT WE GET LIGHTER AND LIGHTER WITH MATERIALS.
AS WE REACH THE SKY AT THE TOP, WE'VE INTRODUCED THIS KIND OF BROAD, UM, SHED ROOF, WHICH, UH, ARTICULATES KIND OF A LOUNGE AND A GARDEN UP AT THE TOP.
BUT AGAIN, UM, PICKS UP ON THE IDEA OF KIND OF THE RESIDENTIAL FIELD OF THE BUILDING.
UH, BUILDING GOES UP, WE DO INNER INTERSECT KIND OF COMPONENTS WITH SOME KIND OF REVEALS TO INDICATE DIFFERENT PROGRAM USES.
SO AS YOU GO UP, THERE'S THE AMENITY DECK, THERE'S A COWORKING SPACE.
AND THEN AT THE TOP, AS I MENTIONED, THERE ARE, UH, THERE'S A COMMON, UH, OUTDOOR SPACE AND GARDEN AS YOU GET TO MOUNTAIN LEVEL.
UH, I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
UM, SO THE KIND OF LIGHT BLUE AREA IS THE, UH, IS KIND OF THE RESIDENTIAL SPACE.
THE KIND OF TEAL OR LIGHT GREEN AREA IS MORE, UM, KIND OF PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE SPACES.
UM, AS YOU'RE COMING DOWN RAINY TO THE SOUTH, UH, WE HAVE A RETAIL SPACE, UH, PLANNED AT THAT LOCATION AND OUTSIDE THAT RETAIL SPACE, WE'VE INCLUDED AREAS FOR SEATING.
WHAT'S NOT INDICATED HERE ON THIS SITE PLAN, HOWEVER, IS, AND YOU'LL SEE IN RENDERINGS LATER IS, UM, MORE SEATING AT THE CORNER.
WE ACTUALLY, UH, SOME, SOME, SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE GOT FROM THE WORKING
[00:10:01]
GROUP WAS ABOUT ERODING THE CORNER AND CREATING SOME MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO KIND OF LOOK AROUND THAT CORNER AND OCCUPY THAT SPACE, UH, AS WE GET TO RIVER AND RAINY.UH, SO YES, THERE WOULD BE MORE SEATING AT THAT LOCATION.
UM, AS YOU GET PAST THAT LOCATION, THEN WE HAVE OUR ENTRY DOORS TO THE RESIDENTIAL LOBBY.
AND SO THAT RESIDENTIAL A LOBBY ACTS LIKE A GALLERY, UH, ALONG RIVER STREET.
UM, AND IT'S, BOOK-ENDED BY TWO DIFFERENT ENTRANCES.
ONE THAT COULD BE MORE FOR THE VISITOR PARKING SPACES, WHICH ARE OFF THE ALLEY, UM, AND INTO THAT CORNER AND THE OTHER ONE BECOMING MORE OF A DAY-TO-DAY PUBLIC ENTRANCE IN AND OUT, AND WE'RE EVEN SHOWING CONNECTIONS POTENTIALLY TO, UH, THE, UH, BAR CAFE THAT MIGHT BE IN THAT SPACE DESIGNATED AS RETAIL.
SO VERY, UH, VISIBLE FROM THE STREET LEVEL, A LOT OF ACTIVATION.
UM, I'LL ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT WE ARE KIND OF WITHIN THE, OR OUTSIDE OF THE 18 FOOT, UM, DIMENSION, UH, ALONG, UH, ALONG RIVER AND RAINY.
AND INITIALLY WE HAD SOME SMALL COLUMNS COMING DOWN ALONG THE RIVER, BUT SINCE THEN, WE ARE, UH, PUSHING TO TRY AND NOT HAVE THOSE SO THAT IT CAN BE COMPLETELY OPEN TO THE GLASS WALL, UH, FROM, FROM, UH, FROM CURB THERE.
UM, IN ORDER TO KIND OF DRAW FOLKS ACROSS THE PUBLIC ALLEY.
UM, WE DID ADD ANOTHER WHAT WE'RE CALLING IN RESIDENTIAL AMENITY.
WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFICS ON IT YET, BUT WE DO WANT IT TO BE GLAZED SPACE THAT ACTUALLY HAS SOME FORM OF ACTIVATION.
UM, AS YOU GET ACROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET, UH, THE ALLEY ITSELF, UM, FOLLOWING CONVERSATIONS WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION, WE DO HAVE THE 20 FOOT RIGHT AWAY, BUT THEN WE'VE INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL THREE FEET ON EACH SIDE FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DOWN THAT ALLEY.
SO THE BACK OF, TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THAT ALLEY, AS YOU GET THROUGH, AND THEN JUST KIND OF COMING AROUND, UH, TO EAST AVENUE, WE HAVE OUR RAMPS, WHICH TAKE YOU UP ABOVE GRADE FOR PARKING.
UH, THERE IS LOADING, UH, ONSITE, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE NEXT, UH, SORT OF, UH, BAY OF WHITE THERE, AND THEN SOME OF THE NECESSARY, UH, UTILITY AND OTHER ITEMS, UH, THAT WE NEED FOR THE, THE TOWER.
UM, THERE IS A DELIVERY SPOT LOCATED OFF THE PUBLIC ALLEY AT THE BACK IN THAT, YOU KNOW, COULD BE USED FOR MULTIPLE REASONS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THEN ALSO WE'VE GOT VISITOR PARKING AND NEW TENANT PARKING THAT COULD BE HALF THAT COULD HAPPEN OFF THE ALLEY, AND THEN THEY COULD WALK ACROSS THE IDEA IS TO MAKE THAT AS PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY AS POSSIBLE.
I DON'T KNOW AMANDA, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT WE WANT TO MENTION, WELL, YOU MIGHT MENTION GREG THAT WE ARE THIS DAVID, LIKE WE'RE ADHERING TO THE FIVE FOOT SETBACK FROM THE PROPERTY LINE AND IT'S NOTED THERE.
AND I, TO REITERATE WHAT GREG SAID, WE ARE REALLY ERODING THE CORNER AT RIVER AND RAINY PULLING BACK THE STOREFRONT WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD CREATE, UH, A REALLY WONDERFUL WAY OF TURNING THAT CORNER AND OPENING UP THE DUCHENNE TO RAINY, UH, FROM RIVER AND VICE VERSA AND HAVING, UH, A STOREFRONT THAT OPENS VERY MUCH TO TABLES AND CHAIRS AND SPILL OUT ONTO RINEY, UH, FROM THE RESTAURANT.
AND THEN I THINK DAVID, SINCE YOU'RE ON THE TOPIC, I THINK THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THIS IS A VIEW LOOKING DOWN RAINY TO THE LEFT, LOOKING AT THAT CORNER, PULLING BACK THE GLASS, UH, AT THE CORNER, HAVING A, UM, VERY LUXURIOUS PLANTER ABOVE IT.
IT'S, UH, PLANTINGS, UH, CASCADING OVER AND ABOVE THAT WITH STREET TREES MARCHING UP AND DOWN RAINEY AND RIVER RIVER TO THE RIGHT.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THE MIDPOINT OR THE TEXTURE OF THE PODIUM CHANGES AT THAT'S, UH, APPROXIMATELY THE ENTRANCE, UH, TO THE ALLEY AND TO THE ENTRANCE INTO THE, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE APARTMENT LOBBY LOUNGE.
SO LIKE IN THIS CASE, UH, UH, THE DEVELOPER WAS VERY KEEN ON CREATING A MUCH MORE WELCOMING LOBBY LOUNGE ENVIRONMENT THAT, UH, ENGAGE THE STREET AND REALLY, UH, TOOK ADVANTAGE OF AMAZING FRONTAGE ON RIVER AND RAINY, UH, THE PODIUM, WHICH IS SHOWN HERE.
WE, WE MET AN EFFORT WITH HKS AND GREG TO BREAK THIS PO PARKING PODIUM INTO A SUCCESSION OF FACADES SO THAT IT WASN'T ONE LONG UNINTERRUPTED, UH, FACADE.
WE WERE TRYING TO PUSH AND PULL AND MAKE GESTURES IN THE FACADE THAT WOULD BREAK DOWN THE, OF THE PORK PARKING YOU PUT IN I'M MISSING.
AND GREG, I KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MATERIALITY THAT
[00:15:01]
WE'RE REPRESENTING IS, IS DRAWING FROM KIND OF THE LOCAL CONTEXT, OBVIOUSLY THE STONE IN THE LOCAL AREA AS WELL, SOME OF THE, KIND OF THE CORE 10 OR THE SORT OF, UH, RUST COLORED ELEMENTS OF BRIDGES, UH, WITH THAT WOULD BE AN INTERESTING WAY TO MAKE A CONNECTION HERE AS WELL.AND I, I KNOW THAT WE'LL THROW THIS BACK TO YOU ALL AT CERTAIN TIMES, AND THEN THEY WILL BOTH BE AVAILABLE TO, TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WE GET THROUGH.
UM, BUT I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WALK THROUGH THE WORKING GROUPS RECOMMENDATION, AND THEN THE MODIFICATIONS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO INCORPORATE INTO THE PROJECT TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE PIECES THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT DURING THE WORKING GROUP.
UM, SO OUR TEAM ATTENDED THE AUGUST 21ST WORKING GROUP MEETING, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO RECEIVE A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION OF SUBSTANTIAL COMPLIANCE WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES.
AS I MENTIONED, THERE WERE A FEW ITEMS THAT, UH, THE WORKING GROUP REQUESTED THAT WE LOOK INTO BEFORE WE CAME TO THE FULL COMMISSION.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE PIECES THAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK THROUGH.
UH, AS GREG TALKED, UM, THERE IS THE ALLEY THAT RUNS AND BISECTS THIS PROPERTY.
SO ONE OF THE INITIAL QUESTIONS WAS ABOUT HOW THE ALLEY WAS GOING TO FUNCTION UNDER THE BUILDING, UM, WITH THE ALEC BISECTING, THE PROPERTY, UM, WILL IT REMAIN OPEN? HOW WILL IT FUNCTION AS A MID-BLOCK ACCESS POINT? NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO THERE IS AN ALLEY VACATION THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW WITH THE SITE DEVELOPMENT PERMIT.
WE HAVE WORKED EXTENSIVELY EXTENSIVELY WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO ENSURE THAT AN APPROVAL OF AN ALLEY VACATION IS CONDITIONED ON AGAIN, THE DIMENSIONS THAT GREG MENTIONED AND THAT IT ENSURES THAT THE RESULT OF A ALLEY VACATION RESULTS IN AN ALLEY THAT CONTINUES TO FULLY FUNCTION AS AN ALLEY FROM A AUTO PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO PROVIDES FOR PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AND ULTIMATELY IMPROVES THE CONDITIONS OF THE ALLEY TODAY.
THAT IS CURRENTLY A, UH, GRAVEL ALLEY WITH UTILITY POLES UP AGAINST, I MEAN, WITHIN THE EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY.
AND ONE THING I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT ON THIS IMAGE, AS WE WORKED WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, WE REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS ON MAKING SURE THAT THIS WAS KNOWING THAT IT WAS A PUBLIC ALLEY.
NOT THAT IT WAS AN ENTRANCE, SO PRIVATE PARKING GARAGE AND THE SIGNAGE COMPONENT, THIS IS JUST SOMETHING REPRESENTATIVE, BUT AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT DID WANT TO WORK WITH US TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SIGNAGE IN THAT LOCATION.
SO THAT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING WE'VE PUT THERE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT REALLY ENCOURAGED US TO INCORPORATE INTO THE PROJECT.
AND, UM, THEY ASKED THAT WE WORK WITH THEM AS WE GET INTO THE BUILDING PERMIT PAGE OF THIS PROJECT.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE GETTING INTO THE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
A W FIVE REALLY LOOKS AT THE INCORPORATION OF ART FROM PUBLIC PLACES, PIECES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, BECAUSE RAINY STREET IS THE PRIMARY PEDESTRIAN STREET FOR THE PROJECT.
WE ARE ENVISIONING INCORPORATING A FOLK ART PIECE ALONG RAINY STREET.
WHAT THIS SHOWS IS A MURAL THAT'S ON THE BASE OF THE STAIRS, WHERE WHAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE A BASE WALL, REALLY INCORPORATING THAT PART IN PUBLIC PLACES.
AND ONE OF THE MOST VISUAL, UM, AND SEEING THE PIECES OF THE PROJECT, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, OUTLINED IN THAT PURPLE BOX, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO DURING THE WORKING GROUP MEETING, THERE WERE CONCERNS REGARDING THE TREATMENT OF THE PEDESTRIAN, WHERE THE BUILDING MEETS THE STREET.
UM, WE ARE ADDRESSING THIS WITH A MULTITUDE OF WAYS WITH CHANGING SOME OF THE PAVERS WHERE THE ALLEY MEETS THE ROADWAY.
AND IN ADDITION, WE HAVE ADDED ADDITIONAL, UM, TREATMENTS FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE.
SO IF WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'M GOING TO LET CAMERON REALLY WALK THROUGH HOW THE, HOW THE PEDESTRIAN HAS BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE GREAT STREETS, UM, COMPONENT OF THIS WITH, UM, WITH PLANTINGS AND OTHER ITEMS. SO, CAMERON, DO YOU WANT TO, YES, I'D LIKE TO WALK YOU THROUGH, UH, ALL OF THE THREE STREETS THAT IN OUR FACE, UM, WITH THIS PROJECT STARTING WITH EAST AVENUE, WE'VE GOT ESSENTIALLY A TXDOT STREET, NORTH SOUTH DIRECTION.
WE HAVE TWO STREET TREES AND A, UM, PLANTING BED THAT ENGAGES IN THE PORTION WHERE WE DON'T HAVE THE CURB CUT TO ACCESS.
UM, THE SPEED RAMP GOING UP TO THE GARAGE, UM, REALLY FOCUSING ON RIVER STREET AND RAINEY STREET IS THE PRIMARY PEDESTRIAN, UM, CONNECTIONS.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, ALONG RIVER STREET, WE'VE GOT, UM, A SERIES OF CEDAR ELM TREES THAT SPAN AND LAND WITH WITHIN, UH, SEVEN, EIGHT FOOT WIDE PLANTERS THAT CREATE A VERY NICE PEDESTRIAN
[00:20:01]
BUFFER FROM THE STREET, UM, A 10 FOOT WIDE SIDEWALKS ZONE THAT WILL BE A SPECIALTY PAVING.UM, WE'RE LOOKING INTO SOCKET AND SANDBLASTED CONCRETE THAT DIFFERENTIATES, UM, A ZONE WHERE PEDESTRIANS CAN WALK ACROSS EACH OF THE DRIVEWAY, HER CUT AND APRONS.
UM, SO IT BASICALLY TAKING THAT CONTINUOUS PAVING ACROSS TO, UM, PROVIDE, UM, REALLY FAVORED THE PEDESTRIAN OVER THE VEHICLES, CROSSING OVER THAT ZONE.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A TWO FOOT WIDE PLANTING ZONE, UM, THAT IS ACROSS THE FACADE OR FACE OF THE BUILDING TO KIND OF CREATE PLANTING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE.
WE'RE ALSO NOTCHING OUT AND CREATING MOMENTS FOR THE STREET FURNISHING ZONE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE, UM, BENCHES AND BIKE RACKS PER THE GREAT STREETS ON RIVER RIVER STREET.
AND WE'VE GOT FOUR OR FOUR BENCHES, EIGHT BIKE RACKS THERE, AND THEN WRAPPING THE CORNER AS GREG AND DAVID HAD MENTIONED HOW THAT CORNER REALLY ERODES AWAY, OPENS UP TO CAFE STYLE SEATING THAT IS ESSENTIALLY EXTENDS ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE MURAL, UM, FACADE THAT'S ON THE NORTH WESTERN PORTION OF RAINY.
WE ALSO HAVE STREET TREES THERE, RED OAKS THAT WRAP THAT PORTION.
WE HAVE TWO BENCHES FOR BIKE CRACKS, AND THEN ALSO THE STADIUM AT THAT AREA THAT THEN TRANSITIONS TO THE EXISTING TREES ON THE ADJACENT PROPERTY.
UM, I THINK WE'VE GOT STREET LIGHTS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE WE THINK WILL BE VERY NICE AND SHADED, UM, FROM THAT SOUTH AND WESTERN EXPOSURE.
I THINK THAT'S, UM, ABOUT IT ON THE SITE PLAN HERE.
WE WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND AMANDA, I'LL LET YOU TAKE IT OVER FROM HERE.
I WOULD JUST POINT OUT ONE ADDITIONAL THING ON THE SITE PLAN IS THAT WE HAVE WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH TXDOT AS WELL.
WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE MEETINGS THAT HAVE INCLUDED THE URBAN DESIGN TEAM, AS WELL AS OUR DESIGN TEAM AND TECHSTOP TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING ALONG EAST AVENUE IS ACCEPTABLE TO ALL PARTIES.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS ADDRESSED AT THIS POINT, KNOWING THAT USED TO HAVE A NEW VISTEX TECH START RIGHT AWAY AND WE DON'T GET AS MUCH LIBERTY IS AS YOU DO ALONG THE OTHER ROADWAYS.
SO, UM, GOING ONTO THIS FIVE, THAT'S CURRENTLY UP, UH, SO PS4 CONTEMPLATES AGAIN, THE REINFORCEMENT OF PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, AND WE WERE ENCOURAGED BY THE WORKING GROUP TO, UM, AND THEY WORK IN GOOD MEETING TO ADDRESS THE PROJECT PINCH POINTS THAT GREG TALKED ABOUT, WHERE THE COLUMNS ARE, WHERE THERE WERE ADDITIONAL COLUMNS AND SOME CONCERNS ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AT THE CORNERS.
AND SO WE, WE LOOKED INTO THOSE AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO REALLY WERE ENCOURAGED TO FOCUS ON THAT CORNER OF RIVER IN RAINY STREETS.
IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT REALLY WHAT CAMERON AND GREG HAVE ALREADY TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, AND AT THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE COMMISSIONERS, WE'VE WORKED TO INCLUDE, UH, ADDITIONAL, UM, ADDITIONAL PLANTINGS, BOTH UNDER THE STREET TREES AND ALONG THE BUILDING, AS WELL AS VERTICALLY, AND THEN ELIMINATED SOME OF THE CLUTTER, BUT FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD THAT WAS SHOWING ON THE SITE PLAN THAT'S IN THAT CORNER AND REALLY INCORPORATED THE OUTDOOR SEATING AREA ALONG THE HARD CORNER OF RIVER AND RAINY STREET.
UH, PS SIX IS VERY SIMILAR TO PS4 THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
WE WERE ASKED TO LOOK AGAIN, IF THERE WERE ANY STREETSCAPE ENHANCEMENTS OUTSIDE OF THE GREAT STREETS THAT WE CAN INCORPORATE.
AND IN, UH, ADDITIONALLY AGAIN, ADDITIONALLY HAVE ADDED THE PLANTINGS AS WELL AS THE OUTDOOR SEATING FOR THE CAFE THAT IS AT THE HARD CORNER.
AGAIN, AS PART OF THE WORKING GROUP PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY MATERIALS, UM, WE WERE ASKED TO LOOK AT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE GREEN PLANTINGS ON THE BUILDING, WHAT, WHAT MATERIALS WERE INCORPORATED ALONG THAT AREA.
AND SO I'M GOING TO LET GREG TALK THROUGH THE RENDERINGS AND EXPLAIN TO YOU, AGAIN, SOME OF THE THOUGHTS THAT WERE BEHIND AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO WHAT THAT PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE FROM A MATERIALITY STANDPOINT IS ALONG THE DIFFERENT FRONTAGES.
SO FROM GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, GREG, I'M GONNA TOSS IT TO YOU AGAIN.
HOPEFULLY IT'S NOT ON, IT'S ONLY ON MY END HERE.
UM, AND THEN, UH, DAVID'S STILL ON, SO WE'LL, WE'LL PITCH AND CATCH A LITTLE HERE, BUT A LOT OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE HERE NOW IS NUMBER ONE, WE'RE EXPRESSING KIND OF THE STRUCTURE OF THE TOWER COMING DOWN TO TWO GRADE WITH THE NATURAL CONCRETE.
UH, SO THERE IS KIND OF A STRONG CONNECTION BETWEEN WHAT'S ABOVE AND ADD GRADE.
THEN THERE'S AN INTRODUCTION OF, UH, OF, UH, KIND OF A VARIEGATED, UH, GLASS WALL THAT UTILIZES KIND OF A DARKER MALIAN.
UH, ALMOST LIKE A DARK BRONZE IS A MALIAN SYSTEM.
[00:25:01]
AND WHAT WE DID IS TRY TO INCORPORATE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF WIDTHS INTO THAT.SO THERE'S A LOT MORE ENERGY INTO IT INSTEAD OF JUST A PURE GLASS, UM, YOU KNOW, PLAIN WALL.
UM, AND SO THAT KIND OF ACTS LIKE A RIBBON TRACKING AROUND AT THE BASE OF THE BUILDING ALL THE WAY AROUND, UM, ALL THE WAY AROUND THE PROJECT.
THERE'S THE INCLUSION OF THESE, UH, KIND OF WARMER MATERIALS WE'RE SHOWING.
IT WOULD LIKE MATERIAL IN THE CEILING UP AT THAT LEVEL TO, UH, TO DRAW YOUR EYE UP AND KIND OF CREATE OUTDOOR ROOM, UH, OUT OF, OUT OF THAT CORNER SPACE.
AND THEN ALSO AS WE GO ALONG, THERE'S LIKE A FACIA, WHICH IS OF THAT SAME DARK METAL AS IT GOES ALONG.
AND THEN, UH, CAMERON MENTIONED THE PLANTING ALONG THE BASE OF THE GLASS WALL.
WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY ENTERING THE BUILDING, BUT IT SOFTENS IT UP AND DRAWS YOUR EYES BACK INTO THOSE INDOOR SPACES.
DAVID, AM I MISSING ANY MATERIAL IN THIS OR ANY UPDATES THAT WAS NOT, UH, THAT BASED ON THE COMMENTS WE GOT, KEEP GOING, OH, KEEP GOING.
AND THEN WE, AND THEN IT KIND OF SHOWS HOW THAT TRACKS AROUND ONE THING, YOU'LL NOTE HERE UP ON LEVEL TWO, KIND OF OVERLOOKING THE STREET.
UH, THERE IS SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY GOING UP THERE, BUT ALSO IT CREATES SORT OF A, A SENSE OF A DATUM LINE ALONG THAT LOWER LEVEL WHERE IT'S PULLED BACK FIVE FEET.
SO YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF COVERING ABOVE AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF THAT STREET SPACE.
SO, AND THEN IT REPEATS, BUT MORE WITH A GREEN, A GREEN PLANTS, A TRAY THAT COMES OUT OVER THE ALLEY AND THEN THAT BRIDGES ACROSS TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE SITE.
SO THERE'S A KIND OF A CONTINUITY AND SORT OF HIGHLIGHTED AREAS OF ENTRY AND INTEREST WHERE WE'VE INCORPORATED PLANTING INTO THOSE ZONES.
SO THIS IS WHERE, UH, WE'RE ADHERING TO THE 35 FEET VERTICAL HEIGHT SETTING BACK TO THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM.
IT'S ALSO WHERE, UH, THANKS TO THE HKS AND GREG'S LEADERSHIP.
WE REMOVE THOSE A SUCCESSION OF COLUMNS, WHICH WERE REALLY PRETTY INVASIVE, THE SIDEWALK THEY ARE CREATING FAIRLY NARROW CLOSES.
AND NOW I THINK WITH AS STRONG A 35 FOOT HEIGHT PODIUM THAT IS EXPRESSED AS A EFFECTIVELY A TWO-STORY BASE TO THE BUILDING, IT'S ANOTHER WAY OF BREAKING UP THE PODIUM INTO A SUCCESSION OF LEVELS, RIGHT? I THINK THESE ARE, AGAIN, JUST RESPONSES OF PLANTING ALONG THE BASE OF THE GLASS WALLS.
UM, AN INTRODUCTION OF THE SORT OF PATTERNING PERHAPS ON THE GLASS AND THE MOINES THAT RATES OF VISUAL INTEREST ALONG THE STREET EDGE.
UH, EVEN THOUGH THAT IS THE RESIDENTIAL LOBBY BEYOND, UM, AND THEN ALSO THE PLANTING ALONG THE COLUMN BASIS AND THE, AND THE PUBLIC ALLEY ENTRANCE REALLY KIND OF CREATING ALMOST A GATEWAY EFFECT.
AND THEN GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WRAP UP WITH THE, WITH THE PLAZA COMMENTS AND ALTHOUGH WE DON'T HAVE A TRUE PUBLIC CLOSET, WE REALLY WANTED TO SEE WHAT OF THESE WE COULD INCORPORATE INTO OUR PROJECT.
AND SO THE PZ FIVE, THE PROJECT DOES HAVE ALL THE CONSENT, ALTHOUGH NOT A TRUE PUBLIC THOUGHTS OF THE PROJECT DOES HAVE THREE OPEN DECKS THAT ARE ABOVE GRADE THAT INCORPORATE GREENERY AS WELL AS, UM, PLANTINGS THAT TRAIL VERTICALLY UP THE BUILDING.
THIS IS THE LOWER AMENITY DECK AT THE 14TH LEVEL THAT HAS THE GREEN PLANTINGS AND THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS THE SMALLEST, THE MIDDLE MINUTE DECK OF THE SMALLEST OUTDOOR AREA.
THAT'S ON THE 26TH FLOOR THAT HAS AN OUTDOOR AREA THAT WRAPS THROUGH THE LIBRARY.
AND THEN ON THE NEXT SIDE IS THE ROOFTOP DECK THAT GREG TALKED ABOUT THAT WILL ALSO HAVE OUTDOOR PLANTINGS IN THE, SO ALL THREE OF THE AREAS WILL HAVE OUTDOOR GREEN PLANTINGS ON THE ROOFTOP AREAS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE AGAIN, WHILE NOT HAVING AN ACTUAL PLAZA IN THE WORKING GROUP MEETING, UM, WE WERE ENCOURAGED TO ADD ADDITIONAL PLANTINGS ALONG THE GROUND FLOOR TO ENLIVEN THE SPACE.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, I THINK WE'VE SAID THIS SEVERAL TIMES, SO I WON'T, I WON'T HIT IT AGAIN, BUT WE REALLY, WE REALLY WORKED HARD TO REALLY INCORPORATE AS MUCH ADDITIONAL GREEN SPACE AS WE COULD ALONG THE, ALONG THE GREAT STREETS AREA.
THESE ARE JUST REPEAT IMAGES AND ONE MORE.
UM, AND SO FINALLY FOR PZ 14, THIS ENCOURAGED THE PROVISION OF FOOD SERVICE FOR PLAZA PARTICIPANTS.
[00:30:01]
UM, AGAIN, WHILE IT'S NOT A FULL PLAZA, WE WERE EXCITED TO INCORPORATE THAT CAFE AREA TO REALLY PROVIDE NOT JUST A, YOU KNOW, EIGHT TO FIVE, ONLY OPEN FOR ONE MEAL A DAY TYPE OF RESTAURANT, BUT TO PROVIDE SOMETHING THAT CAN PROVIDE FOOD SERVICE THROUGHOUT THE DAY, UH, IN THIS AREA.AND SO WITH THAT, I AM GOING, GONNA STOP AND WE ARE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVEN'T REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THIS PROJECT FOR YOUR REVIEW.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
I MISSED THE, UH, WORKING GROUP.
THAT'S USUALLY WHERE I ASK THE QUESTIONS, RIGHT? AND THIS IS RAINY STREETS.
SO MY MAIN CONCERN ABOUT RAINEY STREET IS THE TRANSPORTATION THAT YOU'RE THERE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW THE PARKING SITUATION IS.
Y'ALL, DIDN'T MENTION HOW MANY SPACES YOU'RE PROVIDING, IT'S A RAMBLE.
SO ARE WE ASSUMING THAT EACH PERSON THAT RENTS A UNIT GETS A APARTMENT SPACE, OR CAN YOU HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER THAT? CAN WE INCENTIVIZE STRESS PARKING OR MAYBE LOWERING THE RATES? AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANT TO KNOW IS ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AFFORDABLE UNITS.
CAN YOU TELL ME THE PERMITS WORKPLACE, WHAT YOU ANTICIPATE AS THE UNIT TYPES THAT, YOU KNOW, RANGE REALLY, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ENCOURAGED FAMILY OCCUPANCY.
IT'S GOING TO BE MAINLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE, LIKE SINGLE GUY, SINGLE PEOPLE AND ALL THAT.
SO CAN YOU KIND OF EXTRAPOLATE ON THAT AND THE PARKING, UH, ISSUES THAT ARE BROUGHT UP? YES, SIR.
I'LL HIT THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FIRST AND THEN I'LL HIT PART OF THE PARKING AND, UM, AND LET MATTEO, UH, HIT THE SECONDARY PART OF IT.
SO FROM AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PERSPECTIVE, THE SQUARE FOOTAGE IS A LITTLE OVER 15,000 SQUARE FEET.
THAT'LL BE PROVIDED ONSITE AND THAT'S REALLY SPLIT INTO TWO BUCKETS.
THE FIRST BUCKET WILL PROVIDE AN, UH, PROPORTIONATE UNIT MIX.
SO THIS PROJECT IS ANTICIPATED TO BE STUDIOS, ONE BEDROOMS, TWO BEDROOMS, AND THREE BEDROOMS. AND SO FOR THAT FIRST PORTION OF IT, THERE WILL BE A PROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF A PROPORTIONATE UNIT MIX.
SO THERE WILL BE STUDIO ONE, TWO AND THREE AT THE AFFORDABLE LEVEL.
AND THEN THE REMAINDER THAT, YOU KNOW, IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN DETERMINED YET AS FAR AS WHERE THAT SITS, BUT THE AVERAGE UNIT SIZE OF THE PROJECT IS ABOUT A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
SO WE WOULD ASSUME IT'S A MINIMUM OF 15 UNITS, UM, LIKELY MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE IT HASN'T FULLY DETERMINED YET, BUT THE FIRST PART WILL BE PROPORTIONATE TO HAVE ONES, TWOS AND THREES IN THE SECOND PART HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED YET.
AND THEN TO ADDRESS THE PARKING QUESTION.
SO ALL ACCESS TO THE PARKING IS OFF OF EAST AVENUE AND IS IN TO THAT SINGULAR POINT OF ACCESS AND MATEO, I'LL LET YOU HANDLE HOW, UM, HOW PARKING IS HANDLED FOR THE PROJECT.
SO, UM, JUST REGARDING PARKING, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY GREAT ABOUT THIS SITE IS JUST THE ACCESS AND THE ABILITY TO BIFURCATE RAINY THROUGH EAST AVENUE, WHETHER YOU'RE COMING FROM SOUTHBOUND OR NORTHBOUND 35.
AND SO KIND OF TRYING TO KEEP EVERYTHING TO USE TO AVENUE AND DISCOURAGE PARKING, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE ALLEY OR THROUGH THE RAINY SIDE WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US KNOWING THE CONGESTION.
THE SECOND PIECE IS JUST AN OPERATIONAL STRATEGY ON HOW WE DISCOURAGE PARKING, GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS ON A SKINNY SITE, UH, AND THE WAY WE DO THAT AS BIKING, COUPLING, YOU KNOW, SO, SO UNITS ARE NOT PROVIDED WITH A PARKING SPOT.
ALL OF THE PARKING, UH, IS, UH, DECOUPLED AS AN ADDITIONAL, UH, RENTAL ITEM FOR THAT, UH, THAT WORKS REALLY WELL IN THAT, YOU KNOW, DISCOURAGES THE AVERAGE PERSON THAT PERHAPS WORKS DOWNTOWN OR USES ALTERNATE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION FROM HAVING THAT KIND OF BAKED INTO THE PRICE.
UH, AND WE FOUND THAT WORKS REALLY WELL.
SO OVERALL, UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, HWA, OUR PARKING CONSULTANT, WE'RE TARGETING 0.85 PER BEDROOM, UH, WHICH IS, UH, UH, QUITE A LOW RATIO, UH, COMPARED TO, UH, MOST OF THE OTHER PRODUCT THAT HAS BUILT IN, IN DOWNTOWN WHERE YOU SEE RATIOS, UH, CERTAINLY NORTH OF ONE OF OUR BEDROOMS. SO WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT, THAT LIMIT AND, AND TRY TO USE OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES THAT CAN MAKE, UH, AS LITTLE PARKING AS POSSIBLE THAT THAT STILL ALLOWS A FUNCTIONING BUILDING.
THANK YOU FOR THE ANSWERS, BUT, UH, AMANDA, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO KEEP THOSE UNITS.
I MEAN, YOU SAID THEY'RE GOING TO VARY IN SIZE, BUT I THINK WHAT WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON IS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE AFFORDABLE UNITS IS, IS A MISSING MIDDLE, WHICH WOULD BE ABOUT A THOUSAND SQUARE FEET.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANY FAMILIES WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE OVER THERE AND RAINY STREET.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO KIND OF LIMITED ONE OR TWO BEDROOMS
[00:35:01]
OR MANY STUDIOS WHERE THAT KIND OF FULFILLS THE MISSING MIDDLE, UH, UH, WHAT WE BE HERE.DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND COMMISSIONER THAT, LIKE THE FIRST PART, WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF SAY ON THAT'S PER CODE.
UM, BUT THE SECOND PART, WE DEFINITELY, UM, HEAR AND UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S WHAT, WHAT IS DRIVING IN THIS AREA.
AND THEN I'D LIKE TO SAY IT IN A LONG TIME.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T CATCH THAT PART.
I THINK SOMEONE WAS TALKING OVER YOU.
OH, I'D LIKE TO SAY HI TO DAVID LAKE.
I HAVEN'T SEEN, HEY, EVAN, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING VERY SMART, UNLIKE ME, WHICH I WAS GOING TO TURN MY, BUT GREAT.
YOU AND, UH, I THINK IT'S REALLY AMAZING.
THE COMMISSIONER PUT ALL THIS TIME.
I DO WANT TO COMMEND THE COMMISSIONERS FOR MAKING THE CITY BETTER.
IT'S NOT A, I'VE BEEN ON THE SAN ANTONIO PLANNING, UH, EFFORT AND SPENT MANY, MANY HOURS LIKE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S EFFORT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS CHAIR? I HAVE A QUESTION.
UH, SO FIRST I WANTED TO JUST THANK, UM, THE PROJECT TEAM FOR PRIORITIZING, UH, MORE ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
WE KNOW, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT WITH DOING ABOVE THE 5% AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE SEEING THOSE EFFORTS.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAY NOT BE CHANGED CHANGEABLE AT THIS POINT, BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT THE RETAIL SPACE, UM, AND THE PROPORTION OF SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT THE RETAIL SPACE, SINCE THERE'S ONLY ONE RETAIL SPACE ON THIS, UM, DOUBLE LOT THAT YOU'RE TAKING UP AND IT SEEMS TO BE PRETTY SQUEEZED DOWN.
I'M CONCERNED THAT THE CAFE OR WHATEVER MAY END UP BEING THERE.
I'M THE, I SEE THE LOBBIES IS VERY GENEROUS AND IT'S GONNA BE BEAUTIFUL.
I KNOW WALKING THROUGH AND SEEING LIKE THE, UH, ALL THE GLASS INTO THE LOBBY WITH THESE LITTLE MILKS, BUT I'LL JUST, I SEE SO MANY LOBBIES IN THESE HIGH RISES, WHETHER THEY'RE OFFICES OR APARTMENTS, AND THEY JUST END UP BEING THESE EMPTY DEAD SPACES.
LIKE YOU THINK PEOPLE WANT TO SIT THERE.
UM, BUT THEN THE RETAIL SPACES OR THE CAFE RESTAURANTS SPACES ARE THE THINGS THAT ACTUALLY GET ACTIVATED BY MORE PEOPLE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING, UM, WHAT THE THOUGHT WAS KIND OF SQUEEZING DOWN.
YOU'RE BASICALLY KIND OF TRADING OFF THE PERCEPTION OF A GRANDIOSE LOBBY SPACE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE NOT VERY MUCH OCCUPIED IN MOST CASES WITH A REALLY SQUEEZING DOWN ON THE RETAIL SPACE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S WHAT THE THOUGHT WAS THERE AND IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO MAKE THAT RETAIL SPACE LARGER BECAUSE YEAH, I PRETTY MUCH SAID EVERYTHING.
THAT'S A GREAT, GREAT QUESTION.
UM, MR. AND I SEE THE OTHER HEADS NODDING, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT PIECE OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD INTERNALLY AS A TEAM BASED ON WHERE WE ARE IN THE MARKET AND MATEO, I'M GOING TO LET YOU ADDRESS IT, BUT I, WE DO, UH, DO TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE HEARD IT AND I DID SEE ALL OF YOUR HEADS NODDING.
UM, AMANDA, IS IT POSSIBLE TO PUT THE, UH, THE SITE PLAN BACK UP JUST SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT? UH, YES, SIR.
UM, AUDIENCE TO ASK IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO GO BACK TO SLIDE NUMBER, UM, SEVEN, LET'S GO WITH A DIFFERENT ONE, ACTUALLY.
UM, FIVE NUMBER NINE OF THE PRESENTATION, PLEASE.
UM, YEAH, LET ME, LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PHILOSOPHY RIGHT NOW ON THE RETAIL, UH, AND, AND KIND OF THE APPROACH FOR THE GROUND FLOOR.
UM, HERE, YOU KNOW, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK FOR US, YOU KNOW, WE VIEW AS RETAIL AS ESSENTIAL, AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR COMPETITORS OR OTHER DEVELOPERS HERE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO SIMPLIFY AND AVOID RETAIL IN GENERAL.
WE, WE FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY SUCCESSFUL, WE KALE, UH, ON THE GROUND FLOOR OF OUR BUILDINGS, UH, IT'S JUST ESSENTIAL AND KIND OF CREATING THE DESTINATION AND REALLY BEING THAT PUBLIC COMPONENT THAT KIND OF BRINGS THE BUILDING ON THE MAP.
UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF IMPORTANT LESSONS LEARNED.
UM, A LOT OF IT, YOU KNOW, W WITH OUR GREEN WATER PROJECTS ON SECOND STREET, JUST TRYING TO FIND WHAT THE RIGHT SCALE IS.
AND A LOT OF THAT, UH, TENDS TO KIND OF FLUCTUATE BASED ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE RETAIL ENVIRONMENT.
OBVIOUSLY RIGHT NOW, IT'S, IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING.
UH, AND WHILE WE, WHILE WE ARE BIG BELIEVERS THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK RETAIL IS GOING TO GET BETTER.
UM, ONE THING WE'RE HEARING A LOT RIGHT NOW IS JUST, IT'S JUST THE SCALE OF THE RETAIL IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
[00:40:01]
OF MOST OF WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHICH HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, FOOD AND BEVERAGE, UH, WE THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, USE HERE IN RAINY, PROBABLY THE HIGHEST LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESS.UM, BUT THE CHALLENGE WITH THE MORE TRADITIONAL KIND OF 4,000 FOOT RESTAURANT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ONES THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL RIGHT NOW TEND TO ONLY OPERATE, UH, AT NIGHT, UH, THEY RELY HEAVILY ON ALCOHOL SALES, UH, IN ORDER TO AFFORD THE 4,000 SQUARE FOOT SPACE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN DOWNTOWN OR, OR IN RATE.
UH, AND THE CHALLENGE FOR US THERE WITHIN A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT IS WE REALLY WANTED SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO BE OPEN FOR LUNCH, WAS GOING TO BE OPEN FOR BREAKFAST.
WE FOUND THAT WHAT REALLY DRAWS RESIDENTS DOWN THERE IS JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF COUNT ON IT, UH, INTO WHEN WE'RE TALKING MORE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, USE LIKE A CAFE, UH, SCALE REALLY IS IMPORTANT.
AND, AND MOST OF THE ONES THAT WE SEE YOU DOWNTOWN ARE OPERATING BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, 15,000, 1500 AND 2000 SQUARE FEET.
UH, AND SO WE ARE DESIGNING, UH, FOR, UH, USE, UH, IN ORDER TO FIND THE RIGHT SIZE THAT CAN MAKE THEM BE SUCCESSFUL.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT USE IS REALLY DRIVEN BY A DESIRE TO FIND SOMETHING THAT CAN BE OPEN, YOU KNOW, ALL DAY AND REALLY BE A SUCCESSFUL, UH, DESTINATION FOR, YOU KNOW, A MORE RESIDENTIAL FOCUS DISTRICT, UH, VERSUS, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, THAT MIGHT WORK IN MORE OF A CVD TRADITIONAL KIND OF OFFICE SETTING.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER COMMENT THAT I WOULD MAKE IS IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, AS YOU LOOK AT THE GROUND FOR THE, THE CHALLENGE THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE IS, UH, PACKAGES AND MAIL AND ALL OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE TO GO ON THE GROUND LEVEL, UH, OR ARE GROWING, UH, ESPECIALLY POST COVID, AS YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY AMAZON BOXES I'M SURE MANY OF THE FOLKS ON THE CALL HAVE GOTTEN, UH, THOSE ROOMS ARE, ARE, ARE GETTING BIGGER AND COMPETING FOR SOME SPACE.
UH, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT BALANCE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF, IF THE DESIRE WAS TO MOVE, YOU KNOW, CLOSER TO 2000 FEET, YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, THERE'D BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY PERHAPS TO DO THAT BY RESHUFFLING SOME THINGS.
UM, BUT WE THINK IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE CHALLENGING TO PROGRAM A LARGER RESTAURANT SPACE, GIVEN THE MARKET DYNAMIC, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WHAT FOR RAINY, UH, WE THINK CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IN RATING.
I, I APPRECIATE THE RESPONSE AND I, UM, THE ONLY THING I WOULD COUNTER IS, UH, I UNDERSTAND WITH IT BEING, YOU KNOW, THE 1500 TO 2000 SQUARE FEET, BUT I WOULD JUST WONDER THAT DOES IT FOR ME, I WOULD SAY, OH, IS THERE A WAY TO GET TO 1500 TO 2000 SQUARE FEET, UM, SPACES IN HERE? AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT, ESPECIALLY WITH AUSTIN ENERGY'S TRANSFORMER FAULTS AND ALL THE OTHER REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE NEEDED ON THE GROUND FLOOR.
I THINK WE'VE SEEN SOME PROJECTS IN THE PAST THAT HAVE, UM, TRIED TO PUT LIKE, UH, SOME PACKAGE DELIVERY OR A NON USBS SERVICE DELIVERY, LIKE THROUGH THE GARAGE SO THAT YOU CAN PUT IT ON LIKE THE SECOND LEVEL OR THE GARAGE LEVEL.
I KNOW THERE'S SOME COORDINATION ISSUES AND IT'S PROBABLY TOO FAR TO CHANGE THIS.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT I POINT OUT.
AND I JUST THINK OF, YOU KNOW, SO MANY OTHER GREAT PUBLIC SPACES, UM, ESPECIALLY IN OLDER CITIES THAT REALLY ACTIVATE THE GROUND LEVEL WITH RETAIL SPACES.
UM, AND I JUST THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S AN ISSUE THAT OUR CITY, AS A WHOLE AND DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTIN FACES, AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE SOLVED WITH THIS PROJECT, BUT, UM, I JUST, I TRY, I TRY TO BRING IT UP WHENEVER I SEE PROJECTS LIKE THIS WITH ONLY ONE RETAIL SPACE THAT'S TAKING OVER SPACES THAT COULD HAVE USED TO HAVE TWO OR THREE ON THEM.
UM, AND THEY'RE GETTING LIKE, YOU KNOW, MILLIONS OF MORE OR THOUSANDS OF MORE SQUARE FEET INTO IT.
UM, BUT YEAH, I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR THOUGHT INTO, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU PUT SOMETHING THERE.
I JUST HOPE OUR CITY CAN DO BETTER WITH ACTIVATING THESE GROUND LEVELS AND BEAUTIFUL BUILDING.
UH, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR, UM, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS.
THE VICINITY PLAN WITH THE LANDSCAPE PLAZA THAT'S DIRECTLY TO THE WEST OF THIS BUILDING IS THAT, UM, ISN'T THAT REAL GREG, YOU WANT TO, UH, MELISSA YOU COMMISSIONER, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THE, THE RENDER AND THE RENDERING THAT HAS THE PLAZA IN FRONT OF IT.
THE, THE MAIN BEER, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE OVERALL MAIN, MAIN VIEW OF THE PROJECT? I'M SORRY, I'M TRYING TO, IT'S A RENDERING AND IT'S REFERRED TO AS VICINITY PLAN.
SHE'S TALKING ABOUT THE REDESIGN OF THE ROUNDABOUT AND SORT OF THE MAC.
[00:45:01]
YEAH, I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WE TOOK A LITTLE BIT OF, UM, UH, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, LIBERTIES WITH SOME OF THE CONTENT, UM, OFF OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS AVAILABLE OF WHAT'S PLANNED.SO WE JUST, YOU KNOW, ADDED THAT TO SOME OF OUR INITIAL RESEARCH, BUT I THINK YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ONE THAT'S ZOOMED OUT.
IS THAT RIGHT? THE, I DON'T HAVE AN IMAGE ON THE SCREEN.
SHE'S TALKING ABOUT, I THINK YOU MAY BE TALKING ABOUT THE AREA JUST SOUTH OF 70 REIGN EIGHT, IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S SLIDE TWO.
THAT, UH, THAT'S IN THE MAC REDEVELOPMENT PLAN AND IT'S ALSO, WE FOUND THAT IN, UM, LIKE WALLER CREEK PLAN AS WELL.
WE BELIEVE THAT CITY PROPERTY AND WE BELIEVE THAT'S STILL THE PLAN THERE.
SO MY, JUST MY QUESTION IS, CAUSE I'M LOOKING AT THIS, UH, I SEE THIS, THIS INTERSECTION WITH RAINEY AND RIVER STREET ALMOST AS THIS, THE SOUTH GATEWAY OF RAINEY STREET, AND REALLY HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGING A LOT MORE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS.
AND MY QUESTION IS THE BIKE LANE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE LABELED IN THE PLAN IS THAT EXISTING OR PROPOSED BIKE LANE ON RIVER STREET? I AM NOT 100% CERTAIN ON THAT ANSWER, JOHN OR MATEO.
DO YOU KNOW IF THAT IS EXISTING OR PROPOSED? UH, THERE CURRENTLY IS NOT A BIKE LANE ON RIVER STREET.
UM, I, I DO NOT KNOW IF ONE IS PROPOSED, SO THERE'S ONE LABELED ON YOUR S YOUR GROUND FLOOR WHEN THAT SAYS BIKE PLAN.
SO OUR BIKE LANE, SORRY, I'M THE GROUND FLOOR PLAN.
MAYBE WE CAN SWITCH TO A SLIDE THAT SHOWS THAT PLAN.
YOU CAN GO TO SLIDE NINE IT'S ON THERE.
COMMISSIONER, YOU'RE SPEAKING TO WHAT'S EXACTLY WHAT RIGHT.
WHAT'S LABELED RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC ALLEY.
IS THAT PROPOSED TO THEM? I BELIEVE SO.
IS THERE ANYONE ON THE DESIGN TEAM THAT IS 100% CERTAIN ON THAT? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IT WOULD, IN ORDER TO GET TO THAT KIND OF GREAT STREET CLASSIFICATION ALONG RIVER, WE WOULD NEED TO INCLUDE THE BIKE LANE.
AND SO THEN WITH THAT, IF THAT IS INCLUDED, I WAS JUST CURIOUS, THE TWO PARKING SPOTS, THERE ARE THOSE WHERE YOU HAVE THERE, THE PAID VISITOR SPOTS.
NO, MA'AM, THEY'RE MORE INTENDED TO BE KIND OF LIKE A DROP-OFF SPOT.
WE HAD WORKED WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GROUP ON THAT, SO THEY ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE PAID PARKING SPOT.
SO, AND THEN I WAS JUST CURIOUS FOR FEEDBACK AND I LOAD THE PARKING QUESTIONS AND THEN I'M DONE IS IF ONE OF THOSE SPOTS COULD BE USED AND I'M READY FOR THE ANSWER FOR THIS AS A MULTIMODAL SCOOTER, HOW LONG WHEELS PARKING SPACE AND WHAT I, I MEAN, NOT IN A NICE WAY, BUT I ADORE YOUR STREET SCAPE IS, HAS THE SEATING AND HAS THE BIKE RACKS AND SO FORTH.
BUT GOING BACK TO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THIS IS ALMOST LIKE A GATEWAY TO THAT SOUTH RAINY INSURANCE THAT SCOOTERS ARE, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THIS, BUT THEY'RE LEFT.
THEY'RE JUST LITTERED EVERYWHERE IN THE SIDEWALKS AND SO FORTH.
AND SO JUST DUE TO THIS BEING RAINY STREET, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF ONE PARKING SPACE COULD BE MORE OF A MULTIMODAL SPACE THAT MAY JUST MAKE THAT SAFER.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A SCARY STREET RIVER STREET COMING OFF OF FIVE 35.
AND, UM, HOPEFULLY WITH A BIKE LANE, IT'S GOING TO HELP SLOW IT DOWN, BUT JUST READING WHAT THAT, TRYING TO GET THAT PEDESTRIAN LANGUAGE THERE WITH THAT GESTURE IS MY ONLY REAL COMMENT THERE, LET ME TO BUILD ON WHAT GREG SAID, ACTUALLY WE'RE DESIROUS OF THIS PROFILE, BUT IN ORDER TO GET THIS PROFILE AND WE'RE SHOWN, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE CLEAR, UH, COLLABORATION WITH OWNERS ON BOTH SIDES OF RAINY OR THE RIGHT OF WAY IMPROVEMENT ZONE.
AND SO WE ARE DESIROUS OF THIS PROFILE, BUT IS IT'S NOT A GIFT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF, OF RIVER STREET IN THE IMPROVEMENTS RAINY RIVER.
I WOULD SAY, GIVEN THE NATURE AND THE DENSITY OF
[00:50:01]
THIS TOWER, WE REALLY NEED A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DROP-OFF.SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE IMAGINE THE TWO SPACES, MORE UBER, LYFT, UH, THINGS.
WE'D BE HARD PRESSED TO GET OFF ONE OF THESE TWO, UH, SCOOTERS, BUT WE'RE OBVIOUSLY, UH, PERHAPS THERE'S A WAY WORKING WITH CAMERON, LOOK AT THE RIGHT AWAY, WE OWN ON THE SIDEWALK AND PERHAPS ADDRESS THESE VILLAINS, THESE URBAN VILLAINS WE CALL, WE NEED A CORRAL.
OR EVEN IF IT'S JUST, AND I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THAT.
IT'S GREAT THAT YOU GUYS HAVE ADDITIONAL PARKING IN THE PUBLIC ALLEY.
UM, BUT JUST AS SOMEONE THAT'S AROUND THE SPACE, QUITE A BIT ON MY BIKE, THAT'S VERY MUCH A BOOTS ON THE GROUND EXPERIENCE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SORRY YOU GO AHEAD.
SO FIRST I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UM, DESIGN.
THE EARTH TO SKY, UH, DESIGN FOR THE SKIN IS, IS STUNNING.
UM, I LOVE THE, THE ACTIVITY AS WELL TO LOOKING OVER THE STREET.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD HAVE A LOOK AT THAT PLAN, UM, ON THE SCREEN, JUST TO REMIND MYSELF OF WHAT THE PROGRAMMING WAS THERE.
AND, UM, I GUESS MY KEY QUESTION, COULD SOMEBODY SCROLL TO THAT PLAN? I FEEL, I FORGET WHAT, WHICH SLIDE IT IS.
UM, MY QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU ACCESS THAT IF IT IS PUBLIC LIKE A BAR OR RESTAURANT OR ANYTHING, UM, WHAT, UH, HOW DO YOU ACCESS IT AND HOW DO PEOPLE ON THE STREET KNOW HOW TO GET UP THERE AND HOW TO ACCESS IT? UM, AND THEN WHILE WE'RE FINDING IT, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IS THE, THE SHADE ON THE STREET AND THE FRONT FROM THE OBERHEIM SKIN STRATEGY AND THE PACKING AS WELL AS REALLY APPRECIATE THAT COMMISSIONER.
ARE YOU SPEAKING TO THE ROOFTOP AREAS? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO SEE WHILE THERE THERE'S, THERE'S THESE BALCONIES LOOKING OVER, RIGHT.
SO LET'S GO TO WHAT'S ACTIVATING THOSE.
I CAN FIND IT THAT, SO SLIDE 24 WOULD BE BENEFICIAL, PLEASE.
YEAH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE IDEA THAT WE'VE GOT THESE LEVELS OF ACTIVITY ON THE STREET.
UM, AND JUST BUILDING ON, UH, COMMISSIONER FRAILS POINT THAT THIS IS, UH, A PROJECT THAT'S SORT OF REMOVING SOME P NIGHTLIFE FROM THEIR OWN DISTRICT AND PERHAPS REPLACING IT WITH A CAFE THAT MIGHT NOT BE SUPER ACTIVATED, UM, AT NIGHT AND AS, UH, A BIT SQUEEZED, JUST BECAUSE OF THE, THE OTHER NEEDS OF THE, OF THE PROJECT ON THAT GROUND LEVEL.
UM, IS THERE, IS THERE A PLAN? YEAH, I CAN, I CAN ANSWER THAT THOUGH.
I THINK JESSICA, UM, THE SPACES THAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE ON THE SECOND FLOOR ARE RESIDENT SPACES.
AND SO THE IDEA WAS TO KIND OF CREATE WHAT WE CALL KIND OF A HAPPY HOUR LOUNGE FOR WHATEVER, OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
UM, DEFINITELY WE'RE AT LEVEL TWO, SO THAT THERE WOULD BE ACTIVATION HAPPENING WHILE WE DIDN'T HAVE IT.
UM, MAYBE TO THE EXTENT, UH, UH, THAT BO WAS ASKING ABOUT ON THE GROUND LEVEL, THERE WAS ENOUGH GOING UP ON LEVEL TWO ON A DAILY BASIS OR ON THE WEEKENDS WHERE RESIDENTS WOULD FEEL MORE COMPELLED OR INTERESTED TO ENGAGE WITH THE STREET AT THAT KIND OF OVERLOOK A LITTLE BIT NEW ORLEANS, I SUPPOSE, RIGHT.
UH, OF THAT UPPER FLOOR ACTION THAT'S GOING ON.
SO THE IDEA THERE WAS REALLY, UH, TO, UH, CREATE THAT, THAT LOGIA AND THAT OVERLOOK, UH, FOR THE RESIDENTS ON THAT SECOND FLOOR.
UM, AND, UM, THE GREENERY THAT YOU'RE ALSO SEEING HERE WAS AN INTEREST AS RESIDENTS WERE COMING UP, THAT THEY CONSTANTLY ARE EXPOSED TO SOME SENSE OF GREEN OR THE OUTS OUTSIDE.
AND SO WHEN YOU PULL THE CAR UP, YOU'RE KIND OF SEEING THIS TRAY OF PLANTING KNOCKED OFF, AND THEN YOU WALK INTO THAT LOUNGE, BUT THERE'S GREENERY IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
IT'S NOT A PUBLIC, UH, KIND OF, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, RENTED SPACE FOR A RESTAURANT OR A BAR OWNER.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE GREENERY.
[00:55:01]
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S STUNNING.UM, MY CONCERN IS SIMILAR TO COMMISSIONER FRAILS IN THAT SENSE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMMING, UM, DEDICATED TO LOBBY SPACE, RESIDENT LOUNGE, SPACE, RESIDENT, RESIDENT SPACE, AND AS SOMEBODY WHO'S LIVED IN, UM, ONE OF OUR REALLY NICE, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES HERE IN AUSTIN, UM, I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT THOSE SPACES ARE NEVER USED.
I LIVED IN LAMAR UNION, BUT THE BEAUTIFUL LOUNGE WAS ALWAYS EMPTY.
UM, AND SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS HOW CAN WE COOK? COULD YOU CONSIDER, UM, PROGRAMMING THAT WITH SOMETHING PUBLIC OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE THE, THE RETAIL STRATEGY ON THE GROUND FLOOR MIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE MARKET MIGHT SAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE THAT SIZE, BUT PERHAPS THERE COULD BE SOME ABILITY TO FLEXIBLY FLEXIBLY EXPAND THAT, UM, OVER TIME.
SO PERHAPS THE DESIGN COULD BE SUCH THAT THAT CORNER THAT'S CURRENTLY DEDICATED TO LOBBY COULD BE TAKEN OVER BY CAFE AS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, SHOWS THAT IT IS WOULD, WOULD WORK WELL.
UM, SO, SO I'VE GOT ANOTHER QUICK QUESTION.
I THINK, UH, I WONDER ABOUT THE LANDSCAPING PLANT.
THE PLANT IS THEY COULD, UM, THIS IS A QUESTION FOR CAMERON.
I'M WONDERING IF THEY PRESENTED A NICE OPPORTUNITY TO DO STORM WATER QUALITY OR, UM, OR, UH, I'M NOT A LANDSCAPE EXPERT, SO THAT'S MORE JUST WONDERING, UM, AND YEAH, YEAH, I MEAN, OVERALL, I THINK IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL DESIGN.
SO JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
UM, PRESIDENT THE RESTAURANT, UH, YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE RESTAURANT.
THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE DESIGN, THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM HAS COMMITTED TO MAKING A VERY ACTIVE RESTAURANT.
SO THAT MEANS, ESPECIALLY ON RAINY, YOU WOULD NEVER CHOOSE AN OPERATOR WHO WOULD SHUT DOWN AT SIX.
I MEAN, THE INTENTION IS THAT IT'S COFFEE IN THE MORNING BREAKFAST, THEN LUNCH THEN DINNER THEN.
AND IT WAS REALLY SEEN AS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, A SEVEN TO 10 OR SEVEN TO 12 OR WHATEVER USE.
AND IT WOULD OPEN TO THE, TOWARD THE CORNER AND TOWARD RAINY WITH MORE TABLES AND CHAIRS, SO THAT YOU WOULD BE ANIMATING THIS, THE, THE SIDEWALK WITH, UH, PATRONS FROM THE RESTAURANT, SO THAT WE ARE EFFECTIVELY PICKING UP MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
THAT'S JUST NOT CONDITIONED SQUARE FOOTAGE JANUARY.
WE'RE LEVERAGING THE OVERHANG, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, TO, TO SHELTER FAIRS AND PATRONS COMMISSIONER.
THIS IS AMANDA SWORE AGAIN, I COULD MAYBE ADDRESS A LITTLE BIT OF YOUR QUESTION AND I LIKE YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS.
SO THE, LIKE I SAID, THE DESIGN TEAM SPENT A LOT OF TIME FIGURING OUT HOW TO ADDRESS THE, THAT GROUND FLOOR.
AND RIGHT NOW IT'S DESIGNED SO THAT THAT CAFE CAN REALLY CONNECT INTO THE LOBBY AREA, BUT DEFINITELY IN THE FUTURE, AS YOU KNOW, AS MARKETS CHANGE, THERE WOULD BE NOTHING THAT WOULD PROHIBIT SOME OF THAT AREA FROM GOING TO SOMETHING ELSE.
UM, IT, IT WOULD BE THERE ISN'T A DESIGN COMPONENT OF THE BUILDING THAT WOULD PROHIBIT IT FROM TRANSITIONING IN THE FUTURE.
BUT AS IT'S DESIGNED TODAY, IT'S DESIGNED SO THAT THAT CAFE CAN HELP ACTIVATE THE SPACE GIVEN WHERE WE ARE IN THE CURRENT MARKET.
THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING MY QUESTIONS AND COMMISSIONER.
UH, THE STORMWATER ASPECT OF THE PLANTING BEDS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, ON THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR.
AND I, I THINK MOST OF THE STRATEGIES IN THIS PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY ZONE, WHERE IT'S THINKING IN OUR MORE KIND OF LID, PASSIVE STRATEGIES, ADDRESSING SHEEP FLOW, UM, DRAINING INTO SOME OF THESE PLANTERS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT ALL OF THE VERTICAL GARDENS AND GREEN GREEN ROOFS, UM, THAT IS GOING TO HELP ALSO WITH THE WATER INFILTRATING OFF THE FACADES OF THE ARCHITECTURE.
SO WE THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY NICE WAY TO KIND OF COLLECT AND STORE THE WATER THAT WOULD SLOW IT DOWN BEFORE IT MAKES ITS WAY ULTIMATELY INTO WALNUT CREEK AND LADY BIRD LAKE.
SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAXIMIZE THE AMOUNT OF VEGETATION WE'RE THINKING NATIVE, NEWLY GRASSES AND SEDGES, UM, REALLY BUFFERING IN AND PROVIDING ALSO LARGER, UM, SOIL VOLUME FOR THESE TREES TO REALLY GROW OUT.
UM, AND THOSE PLANTING BED CHANNELS VERSUS THE STANDARD TREE GRADE APPROACH, WHICH IS A PER, UH, GREAT STREETS
[01:00:01]
IS SIX FOOT BY SIX FOOT.SO WE'RE REALLY GOING, UM, KIND OF ABOVE THE STANDARD HERE TO MAXIMIZE VEGETATION, INFILTRATION, ET CETERA.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? I HAVE A COMMENT AND THE COMMENT THAT I HAVE, IT'S ACTUALLY THE SAME COMMENTARY THAT I GAVE ANOTHER PROJECT ON RAINEY STREET THAT SOUGHT TO REPLACE TWO EXISTING BARS THAT ARE QUITE SUCCESSFUL WITH A SIMILAR STRUCTURE.
UM, GRANTED I THINK THE DESIGN ON THIS ONE IS SUPERIOR.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, I JUST FELT WITHIN MY GUT THAT THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN, PEOPLE WHO COME TO VISIT AUSTIN, WE'RE GOING TO HATE THE FACT THAT TWO OF THEIR BELOVED, WHAT THEY SEE AS INSTITUTIONS WERE BEING TAKEN AWAY FOR A LIFELESS BUILDING.
AND I CAN SAY, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, RAINY STREET HAS OBVIOUSLY CHANGED IN ZONING AND IT WASN'T EVEN ZONED FOR CBD UNTIL A LITTLE OVER A DECADE AGO.
UM, THE MOMENT THAT LESTER PRO WENT IN AND ALL THESE OTHER BARS WENT IN, PEOPLE SEE IT AS A BONAFIDE NIGHTLIFE DISTRICT, THEY SEE IT AS SOMETHING SPECIAL.
THEY SEE IT AS A PLACE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PLACES IN AUSTIN.
THEY SEE IT AS A PLACE THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN OTHER PLACES IN THE U S I THINK THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE A VERY LARGE CONTINGENT OF THIS CITY THAT WILL SEE THIS PROJECT AS ANOTHER NAIL IN THE COFFIN OF RAINEY STREET.
AND I HAVE VERY STRONG, UH, THOUGHTS THAT, UM, PART OF WHAT'S CONTRIBUTING, WHAT WILL CONTRIBUTE TO THAT, UH, PERCEPTION WITH THIS PROJECT AS WELL, IS THAT IT FEELS CLOSED OFF WHEN PEOPLE ARE GOING TO RING THE STREET, THEY LOVE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO A BUNGALOW.
THEY LOVE THAT THEY'RE OUTSIDE.
THEY LOVE THAT VIBE THAT THEY CAN'T GET ANYWHERE ELSE, RIGHT.
THEN, THEN IN A WARM PLACE OR IN A COOL PLACE LIKE AUSTIN.
SO I THINK THAT BY, UM, TAKING WHAT WAS THERE AND FOR THOSE THAT KNOW WHAT'S THERE CURRENTLY, UM, AND THEN REPLACING IT WITH THIS, THAT'S GOING TO BE A HUGE LET DOWN.
I THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE, UM, A LOT OF, UM, JUST SENTIMENT, NEGATIVE SENTIMENT CENTERED AROUND THIS PROJECT IN PARTICULAR AS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT.
SO I THINK EVERY EFFORT THAT CAN BE MADE TO OPEN THIS UP TO MAKE THAT SECOND FLOOR COMPLETELY ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, TO MAKE IT HAVE BALCONIES ARE OPEN COMPLETELY TO INCREASE YOUR RETAIL ALONG, NOT ONLY RAINY, BUT ALSO, UH, RIVER STREET AS WELL.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S WHAT THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN WANT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN SAY IN THE PAST THAT I HAVE KIND OF RELUCTANTLY BEEN IN FAVOR OF PROJECTS LIKE THIS ON RAINY STREET.
AND, AND I DO HAVE SOME REGRET BECAUSE I SAW THE AFTERMATH OF, UH, WHEN I AGREED TO, UM, PROJECTS LIKE THIS MEETING, THAT CRITERIA OF, OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, AND ULTIMATELY JUST A LOT OF VERY, UH, DISHEARTENED PEOPLE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I WOULD NEED TO SEE MAJOR CHANGES, UH, TO MAKE THIS MORE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND, UH, TO, TO HELP SQUANDER, UM, SOME OF THOSE NEGATIVE SENTIMENTS THAT I ANTICIPATE.
I WANTED TO COME BACK AND SAY SOMETHING THAT GETS BACK WHEN I SPOKE WITH THIS THING ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL OR WHATEVER ON THE STREET LEVEL WASN'T MENTIONED, BUT, UH, BO IN, UH, THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE RETAIL IMPLANT, WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT AFFORDABILITY OF UNITS AND ALL, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF THE CITY WOULD KIND OF INCENTIVIZE THE RETAIL AT THE GROUND LEVEL, IF THEY WOULD KIND OF GIVE THEM CREDIT SO THAT YOU COULD BRING IN LOCAL BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS COVID, EVERYBODY'S HURTING RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL THAT THAT ONE SPACE THAT THEY HAVE FOR RETAIL COULD BE DIVIDED INTO LIKE THREE, LIKE THREE TRAILERS, RIGHT.
THAT ARE LIKE LOCAL, UH, PEOPLE WHO NEED, WHO NEED TO SPACE, WHO ACTUALLY, WHO BRIGHTEN UP THAT AREA, RIGHT.
WITH A LOCAL FOOD OR WHATEVER IT IS.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO GO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE, UM, I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY COOL BECAUSE IT WOULD GIVE A LOCAL BUSINESS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF GET IT BACK INTO WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE IN KIND OF THIS TRAILER ATMOSPHERE, BUT IT WOULD BE WITHIN THIS BUILDING.
UM, I, I LIKED THIS PROJECT A LOT, BUT YEAH, I THINK I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF PROBLEMS WITH THAT, WITH THE, UH, RETAIL PART ON THE GROUND LEVEL.
AND THAT'S IT, THAT'S ALL I HAD TO START PUSHING YOUR COMMENT.
THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT PRESENTATION.
I THINK THERE'S A COMMON THREAD HERE AND A COMMON THEME ABOUT ACTIVATING THAT GROUND PLANE, ESPECIALLY AS IT FACES THE BACK.
UM, I WONDER ABOUT THAT RETAIL TOO.
IF IT COULDN'T BE MORE PERVIOUS, MAYBE IT'S GOT SOME SORT OF PORCH OR THE NANO WALL COLLAPSIBLE GARAGE DOORS THAT KIND OF,
[01:05:01]
THAT.I JUST THINK IT NEEDS, UH, UH, MORE COVER BECAUSE IT'S WEST-FACING.
AND ALTHOUGH THE TREES SOMEDAY WILL PROVIDE SOME COVER.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE SITE PLAN, IT'S GOING TO GET SOME PRETTY SEVERE WEST SIDE.
AND WITH THAT CURTAIN WALL HITTING THE GROUND THERE, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW COMFORTABLE THAT SPACE MIGHT EAT.
BUT I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A WAY TO, UH, TO RECUPERATE SOME OF THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF RAINY STREET BY MAKING THAT RETAIL A LITTLE BIT MORE INDIVIDUALIZED AT THAT CORNER, MORE, MORE OF THE, UM, THE RAINY STREET VIBE, SO TO SPEAK.
SO I WANNA JUST, UH, BUILD UPON THAT WITH THE REST OF THE CONDITIONERS THAT WE'RE HEARING FROM.
THE SECOND COMMENT I HAVE IS THAT, UH, THAT PEDESTRIAN CROSSING AT THE ALLEY, I THINK WHEN WE FIRST LOOKED AT THIS PROJECT, I THINK WE, WE ALL UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S AN ACT GRAY CROSSING, BUT IF YOU'RE WALKING PARALLEL TO THE BUILDING ITSELF, YOU DON'T REALLY SEE THE ALLEY DEMARCATION AT THE TOP.
SO IF I'VE HAD A FEW COCKTAILS AND WALKING, I WONDER IF THERE'S SOME SORT OF INDICATOR CHANGING COLOR, SOMETHING AT THAT.
I WORRY ABOUT THAT CROSSING GUESTS COMMISSIONER, UM, THAT I APOLOGIZE IF I CUT YOU OFF, BUT THE, UM, ON THE ALLEY CROSSING, UH, GUESS THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KAREN MENTIONED, AND WE DEFINITELY HEARD YOUR COMMENTS AT THE, UM, LIKE THE WORKING GROUP.
SO THERE WILL BE DELINEATIONS, SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE LEAVING A SIDEWALK AND YOU'RE GOING INTO AN AREA THAT HAS VEHICLE CROSSINGS TO IT, SO THAT, UM, SO PEDESTRIAN WILL KNOW THAT THEY'RE CHANGING THEIR ENVIRONMENT.
WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BOTH, UM, LIKELY BOTH TEXTURE AND COLOR CHANGES SO THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE THAT REFLECTED IN THE DRAWING.
SO CAN I CALL YOU COMMISSIONER ANN? I WISH YOU WOULD.
DAVID AND, AND WE, WE, UH, THE GOOD NEWS IS WE'VE REALLY REDUCED TRAFFIC, UM, MOVEMENT ON THE ALLEY IN TERMS OF DEMAND FOR THIS BUILDING.
WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT A FEW CARS, UH, PARKING THERE FOR POTENTIAL FUTURE TENANTS, AND THEN THE, THE RANDOM KIND OF DELIVERY PANEL TRUCK THAT MIGHT HAVE A FEDEX DROP OFF.
SO IN TERMS OF TRAFFIC PATTERN THROUGH THE ALLEY, IT'S VERY MINIMAL.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, WE WERE INTENDING TO HAVE NOT ONLY A COLOR AND SURFACE TEXTURE, BUT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS A CROSS TRAFFIC SITUATION, AND THAT WOULD BE DONE BOTH IN THE PAVING, THE SIDEWALK, UH, SIGNAGE, AND ALSO PROBABLY OVERHEAD.
UM, SO THERE WAS THAT, AND THEN I THINK IN TERMS OF THE RINGY STREET, UH, FACADE AND THE, AND THE WAY THE CAFE BAR, RESTAURANT MATES RAINY AND, AND COMES OUT TO RAINY, THERE IS A, BECAUSE OF THE FIVE FOOT GREAT STREETS PROGRAM.
WE'VE GOT A, WE HAVE A FIVE FOOT, UH, EFFECTIVE CAN LABOR OVERHEAD.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME CANOPIES THAT WERE SHOWN THAT ARE ADDING MORE PROTECTION FOR CABLES AND TEARS.
IF THEY SPILL OUT TOWARD RAINY.
IN ADDITION, THE, THE IDEA WAS TO, UM, ADD A MURAL AT THE, UH, EGRESS STAIR AT THE CORNER, WHICH WOULD BE THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE SITE AND HAVE SOME VERY SPECTACULAR ART PAD ON TO THE BUILDING THEATER, TO THE BUILDING, WHATEVER THEY WOULD MAKE IT A BIT MORE GRITTY AND MORE ABOUT RAINY.
UH, AND YES, THE DESIRE IS DEFINITELY THE DUDE NANO WALL OR, OR, UH, ROLL UP DOORS TO OPEN THAT WINDOW WALL.
IT WAS NOT, IT WAS NEVER SEEN AS A CLASSIC WINDOW WALL WITHOUT APERTURES.
IT'S INTENDED TO REALLY OPEN UP AND HAVE AN INDOOR OUTDOOR RELATIONSHIP, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT TO RAINY AND TO MAKE IT FEEL LIKE IT'S MUCH MORE A PART OF RAINY AND NOT SEPARATED BY A WINDOW WALL FROM RAINY.
SO THOSE TWO THINGS WERE REALLY, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THOSE UP.
WE'VE STRUGGLED TO MAKE THAT AS, AS GREAT AS WE CAN GIVE HIM THE LIMITATIONS OF A VERY TIGHT SITE, UM, AND PUTTING ALL THE BACK OF THE HOUSE FOUR ELEMENTS AWAY FROM RIVER AND RAINY AND FACING EAST.
AND AFTER HE TRIED, WE THINK WITH THE RAMPS AND THE LOADING PRIMARY LOADING, IT WAS, UH, WAS, UH, UH, REALLY IMPORTANT TO THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM TO, TO MAKE A MORE PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY EXPERIENCE ON RIVER AND RAINING.
UH, THE, THE COMMISSIONERS COMMENT ABOUT THE SECOND FLOOR, WE, WE HAVE REALLY STRUGGLED WITH THE SECOND FLOOR ORIGINALLY.
WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE SECOND FLOOR TO BE PUBLIC, BUT BECAUSE OF THE NARROW ASPECT RATIO OF THIS BUILDING AND
[01:10:01]
THE, AND THE WAY WE HAVE FIRE STAIRS WOULD BE REQUIRED.AND THE EFFECTIVE SECOND ELEVATOR THAT WE WOULD NEED, IF WE WERE TO HAVE A SECOND FLOOR PUBLIC SPACE, WE, WE, WE PREFER, UH, TO GO ON THE DIRECTION WHERE THE COMMONS, THE APARTMENT COMMONS, WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE, UH, PEOPLE, UH, YOU KNOW, CONVENING AND, AND, UH, UH, VERY ACTIVELY SPACE ON THAT SECOND FLOOR TO ANIMATE THE SECOND FLOOR WITHOUT HAVING TO COMPROMISE THE SECURITY OF THE VERTICAL CIRCULATION OF THE TOWER FOR THE GUESTS, FOR THE PATRONS.
AND, AND ALSO YOU START GETTING INTO SOME, I MEAN, NOT ANOTHER FIRST YEAR WOULD JUST PRETTY IMPOSSIBLE IN TERMS OF WHAT IT, IT WOULD HAVE MADE OUR CORNER OPAQUE, UH, BY ADDING YET ANOTHER FIRE STAIR THAT HAD TO GO RIGHT OUT TO TERRAINIAN RIVER.
SO THAT'S WHY WE OPTED NOT TO DO THE SECOND FLOOR PUBLIC OPTION, UH, BUT WE DID PURSUE IT.
AND THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM WAS, UH, INTERESTED IN THAT, BUT IT JUST, IT DIDN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE AT THE END OF THE, BUT WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS.
UM, AND THIS IS MAYBE MORE FOR, WELL, IT'S A WHOLE TEAM, I GUESS, ON ANOTHER PROJECT THAT CAME BEFORE THE COMMISSION JUST A MONTH OR SO AGO.
UH, TXDOT GAVE EAST I HARD, NO FOR TREES AND ANY IMPROVEMENTS TO THE WAY.
UM, I'M ASKING THAT QUESTION FOR TWO REASONS.
ONE, I HOPE YOU CAN GET THE TANNIN ON THIS PROJECT.
AND I WOULD LOVE FOR THIS TO BE A PRECEDENT FOR THE OTHER PROJECT AND FOR, UM, FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN STAFF TO RECOGNIZE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S A STRUGGLE THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH.
SO THAT'S WHAT AT EAST AVENUE, YES.
COMMISSIONER AND I'LL ADDRESS THAT, UM, STAFF OR SOMEONE ON THE TEAM PLEASE, CORRECT ME IF I GO ASTRAY, BUT WE REACHED OUT TO TEXTILE AND ACTUALLY HAD URBAN DESIGN STAFF GO WITH US TO THAT MEETING VIRTUALLY SO THAT WE COULD MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE PRESENTING A UNIFIED FRONT, REALLY TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD FOR EAST AVENUE, FROM A PLANTING AND WIDTH PERSPECTIVE.
ULTIMATELY TEXTS ARE WHERE THEY ARE, BUT THEY DID GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF LEEWAY TO AT LEAST BE ABLE TO PUT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT FULL TREES, BUT THEY'RE MORE, THEY'RE AT LEAST PROVIDE SOME VEGETATION AND SOME, UM, SOME TEXTURE AND SHADING IN THE AREA.
AND THEN WE ALSO WORKED WITH THEM QUITE A BIT ON WHERE WOULD YOU PUT THE, THE LEARNING AND THE, UM, TRANSFORMERS? THAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR SO THAT WE COULD REALLY GET THAT AREA IS LIGHTING THROUGH KIDS.
SO IS IT, IS IT FULL, GREAT STREETS? NO, BUT IT IS 100% THE BEST RESULT THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET ON EAST AVENUE PROJECT.
UM, AND I THINK IT WAS REALLY THE RESULT OF THE URBAN DESIGN STACK WINE WITH US HAND IN HAND, INTO THAT MEETING TO SEE WHERE WE COULD GET, AND THEN WE WILL PAY INTO THE MITIGATION FUND.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN, AND IT'S STILL PAINFUL AND TO THE MITIGATION FUNDS.
SO IT'S KIND OF DOING DOUBLE ON THAT EAST AVENUE SITE.
SO IT WAS THAT A YES OR A NO TO THE TREE.
SO THEY, THEY SIGN OFF ON THE TREES, LIKE WHAT'S SHOWN ON THE SITE PLAN RIGHT NOW.
CAMERON, THEY ARE, WHAT ARE THEY? YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN THAT THE SPACE BETWEEN THE PROPERTY LINE AND THE FACE OF THE CURVES, LIKE 13 FOOT, SIX INCHES.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A SIX FOOT WIDE SIDEWALK AND A SEVEN FOOT WIDE PLANNING JOHN THERE.
AND SO CURRENTLY IN THE DRAWINGS, WE HAVE DESERT WILLOWS.
AND SO THERE ARE SMALLER, UM, UTILITIES AND WE AT THE GO BACK TO THE PLAN AND LOOK AT IT, CAUSE I, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE READING IT WRONG, BUT, AND SO W WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THE, UM, US CENTER, ENERGY VAULT, AND SO PROVIDING ACCESS THERE.
UM, YEAH, SO WE HAVE ONE TREE ON EITHER SIDE OF THAT AX VAULT ACCESS.
AND SO THOSE ARE PROBABLY MISREPRESENTED AS A LARGE SHADE TREE WHEN REALLY REALISTICALLY IT'S GOING TO BE A SMALLER UTILITY COMPATIBLE TREE.
SO THOUGH, YEAH, THEY DO LOOK LIKE THE OTHER TREES.
SO THAT, THAT DID CONFUSE ME A LITTLE BIT AND ACTUALLY GOT ME.
IT GOT ME OPTIMISTIC FOR A LITTLE BIT.
WELL, THE, IF YOU LOOK TO THE NORTH ON EAST AVENUE, THERE ARE SOME EXISTING TREES ALONG THAT PORTION AND WE OF COURSE WANT TO MAKE IT AS NICE AND SHADED AND BUFFERED AS WE CAN ALONG THAT PORTION.
BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NARROWER THAN OUR STANDARD 10 FOOT, EIGHT FOOT ZONE LIKE WE HAVE ON RADIUM RIVER.
SO HOW MANY TREES WILL YOU HAVE ON EAST AVENUE TUTORS RIGHT NOW, JUST TO, TO DESERT WILLOWS.
AND I THINK THAT THAT SPECIES IS DEBATABLE STILL, BUT WE'RE THINKING IT'S NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING SMALL BASED ON THE TXDOT CONVERSATIONS AND THE AUSTIN ENERGY VAULT ACCESS THROUGH THAT CENTER EAST WEST, UM, SIDEWALK PORTION.
[01:15:01]
THE VAULT DOOR IS IN THE MIDDLE.I DID HAVE ONE MORE AND I'M STARTING TO DRIVE THIS OUT.
MY OTHER QUESTION WAS GOING BACK TO THE, UM, THE PLAZA SPACE WHERE THE RETAIL AND LAW, THE INTERFACE IN THE, IN THE PERSPECTIVE, ONE OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE LOOKED FOR, UH, THE DESIGN COMMISSION IS MAKING SURE THE ENTRY IS WELL EXPRESSED AND READILY IDENTIFIABLE.
AND MAYBE IT'S JUST THE, THE VIEW, BUT RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONLY THING IDENTIFYING THE ENTRY IS REALLY THE WORD CAFE, I BELIEVE.
UM, IS THERE ANY ARTICULATION OF THE ENTRY WOULD BE MY QUESTION.
I DEFINITELY THINK, UM, THERE'S ARTICULATION, THAT'S, THAT'S IN THERE.
MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO TELL A PERSPECTIVE.
I KNOW FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE RESIDENTIAL ENTRY AND STUFF THERE, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE IDEA OF A CANOPY THAT KIND OF MARKS THOSE ENTRY POINTS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE INTENTION IS THAT THEY WOULD SORT OF UNIFY THAT, THAT INSIDE CORNER WITH THAT HORIZONTAL ELEMENT.
SO I JUST DON'T KNOW BECAUSE OF THE PERSPECTIVE ANGLE OR MAYBE THE MO THE WAY THAT THE KIND OF VOLUMES ARE REPRESENTED IF IT'S READING VERY WELL.
BUT YES, I THINK THAT'S THE INTENT.
IT CAN'T JUST BE A LITTLE SIGN.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? UM, WELL, FOR MYSELF, I THINK IT'S A VERY ATTRACTIVE BUILDING, UM, WHERE I'M STRUGGLING WITH THIS PROJECT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE THINK OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT, RIGHT, AND WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED THAT IT'S, IT'S THIS FUNNY THING TO PUBLIC SPACES OR ESSENTIALLY A PRIVATE SPACE.
UM, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK THIS PROJECT IS GETTING A HUGE BENEFIT VACATING THE PUBLIC ALLEY AND FROM, UH, EXCEEDING THE 15 TO ONE FAR ALLOWED IN THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
AND SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS THAT ADDED COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
UM, THAT'S GIVEN BACK FOR THOSE THINGS AND I'M JUST STRUGGLING TO SEE IT.
I DON'T SEE THAT I'M PAYING, PAYING A FEE IN LIEU IS REALLY, IS REALLY DOING ENOUGH FOR ME, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT GOING TO HELP ANYTHING ON SITE HERE.
UH, UM, SO THAT, THAT'S WHERE I'M AT WITH THAT, BUT I THINK IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PROJECT AND I APPRECIATE YOU RESPONDING TO, UH, THE WORKING GROUPS COMMENTS THAT THEY HAD.
UM, ANY MORE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS.
I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON, ON MINE AFTER HEARING, UM, DAVID LEE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT SECOND LEVEL, UM, AND THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE SITE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A REALLY BEAUTIFUL, THOUGHTFUL PROJECT AND WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE IN ONE PLACE.
WELL, IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, IT'S ON, LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT EVERYBODY ALL AT WANTS, I'LL TAKE A STAB AT IT.
UM, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT THE PROJECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES WITH TWO CAVEATS THAT I HAVE, AND MAYBE MY COMMISSIONERS WANT TO RESPOND TO THIS ONE IS THAT THAT RETAIL SPACE INDICATES OR SHOWS THAT PERMEABILITY COURTEOUSNESS THAT WAS DESCRIBED EARLY, EARLIER BY DAVID LAKE.
I'D LIKE THAT TO BE PART OF THE APPROVAL PROCESS.
AND THE SECOND ONE I HAVE IS THAT THE ENTRY IS EXPRESSED MORE DEFINITIVELY AND, UH, UM, I'M OPEN.
I THINK IT'S, I, FOR ME, THE PROJECT DOESN'T GIVE AS MUCH AS I THINK IT COULD BACK, YOU KNOW, HECKLING, WHAT CAN A CHAIR CAROL SAID, BUT I THINK, I THINK REALLY EXPANDING THE VISUAL IMPACT OF THAT RETAIL SPACE AND ITS ACCESSIBILITY FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY WOULD GREATLY IMPROVE THAT FOR THE COMMISSION.
SECOND, SECOND CONCLUSION IF MAKE
[01:20:02]
A YES.IS THAT JORGE? OKAY, THANK YOU.
JUST CLARIFY FOR THE COMMISSION.
THERE'S NOT AN ABILITY FOR THE COMMISSION TO CONDITION APPROVAL THROUGH THE REVIEW PROCESS.
IT WOULD BE A RECOMMENDATION TO STAFF TO EVALUATE THOSE, THE MERITS OF THAT RECOMMENDATION, BUT WE ARE NOT ABLE TO CONDITION A REVIEW APPROVAL BASED ON THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I WOULD SAY FROM THE APPLICANT TEAM, WE WOULD BE COMMITTED TO MAKING THOSE MODIFICATIONS THAT ARE DESIRED BY THE COMMISSION AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.
DO I NEED TO RESTATE THAT JORGE, IF I MAY, YES, PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER, JUST WITH THE FULL UNDERSTANDING TO THE COMMISSION, THAT THE CODE DOES NOT ALLOW US TO CONDITION AN APPROVAL BECAUSE THIS IS A RECOMMENDING BODY.
IF THE APPLICANT WISHES TO OFFER THAT AS A CONCESSION, THAT IS COMPLETELY ON THEM AND IT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.
SO THERE'S NO NEED TO AMEND YOUR PROMOTION CONCESSION AND APPROVAL WITHOUT APPROVAL CONCESSION AND AGREEMENT BY AMANDA SWORE BE PART OF THE MINUTES OF THIS MEETING.
BUT YES, WE CAN CERTAINLY ADD THAT.
HOWEVER, IT IS NOT CONTINGENT TO AN APPROVAL PROCESS ON THE CITY SIDE.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER AGAIN, AMANDA SWORE IS PART OF THE APPLICANT TEAM.
WE WOULD ALSO MAKE A COMMITMENT.
WE COULD PUT THAT IN A LETTER, UM, THAT WOULD GO IN THE BACKUP AS THIS IS A PROJECT THAT DOES NEED TO GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO PUT THAT AS PART OF OUR PRESENTATION GOING FORWARD AND ALSO DOCUMENT IT MORE FORMALLY IF THAT'S A BENEFIT AND THAT IS FULLY ACCEPTABLE.
JUST A CLARIFICATION QUESTION THEN I UNDERSTAND THE, THE EXPRESSION OF THE ENTRY AND HOW THAT COULD BE ACHIEVED, YOU KNOW, SOMEHOW, BUT THEN WHAT IS THE, UM, ON THE OTHER POINT, AS FAR AS THE RETAIL SPACE, WHAT WOULD WE BE? WHAT WOULD, AND THIS QUESTION IS MORE FOR AMANDA AND THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
WHAT WOULD Y'ALL BE PUTTING IN THAT LETTER SPECIFICALLY, UM, WITH REGARDS TO THE RETAIL AND ACTIVATION AND HOW THAT'D BE MORE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE? UM, YES.
COMMISSIONER SAID THE ITEMS THAT I HEARD FROM THE COMMISSION WERE, AND I, I WILL DESTROY THE LINGO.
SO I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE ARCHITECT TEAM TO ACTUALLY HIT.
BUT, UM, TO ENSURE THAT THE RETAIL AREA HAS THE PERMEABILITY TO REALLY ACTIVATE MORE WITH RAINEY STREET AND THEN, UM, THAT PIECE OF IT, AND THEN THE ACCENTUATION OF THE ENTRY AREA WHERE THE PIECES THAT I HEARD FROM THE COMMISSION.
I GUESS, I GUESS MY POINT IS, IT'S JUST MORE OF A CLARIFICATION MAYBE FOR ABE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE QUIRKY IS SAYING THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A VERY, VERY CLEAR DIRECTION, WHETHER IT'S WE GIVE IT TO Y'ALL OR YOU ALL COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF WORDING IN YOUR LETTER, UM, IT SAYS YOU WILL DO X, Y, AND Z TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S MORE PERMEABILITY, UM, WITH THE RETAIL SPACE.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING FROM THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM, IF YOU WERE TO DRAFT A LETTER TODAY, WHAT WOULD THAT, WHAT WOULD THAT PERMEABILITY LANGUAGE SOUND LIKE? SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST HAVE SOME CLARIFICATION ON WHAT, WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AGREEING TO, OKAY, THIS IS DAVID.
LIKE I THINK THAT THE WAY IT WOULD READ IS IT WOULD SAY THAT THE RETAIL STOREFRONT WOULD BE DEFINED TO, UH, ENCOURAGE THE OPENING OF A MINIMUM OF 12 TO 14 FEET WORKING WIDTH TO RAINY STREET WITH EITHER, UH, HINGE DOORS OR OVERHEAD DOORS OR A SUCCESSION OF BOTH.
AND THE IDEAL WOULD BE TO BE ABLE TO OPEN THE RESTAURANT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THE STOREFRONT WOULD FALL OR OPEN TO ALLEVIATE ANY KIND OF IMPEDIMENT OF LIMIT FROM RAINY INTO THE STOREFRONT.
SO IT WOULD BE, AS I RECALL, GREG, THAT'S LIKE 20, 24 OR 25 FOOT FRONTAGE EDGE, AT LEAST HALF THE FRONTAGE WITH, UH, WITH A REALLY, UH, WELCOMING, EASILY ACCESSED APERTURE.
IS THAT, DOES THAT CLARIFY IT ENOUGH? YEAH, IT DOES FOR MY, FOR MY PURPOSES, AS FAR AS MY UNDERSTANDING NOW MY ONLY OTHER QUESTION WOULD BE
[01:25:01]
AFTERWARDS.THEY, THE STAFF NOW ENSURE THAT THAT, THAT THEY SUBMIT A LETTER WITH THEIR, UH, WITH THEIR PAPERWORK THAT SAYS JUST THAT IT IS.
AND IF I MAY CLARIFY CHAIR THAT THE WAY THAT THE ORIGINAL MOTION WAS STATED IS THAT THIS PROJECT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIANT WITH THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES, WITH A CAVEAT THAT A REVIEW PROCESS ACTION BE TAKEN, THEREFORE THAT CANNOT BE CONTINGENT ON THE REVIEW ACTION BECAUSE THIS, THIS BODY DOESN'T REVIEW APPROVE OR DISAPPROVE THE SITE PLAN, WHICH WOULD BE THE CASE, BUT THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM OF REQUIREMENTS WOULD BE INFUSED.
IT WOULD JUST BE A CLARIFICATION THAT THE APPLICANT IS OFFERING TO INCLUDE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO THEIR DESIGN, WHICH SATISFIES THE STAFF.
WE, BECAUSE THIS BEING AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS PARTLY CANNOT BE CONDITIONED TO SITE PLAN TO THOSE PROVISIONS BECAUSE THERE IS NO CODE PROVISION WE CAN POINT TO THAT REQUIRES THAT HOWEVER, IF THE APPLICANT IS OFFERING THAT THAT IS FULLY ACCEPTABLE.
AND AS THE APPLICANT, I WOULD CONFIRM THAT.
AND I WOULD ALSO ADD TO THE POINT, UM, FROM THE COMMISSION ABOUT THE ABILITY TO TRANSITION THE SPACE THAT IS IN THE LOBBY THAT WAS ASKED FOR, UM, AFRICAN TEAM WOULD ALSO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT THAT THERE NOT BE ANY DESIGN AND THAT THE PROJECT BE ABLE TO BE CONVERTED FOR ADDITIONAL RETAIL SPACE IN THE FUTURE, ALONG THAT CORNER AND ALONG RIVER STREET, WE WOULD OFFER THAT TO BE A THIRD ITEM THAT WE WOULD COMMIT TO IN WRITING TO THE COMMISSION.
I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, SHARON, YOU MAY HAVE, YOU MAY HAVE MENTIONED THIS EARLIER, A MANDATE PRESENTATION, BUT COULD YOU, COULD YOU REFRESH MY MEMORY WITH REGARDS TO, UH, FOR REGARDS TO THE AFFORDABILITY LIMITS? UM, WHAT, WHAT, UH, MFIS ARE WE LOOKING AT HERE AND, AND PER THE ORDINANCE IT'S 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME, CORRECT.
BUT YOU SAID SOMETHING ABOUT YOU WERE, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE BARE MINIMUM AND YOU GUYS WERE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
SO BEYOND IS THAT, SO THE PROJECT IN RAINY STREET WOULD ONLY BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR THE FIRST PORTION OF THE BUILDING UP TO EIGHT TO ONE FAR, THE PROJECT WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO FULLY PAY A FEE FOR EVERYTHING ELSE.
WHAT THIS PROJECT IS DOING IS TAKING THE AREA ABOVE THE 15 TO ONE AND SPLITTING IT AND ACTUALLY PROVIDING ADDITIONAL ONSITE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALMOST.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY COMPLETELY DOUBLING THE AREA THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE REQUIRED.
SO DOUBLING THE AMOUNT OF ON-SITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND WOULD BE REQUIRED BY THE ORDINANCE.
EVERYTHING ELSE COULD BE PAID WITH THE FEE, BUT WE'RE PUTTING ONSITE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THEN THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION AND THAT, THAT, UH, ADDITIONAL, UM, ADDITIONAL PORTION OF IS ALSO 80% OF MY FILE.
YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT, AT, UH, ANY MFIS LOWER THAN THAT.
IT, IS IT 10? IS IT 80% MEDIAN FAMILY INCOME.
THAT'S THAT'S THAT WAS MY CLARIFICATION QUESTION.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? YEAH, THAT'S ONE THING, YOU KNOW, BASED ON MY LAST COMMENT IS THAT THE COUNCIL IS REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE SMALL BUSINESSES ARE GONNA SURVIVE AND, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS A HUGE THING TOO, BUT LIKE I SAID EARLIER IN THE BRAIN, IF THEY WOULD INCENTIVIZE LOCAL BUSINESSES, LIKE IN THIS PROJECT, THERE WERE MAYBE THREE OR FOUR BUSINESSES COULD BE ON THAT GROUND LEVEL, KIND OF LIKE TO TRY TO THINK, KIND OF ADD THAT LOCAL CHARACTER, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.
I LOVE THIS PROJECT RIGHT NOW AND I, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT KIND OF MOVE UP TO THE SECOND LEVEL BASICALLY.
I MEAN, LITERALLY THE SECOND LEVEL, LIKE I WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, IF WE DO THAT SOMEHOW, BECAUSE WE DID SEE A PROJECT, UH, LAST MONTH WHERE ALL THE ACTIVITY WAS ON THE SECOND LEVEL AND, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE FELT THAT WAS A COOL THING BECAUSE IT WAS ACTUALLY MORE EFFICIENT THAT THEY HAVE MORE SPACE UP THERE TO WHERE THEY COULD PROVIDE THAT COMMUNITY OUTREACH OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M FOR THIS PROJECT, BUT IF WE COULD WORK ON THOSE LITTLE MINUTE THINGS THAT, THAT, UH, MATEO AND BO WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE GREAT CHAIR JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON, ON, UM, ON HIS POINT THERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK, I THINK BACK TO A RECENT ARTICLE, I READ MAYBE IT WAS A WEEK OR TWO AGO AND DON'T QUOTE ME ON THIS, BUT YOU KNOW, THAT FIRST VIA THREE, ONE, THREE TRADER, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS ON EAST SIXTH STREET THERE IN FRONT OF, UH, IN FRONT OF VIOLET CROWN, OR IF IT WAS RIGHT THERE ON RAINY.
BUT I KNOW IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ONES THAT I EVER WENT TO WAS RIGHT THERE ON RAINEY STREET.
AND I SAY THAT JUST BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS EITHER LAST WEEK OR WEEK BEFORE LAST
[01:30:01]
THEY'RE GOING NATIONAL NOW, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE EXPANDING THEIR OPERATIONS.NOT ONLY HAVE THEY EXPANDED HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, BUT THEY'RE GOING NATIONAL.
AND I, YOU KNOW, DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OWNERS, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE BE IT NOT FOR THEIR OPERATIONS ON RAINEY STREET FOR ALL THAT TIME.
UM, THEY MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO NATIONAL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK TO EVAN'S POINT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE KIND OF REINVENTING HOW YOU GUYS LOOK AT THOSE RETAIL SPACES.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S ONE THING TO FIT IN THE PROFORMA.
AND, AND WE, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTS GOT TO GOT A PENCIL OUT, BUT IT'S ANOTHER THING TO REALLY DEEP DIVE DEEP DOWN AND KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
AND ALSO JUST WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR, FOR THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT, YOU KNOW, BE IT NOT FOR THAT, FOR THAT TRAILER ON, ON RAINY STREET, PERHAPS THEY WOULDN'T BE GOING NATIONAL TODAY.
AND I HAVE TO RESPOND BY SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A POLICY YET, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT, SAM IS THAT IF THEY SET THE PRECEDENTS THERE, THEY'D VOLUNTEER TO COME IN AND GIVE THESE SMALL BUSINESSES A LITTLE BREAK ON THE LEASE OR WHATEVER IT IS AND GET THEM STARTED, WHY THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, WHILE THIS WHOLE THING WAS GOING ON.
I THINK THAT WOULD JUST BE A, NOT ONLY A POLITICAL AND A SALES BIG, IT'D BE A HUGE THING.
AND I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH OF A HIT IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, FINANCIALLY.
BUT I THINK IN THE LONG RUN YOU WOULD SET A PRECEDENT FOR HOW THE REST OF THE CITY KIND OF DEALS WITH THIS SURVIVAL MODE THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
AND MATEO, I THINK YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB ON THIS.
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR RESPONSE PLEASE.
THANKS COMMISSIONERS FOR THE COMMENTS.
UM, LOOK, I THINK YOU GUYS ARE SPEAKING TO, UH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES, UH, IN OUR DAY JOB, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, PROMOTING RETAIL, INCORPORATING RETAIL IN THESE DOWNTOWN SETTINGS, BUT HOW YOU MAKE THEM SURVIVE.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
I THINK OUR, OUR PHILOSOPHY HAS IMAGINED TOO BEFORE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ESSENTIAL.
UH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT THE BAD PROJECTS ARE ALSO THE ONES THAT BUILD TOO MUCH, THAT DON'T DIFFERENTIATE THE, TRY TO CRAM EVERY SQUARE FOOT TO HELP THE PROFORMA.
AND I THINK WE FIND THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, THE PRODUCT THAT HAS TAKEN THAT APPROACH, I DON'T THINK HAS ENHANCED IT.
I THINK TRYING TO TAKE AN APPROACH THAT IS COMMITTED TO IT, BUT MAKING REALLY GOOD RETAIL IS THE WINNING STRATEGY FOR US.
I REALLY TAKE THE FEEDBACK FROM THIS MEETING TO HEART, WHICH IS, UH, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF SQUARE FOOTAGE BY SOME DEGREE, ALLOWING THAT TO BREATHE MORE, I THINK IS ALL CONSISTENT, UM, WITH WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO HERE.
I THINK THE PIECE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO, UM, TO DO IS CONNECT, YOU KNOW, OUR LOBBY, OUR RESIDENTIAL EXPERIENCE WITH THAT RESET TO HAVE THE, TO TALK TO ONE ANOTHER.
AND SOMETIMES THAT DOESN'T, THEY BOTH DON'T GO IN THE EXACT SAME DIRECTION.
UM, SO I THINK YOU ALL WERE ALL RIGHT TO SAY THAT AREA NEEDS MORE STUDY.
UM, AND I THINK WE CERTAINLY BE SUPPORTIVE OF LOOKING AT AN APPROACH THAT COULD ACCOMMODATE MORE THAN ONE.
AND I THINK WE WOULD BE BIG SUPPORTERS OF, OF ANY INCENTIVES THE CITY MIGHT OFFER, UH, TO HELP US, UH, MAKE THESE RETAILERS MORE SUCCESSFUL.
BUT RIGHT NOW OUR APPROACH IS DOING THE RIGHT AMOUNT AND NOT TRYING TO CRAM EVERY SQUARE FOOT IN THERE OUT OF FEAR FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR SOME THAT THAT WILL ULTIMATELY BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO MATEO AIRPORT WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE, RIGHT? WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE RETAIL THAT WAS IN AN AIRPORT, THEY MADE IT VERY CLEAR AND HAD TO THE LOCAL BUSINESSES.
AND I THINK THEY SAID THEY HAD TO DEAL FORDABLE RIGHT.
SO WE HAD ALL THE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD TO, YOU HAD THESE LOCAL BUSINESSES OUT THERE, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD JUST GO OUT THERE AND GET, YOU CAN GET STUFF AT A NORMAL PRICE AND IT, IT REFLECTED THE AIRPORT'S PHILOSOPHY OF BEING AWESOME.
SORRY, I HAVEN'T, I DIDN'T MEAN TO, I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON ONE POINT THAT IT'S KIND OF A HOT BUTTON FOR ME, THAT MATEO JUST MENTIONED, YOU USED THE WORD.
UH, IF THE CITY WAS INCENTIVE, YOU SAID THAT THE CITY WOULD PROVIDE MORE INCENTIVES, YOU KNOW, BY GOLLY, THE CITY'S PROVIDING A HECK OF AN INCENTIVE WITH THAT WITH, UH, WITH A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE APPLYING FOR.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT OTHER INCENTIVES YOU'RE ASKING FOR, TO BE QUITE HONEST WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, JUST TO BE, TO BE VERY FRANK.
AND I THINK IT'S UPON THE DESIGN TEAM TO, TO LOOK AT, LOOK AT THIS FROM A RESPONSIBLE, FROM RESPONSIBLE POSITION AND, YOU KNOW, TO EVAN'S POINT, HOW CAN WE MAKE THESE BUILDINGS BETTER FROM EVERYBODY FROM EVERYBODY'S PERSPECTIVE AND WHETHER IT'S THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING SPACE THAT I COMMEND YOU GUYS TO GO ON ABOVE AND BEYOND, OR WHETHER IT'S THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER THAT RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW DURING COVID SO MANY SMALL BUSINESSES WIPED OUT, RIGHT? I'M NOT PREDICTING, NOR AM I SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO
[01:35:01]
HAVE ANOTHER PANDEMIC NOR DO I WANT ONE, NOBODY PREDICTED THIS AND HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE NOW LOOK BACK AND SAY, HOW CAN WE HELP SMALL BUSINESSES ACHIEVE MORE? THAT'S THE POINT THAT I'M TRYING TO PICK? AND LIKE I SAID, YOU HIT A HOT BUTTON.YOU SAID YOU WANT THE CITY TO PUT IN MORE INCENTIVES, BECAUSE FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THEY'RE GIVING YOU A HECK OF AN INCENTIVE RIGHT NOW.
I APPRECIATE THE COMMENT COMMISSIONER AND I APOLOGIZE IT, UH, I, I MISSED WHAT WE WERE DISCUSSING WAR STRATEGIES TO MAKE RETAIL MORE SUCCESSFUL.
AND I GUESS IN MY EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT AWARE OF PROGRAMS DIRECTED TOWARDS RETAIL THAT COULD ALLOW THEM TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.
THAT THE EXAMPLES THAT WE'VE DONE QUITE SUCCESSFULLY, I THINK WITH OUR GREEN WATER PROJECT, WHICH WAS UNDER THE CITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MBA WAS WE HAD A 35% LOCAL RETAIL REQUIREMENT.
AND THAT WAS VERY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE WANTED TO DO, WHICH WAS CELEBRATE SMALL BUSINESSES FROM AUSTIN.
AND I THINK ABOUT 70% OF THE RETAIL WE DID THERE, I ENDED UP BEING LOCAL.
SO WE ARE VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT THAT'S DIRECTED, BUT OUR COMMENTS SO FAR ARE THE BENEFITS BEING PROVIDED ARE, UH, IN THE FORM OF DENSITY.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING MORE SPECIFIC TO RETAIL THAT IS PRESIDENT THAT'S AVAILABLE, I THINK WE'D BE OPEN TO DISCUSSION.
WE'RE JUST NOT AWARE OF THAT TODAY.
AND MY, AND SO JUST TO ROUND THIS OUT, I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR THE POINT ANYMORE, BUT MY POINT TO YOU AND TO EVERYBODY ON THE EVER DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT TEAM THAT COMES TO US IS THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I GET IT.
UM, BUT SUBSIDIES, AREN'T THE ANSWER TO EVERY QUESTION, RIGHT? WE, WE, WE, I'M AN ENGINEER.
AND WHEN, WHEN WE WERE IN COLLEGE, THEY TOLD US WE CAN, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN ANSWER TO EVERY FALL.
AND WE JUST GOT TO THINK HARD ENOUGH.
AND ALL I'M SAYING IS I, I PUT IT ON, ON ALL OF US AS DESIGN PROFESSIONALS TO COME TOGETHER AND SAY, WE HAVE AN ISSUE WE NEED TO SOLVE.
HOW CAN WE MAKE THINGS BETTER WITHOUT THE CITY SUBSIDIZING SOMEBODY THAT'S COMMISSIONERS ATTEND GUCCI AND FRANK GOOD.
THESE ARE REALLY GREAT POINTS.
AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE THEM AS THE DESIGN TEAM AND LOOK AT WHAT OPTIONS THAT WE CAN DO REALLY TO TAKE YOUR POINTS AND SEE IF THERE'S WHAT LOCAL WE CAN GET IN AND WHERE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMMISSIONER ATTAIN TO GUCCI'S POINTS AND MAYBE LOOKING AT SMALLER AREAS, BUT WE DEFINITELY HEAR YOUR POINTS AND WE'LL TAKE THEM BACK AND LOOK AT THEM AS A TEAM ON HOW WE CAN INCORPORATE AND WORK ON THE RETAIL AREA TO REALLY BE ABLE TO, UM, GET THE LOCAL PIECES IN THERE AND KIND TO WORK THROUGH THAT COMPONENT.
SO, SO HOW SO IF WE MOVE FORWARD, HOW WERE YOU ENSURED THAT THIS IS GOING TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN IN MOST CASES WHEN WE DO APPROVE THAT Y'ALL SINCE DANCES COMPLY AND, AND I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M MORE FOCUSED ON, HEY, AIM THEM IN THAT DIRECTION RIGHT NOW.
I'M GOING TO PROBABLY VOTE IN FAVOR, BUT HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW, AMANDA IS GONNA ACTUALLY, UH, IMPLEMENTED.
SO FROM A, FROM A RETAIL PERSPECTIVE.
SO FROM THE DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE THE PROFESSIONALS AND THE ABILITY TO COMMIT TO THOSE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW, BUT FROM A RETAIL PERSPECTIVE, UM, MATEO IN, UH, IN THE DESIGN TEAM, I KNOW WE'LL NEED TO LOOK AT MORE.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S AS EASY OF A COMMITMENT TO MAKE ON, ON, ON THE DIOCESE, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE NOT ON A DIET, I SUPPOSE I STILL CALL UP THE DIETS, UM, WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO, TO LOOK INTO WHAT'S FUNCTIONAL AND FEASIBLE COMMISSIONER, I THINK WE WOULD NEED, I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC COMMITMENT WITHOUT HAVING THE ABILITY TO ANALYZE IT.
ADDITIONALLY, SO THAT TELLS ME THAT MAYBE WE NEED TO HOLD OFF ON THIS UNTIL WE CAN GET SOME KIND OF A FIRM AGREEMENT WHERE EVERYBODY IS ON THE SAME PAGE.
DON'T MAKE IT WRONG, BUT THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT CAME UP TONIGHT THAT HAVE KIND OF MADE ME THINK, YOU KNOW, BUT NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT THAT YOU ALL HAVEN'T DONE, WHICH YOU CAN DO, BUT HOW WE CAN TAKE THIS FURTHER, YOU KNOW, AMIDST THE COVID THING AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW.
AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND THAT PLANNING TO GET YOUR EVEN INCREASED FAR, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY TOUGH.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE KIND OF A COMMITMENT FROM US, HEY, WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THINGS OUT IN THIS COVID SITUATION.
THIS IS NOT LIKE IT, MOST OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE LOOKED AT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RETAIL FROM BOOKS, RIGHT.
I CAN I JUMP IN HERE? THIS IS DAVID LAKE.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, IS, WOULD YOU BE OKAY WITH US SHOOTING FOR A 2,500 SQUARE FOOT RESTAURANT SPACE AND ASSIGNING 800 FEET OR 600 FEET OF THAT TO A MORE AFFORDABLE, OR LET'S JUST SAY, AFFORDABLE ROUTE TO GET OVER THIS HUMP? OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE, THAT WOULD, WOULD TIE YOUR HANDS TOO MUCH? YEAH,
[01:40:01]
I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M NOT AWARE OF WHAT AN AFFORDABLE REQUIREMENT IS FOR A RETAIL TENANT.I THINK THAT THAT'S WHERE I'M, I'M BEING LOST WITH THIS DISCUSSION AROUND SIZE AND PERMEABILITY WHERE WE STARTED, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK WE'RE VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF.
I THINK THERE IS ACCIDENT AND DOCUMENTATION AROUND HAVING A LOCAL REQUIREMENT FOR THAT RETAIL.
AND I THINK WE'RE VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
UM, I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE REQUEST IS OF THE CONDITIONERS AS IT RELATED TO AFFORDABILITY AND VIABILITY, UH, FOR, FOR THAT RETAIL.
I THINK IT'S WORTH FOLLOWING UP AS WELL.
SORRY TO JUMP IN, BUT, UM, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PUSH FORWARD WITH THIS PROJECT IF IT WASN'T FOR THE COOPERATION OF THE THREE RETAILERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS TO MAKE SOMETHING WORK THAT'S IN THEIR FAVOR.
UM, VIA THREE, ONE, THREE, AS I BELIEVE SAMUEL REIKO MENTIONED, UH, I FEEL THE SAME WAY I LOVE
I LOVE ALL THREE PLACES AND I'VE GONE TO ALL THREE AND, YOU KNOW, I, I AM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THE OWNERS AND WE ARE VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE CAN MAKE SOMETHING WORK, UH, UNTIL WE HAVE A SPACE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN BE DEFINED.
IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THIS SPOTS FOR YOU, THAT SPOTS FOR YOU, BUT EITHER WAY WE HAVE WORKED ON AGREEMENTS, UH, WITH ALL PARTIES INVOLVED THAT THEY'RE IN FAVOR OF YEAH.
ONE OF THOSE LINES, I'M NOT, I'M NOT TOO CONCERNED.
I LOVE ALL OF, ALL OF THOSE PLACES, ALL THOSE DAMN SPRINTS AND I, AND, YOU KNOW, PRE COVID.
I LIKE TO FREQUENT QUITE A BIT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
UM, BUT THERE ARE, I'M MORE CONCERNED WITH THE NEXT SMALL MOM AND POP SHOP THAT HAS A GREAT IDEA AND SAYS, DARN I NEEDED AN AFFORDABLE PLACE FOR A LOT OF FOOT TRAFFIC.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE FACES THAT, THAT FIT, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, DEFINITION THAT'S, THAT'S THE CONCERN FOR ME, RIGHT? VIA THREE, ONE, THREE, THEY'RE ALREADY NATIONAL.
THEY'VE ALREADY MADE IT GOOD FOR THEM.
I'M PROUD OF THEM AND I'M GOING TO BUY THEM ANYTIME I GO TO ANY OTHER CITY, I GUARANTEE YOU THAT MUCH BECAUSE THEY'RE HOME GROWN, BUT I WANT TO THROUGH THE NEXT MOM AND POP SHOP IS HOMEGROWN.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A CHALLENGE THAT I'M POSING TO Y'ALL IS WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FROM A DESIGN PERSPECTIVE, FROM A DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, HOW CAN THOSE SPACES WORK FOR PEOPLE THAT CAN'T AFFORD THE $8,000 A MONTH RENT? AND SO, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, TEXT JUST, JUST KIND OF SHOOTING FROM THE HIP HERE.
TEXTILE DOES, OR A LOT OF, A LOT OF AGENCIES DO DISPARITY STUDIES TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, UH, THE HUB REQUIREMENTS SHOULD BE FOR THE YEAR AND WHATNOT.
MAYBE THERE'S SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.
AND MAYBE WE LOOK AT WHAT THE SMALL BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR SOME OF THESE SMALLER RISKS.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IF YOU REACH OUT TO THE VERY CREWS ON NATURALS OR TO, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE, THE TACO TRUCK DOWN THE STREET AND SAY, HEY, WHAT ARE YOUR MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS? AND WHAT CAN YOU AFFORD IN RENT? AND IF YOU ASK ENOUGH PEOPLE YOU'RE GOING TO GET AN AVERAGE AND MAYBE THAT'S WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE CAN SHOOT FOR.
MAYBE THAT'S WHAT YOU DESIGN INTO YOUR SPACE.
BUT IF WE DON'T ASK THOSE QUESTIONS AND IF WE DON'T DO THE WORK TO GET THOSE ANSWERS, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING WHATSOEVER.
AND I, I, YOU KNOW, I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S, IT'S THE BEST ANSWER IS, HEY, LET'S DO 2000 SQUARE FEET.
LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE THERE $30 AND THEY'RE GOING TO FILL OUR SPACE.
THAT'S THAT? THAT'S A VERY GOOD, SO MY I'M GOING, GONNA MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS PROJECT THAT THEY COMPLY SUBSTANTIALLY WITH URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES PROJECT.
DOES THE DIFFICULT PART OF THIS IS THAT, YEAH, THERE'S SO MANY ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP BECAUSE OF THE TIME BECAUSE OF THIS COVID CRISIS, BECAUSE OF EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I THINK ARCHITECTURE, THIS PROJECT IS JUST THE BEST ONE I'VE SEEN IN RAINY STREET, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY'VE BEEN STUCK WITH THESE, WHAT THESE MORE POLITICAL OR WHATEVER IT IS, UH, ISSUES THAT, THAT THEY'RE REALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IT DOES MAKE US THINK TWICE ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS.
AND I WISH WE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, YOU KNOW, I'M THE MAYOR'S REPRESENTED TO THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
HE'S ALREADY REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAYS, HEY, YOU HAVEN'T HAD, HOW CAN WE KIND OF BRING AUSTIN BACK? YOU KNOW, HE'S, HE'S LI THE RESTAURANTS ARE SERVICE INDUSTRIES, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
HOW CAN WE MAKE THAT EASIER THROUGH PARKING OR THROUGH ZONING OR WHATEVER IT IS.
AND THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OFF THE PATH TO DOWNTOWN AND SIXTH STREET, BUT IT'S KIND OF IN THAT, IN THAT UMBRELLA.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO HOLD THESE PEOPLE HOSTAGE FOR THAT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THIS PROJECT COMES BEFORE US WHEN WE PICK IT HAS SO MANY DIFFICULT ISSUES TO DEAL WITH IT.
AND HONESTLY, I LOVE THE PROJECT.
[01:45:01]
DAVID LAKE WOULD MAKE THAT SECOND STORY PUBLIC.I THINK THAT WOULD HELP A LOT, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW HE COULD DO IT.
HE COULD DO IT BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
WE CAN'T HOLD THEM HOSTAGE FOR STUFF.
THAT'S NOT THAT'S, THAT'S BEYOND THEIR CONTROL.
THAT'S MY COMMISSIONER GUCCI, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE ALREADY HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING.
UM, IF THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND EVERYONE GOOD WITH THAT.
UM, I'M GOING TO CALL OUT EACH COMMISSIONER'S NAME AND IT'S, SINCE NOT, EVERYONE'S ON VIDEO, IF YOU COULD VERBALLY TELL ME HOW YOU GO, PLEASE SHARE.
MY COMMENT INCLUDED ALL THIS, UH, YOUR CONTENT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MOTION.
IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO.
THERE'S ALREADY A MOTION TO THE, UH, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN THAT THE PROJECT SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLIES.
UH, THEN SHE HAD TWO ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THE RETAIL SPACE AND THE ENTRY, IF I MAY, WHO WAS THAT SECOND COMMISSIONER? ROLOSON WHO SECONDED THAT MOTION.
SO THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION AFTER, AFTER, UH, JESSICA IS SECOND.
THERE'S NO DISCUSSION AFTER THAT.
I WILL, I WOULD LIKE MY HOMAGE TO GO ON RECORD SOMEHOW.
UM, SHARE AND COMMISSIONERS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AROUND THIS DISCUSSION, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THINGS IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE WILLING TO, TO MODIFY, UH, WHAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE SPOKE TO, YOU KNOW, A LETTER THAT WE WOULD BRING FORWARD.
UM, YEAH, I THINK WE'RE CERTAINLY OPEN TO MODIFYING WHAT WE'RE COMMITTING TO, IN ADDITION TO WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY IN THE MOTION, UM, YOU KNOW, TO POINT US IN THIS DIRECTION TOWARDS SOME OF THE KEY ISSUES THAT, THAT ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO COMMISSIONER TANNER, GUCCI, DID YOU WANT TO MAKE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO THE MOTION? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REQUESTING? UH, WELL, NO.
I THINK IF IT'S GOING TO BE NOTED IN THE MEETING MINUTES, THAT I'M COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
UH, PLEASE LET ME KNOW HOW YOU VOTED AS I CALL YOUR NAME.
UH, COMMISSIONER JANET GUCCI OR COMMISSIONER LUKINS.
HUH? NOW ROBLEDO CHRISTIAN OR FRAIL FOR SURE.
FRANCO, UH, BEFORE I GET MY VOTE, I WANT TO SAY I DIDN'T MENTION IT BEFORE, BUT I DO THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL PROJECT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AS I SAID EARLIER, FOR GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND ON THE, UH, ON THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT OF IT ALL.
AND THANK YOU FOR ENTERTAINING, THE DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD ABOUT, ABOUT, UH, RETAIL SPACE ON THAT NOTE.
I KRISHA ROLISON BYE COMMISSIONER, COLEMAN, COMMISSIONER MINORS.
I AM GOING TO ABSTAIN AND I, I AM A NO.
AND SO THAT MOTION PASSES, UH, SEVEN TWO ONE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US ADDRESS YOU WITH THIS EVENING.
[1B. Discussion and possible action to support the Joint Sustainability Committee recommendation of the Austin Climate Equity Plan.]
OKAY.WE WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM ONE B DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO SUPPORT THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION OF THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
UM, HOPEFULLY EVERYONE GOT A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THIS.
WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS I MOVE FOR APPROVAL? UH, I WAS COMMISSIONING CAN OF GUCCI THERE A SECOND.
[01:50:01]
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? YEAH.UH, IMPROVING WHAT WE, UH, TO SUPPORT WHAT WE SAW LAST MONTH.
UM, YEAH, THAT, THAT PRESENTATION, AND THEN ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON IS THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE PUT TOGETHER A RECOMMENDATION OF THE CLIMATE PLAN OR REVISIONS OF THAT PRESENTATION WE SELL.
AND SO THIS WOULD BE VOTING TO SUPPORT THEIR RECOMMENDATION AS IT GOES TO COUNCIL.
I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU DID HERE ON THAT EFFORT.
I WAS ONE OF ABOUT A HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE PEOPLE, SO I CAN'T SAY THE WORD.
UM, UH, DEFINITELY PROUD TO BE PART OF IT.
IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION, UH, WE'LL TAKE THIS TO A VOTE AS WELL.
UM, CAUSE YOU'RE TALKING TO GUCCI HIGH COMMISSIONER.
LUKINS VICE CHAIR AND OUR BLADES COMMISSIONER.
A ROLLING HI COMMISSIONER COLEMAN AND COMMISSIONER MINERS.
[2A. Approval of the September 30th meeting minutes;]
WE WILL MOVE ON ITEM TWO, A APPROVAL OF THE SEPTEMBER 30TH MEETING MINUTES.SO WE'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE.
COMMISSIONER TANIGUCHI SECONDS.
I MENTIONED ROLLISON MAKE THE NOTE.
COMMISSIONER LUKE IS I, UH, VICE CHAIR IN OUR PLAY-DOH KOSHER FRAIL.
I FOR SURE A FRANCO YOUR ROLE.
REMIND ME I, AND I AM AN HIGH.
[2B. Update from representative on the Downtown Commission regarding last meeting.]
NOW ITEM TO BE UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON THE DOWNTOWN CONDITIONS, ANY UPDATES, UM, I, UH, ONLY ATTENDED THE FIRST PART OF THE MEETING, BUT THEY HAD THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE DID A STATE OF THE DOWNTOWN UPDATE.AND THEN THERE WAS A CONGRESS AVENUE IN TERMS OF SAFETY AND MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
THERE WAS A ONE OF CONVERSATION.
IF YOU GUYS WANT TO HIT HER, WHAT DAA WAS TALKING ABOUT EVER SINCE COVID AND THE FUTURE AND JUST, AND JUST WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT AS AN OVERALL IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY WORTH A LISTEN.
UM, I'M CURIOUS THAT, UM, UH, GRANTED, I DIDN'T WATCH THE MEETING, BUT I HEARD THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, DEFENSE OF AUTOMOBILES, UM, AT, UH, YOU'RE YOU'RE ON MUTE.
I, I AM MERELY THERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE TO LISTEN AND, UM, IT'S WORTH A LISTEN.
UH, ARE YOU NOT, ARE YOU NOT A VOTING MEMBER? NO.
NO, I'M NOT AN BUZZING MEMBER AND YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, IT'S VERY NEW BECAUSE OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO ACCOMMODATE FOR CARS AND BIKES AND SCOOTERS AND WHATNOT.
AND YEAH, THERE WERE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE NEED FOR PARKING THAT WERE EXPRESSED.
[01:55:01]
CONCERNS THAT THE CONGRESS AVENUE INITIATIVE WOULD REDUCE, UH, THE EXISTING TRAFFIC CAPACITY AS GOOD.AND THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
OH, I DEFINITELY, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING LISTEN WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, YES.
THE PROS THAT ARE ON THERE TALKING ABOUT THE TRAFFIC AND, AND JUST KEEPING THEM, KEEPING IT GOING DOWNTOWN.
IT WAS JUST, IT WAS A LOT, SORRY.
IT WAS IT'S WELL WORTH A LISTEN, NO CHAIR.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE GOING BACK FOR AIA BOARD MEETING TO PAY, WAS IT THAT PROP A STATION BOND AND ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF.
AND IT'S KINDA LIKE, SO, SO MANY PEOPLE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S INVOLVED HERE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S PARKING OR IT'S RAIL OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE WHOLE THING.
IT'S, I'VE LIVED IN AUSTIN ALL MY LIFE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD A BOND ON MOPAC AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE AGAINST MOPAC, YOU KNOW, AND THEY THOUGHT, OH, NOBODY'S GOING TO TAKE IT NOW.
THEY WANT TO HAVE TWO LAYERS OF MOPAC.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST THE, IT'S THE EAST, IT'S THE NORTH SELL, UH, TRANSPORTATION QUARTER.
BUT I THINK THAT THE DESIGN COMMISSION OR LIKE AI, AUSTIN, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THIS MORNING, WE NEED TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS ISSUE AND TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S JUST NOT ABOUT PARKING.
IT'S ABOUT EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW? AND I, I HATE TO HEAR THIS THING ABOUT IT'S GOING TO HELP THE PEOPLE THAT NEED, YOU KNOW, THE SERVICE INDUSTRY.
THEY'RE THE ONES THAT NEED THIS.
THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A NON-EQUITY, IT'S KIND OF A, TO ME IT'S KIND OF A RACIAL ISSUE.
WHEN YOU SAY THAT PEOPLE NEED THESE FOLKS, THEY NEED TO HAVE PROP A, BECAUSE THEY CAN GET TO THEIR JOBS, YOU KNOW, AND THEY HAVE THE SAME ISSUE IN LOS ANGELES.
IT'S, UH, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THEY CALL IT, CALL IT OUT THERE.
IT'S KIND OF DISGUSTING WHAT WE NEED TO DO AS ARCHITECTS SHOW HOW WE WOULD ACTUALLY USE THAT.
IF IT WAS THE UNIONS, IF IT WAS WITH, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS WITHIN OUR, OUR TARGET RANGE OR WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS ARCHITECTS, WE ALL WANT TO DRIVE OUR CARS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF LIKE THE EPITOME OF ANTON MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
I RIDE MY BIKE A LOT, SO I CAN, I CAN DEFEND MYSELF, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING, DAVID IT'S CARPET.
WE ALL SHOW THAT WE WANT, WE WANT THIS BECAUSE WE WOULD ACTUALLY USE IT.
I JUST, IF I MAY JUST SAY TO ME, WHAT I FIND CHALLENGING IS, AS I CAN UNDERSTAND THESE POINTS OF VIEW, AND THIS MIGHT BE TOO POLLYANNA, BUT IT'S VERY MUCH A CULTURAL SHIFT.
AND WE JUST DON'T HAVE AN INFRASTRUCTURE OF A CITY AS AN OVERALL DUE TO GROWING SO QUICKLY DUE TO THE NIMBYS AGAINST THE PROPHASE AND THE PROP BEAST.
BUT AS I HEARD PEOPLE'S CONCERNS, I DO WISH WE COULD HAVE A DOWNTOWN WHERE SURE YOU HAD SOME PARKING AND THAT PEOPLE THAT WOULD PARK THERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD QUOTE UNQUOTE, MEET IT.
HEY, I HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING AROUND, BUT I SEE THAT AS A CULTURAL SHIFT AS AN OVERALL VERSUS I CAN JUST GO DOWN THERE AND PARK THERE JUST TO PARK, BUT THAT'S MUCH BIGGER, BUT IN THIS, IN THIS POLITICAL CLIMATE RIGHT NOW IN THIS POLITICAL CLIMATE RIGHT NOW ABOUT EQUITY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T SAY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS JUST FOR THOSE THAT HAVE FOR THOSE LISTS PRIVILEGE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF HURTING THE WHOLE THING BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE VOTING FOR TRUMP OR WHATEVER IT IS, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY, WELL, WE DON'T WANT IT.
YOU KNOW, THEY CAN MAKE THE PAYMENTS, EXCUSE ME, THEY NEED TO PAY THEIR TICKET PRICE OR WHATEVER IT IS.
BUT, UM, I'M WORRIED THAT THIS IS BECOMING A POLITICAL ISSUE.
AND LIKE I SAY, HE SHAKING HIS HEAD THERE, YOU KNOW, IT CAN'T, IT CAN'T BE THAT TRANSPORTATION NEEDS TO BE, OR THE PUBLIC FOR ALL OF US AND NOT JUST THE NAVY, THE NAVY OR THE LESS PRIVILEGED.
AND THAT'S THE KIND OF THE ROUTE KINDA TAKING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY PARTYING, HURTING THE, THE, THE, YEAH, THE DISCOURSE COMMISSIONER TAN OF GUCCI.
IF WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND ACCESS AND THE PROJECT THAT WE JUST SAW, I WAS THE ONLY PERSON THAT BROUGHT UP TAKING AWAY ONE PARKING SPACE SO THAT IT COULD BE THERE FOR MULTIMODAL PARKING.
NO ONE ELSE SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
I MEAN, THAT AGAIN IS JUST THE WHOLE IDEA OF TRYING TO ENCOURAGE THAT IN THE DOWNTOWN AND THEN HAVING THAT AS A SAFETY FACTOR.
AND IT'S A CULTURAL SHIFT FACTOR, BUT INSTEAD OF IT'S, IT'S JUST THERE AGAIN.
I THINK PROP A IS MORE SO, MORE ENCOMPASSING THAN THAT ONE.
IT'S INCUMBENCY TO TALK ABOUT A PROJECT WE JUST SAW THAT WE MADE COMMENTS ON.
I MEAN, IF THAT MAKES SENSE, I'M JUST SAYING THAT IT, CAN'T NOT BE A
[02:00:01]
LESS PRIVILEGED DEAL PROP A CAN'T BE FOR THE LESS PRIVILEGED BECAUSE PEOPLE THAT VOTE ARE, OR THE MORE PRIVILEGED, RIGHT.AND OF COURSE THEY'RE GOING TO VOTE AGAINST IT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEIR TAX BASE AND ALL THAT STUFF.
I THINK, HEY, I NEED THESE TO COME UP WITH A STRONG MESSAGE DAVID, ABOUT HOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT LESS PRIVILEGES FOR ALL OF US, YOU KNOW? OH, IT'S BECOME SO POLITICIZED.
IT'S BECOME SO POLITICIZED THAT IT'S JUST IT'S LOSING FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH YOU, EVAN.
I, I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE REASON, UM, WHY THE FOCUS ON THE PRO PROP A SIDE HAS BEEN ABOUT, UM, EQUITY AND LOW, LIKE SERVING LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES HAS BEEN A RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE FALSE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING PUT OUT THERE BY THE, UM, UH, PEOPLE WHO DON'T SUPPORT IT, BECAUSE THEY'RE SAYING THAT, UM, IT'S AN, THAT PROP IS LIKE FOR THE ELITE, WHICH IS JUST AWESOME.
AND SO I THINK THAT, THAT'S WHY IT'S, UM, BEING SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, WHY THERE'S BEEN A FOCUS ON THE NARRATIVE THAT IT'S SERVING THOSE WHO, UM, MOST, UM, YOU KNOW, UNDERSERVED, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE ASIDE, YOU KNOW, IN AN IDEAL WORLD, BUT YEAH, LET'S, UH, LET'S MOVE ON.
UM, UH, ITEM TWO C UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE ON XY SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE.
UM, WE HAVE NOT MET OR ACTUALLY MEETING, UH, ON WEDNESDAY, SO I DON'T REALLY HAVE AN UPDATE
[Additional Item]
THEN ITEM TWO, THE UPDATE FROM REPRESENTATIVE COLEMAN, THE SOUTH CENTRAL WIRE ADVISORY BOARD.UM, WE MET, UH, LAST, LAST WEEK, LAST MONDAY.
UM, JUST THE, THE BIG THING IS THAT THE, UH, THE STATESMEN SITE THREE OH FIVE SOUTH CONGRESS, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PUSHING, THEY'RE PUSHING, THEY WANT TO START GETTING ON SOME OF THE, UH, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.
UM, BUT THERE'S STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UH, THE REVIEW PROCESS IS NOT DONE YET.
UM, THERE'S STILL SOME TRANSPORTATION ITEMS THAT ARE NOT, BUT THEY'RE NOT FINALIZED FROM, FROM THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE OR I SHOULDN'T SAY FROM THE BOARD'S PERSPECTIVE, BUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP, I DON'T MEAN THAT I BROUGHT UP WAS THERE'S STILL A LOT OF STUFF THAT A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS WITH REGARDS TO PARKS AND OPEN GREEN SPACE, UM, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, ELEMENTS THAT ARE IN THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT VISION THAT WE DON'T HAVE CLARITY ON HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE MANAGED, WHETHER THERE'LL BE A TURNOVER TO THE CDD OR THERE'LL BE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE THROUGH SOME OTHER ORGANIZATION.
AND IF IT'S GOING TO BE PUBLIC SPACE OR NOT.
SO JUST FELT THAT, UM, IT'S A LITTLE, IT'S A LITTLE PREMATURE FOR THEM TO COME TO US, BUT REGARDLESS THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE, UH, STILL, STILL TRYING TO PUSH ALONG.
ITEM THREE, A CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS.
UM, THREE B ITEMS FROM COMMISSION MEMBERS, ANYONE HAVE ANY ITEMS? OKAY.
[3C. Items from City Staff]
THREE C ITEMS FROM CITY STAFF.SO WE DO HAVE A FEW ITEMS, UM, JUST, UH, A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, THIS FRIDAY FOR THOSE THAT ARE ON THE WORKING GROUP FOR THE UPDATE TO THE URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES THAT WILL TAKE PLACE THIS FRIDAY.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT MONTH FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER, THE COMMISSION MEETING, THE DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING WILL BE, UH, HELD NOVEMBER 20TH.
UM, I DON'T HAVE A TIME FOR THAT YET.
HOWEVER, WHEN I GET A TIME, I WILL SEND OUT THE INVITE.
UM, THEY ARE NO LONGER SENDING OUT LINKS.
EVERYTHING WILL BE INCLUDED IN THAT WORD DOC, AS I SENT TO YOU EARLIER THIS WEEK.
SO NO LONGER WILL THERE BE LINKS, BUT THERE WILL BE A MEETING NEXT MONTH, NOVEMBER 20TH.
AND, UM, ONE THING TO LOOK FORWARD TO IS THAT WE WILL ALSO BE, UH, UH, BRINGING OUT THE 20, 21 DESIGN COMMISSION, UH, SCHEDULE, UH, FOR YOU GUYS TO VOTE ON.
AND THEN LAST IS, UM, THERE WILL BE A WORKING GROUP FOR THOSE ARE ON THE WORKING GROUP, NOVEMBER 19TH FOR THE 90 OR ANY PROJECT.
I GOT A QUESTION FOR AARON, PLEASE.
ONE NOVEMBER 20TH IS A FRIDAY.
IS THAT CORRECT FOR OUR MEETING? THAT IS CORRECT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER WAS VERY CONDENSED, UM, TO GET A SLOT FOR A SCHEDULE,
[02:05:01]
UH, WHEN THE SCHEDULE WAS GIVEN TO ME, MANY OF THE SPOTS WERE ALREADY TAKEN.UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE JUMPED ON IT PRIOR TO ME RECEIVING THE SCHEDULE DUE TO THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
SO THE ONLY SLOT THAT I SAW FIT WAS THE 20TH OF NOVEMBER.
I WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE A MEETING ON A FRIDAY AT SIX, BUT I, I DO BELIEVE IT'S GOING TO BE EITHER AT ONE OR TWO O'CLOCK THAT HAS YET TO BE CONFIRMED.
AND THEN I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE COULD PROVIDE FEEDBACK OR GIVE SUPPORT TO WHERE THE CITY WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH US AND POST THESE MEETINGS ON OUR CALENDARS INSTEAD OF IN A WORD DOCUMENT? UM, THE CALENDAR IS SO LIVE AND DIE RIGHT NOW.
I'VE I ALMOST MISSED MY DOWNTOWN MEETING AND THEN THIS ONE AS WELL.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT'S, I MEAN, I GUESS WE CAN, WE CAN ONLY DO WHAT WE WANT, BUT THAT'S JUST A HARD, NO, NO, I I'M.
I'M I'M HERE AT CITY HALL RIGHT NOW.
I BELIEVE YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK.
I NOT A FAN OF THE WORD DOCUMENT EITHER.
UM, I WISH THERE WAS A CALENDAR INVITE THAT WAY.
I WOULD FEEL A LITTLE MORE CONFIDENT IN KNOWING THAT WE ARE GOING TO REACH QUORUM.
SO, UM, ANY WAY OR ANY FORM THAT YOU SEE TO PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK, UH, LET ME KNOW, AND I CAN PASS THAT ON TO THE PEOPLE IN THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OFFICE.
SO, SO I COMMENTED TO, UH, THE CHAIR CAROL TODAY THAT I HAVE IT ON MY CALENDAR, RIGHT.
IT WAS A CA IT WAS AN INVITE SENT TO ME.
AND I WAS IN MY CAR DRIVING AROUND FIVE 15.
IT SAID, YOU GOTTA HAVE A MEETING AT FIVE 30.
SO I HAD TO DRY, I HAD TO JUST SCURRY HOME.
AND THEN I LOGGED ON AND SIGNED OUT THAT THE NAVY'S NOT TILL SIX, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY JUST NEEDS TO PUT THAT ON OUR CALENDAR PRECISELY, AND THEN THE, AND THEN THE UPSET OR THE UPLOADS, YOU KNOW, LIKE I UPLOADED ALL THIS KIND OF STUFF.
AND I SENT YOU THIS MESSAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, I GOT LIKE TWO AGENDAS.
ONE OF THEM WAS, UH, AMANDA, AND THEN I GOT LIKE THREE DEALS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHICH ONE I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE LOOKING AT WHEN WE'RE BEING PRESENTED.
AND THEN I GOT TO THE WORKING GROUP LETTER AND, YOU KNOW, I GOT TWO OF THOSE TWO, LIKE THEY'RE BOTH REALLY BADLY EDITED.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, IT TAKES CARE OF THIS KIND OF STUFF, BUT, UM, IT'S BOTHERSOME TO ME CAUSE I'M BUSY ENOUGH TO WHERE I CAN'T GO THROUGH ALL THIS STUFF, FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IS THE ONE I'M SUPPOSED TO DOWNLOAD.
THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING TO ADDRESS YOUR, YOUR POINT.
UM, WHAT HAPPENED IS, IS SOMETIMES WHEN THE ITEMS ARE UPLOADED, EVERYTHING HAS TO BE UPLOADED THE FRIDAY BEFORE THE MEETING.
UM, OFTENTIMES I WOULD GET FEEDBACK ABOUT CHANGES THAT NEED TO OCCUR.
SO ANY CHANGE THAT OCCURS, I STILL HAVE TO KEEP THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT BECAUSE I'M NO LONGER ABLE TO EDIT WHAT I UPLOAD AND I HAVE TO ADD THE AMENDED DOCUMENT.
HOWEVER, I BELIEVE IS ONE TOMORROW.
I SHOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE DOWN SOME OF THE BACKUP ITEMS TO MITIGATE THAT CONFUSION.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, ANYTIME SOMETHING IS UPLOADED IN A REVISION OCCURS, I HAVE TO UPLOAD THAT REVISION.
SO THE AGENDA, UH, WAS REVISED AND I HAD TO UPLOAD THE REVISE AND THEN DOME, WHICH WAS ONLY PROBABLY ABOUT A SENTENCE OR TWO LONG, BUT I STILL HAD TO UPLOAD THAT BACKUP ITEM.
I COULDN'T DELETE THE ORIGINAL AGENDA.
SO I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT THAT IT MAY CAUSE SOME CONFUSION, BUT I'M ONLY LIMITED IN SO MUCH OF WHAT I CAN CONTROL.
HEY, AARON, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU WHEN, WHEN THEY EMAIL YOU THAT WORD DOCUMENT WITH THE LINK, COULD YOU PASTE THAT LINK INTO A CALENDAR INVITE AND THEN SEND THAT TO ALL OF US? SURE.
I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM.
I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT, BUT, UM, I DON'T, DON'T QUOTE ME ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
I CAN, UM, SEND AN EMAIL TO THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OFFICE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT THEY WOULD HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
THIS IS A, THIS IS, UM, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME DURING THE PAST OR SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC.
I'VE HAD A MEETING PAST FIVE, YOU KNOW, AFTER FIVE O'CLOCK, UM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, W WE ALWAYS MET AT FIVE 30 OR SIX OR WHATEVER, IT WAS NEVER DURING THE WORK.
I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY GET BETTER ATTENDANCE NOW, YOU KNOW, CAUSE IT'S BEEN REALLY TOUGH GETTING LIKE, YOU KNOW, JUST KNOWING A WEEK BEFOREHAND AND MAYBE, MAYBE YOU ALREADY HAVE A PROFESSIONAL THING SET UP AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON THAT DAY, BUT IS THE CITY GOING TOWARDS, UH, TOWARDS THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BACK TO OUR NORMAL SCHEDULE AS FAR AS MEETING TIMES OR DOES IT STAY EXTENDED THE HOUR? CAUSE THEY HAVE, HAVE SO MANY MEETINGS, UH, SAY IF THEY'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO, UM, THIS IS A VERY VOLATILE SITUATION.
UM, IT, IT, IT PERFECT MEETING AND MEETING POST POST WORK HOURS IS WHAT I MEANT BY THAT.
LIKE I SAID, IT'S PRETTY VOLATILE BECAUSE I CAN'T REALLY SAY WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO ACTUALLY SCHEDULE
[02:10:01]
THE MEETINGS.UM, I KNOW THIS MONTH I RECEIVED AN EMAIL SAYING THAT, UH, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A MEETING FROM FIVE 30 AND 9:30 PM THAT WILL, FOR THE MONTH OF OCTOBER, UM, NOTHING WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE PLACE AFTER 9:30 PM.
HOWEVER, IN NOVEMBER WE HAVE A MEETING THAT IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT DECEMBER LOOKS LIKE.
UM, A LOT OF THIS IS DUE TO THE PANDEMIC AND I BELIEVE IT ALSO HAS TO DO WITH THE, UH, GOVERNOR, UH, MEETING ACT.
SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHEN OR WHAT TIME THAT THESE MEETINGS WOULD TAKE PLACE.
UM, I HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF FEEDBACK THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DO PREFER THEM TO BE LATER IN THE EVENING, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING WORKING HOURS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO COMPROMISE A WORK SCHEDULE TO ATTEND A DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING.
HOWEVER, AT THIS POINT IT, IT REALLY ISN'T.
UM, AM I CAN CONTROL WHAT I CAN DO IS I CAN SOLICIT THE BOARD AND THE COMMISSION OFFICE AND PASS ON THE FEEDBACK THAT I'M RECEIVING FROM THE COMMISSIONERS, BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING SEVERAL, UH, FEEDBACK FROM OTHER, UH, COMMISSIONERS AND OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS OFFICE INDICATING THE SAME CONCERN.
SO, UM, PERHAPS THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY ARE LOOKING TO TWEAK OR ADJUST SOME OF THE SCHEDULES THAT ARE HAPPENING.
UM, SO JUST STAY TUNED BECAUSE I'M SURE THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE A LOT MORE CHANGES TO COME IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UH, WELL, YEAH, IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THIS DAY, WE'RE ACTUALLY RESTRICTING THE MEETINGS TWO DAY TIME PREVIOUSLY.
AND IT WASN'T UNTIL THIS MONTH THAT THEY'VE STARTED OPENING UP NIGHTTIME MEETINGS.
BUT AS AARON SUGGESTED, THERE'S PROBABLY A LOT OF COMPETITION TO GET THOSE SPOTS.
AND FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, I GUESS TERRIFYING ME.
SORRY, JUST TO NOTE FROM A STAFF PERSPECTIVE THAT COMMISSIONER BEN LUKENS HAS THREE TIMES ALREADY CUT ME OFF GUARD.
CAUSE I KEEP LOOKING OUTSIDE MY WINDOW THINKING IT'S STILL LIGHT DOWN HERE.
VERY CONFUSED WHEREVER HE IS, IT'S STILL LIGHT.
AND I'M LIKE, WHAT IS GOING ON? WHY IS IT DARK AT MY HOUSE? HE WAS TELLING US HE WANTS TO GO TO SLEEP.
NOW IT LOOKS LIKE HE'S OUT THERE.
ARE YOU IN NORWAY? I'M IN CALIFORNIA.
UH, IT IS EIGHT 18 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.