[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
JUNE, EVERYBODY, WELCOME TO CITY HALL ON THIS FINE FIND DAY.
UM, IT IS THE 23RD OF JANUARY AND WE'RE GETTING STARTED A LITTLE LATE, BUT I THINK A LOT OF Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE WERE, UM, MOST OF US WERE PARTICIPATING IN A PRESS CONFERENCE A COUPLE DOORS DOWN.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND US GETTING STARTED A LITTLE LATE.
UM, I AM CITY COUNCIL MEMBER NATASHA HARPER MADISON, I GET THE FINE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAIR THIS COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, AND WE ARE AT CITY HALL COUNCIL.
UM, CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, UH, TODAY, JANUARY 23RD, 2024, AND IT IS NOW 2:33 PM AS WE CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
[Public Communication: General]
UM, IF I UNDERSTAND CORRECTLY, WE HAVE A COUPLE SPEAKERS TODAY.OH, ACTUALLY ONLY SOME OF US HAVE RECEIVED SOME PACKETS FROM ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS, MR. CROSLEY.
AND THEN I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE OTHER SPEAKER.
WOULD YOU MIND ANNOUNCING OUR SPEAKERS FOR US? THANK YOU.
JAY CROSLEY AND THEN REEN BROOKS.
I ACTUALLY
UM, HI, UM, MY NAME'S GABRIEL.
IS IT CROSSLEY? AND, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UM, FOR YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE AT ALL PEOPLE AUSTIN.
UM, I, I THINK IT'S A VERY EXCITING DISCUSSION TO BE TALKING ABOUT, UM, HOW TO PLAN FOR THE MOST PEOPLE TO BENEFIT FROM AN AWESOME LIGHT RAIL LINE.
AND SO I, WE, UM, I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF A NONPROFIT CLUB, FARM AND CITY, AND WE DO A LOT OF WORK AT THE INTERSECTION OF TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING.
UM, AND WE'VE DONE SOME ANALYSIS WORKING WITH RUBEN BROOKS LOOKING AT HOW, HOW MANY PEOPLE COUNCIL LETS LIVE NEAR LIGHT RAIL
AND WE THINK THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND WE, UM, WE BASICALLY ARE RECOMMENDING TO TRY TO THINK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN REMOVE THE LIMITS ON THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ALLOWED TO BENEFIT FROM THIS THING
UM, WE, UH, WANTED TO POINT OUT JUST A COUPLE THINGS, JUST THAT THE UNO, THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY IN A WAY IS THE PILOT PROGRAM OF HOW TO DO EQUITABLE TRANS ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT IS RESULTED IN A LOT MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN A SPACE, IT BEING A MUCH BETTER WALKABLE PLACE.
PEOPLE DRIVE A LOT LESS THERE NOW, UH, AND HAVE SERVICES, UM, BUT IT'S ALSO MORE AFFORDABLE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT MEDIAN MONTHLY HOUSING COSTS IN UNO, THEY HAVE NOT GONE UP IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, WHEREAS ALMOST EVERYWHERE ELSE WE KNOW HOUSING COSTS HAVE SKYROCKETED.
AND SO THIS KIND OF DENSIFYING AND A WALKABLE PLACE HELPS PEOPLE STAY IN SPITE OF WHAT, MANY, MANY CONCERNS TO THE CONTRARY.
AND SO I THINK WITH THESE 15 STATIONS, WE SHOULD HAVE POLICIES THAT LET PEOPLE LIVE THERE.
UH, AND SO WE OUTLINED THIS REPORT AND WE DID DO, REUBEN HAS DONE WHAT MAY BE IN TERMS OF A VOLUNTEER TRANSIT ADVOCATE.
HE MAY BE ONE OF THE ONLY ONES IN THE NATION WHO IS RUNNING THE FEDERAL STOPS MODEL TO ESTIMATE RIDERSHIP.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF FUN THAT WE HAVE THIS INDEPENDENT TOOL TO HELP YOU GUYS AND HELP A TV THINK THROUGH THIS.
UM, BUT WE RAN A COUPLE MODELS WHERE WE SAID, IF COUNCIL WERE TO REMOVE ZONING, UM, LIMITATIONS AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO LIVE THERE, IF YOU HAD 25% MORE PEOPLE THAN THE CAMPO PROJECTIONS, WHAT WOULD THE IMPACT BE ON RIDERSHIP? AND THEN IF YOU HAD 92%, WHICH WAS TO EQUAL THE LEAST DENSE PART OF WEST CAMPUS
AND THE BIG TAKEAWAY IS THAT IF YOU HAVE 25% MORE PEOPLE, YOU'D HAVE 35% MORE RIDERSHIP.
AND IF YOU HAVE 92% MORE PEOPLE, YOU HAVE 162% MORE RIDERSHIP.
SO THE MORE PEOPLE YOU HAVE LIVING IN WALKABLE PLACES, THE MORE AND MORE OF THEM ACTUALLY GET TO USE THE TRANSIT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD PEOPLE HERE THAT KNOW ABOUT ZONING REGULATIONS AND 120 FEET VERSUS 150, BUT I AM HERE TO PETITION YOU TO PLEASE TRY TO RAISE THE CAPACITY, HOWEVER WE CAN DO THAT AS A COMMUNITY TO LET MORE PEOPLE IN.
UM, CAN YOU REMIND ME HOW LONG DO OUR SPEAKERS HAVE? THREE MINUTES.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR TESTIMONY.
AND JUST FOR REFERENCE, MR. CROSLEY WAS SPEAKING TO A BRIEFING THAT WE'LL RECEIVE THIS AFTERNOON ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT AND, UM, ITS URBAN RAIL PHASE ONE.
UM, SPECIFICALLY FEDERAL FUNDING AND LAND USE IMPLICATIONS.
THAT'S GONNA BE ITEM TWO ON TODAY'S AGENDA.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE A SECOND SPEAKER.
AND OUR LAST SPEAKER WILL BE CHIOMA KORAL.
[00:05:01]
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. BROOKS.I WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME, A TINY BIT OF BACKGROUND INTO, UM, PARTICULAR SOFTWARE WE'VE USED AND THE RESULTS WE'VE OBTAINED.
IN 1990, THE FDA RECEIVED A VERY DISTRESSING REPORT, THE RI REPORT, WHICH SHOWED THAT ON AVERAGE APPLICANT'S OVERESTIMATED RIDERSHIP BY ABOUT 40%.
AND THAT UPSET PEOPLE AT THE FDA.
AND SO IN 2015, THEY DID TWO THINGS.
THEY PASSED A RULE THAT ALL APPLICATIONS MUST CONTAIN RIDERSHIP FORECASTS, UM, AND THEY DEVELOPED FROM VERY SPECIFIC APPROACHES, AND THEY RELEASED THE FIRST VERSION OF THEIR OWN PACKAGE FOR FORECASTING RIDERSHIP.
UM, THE SO-CALLED STOPS SOFTWARE.
UM, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERS MUST USE THE STOPS MODEL TO FORECAST RIDERSHIP.
THERE'S, THEY HAVE ONE OTHER, I THINK THEY HAVE ONE OTHER CHOICE WHICH DOESN'T FIT THE AUSTIN AREA, AND THEY MUST USE IT IN A VERY SPECIFIC WAY.
THOUGH THE RIDERSHIP FORECAST THAT WE'VE BEEN HEARING FROM A TP HAVE A VERY GOOD ENGINEERING BACKGROUND.
WE'VE PLAYED, JAY AND I HAVE PLAYED A BIT WITH THAT SAME SOFTWARE THANKS TO A, UH, WHO, JENNIFER PINE, WHO'S SITTING THERE, WHO RESPONDED TO OUR PUBLIC INTEREST REQUEST TO PROVIDE US WITH THE MODELS THAT THEY WERE USING AT A TP.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WHAT WE WERE DOING MATCHED GAVE THE SAME RESULTS AS THE A TP MODELS.
AND THEN WE WENT ON AHEAD AND LOOKED AT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WHEN TO RIDERSHIP WHEN DENSITY WAS INCREASED IN A HALF MILE AROUND STATION.
THAT NUMBER WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE DEFAULT NUMBER THAT THE FDA USES FOR ESTIMATING RIDERSHIP.
BUT WE THINK OUR CLAIMS ARE ABOUT INCREASING RIDERSHIP, UH, ABOUT INCREASING DENSITY, AND INCREASING RIDERSHIP WE THINK ARE BASED ON THE BEST AVAILABLE ENGINEERING.
OUR FINAL SPEAKER, I'M SORRY, CAN YOU PRONOUNCE HER FIRST NAME FOR ME AGAIN? CHIOMA CHIOMA.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS AFTERNOON.
YOU ARE NOT MANY TODAY, BUT, UM, THE LAND ISSUE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS A COMMONWEALTH.
IT'S A POSTERITY, IT'S ECONOMIC VALUE.
WHEN WE START DOING THINGS THAT ARE NOT RIGHT, IT DOESN'T HELP EVERYBODY.
I BROUGHT A CASE HERE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO ABOUT GENTRIFICATION, THAT I WANTED THE CITY TO BUDGET FOR BLACK BACK LAND FOR BLACK PEOPLE ON EAST SIDE.
I WAS PROPOSING 2 MILLION, $2 BILLION FOR THEM TO BUILD A COMPLEX.
'CAUSE ECONOMIC VALUE ON BLACK PEOPLE IS DECLINING SO MUCH.
THEY CAN BARELY GET A JOB WITH THE POPULATION WE HAVE NOW.
AND WHEN THEY GET THE JOB, THEY ARE PROMISED AN INCOME.
BUT THE HOUSING THAT WE ARE BUDGETING HERE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAVE ONLY VERY FEW, UH, UNITS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE POOR.
AND WHEN WE PAY UP TO $2,000 FOR ONE BEDROOM WITH PAYING LESS TAX FOR THE NEIGHBORS THAT ARE AROUND VERY SOON, THE BLACK MAN DON'T GET A JOB.
THE BLACK WOMAN DON'T GET A JOB.
THERE ARE THINGS IN THE RAIN, NO PLACE TO GO.
SO I STILL SUSTAINED THAT CLAIM THAT THE GENTRIFICATION 10, 15 YEARS AGO ON BLACK PEOPLE ON EAST SIDE WAS INAPPROPRIATE.
THERE IS A LAW ON GENTRIFICATION, BUT IT APPLIES IF THE GOVERNMENT WANTS TO USE THE LAND, WHAT THEY CALL RIGHT OF WAY, IT DOES NOT APPLY WHERE INVESTORS COME.
THEY WITH THE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY TO DEFRAUD THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
SO PLEASE BRING BACK THE BLACK TO THEIR HABITAT WHERE THEY HAVE THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT COULD BE PART OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING BECAUSE WE LOST PEOPLE LIKE ME LOST UP TO SEVEN PROPERTIES.
OKAY? BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE, ALSO, MENTAL HEALTH, WE ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH.
WE'RE PUSHING IT ON COUNTY, COUNTY IS NOT LISTENING.
I PROPOSED MENTAL HEALTH ACADEMY WHERE 200 PEOPLE CAN BE TAKEN OFF FOR FOUR YEARS AND REDID THEM.
YOU GOT MY, MY RESEARCH ON HOMELESS, UH, SOLUTION WHERE I HAD ECONOMICAL AND NON ECONOMICAL TO PUT IN, IN, IN VIEW.
[00:10:01]
NOT LEARNING THE NON ECONOMICAL TO MAKE THE TRANSITION INTO THE ECONOMICAL VALUE.I DID THAT RESEARCH ON PURPOSE.
YOU ARE NEVER EVEN PAID ME, OKAY? BUT WE, I AM TIRED OF SEEING THE CITY INADEQUATE, AND WE HAVE NEW ADMINISTRATORS NOW, THE NEW MANAGER, THE NEW, UH, UH, UM, MAYOR.
WE NEED SOMETHING DIFFERENT DONE.
WE DON'T NEED PEOPLE STUCK IN HOUSES FROM OTHER COUNTRY.
AND AMERICANS ARE ASKED TO PAY SO MUCH MONEY.
THINGS ARE BEING THROWN AWAY, THEY CAN'T EVEN HAVE VISITORS.
AND THOSE PEOPLE ARE NOT PAYING COMMISERATE TAXES FOR THOSE THINGS.
AND THEY'RE BUILDING HOUSES, TAKING AWAY THE VALUE OF OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY THAT DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH COMPLEX.
SO WHEN ARE WE GONNA LOOK INTO THAT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR VISITING US THIS AFTERNOON, AND WE'RE ONLY A FEW TODAY BECAUSE THIS IS THE, THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AS OPPOSED TO THE, THE FULL BODY OF THE COUNCIL.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT WE GET TO DO WITH THESE COMMITTEES, IS THAT WHEN PEOPLE BRING US INFORMATION, WHEN YOU COME TO THE PODIUM AND YOU PRESENT YOUR INFORMATION, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A COUPLE OF US THAT YOU SEE TODAY, THE FULL BODY WILL BE ABLE TO HEAR WHAT IT IS THAT WE RECEIVE HERE TODAY.
IS THAT, UM, THE LAST OF OUR SPEAKERS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND I THINK THAT OFFERS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE ON TO OUR FIRST ITEM TODAY, WHICH IS
[1. Approve the minutes of the November 14,2023, Housing and Planning Committee meeting.]
THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES, UM, IN WHICH CASE COLLEAGUES, UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL ITEMS ON OUR AGENDA, INCLUDING AN IMPORTANT BRIEFING FROM THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND A DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION RELATED TO SEVERAL IMPORTANT, UH, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS.UH, MY RECOMMENDATION IS THAT WE TAKE UP THE SHORTEST ITEMS FIRST TODAY.
UM, THAT WOULD BE ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH IS APPROVING OUR MINUTES FROM NOVEMBER, 2023.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY, UH, SECOND.
AND, AND THEN NUMBER TWO WOULD BE ITEM NUMBER FIVE, APPROVING OUR CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR.
UM, AND THEN WE CAN TAKE UP ITEMS NUMBER TWO AND FOUR.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS THE BRIEFING FROM, UM, OH, I'M SORRY.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS BRIEFING FROM A DP.
AND THEN THREE AND FOUR ARE THE PRESENTATION FROM OUR CITY STAFF, WHICH I SEE EVERYBODY'S HERE ON THE PROPOSED PRIORITIZATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS, AND OUR FEEDBACK ON THOSE PRIORITIES THAT ARE PRESENTED TO US TODAY.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE'LL CLOSE OUT WITH A DISCUSSION ON FUTURE ITEMS WE'D LIKE TO EXPLORE, UH, UH, EXPLORE AS A BODY.
SO ON ITEM NUMBER ONE, WE GOT A VERY ENTHUSIASTIC MOTION FROM COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, UM, TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR NOVEMBER 14TH, 2023 MEETING.
UM, AND WITH THAT MOTION, IS THERE A SECOND? AYE.
AND WE HAVE A SECOND WITH VICE CHAIR ALTER.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA HAS JOINED US AS WELL.
UM, SO WE, IT WAS MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CONDRE, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ALTER.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE A UNANIMOUS VOTE OF THE BODY, PLUS OUR DEFACTO BODY MEMBER, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, UM, AND PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
ITEM NUMBER TWO ON OUR AGENDA.
UM, IS THE BEGINNING OF OUR BRIEFING ON PROJECT CONNECT, UM, AND FUNDING AND LAND USE IMPLICATIONS.
UM, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I'M SORRY.
I SAID WE WERE GONNA DO ONE AND THEN FIVE.
SO THE CALENDAR, I, I MIGHT HAVE CALLED YOU UP PREMATURELY.
YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY IF YOU LIKE.
WANNA, I THINK WE'LL RUN THROUGH THE CALENDAR NEXT.
[5. Approve the 2024 Housing and Planning Committee meeting calendar.]
NUMBER FIVE, THAT'S US APPROVING THE 2024 HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE CALENDAR.UM, UH, SO WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENT LEADERS AND THE AGENDA OFFICE AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS OFFICES TO IDENTIFY DATES ATTACHED TO IN THIS BACKUP FOR TODAY'S MEETING, UM, FOR THIS ITEM.
AND AFTER HAVING HAD THAT CONVERSATION, I THINK IT'S UP ON THE SCREEN FOR YOU GUYS TO VIEW.
AFTER HAVING HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH CITY STAFF, WE ARE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT THE PREFERRED MEETING DATES IN MARCH AND APRIL ARE, LOOK, I MIGHT NEED TO LOOK TOO
AND THEN, UM, SCREEN BY COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND STAFF, THE AGENDA OFFICE.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THESE ARE OUR DATES.
UH, THE CLERK'S OFFICE ALSO APPROVED.
SO WITH THE PREFERENCE OF THE MARCH AND APRIL DATES, I'VE STATED I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE DATES AND TIMES.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE AND AGAIN, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR ALTER.
UM, AND SO ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CALENDAR? ALL RIGHT, LOOKS LIKE
[00:15:01]
WE'RE SET TO GO.ITEM NUMBER FIVE PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
[2. Update on Austin Light Rail program associated with Project Connect by Austin Transit Partnership.]
MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS OUR BRIEFING ON AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL.ITEM NUMBER TWO SHOULD BE A FAMILIAR TOPIC.
HI THERE, COUNCIL MEMBER ATLAS.
SHOULD BE A FAMILIAR TOPIC TO EVERYONE IN THE ROOM.
UM, IT IS A BRIEFING BY AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP ON THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL, UM, AND PROJECT AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL AND PROJECT CONNECT.
IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE WILL BE SHARING, UM, THAT THEY, THEY'LL BE SHARING RATHER WITH US DETAILS ON HOW OUR COLLECTIVE DECISIONS ON LAND USE AND HOUSING POLICY WILL HELP MAKE LIGHT RAIL PROPOSAL EVEN BETTER.
UM, AND WE'VE HEARD FROM A COUPLE SPEAKERS ON THE LIGHT RAIL ITEM TODAY, BUT I KNOW THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT HERE, THIS BRIEFING, MYSELF INCLUDED.
UM, AND WE HAVE THE CHAIR OF THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE JOINING US TODAY AS WELL.
UM, SO THANK YOU STAFF AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO, UM, TO RECEIVING THE BRIEFING.
COUNCIL MEMBER AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
MY NAME'S JENNIFER PINE, I'M WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, AND I JUST HAVE A BRIEF BRIEFING.
UM, I'LL START WITH, UH, AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL.
UH, AS YOU I'M SURE RECALL LAST JUNE, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL, THE A TP BOARD AND CAP METRO BOARD, ALL APPROVED THE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN, WHICH IDENTIFIED A PHASE ONE PROJECT TO BE ADVANCED FOR LIGHT RAIL AS WELL AS A COUPLE OF PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE BEEN ADVANCING THE DESIGN WORK AND ALSO THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW.
UH, WE'LL NEED TO CONDUCT ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT, WHICH IS JUST ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE'LL NEED TO MEET IN ORDER TO PURSUE THE FEDERAL GRANT FUNDING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO OBTAIN.
SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FROM THE NEW STARTS PROGRAM FROM FTA.
UM, AND THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR OR ASK IS ABOUT 50% OF THE CAPITAL COST OF THE PROJECT.
SO TO RECEIVE THAT FUNDING, YOU GO THROUGH A MULTI-YEAR, MULTI-STEP PROCESS, UM, THAT INCLUDES A NUMBER OF, OF DIFFERENT STAGES AND FACTORS.
BUT I'M GONNA FOCUS TODAY ON THE INTERSECTION, EXCUSE ME, OF THE LIGHT RAIL, OF LIGHT RAIL PROJECT AND THE LAND USE POLICY WORK THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
SO AMONG THE, THE STEPS TO RECEIVE THIS COMPETITIVE GRANT FUNDING IS THAT OUR LIGHT RAIL PROJECT WILL BE EVALUATED, UM, SINCE WE COMPETE WITH PROJECTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY FOR THOSE GRANT DOLLARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR GRANT APPLICATION PACKAGE.
UM, SO THE EVALUATION OF THE PROJECT, UM, IS, UH, WHAT'S REPRESENTED ON THE SCREEN HERE TODAY.
AND SOME OF THE MAIN FACTORS ABOUT HALF OF THE PROJECT EVALUATION HAS TO DO WITH, UH, THE FINANCIAL PLAN.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER HALF ARE SIX FACTORS, UH, ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT ITSELF.
UM, FOUR OF THOSE RELATED TO MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS, ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS, COST EFFECTIVENESS, AND CONGESTION RELIEF ARE, UH, FAIRLY PRESCRIBED.
AND BY THAT I MEAN THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN DATA SETS THAT YOU NEED TO USE, UM, AND CERTAIN WAYS THAT YOU CALCULATE THOSE BENEFITS, UM, AS PART OF YOUR GRANT APPLICATION, THEN THE LAND USE AND THE ECONOMIC FACTORS ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
THE LAND USE COMPONENT OF THE EVALUATION IS LOOKING AT POPULATION EMPLOYMENT, PARKING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIECE IS A LITTLE MORE FORWARD LOOKING.
IT'S LOOKING AT THE PLANS AND POLICIES THAT ARE IN PLACE, UM, THAT WOULD SUPPORT TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT, UH, TRANSIT COMPATIBLE DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE LIGHT RAIL CORRIDOR.
UM, IT'S ADVANTAGEOUS TO HAVE THOSE POLICIES IN PLACE THAT REALLY DEMONSTRATE, UM, OUR INTENTIONALITY TO MANAGE THE GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENING IN A WAY THAT, UM, MAKES SURE THAT WE ARE DIRECTING THAT GROWTH WHERE WE ARE ALSO INVESTING IN MOBILITY, UH, WHILE ALSO PROTECTING AFFORDABILITY, UM, AND, UM, OPTIONS FOR WHERE PEOPLE CAN LIVE.
UH, ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT HERE, I THINK IS, UH, RIDERSHIP, UM, AND SOME OF OUR EARLIER SPEAKERS DID REFER TO THIS, THE EXTENT TO WHICH, UM, LAND USE IS MANAGED AROUND STATIONS TO PROMOTE PEOPLE'S ACCESS TO THE LIGHT RAIL WILL HAVE A DIRECT POSITIVE BENEFIT ON THE RIDERSHIP THAT WE'LL SEE ON THE SYSTEM.
SO TO THIS END, YOU KNOW, A TP AND THE CITY WE'VE BEEN COORDINATING ON, UM, LAND USE POLICY THAT'S ALREADY UNDERWAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COORDINATED AS FAR AS THE TIMING OF THAT WORK, UM, WE WILL BE SUBMITTING A PACKAGE THIS SUMMER TO FTA.
THAT IS OUR PRELIMINARY, UH, RATINGS EVALUATION PACKAGE.
SO THAT WILL ADDRESS ALL THOSE FACTORS FROM THE LAST SLIDE.
AND WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SORT OF TAKE CREDIT FOR ALL THE POLICY WORK THAT IS INCLUDED UP TILL THAT TIME.
SO ESSENTIALLY THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN INCLUDE IT IN THAT PACKAGE AND IT WILL BE FACTORED INTO THE EVALUATION OF OUR LIGHT RAIL PROJECT.
SO WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT? SO THE SUBMITTAL OCCURS
[00:20:01]
IN AUGUST.UH, THE FDA WILL EVALUATE THAT FOR SOME MONTHS, AND IN THE SPRING AN ANNUAL REPORT WILL BE ISSUED THAT WILL PROVIDE A RATING AND OTHER INFORMATION.
AND THAT IS JUST ONE OF THE EARLY AND VERY IMPORTANT STEPS IN OUR FEDERAL FUNDING PROCESS TO SET US UP FOR FUTURE, UH, FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS.
UH, SO THAT CONCLUDES THE BRIEFING, UH, I WAS GOING TO MAKE, BUT CERTAINLY HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE DAYS? I I DID HAVE ONE, UM, BRIEF QUESTION.
DID YOU SAY YOU HAD A QUESTION, PLEASE? NO, UH, GO AHEAD.
UM, MS. BOND, GREAT TO SEE YOU.
UH, THE, THE PROPOSED, UH, ETOD UH, DRAFT IS, UH, IS ON THE AGENDA FOR FEBRUARY 1ST, UH, I BELIEVE, AND, AND ONE OF THE, THE THINGS THAT I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE IN THE DRAFT WAS THAT THE OVERLAY AREA, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A HALF MILE, UH, AROUND THE STATIONS, UH, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE WANNA DO OUR OVERLAY TO ALLOW THE, THE SUPPORTIVE, UH, TO ALLOW HOUSING BASICALLY IN, IN FUTURE, UH, RIDERS.
WHERE IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN TERMS OF, DOES THAT ALIGN WITH, UH, THEIR, UH, UH, EVALUATION AND, AND, AND SCORING OF THE, UH, OF OUR FUTURE GRANT APPLICATION? UH, YES.
THAT WOULD BE TYPICAL TO LOOK AT A HALF MILE ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
RIGHT? UH, AND WOULD THAT BE A HALF MILE ALONG THE CORRIDOR OR JUST A HALF MILE? UH, UH, UH, AROUND THE STATIONS? IT DEPENDS ON WHICH ANALYSIS YOU'RE DOING.
UM, SO LOOKING AT RIDERSHIP, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING AT A HALF MILE OR SO AROUND THE STATION, WHICH IS AN ESTIMATE FOR WHAT A REASONABLE WALKING OR BIKING DISTANCE WOULD BE.
UM, BUT FOR OTHER THINGS LIKE DEVELOPMENT IMPACTS, YOU MIGHT LOOK ALONG THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR.
AND, AND DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF, IN TERMS OF THE, THE SCORING, ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT, THAT, THAT JUMP OUT AT YOU IN TERMS OF CHANGES THAT THAT, THAT WE, YOU KNOW, NEED TO MAKE TO, TO MAXIMIZE OUR SCORING FOR THE, THE FEDERAL GRANT? UM, I THINK SOME THINGS THAT ARE ADVANTAGEOUS, UM, AND THAT WOULD BE DIRECTLY CONSIDERED IN THE APPLICATION WOULD INCLUDE, UM, EFFORTS TO PROMOTE DENSITY AND COMPATIBLE LAND USES, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE LIGHT RAIL CORRIDOR, UM, TO PROVIDE SOME TOOLS TO PLAN FOR APPROPRIATE LAND USES IN THE YEARS IT WILL TAKE, TO GET FROM NOW TO THE TIME WHEN IT'S ACTUALLY OPERATING.
UH, AND ALSO TAKING A GOOD LOOK AT PARKING, ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE THAT'S AN, AN AREA THAT THEY SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT.
I THINK THAT WAS AT LEAST A PART OF MY QUESTION, UH, AROUND THE POTENTIAL, POTENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR FUTURE FUNDING MECHANISMS. BUT YOU SAID, UM, THE WAY YOU CLOSED OUT YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU SAID, FOR FUTURE FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, AND I THINK MY QUESTION IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IN THAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IT IS THAT PREEMPTIVELY, UM, WE COULD BE DOING TO SET OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY WHAT YOU SAID WAS, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OFFERING A SUITE OF OPTIONS, WHICH INCLUDES, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, YOU SAID MORE DENSITY AND COMPATIBLE USES.
UM, I WONDER IF YOU COULD EXPAND ON THE COMPATIBLE USES COMPONENT, I THINK WOULD BE THE LAST PART OF MY QUESTION.
UM, SO ESPECIALLY AROUND STATIONS TO LOOK AT THE TYPE OF USES THAT, ESPECIALLY RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL DESTINATIONS WHERE YOU WOULD WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE EASY ACCESS TO THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE, UM, JUST A MORE, I DON'T, I GUESS I'LL SAY A MORE CAR ORIENTED USE OR SOMETHING WHERE YOU'RE NOT, UM, GATHERING PEOPLE, UM, TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, A PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY TRANSIT FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COLLEAGUES? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU MS. PRIMARY, APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE UP TO TWO, ITEM NUMBER THREE, UM,
[Items 3 & 4]
THREE AND FOUR, UH, WHICH ARE BOTH VERY SIMILAR.UM, ITEM NUMBER THREE IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING PROPOSED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT, UM, INCREASING DENSITY MINIMUM LOT SIZES FOR PROPERTY ZONED SINGLE FAMILY AND COUNCIL INITIATED CODE AMENDMENTS.
AND THEN ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS A DISCUSSION ON THE STATUS AND TIMELINE OF AMENDMENTS TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.
UM, SO I WAS GONNA SAY A STAFF APPROACHES, BUT YOU BEAT ME TO THAT.
SO, UM, MODIFY MY SPEECH AS I GO, UM, APPROACHES THE PODIUM, I'LL, UH, REMIND THE PUBLIC THAT OUR COMMITTEE WAS ENTRUSTED WITH THE VERY IMPORTANT OBJECTIVE, UM, LAST YEAR OF ENSURING THAT OUR PRIORITIZATION OF LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS AND HOUSING POLICY PUT VERY SPECIFIC EMPHASIS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND EQUITY
[00:25:01]
IN DEVELOPMENT.UM, IT IS MY HOPE THAT AFTER STAFF'S PRESENTATION THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND ANY ADDITIONAL DIRECTION THAT THE FULL COUNCIL CAN CONSIDER AT OUR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING, UM, AS WE HAVE DONE FROM TIME TO TIME ON THIS COMMITTEE.
SO COLLEAGUES, I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE PROVIDE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PRIORITIZATION OF THESE, UM, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS, ESPECIALLY IN, IN LIGHT OF THIS AFTERNOON'S BRIEFING FROM STAFF, UM, WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE.
UM, SO, UH, ARE MS UH, MIDDLETON PROUD? ARE YOU THE ONLY ONE PRESENTING FOR US TODAY? NO, MA'AM.
SO TAKE IT AWAY AND I SUPPOSE YOU'LL THANK YOU, UH, CONDUCT THE ORDER AFTERWARDS.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR AND COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE.
LAUREN MIDDLETON PRATT, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ON BEHALF OF STAFF, I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF COUNSEL ON OUR CODE AMENDMENT WORK PROGRAM FOR THE SPRING.
OVER THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS, STAFF WILL BRING FORWARD CODE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY INITIATED BY COUNCIL, AS WELL AS NEW AMENDMENTS THAT STAFF HAVE RECOMMENDED IN SUPPORT OF ADVANCING HOUSING CAPACITY AND TRANSIT.
SUPPORTIVE LAND USE FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION WILL BE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ESTABLISHED BONUS PROGRAMS INTENDED TO PROMOTE DENSITY, INCLUDING INCOME RESTRICTED, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND AMENDMENTS THAT EMPOWER MORE PEOPLE LIVING NEAR TRANSIT.
THESE EFFORTS ARE ALL VITAL TO SUPPORTING A TP AND PROJECT CONNECT'S PHASE ONE LIGHT RAIL FUNDING APPLICATION.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS SPRING STAFF WILL ADVANCE ITS WORK ON THE HOME RESOLUTION WITH AN AMENDMENT ALLOWING ONE HOUSING UNIT ON A SMALLER LOT TO ENABLE MORE AFFORDABLE FEE, SIMPLE HOME OWNERSHIP.
THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WILL BE VERY PRODUCTIVE AS PLANNING STAFF WORKS INTERDEPARTMENTALLY, AS WELL AS WITH COUNCIL TO ACHIEVE A BALANCE BETWEEN MEETING CITYWIDE GOALS AND DEADLINES AS WELL AS CREATING LONG-TERM ACCESS TO TRANSIT AND AFFORDABILITY IN AUSTIN.
AT THIS TIME, ANDREA BATES, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF PLANNING WILL WALK YOU THROUGH THE IMPENDING CODE AMENDMENT WORK PROGRAM FOR THIS SPRING.
AS DIRECTOR MIDDLETON PRATT DESCRIBED STAFF IS PRIORITIZING TWO SETS OF CODE AMENDMENTS FROM NOW THROUGH THE END OF MAY.
THERE ARE FIVE THAT WE'RE CATEGORIZING AS SPECIFICALLY TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE AMENDMENTS.
THEY INCLUDE A NEW DENSITY BONUS ZONING DISTRICT, WHICH WOULD REPLACE THE VERTICAL MIXED USE TWO OR VM U2 PROVISIONS THAT WERE INVALIDATED BY THE COURTS CITYWIDE MODIFICATIONS TO COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS REGULATIONS, AND A NEW DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT DISTRICT.
MODIFICATIONS TO DOWNTOWN PARKING REQUIREMENTS AND THE CREATION OF AN EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY OR ETOD OVERLAY, WHICH WOULD APPLY ALONG THE PHASE ONE LIGHT RAIL AND PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
IN ADDITION TO THIS BUNDLE OF TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE AMENDMENTS, STAFF IS PRIORITIZING AMENDMENTS TO CHANGE THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR ONE RESIDENTIAL UNIT.
COUNCIL CALLED FOR THIS CHANGE AS PART OF THE HOME INITIATIVE.
I'LL NOW PROVIDE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THESE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS.
FIRST, THE PROPOSAL TO CREATE A NEW DENSITY BONUS ZONING DISTRICT WOULD CREATE A COMBINING DISTRICT THAT WOULD ALLOW UP TO 90 FEET OF HEIGHT ON COMMERCIAL ZONED PROPERTIES.
WHEN AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS PROVIDED AS VM U2 USED TO DO THIS DISTRICT WOULD ALLOW PROPERTY OWNERS TO ACCESS THE ENTITLEMENTS PREVIOUSLY PROVIDED THROUGH VM U2 IN EXCHANGE FOR PROVIDING THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS THAT WERE ALSO PART OF THE PROGRAM, THE AMENDMENTS TO CREATE THE ZONING DISTRICT AROUND THE FASTEST TIMELINE OF THE PRIORITY AMENDMENTS THAT I'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY.
WE'RE PLANNING TO BRING THE CODE AMENDMENT TO CREATE THE DISTRICT PLANNING COMMISSION AND TO COUNCIL BY THE END OF FEBRUARY, ONCE THE DISTRICT IS ADOPTED INTO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, PROPERTY OWNERS COULD THEN APPLY TO ADD THE COMBINING DISTRICT TO THEIR PROPERTY THROUGH THE REZONING PROCESS.
THE PROPOSAL TO MODIFY COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS WAS INITIATED IN A JUNE, 2023 COUNCIL RESOLUTION AND IT RESPONDS TO FINDINGS FROM A STUDY ON THE IMPACTS OF COMPATIBILITY THAT WAS RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023.
THE CURRENT COMPATIBILITY REGULATIONS LIMIT THE HEIGHT OF COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT WITHIN 540
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FEET OF TRIGGERING PROPERTIES OR SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTIES.THE PROPOSAL WOULD APPLY COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS TO PROPERTIES THAT ARE WITHIN 75 FEET OF THE TRIGGERING PROPERTY, AND IT WOULD ALSO SIMPLIFY THE HEIGHT LIMITATIONS THAT APPLY WITHIN THAT 75 FEET.
IN ADDITION, IT WOULD ADD A REQUIREMENT FOR A LANDSCAPE BUFFER.
THESE CHANGES WOULD INCREASE HOUSING CAPACITY CITYWIDE MANY PROPERTIES WOULD BE ABLE TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL UNITS INCLUDING ADDITIONAL INCOME, RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE UNITS.
IF COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS WERE CHANGED SINCE THE PROPOSED CHANGES WOULD BENEFIT COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES ALL OVER THE CITY, THEY REALLY ALLOW MORE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE ENTIRE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
THE LIGHT RAIL LINES, THE UH, COMMUTER RAIL LINES, THE RAPID BUS LINES, LOCAL BUS LINES, ALL THE ENTIRE TRANSIT SYSTEM COULD BENEFIT FROM THE CITYWIDE CHANGE.
THE PROPOSAL TO CREATE AND APPLY NEW REGULATIONS SPECIFIC TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AREA WAS PREVIOUSLY INITIATED IN SEPTEMBER, 2022 AND HAS BEEN UNDER DEVELOPMENT FOR QUITE A WHILE.
THESE REGULATIONS WOULD IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE GOALS OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT VISION FRAMEWORK PLAN AND THEY WOULD ENABLE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT AREA, WHICH INCLUDES THE WATERFRONT STATION AREA OF THE PHASE ONE LIGHT RAIL.
THE PROPOSAL WOULD REQUIRE NEW DEVELOPMENT TO CREATE A WALKABLE STREET GRID AND STREET SCAPES TO ENCOURAGE A GOOD PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT.
AND IT WOULD ALSO CREATE A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL DENSITY FOR PROPERTIES THAT PROVIDE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PUBLIC OPEN SPACE, CULTURAL USES, ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS, ET CETERA.
THE PROPOSALS TO MODIFY COMPATIBILITY AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN UNDERWAY FOR A WHILE AND WE'RE ON THE SCHEDULE OF PROPOSED CODE AMENDMENTS WHEN WE PRESENT IT TO THIS COMMITTEE IN THE FALL.
THIS PROPOSAL TO MODIFY DOWNTOWN PARKING REQUIREMENTS IS NEW.
THESE CHANGES WOULD BE INITIATED THROUGH A RESOLUTION THAT IS POSTED FOR CONSIDERATION ON THE FEBRUARY 1ST COUNCIL AGENDA.
THE PROPOSAL IS INTENDED TO IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM A RECENT URBAN LAND INSTITUTE DOWNTOWN PARKING TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE RELEASED IN OCTOBER.
THE PROPOSAL COULD INCLUDE THINGS LIKE INCLUDING A PORTION OF ABOVE GROUND STRUCTURED PARKING WITHIN A PROJECT'S FLOOR AREA RATIO CALCULATION, REDUCING THE EXISTING MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES THAT ARE CURRENTLY ALLOWED DOWNTOWN, REQUIRING THE DECOUPLING OF PARKING AS A NEW GATEKEEPER REQUIREMENT FOR THE DOWNTOWN DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM.
THAT MEANS DEVELOPMENTS WOULD NEED TO TREAT THE COST OF PARKING SEPARATELY FROM THE COST OF A UNIT IN THE DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN POTENTIALLY OTHER CHANGES NECESSARY TO HELP REDUCE THE OVERALL NUMBER OF NEW PARKING SPACES THAT WOULD BE BUILT WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
THESE CHANGES WOULD ALLOW US TO BETTER MANAGE PARKING DOWNTOWN, WHICH IN TURN SUPPORTS TRANSIT AND CREATES A BETTER PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT.
ANOTHER NEW ADDITION TO THE SCHEDULE AND TO THE SPRING 2024 WORK PROGRAM IS THE CREATION OF AN EQUITABLE TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY.
THE ETOD POLICY PLAN CALLED FOR THE CREATION OF A SYSTEM-WIDE ETOD OVERLAY.
AND THAT IS UNDERWAY, HOWEVER, IT IS A MUCH LARGER PROJECT WITH A LARGE SCOPE AND IS NOT SCHEDULED TO COME TO COUNCIL FOR REVIEW UNTIL EARLY 2025.
SO IN THE INTERIM STAFF FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THE PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE AND AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP HAVE DEVELOPED A PROPOSAL FOR AN INTERIM OVERLAY THAT WOULD APPLY TO THE PHASE ONE LIGHT RAIL CORRIDORS AND PRIORITY EXPANSIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SOME AREAS THAT ALREADY HAVE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE OVERLAYS IN PLACE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE OVERLAY IS NOT ENVISIONED TO APPLY TO THE EAST RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR, WHICH HAS ITS OWN REGULATING PLAN.
STAFF IS ENVISIONING CHANGES TO THE EAST RIVERSIDE, UH, UH, REGULATING PLAN IN SUPPORT OF PROJECT CONNECT AND THOSE WOULD ACTUALLY BE INITIATED AS PART OF THE FEBRUARY 1ST RESOLUTION.
BUT THEY ARE NOW ANTICIPATED TO BE PART OF A LATER PHASE AND WOULD NOT BE COMING BACK THIS SPRING.
THE ETOD OVERLAY WOULD PROHIBIT COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL USES THAT ARE NOT TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE THINGS THAT CATER TO CARS OR DO THE NOT CREATE A, A GOOD PEDESTRIAN ENVIRONMENT OR BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER NEAR THE
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TRANSIT STATIONS.IT WOULD ALSO CREATE A NEW BONUS PROGRAM THAT WOULD ALLOW UP TO 120 FEET IN HEIGHT, DEPENDING ON THE BASE ZONE FOR COMMERCIAL AND POTENTIALLY MULTI-FAMILY ZONED PROPERTIES WITHIN THE OVERLAY.
TO ACCESS THIS ADDITIONAL HEIGHT DEVELOPMENT WOULD BE PROVIDING, UH, INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE UNITS.
THE ETOD OVERLAY MAY POTENTIALLY SUPERSEDE REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY OWNED PROPERTIES WITHIN SPECIFIC REGULATING AREAS CALLED NEIGHBORHOOD CONSERVATION COMBINING DISTRICTS.
HOWEVER, IT'S NOT INTENDED TO SUPERSEDE ANY NCCD REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO THESE SINGLE FAMILY PROPERTIES IN THOSE AREAS.
IT WOULD BE FOCUSED ON THE MULTI-FAMILY AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
THE BENEFITS OF THE OVERLAY WOULD BE DELIVERING INCREASED HOUSING AND TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE DEVELOPMENT ALONG THIS FIRST PHASE OF THE LIGHT RAIL AND THE PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
SO IN ADDITION TO THAT BUNDLE OF TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE AMENDMENTS STAFF IS PRIORITIZING AMENDMENTS TO CHANGE THE MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR ONE UNIT.
RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS WAS INITIATED BY THE HOME RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN JULY, 2023.
THE PROPOSAL WOULD MODIFY THE BASE ZONING REGULATIONS TO ALLOW A SMALLER MINIMUM LOT SIZE THAT'S BELOW THE CURRENT STANDARD OF 5,750 SQUARE FEET FEE.
THE STARTING POINT FOR THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO MAINTAIN CURRENT IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITATIONS, WHICH ARE 45% PENDING WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT REVIEW TO SEE IF ANY CHANGES FROM THAT IMPERVIOUS COVER PERCENTAGE ARE APPROPRIATE.
WE WOULD BE MODELING AND RECOMMENDING OTHER MODIFICATIONS TO SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AS NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE DEVELOPMENT ON A SMALLER LOT.
THESE CHANGES ARE NOT INTENDED TO SUPERSEDE REGULATIONS THAT APPLY TO SINGLE FAMILY OWNED PROPERTIES WITHIN CCDS AND WOULD NOT SUPERSEDE PRIVATE RESTRICTIONS LIKE DEEDED RESTRICTIONS OR HOA REQUIREMENTS.
THIS PROPOSAL ADVANCES ONE OF COUNCIL'S KEY HOUSING POLICY PRIORITIES.
THE PRICE OF LAND IS ONE OF THE MAJOR DETERMINANTS OF THE COST OF HOUSING IN AUSTIN.
AND ALLOWING C UH, FEE SIMPLE OWNERSHIP OF SMALLER LOT SIZES COULD INCREMENTALLY SUPPORT MORE AFFORDABLE HOME OWNERSHIP OPTIONS.
SO THIS PRESENTATION HAS COVERED THE PRIORITY CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON FOR THIS SPRING.
WE ARE ALSO PROVIDING AN UPDATED SCHEDULE OF ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENTS TO THE COMMITTEE, AS IS OUR CUSTOM FOUR.
THIS SCHEDULE INCLUDES ALL OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY ON TRACK TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE MANY THAT I HAVE NOT SPOKEN TO THAT ARE PREVIOUSLY UNDERWAY AND ON TRACK TO ALSO BE COMPLETE DURING THIS TIMEFRAME.
THIS IS THE TOP PORTION OF THE SCHEDULE OF ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENTS, WHICH IS INCLUDED IN YOUR BACKUP AND WILL ALSO BE POSTED TO THE LDC AMENDMENTS PUBLIC INPUT WEBSITE.
SO MOST OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY ARE ANTICIPATED TO GO TO PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL IN APRIL AND MAY, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CREATION OF THE NEW DENSITY BONUS ZONING DISTRICT, WHICH IS ON A FASTER TRACK FOR REVIEW POTENTIALLY BY THE END OF FEBRUARY.
THIS IS THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE SCHEDULE OF ACTIVE CODE AMENDMENTS, WHICH SHOWS THOSE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE READY FOR COUNCIL REVIEW AFTER MAY AND EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN INITIATED, BUT WHERE A TIMELINE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF THE CODE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED OR THAT HAVE BEEN INITIATED, THE COMMUNITY CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE, WHICH IS PUBLIC INPUT DOT COMS SLASH LDC UPDATES.
AND THE COMMUNITY CAN ALSO EMAIL OR CALL STAFF AT THE EMAIL ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER ON THE SCREEN WITH ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT CODE AMENDMENTS.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION APPRECIATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I KNEW WE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE MAYOR, MR. MAYOR.
OUR NEW ADDITION TO THE COMMITTEE.
YEAH, THANK, WELCOME ABOARD MADAM CHAIR, APPRECIATE BEING HERE ON THE VM U2 SLIDE.
ACTUALLY, INSTEAD OF GOING BACK TO IT, WOULD YOU JUST WALK ME THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING IN, AND IT'S IN, IN RESPONSE TO A LAWSUIT AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A WAY SO THAT WE CAN PUT VM U2 IN PLACE.
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THE PROCESS, UH, AS AND I I WOULDN'T MIND YOU WALKING ME THROUGH THAT PROCESS FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF SOMEONE THAT WANTS TO BUILD SO THAT WE WOULD KNOW HOW THAT WOULD ACTUALLY WORK.OKAY, SO THE VMU PROGRAM IS ASSOCIATED WITH A COMBINING DISTRICT, WHICH IS THE DASH V TO UTILIZE VMUA PROPERTY OWNER NEEDS TO APPLY TO HAVE THEIR PROPERTY REZONED WITH THAT V AND CAN THEN ACCESS THE PARAMETERS OF THE PROGRAM.
THERE WERE NEW PARAMETERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE V COMBINING DISTRICT THAT WERE RECENTLY INVALIDATED BY THE COURT.
THE WAY THAT WE HAD PUT THEM INTO AN EXISTING COMBINING DISTRICT WAS FOUND TO BE IN VALLEY.
SO TO REESTABLISH THOSE PARAMETERS, THE ABILITY FOR A PROPERTY OWNER TO ACCESS THE ADDITIONAL 30 FEET IN HEIGHT AND THE OTHER ENTITLEMENTS IN EXCHANGE FOR PROVIDING, UH, INCOME RESTRICTED AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WE ARE PROPOSING TO CREATE A NEW COMBINING DISTRICT WITH THE PARAMETERS THAT USED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH BM U2.
THE ACTION THAT WE'RE ANTICIPATING TO BRING TO COUNCIL BY THE END OF FEBRUARY PUTS THAT COMBINING DISTRICT IN THE CODE.
IT CREATES THE COMBINING DISTRICT AND THE PARAMETERS THAT IT WOULD PROVIDE AND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT IT HAS, AND PUTS IT INTO THE CODE FOR PROPERTY OWNERS TO BE ABLE TO USE IF THEY REZONE THEIR PROPERTIES TO HAVE THE NEW DISTRICT JUST LIKE THEY WOULD'VE NEEDED TO DO TO REZONE A PROPERTY WITH THE B.
AND SO THE I ENVISIONED FEBRUARY ACTION WOULD PUT THE CODE INTO PLACE AND THEN ANYBODY WANTING TO USE THOSE PARAMETERS OF THE CODE WOULD FILE AN APPLICATION FOR REZONING TO ADD THAT NEW COMBINING DISTRICT TO THEIR PROPERTY.
IT WOULD GO THROUGH THE STANDARD REZONING APPLICATION PROCESS WITH STAFF REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION PLANNING, COMMISSION REVIEW, AND RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AND FUNDAMENTALLY COUNCIL REVIEW AND POTENTIAL ACTION WITH ALL OF THE, UM, PROTEST RIGHTS AND NOTIFICATION ASSOCIATED WITH A TYPICAL ZONING CASE.
SO YOU ANTICIPATED WHERE I WAS HEADED, UH, WITH MY NEXT QUESTION.
UH, BUT LET ME BACK UP JUST A LITTLE BIT.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT FOCUSES ON AFFORDABILITY, I THINK IT'S A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TOOL FOR US TO GET RIGHT.
UM, AND SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING ALL THE STEPS WE NEED TO DO TO DO THAT.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, BY PUTTING IT INTO THE CODE, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT NOTICE ARE WE GOING TO NEED TO PROVIDE? AND SECONDLY, ONCE IT'S IN CODE AND SOMEBODY COMES IN AND APPLIES TO BE A PART OF THAT, WHAT SORT OF NOTICE IS GOING TO BE, WHEN YOU MENTION PROTEST RIGHTS AND THAT KIND OF THING, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WALKING THROUGH THOSE AS WELL.
DOES THAT QUESTION MAKE SENSE TO YOU? ABSOLUTELY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE MS. LINK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT FOR ADDITIONAL CERTAINTY IN THE RESPONSE TRISH LINK WITH THE LAW DEPARTMENT.
UM, THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE TO CREATE THE DISTRICT AND PUT IT INTO THE CODE.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE WOULD GIVE PUBLISHED NOTICE AND THEN IT WOULD GO TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOR A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN TO COUNSEL FOR APPROVAL.
THAT IS THE ONLY NOTICE THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IT'S NOT TOUCHING ANYONE'S EXISTING REGULATIONS.
IT IS JUST GONNA EXIST AS WE SAY ON PAPER IN OUR CITY.
CODE CREATES A POSITION IN CODE.
SO THE AFTER, IF COUNSEL APPROVES THAT, THE CREATION OF THAT DISTRICT, SOMEONE WILL COME INTO THE CITY AND ASK TO BE REZONED INTO THAT COMBINING DISTRICT.
WHEN THEY DO THAT, STAFF WILL REVIEW WHEN IT GOES TO THE LAND USE COMMISSIONS, THEY WILL GET INDIVIDUAL NOTICE THE 500 FEET OUT ON THE CODE BASED ON THE CITY CODE, AND THE 200 FEET OUT WOULD HAVE THE PROTEST RIGHTS, BUT THE ACTUAL NOTICE GOES 500 UNDER OUR CODE.
SO IT WOULD, THEY WOULD GET THEIR RECOMMENDATION FROM THE LAND USE COMMISSION, THEN COME TO COUNCIL.
IF THERE IS A VALID PETITION, COUNCIL WILL NEED TO PASS IT BY NINE VOTES, OTHERWISE THEY CAN PASS IT AS A REGULAR ZONING CASE.
UH, I'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS IF THAT'S OKAY, MADAM CHAIR.
I THINK THAT ANSWERED MY QUESTION WITH REGARD TO THE NOTICE.
UM, AS YOU'RE COMING BACK, GO WITH ME TO MINIMUM LOT SIZE AND WITH MINIMUM LOT SIZE, YOU INDICATED THAT YOU WOULD NEED TO FOCUS ON, UM, MAKING REFORMS TO SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS.
WOULD YOU WALK THROUGH WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO THERE? I'M THINKING OF THINGS LIKE
[00:45:01]
SETBACKS, BUILDING COVERAGE LIMITATIONS, MINIMUM LOT WITH THE OTHER REGULATIONS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE BASE ZONING DISTRICT THAT TODAY ARE CALIBRATED FOR OUR CURRENT LOT SIZES AS THE LOT SIZES SHRINK, SOMETHING LIKE A SETBACK MAY ALSO NEED TO BE ADJUSTED IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE DEVELOPMENT IN THE SMALLER AREA.I ASK THAT PRIMARILY SO THAT THERE'S CLARITY ABOUT IF WE, IF WE'RE, IF WE AS A COMMITTEE AND WE AS A COUNCIL ARE GOING TO ALSO BE LOOKING AT THE REFORMING OF, OF, OF, OF SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AS PART OF THAT, WHAT PEOPLE CAN HAVE IN THEIR MINDS THAT WILL BE LOOKING AT AT THE TIME WE'RE DOING THAT.
UM, I I WOULD ALSO LIKE FOR US TO TALK ABOUT WHAT SORT OF NOTICE WE WILL BE PROVIDING IN THAT REGARD.
SO FOR THAT PARTICULAR SET OF CHANGES, WE WOULD RECOMMEND A JOINT MEETING BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEN HAVE THE COUNCIL DECIDE, UM, THE NOTICE, UH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, UM, BECAUSE THAT WILL TOUCH SO MANY LOTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, IT WOULD BE A CITYWIDE NOTICE, UM, THAT WOULD GO TO ALL OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS AND TO THE UTILITY ACCOUNT HOLDERS.
WELL, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I, I THINK THIS COUNCIL HAS, HAS BEEN PRETTY CLEAR THAT IT WANTS TO FOLLOW THIS WHERE PEOPLE GET LOTS OF NOTICE, INCLUDING IF IT REQUIRES CITYWIDE NOTICE UP AS AS YOU THINK THROUGH, UH, THAT, I MEAN, THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE MY RECOMMENDATION AS WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS THE, THE HAS HAS COMPLETED NOTICES WE CAN AND THE JOINT MEETING, BUT THEN A FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION, FOLLOW UP MEETING WITH THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
AND JUST AS, UH, WE RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL PREVIOUSLY, WE WOULD ALSO HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND ON OUR CITY WEBSITE SO THAT FOLKS CAN FIND THAT THERE.
I I'VE DOMINATED I I'M SORRY FOR THAT.
I THINK THEY'RE VERY IMPORTANT AND I, YOU KNOW, I I THINK SOME OF THE, THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASKED, UM, AS OPPOSED TO IT ESTABLISHING SOMETHING NEW, IT'S JUST GETTING CLARIFICATION OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST.
AND TO YOUR POINT, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
I KNOW OUR VICE CHAIR HAS QUESTIONS.
IT LOOKS LIKE COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS HAS QUESTIONS AS WELL.
AND THEN, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, I'D LIKE TO PIGGYBACK ON THE VMU QUESTIONS THAT THE MAYOR WAS ASKING.
IS THERE, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE'RE GONNA CREATE A REALLY LONG, EXPENSIVE PROCESS FOR SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING THAT TODAY THEY'RE ACHIEVING ADMINISTRATIVELY.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A CHALLENGE AS IT RELATES TO, UH, OUR ABILITY TO DO THINGS ADMINISTRATIVELY.
AND SO, UM, I'M NOT ASKING US TO VIOLATE THAT, BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS, IS THERE A WAY IN TERMS OF THAT PROCESS TO MOVE IT ALONG QUICKER SO THAT IT'S NOT A YEAR LONG ZONING CASE WHEN SOMEONE WHO HAS THE V TODAY AND COULD, YOU KNOW, IS ENGAGED IN TRYING TO DO A 90 FOOT PROJECT FOR 15% AFFORDABLE, CAN WE DESIGN A PROCESS, I GUESS IS THE QUESTION, SO THAT THEY CAN, UM, MOVE THROUGH MUCH QUICKER THAN A STANDARD FULL-BLOWN, YOU KNOW, ZONING REVIEW CASE.
IS THERE A KIND OF A SKINNY VERSION OR A A WAY TO, TO EXPEDITE THAT? NO, WHAT WE'VE PROPOSED IS THE, THE FASTEST ROUTE AND THE CLEANEST AND FRANKLY THE MOST, UM, THE SAFEST ROUTE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY BY ADOPTING THE PAPER DISTRICT AT THE END OF FEBRUARY.
AND THEN COUNT CASES CAN START ROLLING IN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD RECOMMEND AS PART OF ADOPTING THAT DISTRICT IN FEBRUARY WOULD BE DIRECTION TO THE MANAGER TO ESSENTIALLY INITIATE CASES FOR FOLKS WHO MAY ALREADY BE IN THE PROCESS SO THAT THOSE CASES CAN MOVE FORWARD, UM, AND GET RESOLVED QUICKLY.
I HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WILL BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THAT SETTING.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT, ARE Y'ALL ENVISIONING THE, THE BONUS INCLUDING FEE AND LIE, OR IS IT GONNA BE AN ONSITE REQUIREMENT PER TO MY NOTES TO MAKE SURE I CAN GIVE YOU THE ACCURATE ANSWER FOR THAT? AND I'LL HAVE TO LOOK TO THE AUDIENCE,
[00:50:08]
GOOD AFTERNOON, ERIC.LEAK, UH, PLANNING DEPARTMENT? UM, IT COULD BE A BIT OF A COMBINATION OF BOTH DEPENDING ON WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS.
SO IT'S STILL BEING FINALIZED, BUT, UM, WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH MAINTAINING AFFORDABILITY OF, UM, OWNERSHIP UNITS AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SENSITIVE TO THOSE ISSUES.
UM, SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE V DESIGNATION.
UM, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW IT IS MOSTLY BUILT FOR HEIGHT REQUIREMENTS AND WALKABLE FIRST FLOOR.
IS, IS THAT STILL GONNA CONTINUE AS WE LOOK AT WHAT A V TWO DESIGNATION LOOKS LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING THE SAME RESULTS THAT WE WERE AIMING FOR AS FAR AS WALKABLE FOR FLOOR? THAT IS OUR INTENT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD THE PARAMETERS OF THE VMU TWO PROGRAM THAT WE'RE WORKING, KNOWING THAT THIS WOULD BE A SEPARATE COMBINING DISTRICT, UH, BUT THAT WE WOULD BE AIMING FOR THE SAME OUTCOMES THAT WERE, THAT THE VMU TWO WAS DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE.
AND LEGAL DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.
UM, I, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A STEP BACK, ESPECIALLY FOR SOME OF THE NEWER COLLEAGUES OR PEOPLE THAT ARE JOINING THE CONVERSATION NOW.
UM, WHEN THIS FIRST CAME ACROSS THE DAIS, WE HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER THE V TWO DESIGNATION SHOULD OPERATE AS A BONUS PROGRAM, MEANING YOU COME AND GET YOUR ZONING V AND THAT IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, BUT THEN IF YOU HAVE A V AND YOU WANT TO USE V TWO, YOU JUST HAVE TO GO BY THE CRITERIA THAT WE HAD SET, WHICH INCLUDED AFFORDABILITY STANDARDS.
UM, SO NOW IT SEEMS LIKE IF WE'RE PUT IN A POSITION WHERE SOMEONE HAS TO COME TO US FOR THE V DESIGNATION TO BE ADDED AND THEY HAVE TO COME TO US AGAIN FOR A V TWO TO BE ADDED, UM, TELL ME HOW THAT WORKS.
DO YOU SEE ANYONE COMING FOR JUST THE V AND THEN CHANGING THEIR MIND IN FIVE OR 10 YEARS AND HAVING TO COME BACK THROUGH A REZONING CASE? OR WHAT'S YOUR FEEL OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE APPLIED FOR A V DESIGNATION AND HOW THAT'S GOING TO FUNCTION WITH A, A DIFFERENT V OPTION? SO THE V THAT'S ON THE BOOKS, UM, THAT EXISTED PRIOR TO JUNE OF 2022, THAT PROGRAM STILL EXISTS.
IT'S WHAT WE DID IN 2022, THE COURT INVALIDATED.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WAS THERE STILL REMAINS CORRECT.
THIS IS A SEPARATE, WILL BE A SEPARATE COMBINING DISTRICT THAT GIVES ADDITIONAL HEIGHT IN EXCHANGE FOR ADDITIONAL AFFORDABILITY.
AND SO IF SOMEONE DOES WANT TO REACH THE 90 UM, FOOT STANDARD FOR THEIR BUILDING, THEY WOULD NEED TO COME IN AND BE REZONED
SO ANYONE THAT LET, LET'S SAY SOMEONE CAME AND THEY JUST THINK THEY'RE GOING TO BUILD TO 60 FEET, THEY COME AND GET A V DESIGNATION FROM US IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO, AND THEN THEY END UP NOT BUILDING THE PROJECT FOR FIVE YEARS OR WHATNOT, THEY HAVE TO COME BACK THROUGH AGAIN TO GET THE 90 FEET.
SO MAYBE MORE PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE APPLYING FOR THE V TWO JUST TO SAY, I DON'T WANNA COME BACK TWICE, EVEN IF I THINK I NEED 60, I MAY JUST GO FOR V TWO.
WHETHER OR NOT I THINK I NEED THE HEIGHT.
WE ENVISION PEOPLE CHOOSING BETWEEN THE OPTIONS, BUT OKAY, YOU ARE CORRECT.
IF THEIR NEEDS CHANGE, UH, THEN THEY MAY NEED TO REZONE AGAIN TO WHICHEVER PROGRAM IS MORE APPROPRIATE AS THEIR PLANS HAVE CHANGED.
AND SO THEN THAT LEAVES MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, GENERALLY WE COULD HAVE TWO TRACKS OF LAND ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER WHERE, UM, SOMEONE COMES AND SAYS, I WANT V TWO, AND COUNCIL SAYS YES, AND THEN THE NEXT PERSON COMES AND SAYS, I WANT V TWO AND I WANNA BUILD THE SAME PROJECT NEXT DOOR.
AND A SAME COUNSEL, DIFFERENT COUNSEL SAYS NO FOR SOME REASON.
SO NOW WE'RE KIND OF IN THIS POINT OF, IT'S JUST UP TO THE DAIS TO SAY YES OR NO.
AND YOU KNOW, I, I THINK WHAT I'M TRYING TO EXPLAIN IS I JUST THINK THE BONUS PROGRAM WAS A GOOD TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX TO SAY, YES, BUT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUILD AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN HERE.
AND NOW WE'VE GOT THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO JUST SAY, HEY, I JUST, FOR SOME REASON I'M GONNA SAY NO TODAY.
AND YOU'VE GOT TWO ADJACENT TRACKS OF LANDS WITH SIMILAR NEIGHBORS ON SIMILAR CORRIDORS AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PREDICTABILITY INTO WHAT TYPE OF HEIGHT MIGHT BE ALLOWED IN THAT SITUATION IS, I MEAN, I GUESS THAT'S RHETORICAL, I'M NOT PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT
[00:55:02]
UM, UNLESS YOU WANNA ADD SOMETHING.THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY IS WE STILL HAVE AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED.
WHICH IS PURELY ADMINISTRATIVE, WHICH IS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
SO WE BASICALLY NO LONGER HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE BLESSING FOR ONSITE AFFORDABILITY WITHOUT IT BEING AN AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED PROJECT.
YOU WOULD NEED TO BE REZONED UNLESS YOU WERE UTILIZING AFFORDABILITY UNLOCKED.
WELL I'LL I'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE, UH, THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA TOUCH ON WHAT EVERYONE HAS KIND OF SAID ALREADY.
UH, UH, REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER VELAZQUEZ'S WORK ON THE, UH, ON THE COMMITTEE AND EXCITED OF THE MAYOR, UH, ON BOARD.
UH, I SAW HIM SHARING SOME TTAC.
SO I THINK NEXT, NEXT TIME I'LL BE SURE TO SIT NEXT TO YOU BECAUSE I, I WANT SOME TTAC
UM, I HAVE A, I HAVE A, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND I, I REALLY TAC AND NOT TIKTOK.
I COULDN'T DO THAT IF I TRIED.
I DON'T WANT THE REPORTER RUSHING OUT, BUT YEAH.
UH, I JUST HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND I, AND I DO APPRECIATE THE, UH, UM, THE PRESENTATION AND THE ANSWERS TO THE MANY QUESTIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN ASKED.
UH, MY FIRST QUESTION IS JUST THE REASONING BEHIND, UH, HAVING LIMITING, UH, LIMITED DENSITY ADJACENT TO STATIONS.
YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WE HEARD FROM STAKEHOLDERS, UH, DURING THE UULI TAF PROCESS ON PARKING REFORM, UH, WAS THE NEED FOR UNLIMITED AFFAIR THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN WITH STRONGER, UH, GATEKEEPING REQUIREMENTS.
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT DOWNTOWN IS A REGIONAL CENTER AND WE DON'T WANNA LIMIT DENSITY.
AND I'D IMAGINE THE BENEFIT TO RIDERSHIP WOULD BE GREAT IF WE DIDN'T LIMIT DENSITY NEAR, UM, NEAR LIGHT RAIL STATIONS.
SO IN TERMS OF THE PHASE, THIS PRELIMINARY PHASE OF THE ETOD OVERLAY, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE DRIVING THE PROPOSED PARAMETERS ARE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE TO DEVELOP IT AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE WILL BE DOING A SYSTEM-WIDE OVERLAY WITH MORE COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMING BACK, UM, NEXT YEAR.
AND SO THE BALANCE BETWEEN THOSE IS DOING WHAT WE CAN NOW WHERE IT MAY NOT MAX OUT THE DESIRED ENTITLEMENTS, BUT WE FEEL CONFIDENT IN WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER WILL BE USEFUL, UH, TO START PROVIDING THAT TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE DENSITY WILL BE USEFUL FROM THE PROPERTY OWNER PERSPECTIVE.
WE'LL BE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE COMMUNITY BENEFITS, KIND OF A SIMPLE SET OF COMMUNITY BENEFITS WHILE THE ANALYSIS FOR THE FULLY TOD OVERLAY AND ANY, UH, STATIONARY PLANNING THAT MAY FURTHER REFINE THE REGULATIONS IN SPECIFIC AREAS IS UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
SO IT'S A FIRST STEP, UH, BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE ONLY LOOK AND IT WILL JUST BE DONE, UM, YOU KNOW, AS ONE STEP EARLY OUT, UH, IN SUPPORT, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE EYE ON THE GRANT APPLICATION AND SOME QUICK WINS.
UH, I GOT FOUR MORE QUESTIONS THEN AND THEN I'LL BE DONE.
UH, THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECENTLY INITIATED REMOVING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS IN THE, UH, INNER WEST CAMPUS PORTION OF UNO.
I JUST WANNA KNOW, COULD IT, COULD IT BE POSSIBLE THAT THAT COULD BE ADDED TO THE PACKAGE WE WERE WORKING TOWARD FOR PROJECT CONNECT BY MAY? EXCELLENT QUESTION.
I'LL HAVE TO, UH, REVIEW THAT AND DISCUSS IT WITH THE STAFF AND CONSIDER THE STEPS THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES AND HOW IT IMPACTS THE INTERNAL AND COMMUNITY AND COUNCIL AND COMMISSION CAPACITY.
UH, IF THAT WERE TO BE ADDED ON, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IDENTIFYING THE PRIORITY SET AND VERY QUICKLY AFTER THAT THINGS WILL START, UH, IN MOTION TO PUT, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFY THE SUBSEQUENT MEETING DATES AND TO START PREPARING ALL, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSAL AND THE MATERIALS.
SO WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK INTO IT AND SEE WHAT IT WOULD ENTAIL AND IF IT'S FEASIBLE ON THE TIMELINE WITH EVERYTHING ELSE.
UH, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE AND OTHER EFFORTS TO CREATE OR PRESERVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITHIN A HALF A MILE OF THE PHASE ONE LIGHT RAIL QUARTER EXAMPLE, E UTAH POLICY PLAN AS AN ACQUISITION PLAN RECOMMENDATION, MAY NEED TO INVITE UP INTERIM DIRECTOR DE MAYO WITH THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT FOR THE NON-REGULATORY ANSWER DE MAYO INTERIM DIRECTOR OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE DO CURRENTLY HAVE A, UH, LAND ACQUISITION AND PRESERVATION STRATEGY.
MM-HMM
UM, IT'S PART OF OUR STRATEGIC HOUSING BLUEPRINT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES ALONG PARTICULARLY PHASE ONE, UH, OF THE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION.
[01:00:01]
UM, ALONG PHASE ONE, WE HAVE ACQUIRED TWO DIFFERENT PROPERTIES, UH, THUS FAR.UH, TWO SMALL MULTIFAMILY NATURALLY OCCURRING AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS.
ONE CALLED MIDTOWN FLATS, UH, IN D FOUR AND ONE CALLED SOCO 1 21.
AND THAT'S ON SOUTH CONGRESS, I BELIEVE IT'S IN D FIVE.
SO THOSE HAVE BEEN ACQUIRED USING THE 2018, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING BONDS.
WE CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, SOME VACANT LAND ALONG PHASE ONE LIGHT RAIL.
UM, AND WE PRIORITIZE, UH, THE ALIGNMENT OF HIGH CAPACITY, HIGH FREQUENCY TRANSIT, UM, THE LOCATION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHEN WE DO OUR RENTAL HOUSING AND OWNERSHIP HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE AWARDS.
THE NEXT OF WHICH WILL BE COMING TO YOU ALL ON FEBRUARY 29TH AS THE A HFC BOARD.
DOES THAT ANSWER? YEAH, THAT ANSWERS.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION IS STAFF LOOKING AT ANY POLICIES AROUND MULTI-FAMILY REDEVELOPMENT? CURRENTLY WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR REDEVELOPMENT IN THE DESIGN OF THE ETOD OVERLAY.
WE'RE VERY COGNIZANT OF POTENTIAL, UH, NEGATIVE IMPACTS.
SO WE CAN SEE BENEFITS OF ADDITIONAL UNITS IN AN AREA, BUT WE WANNA AVOID ANY UNANTICIPATED IMPACTS FROM REDEVELOPMENT OF EXISTING MULTIFAMILY.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT, UM, REDEVELOPMENT OF MULTIFAMILY IS, UH, CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED.
YOU HAVE MORE ANOTHER EXAMPLE THAT CAN HELP ME IF I THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE TO ASK.
I WAS GONNA, I WAS GONNA ASK MY LAST QUESTION.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANY TEMPLATES ON HOW TO ADDRESS IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, FOR SINGLE FAMILY? UH, FROM, FROM PREVIOUS LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE EFFECTS, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT, UH, PLACES TO LOOK FOR EXAMPLES FOR SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR SMALLER UNITS AND CERTAINLY THE, UH, LDC REVISION EFFORT, UH, HAD DIFFERENT ZONES WITH DIFFERENT IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITS.
THERE WERE SOME, UH, PROPERTY SPECIFIC, UM, THERE WERE, THERE WERE SOME PROPOSED WAYS TO MITIGATE THE POTENTIAL DRAINAGE IMPACTS OF ADDITIONAL IMPERVIOUS COVER ON MISSING MIDDLE SCALE PROPERTIES.
UH, THERE ARE OTHER, UH, SMALL LOT ZONES THAT EXAMPLES FROM, UH, THE MUELLER DEVELOPMENT AND FROM NEIGHBORHOOD INFILL TOOLS.
SO THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES TO LOOK FOR SITE AND OTHER CITIES.
OF COURSE FOR SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR SMALLER LOTS, IT WILL BE CHALLENGING TO FIND EXAMPLES THAT HOLD A 45% IMPERVIOUS COVER STEADY FOR A SMALL LOT.
BUT WE COULD, THIS CERTAINLY THOUGHT IN THE PAST ABOUT LOT SCALE DRAINAGE INTERVENTIONS AND CAN BE CONSIDERING THAT IN THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHETHER INCREASING IMPERVIOUS COVER, UH, FOR THIS PROPOSAL WOULD BE FEASIBLE FROM THE WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT'S PERSPECTIVE.
UM, THOSE ARE ACTUALLY REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS 'CAUSE THEY ANSWERED A LOT OF MY QUESTIONS AS WELL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? SURE, ABSOLUTELY.
COUNCIL MEMBER, JUST, UH, A COUPLE OF, I APPRECIATE ESPECIALLY THE FOCUS, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING, THINKING ABOUT THE, THE SMALL LOTS, UM, THE SETBACKS.
UH, YOU CAN BUILD A SMALL HOME ON A SMALL LOT WITH 45% IMPERVIOUS COVER.
AGAIN, THERE'S, I THINK THERE'S AN OPEN QUESTION AS TO WHETHER WE SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T ALLOW.
I KNOW THAT SMALL ODD AMNESTY RIGHT NOW, UH, WOULD ALLOW UP TO, I THINK 60% IMPERVIOUS COVER IF YOU'RE DOING A SMALL ODD AMNESTY.
BUT AGAIN, WHAT, BUT IF YOU DON'T CHANGE THE SETBACKS, UH, THEN YOU REALLY CAN'T BUILD MUCH OF ANYTHING ON A 2,500 SQUARE FOOT LOT.
YOU WOULD HAVE KIND OF SOME, ALMOST LIKE DOLLS HOUSE OR, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY AWKWARD LOOKING HOUSE.
SO I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE, THE, THE NEED REALLY TO LOOK AT, UH, SETBACKS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, AND, AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS WAS DISCUSSED DURING THE HOME PHASE TWO, UM, I'M SORRY, THE HOME PHASE ONE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FRONT SETBACK IN PARTICULAR, THE CLOSER THE FRONT SETBACK IS TO THE STREET, THE LESS DRIVEWAY THAT YOU HAVE TO PAVE, UH, TO GET.
SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'D RATHER USE LESS PAVEMENT ON, YOU KNOW, THE DRIVEWAY ACCESS AND MORE PAVEMENT ON THE ACTUAL LIVABLE SPACE.
UH, SO AGAIN, I, I REALLY, I THINK WE HAVE TO, AS A PRACTICAL MATTER LOOK AT SETBACKS, UH, UH, AS, AS A PRIORITY.
UH, IN, IN TERMS OF, AGAIN, AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE IMPERVIOUS COVER, ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL LOTS OFF THE TABLE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TO TO MENTION THAT, THAT, UH, THE SETBACKS AND THE
[01:05:01]
SIZE IS A, ON THE OVERLAYS AND WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA TOUCH OR HOW THEY'RE GONNA TOUCH MULTI-FAMILY PROPERTIES.I DO REALLY APPRECIATE THE CONCERN OVER, UM, NATURALLY OCCURRING MARKET RATE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHICH AGAIN, THESE ARE OLDER UNITS THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HAVEN'T BEEN REMODELED, HAVEN'T BEEN UPDATED IN A LONG TIME, THAT ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, THE, THE KIND OF CHEAP AND AND EASY.
UM, MY CONCERN IS THAT IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING, IF WE SAY WE'RE NOT GONNA MESS WITH THOSE PROPERTIES AT ALL, OR WE'RE GONNA DISALLOW, LET'S SAY THE USE OF OVERLAY FOR THESE, YOU KNOW, OLDER MARKET RATE, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THEY'RE GONNA STAY AFFORDABLE.
THE LANDLORD, THE OWNER HAS, CAN WE MOVE EVERYBODY OUT REMODEL, DO THE LIPSTICK JOB ON THE PROPERTY AND BOOST RATES.
BUT, SO I JUST WANNA BE VERY CAREFUL WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE, OUR INTENTIONS ARE GOOD, BUT THE RESULT MAY NOT BE THE RESULT THAT WE INTENDED BECAUSE THAT OWNER HAS EVERY RIGHT.
AND ONCE THE LINE AND THE STATION IS THERE EVERY INCENTIVE FINANCIALLY TO MAKE IT NOT A MARKET RATE, AFFORDABLE PROPERTY, TO DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO RAISE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF THOSE APARTMENTS AND THE FACT THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STATION IS GONNA BE, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, A QUARTER MILE AWAY IS IN AND OF ITSELF GOING TO RAISE THE RENTS OF THOSE.
SO I, I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CAREFUL, UH, AND THOUGHTFUL ABOUT WHAT WE DO THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND ESPECIALLY TO THE EXTENT THAT, THAT, THAT THESE ARE SMALL PROPERTIES.
LIKE I, I, I, WE HAD A REALLY GOOD DEBATE OVER, OR, OR ONE PROPERTY IN, IN DISTRICT FOUR.
UM, IT WAS, UH, ABOUT 30 UNITS, UH, BUT IT WAS GONNA BE REPLACED BY ABOUT, UH, 300 UNITS WITH, YOU KNOW, 10% OF THEM BEING AFFORDABLE.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE IN A SITUATION WHERE ALMOST ON A ONE BY ONE BASIS, IF THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS AND IF WE CAN, THINGS STRUCTURE EVERYTHING RIGHT, WHERE WE'RE INCORPORATING, UH, FOLKS POTENTIALLY INTO THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS, AGAIN, GIVING THEM MAYBE FIRST ROUND OF REFUSAL OR, YOU KNOW, DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO WHERE WE, WE DON'T WANNA DISPLACE PEOPLE.
WE WANT TO INCORPORATE THEM IN, IN, IN, IN A LOW COST WAY INTO THE NEW DEVELOPMENT.
SO ANYWAY, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, SO EVEN, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT MCMANSION ALSO WHERE, YOU KNOW, THE GOAL WAS TO, THE GOAL WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE OUTCOME THAT WE GOT WITH MC MANSION'S PAST, YOU KNOW, WAY BACK IN THE DAY.
AND I JUST WANNA BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT OUR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
UM, DID IT SOUND, I YOU TOOK A DEEP BREATH.
DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION? YOU JUST TOOK A DEEP BREATH.
BREATHING IN THE HAPPINESS OF YOU
UM, I, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY, I DO THINK YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED MY QUESTIONS AND THANK YOU, UM, UM, MR. MAYO FOR, UH, ANSWERING THE QUESTION WITH THE SPECIFIC 2 29 UM, DATE.
UM, AND THE INFORMATION ABOUT ACQUISITIONS, ET CETERA, THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR CONTRIBUTING THAT.
UM, I THINK I WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT, YOU MADE REFERENCE TO SMALL LOT DRAINAGE, UM, OPTIONS.
AND SO I'D, I'D LIKE TO, UM, GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT MAYBE IN A FUTURE MEETING OR, UM, PRIOR TO, WERE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STEPH ON THIS ITEM? I THINK YOU'RE OFF THE HOOK.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I THINK IT WAS VERY HELPFUL INFORMATION.
OKAY, SO I DO HAVE ACTUALLY, UM, YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE ALL RECEIVED ONE BY NOW.
UM, I'D LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT WE DO PROVIDE SOME RECOMMENDATION ON THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE LAND, UM, DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE PRESENTATION AND WITH SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED, MY STAFF HAS DISTRIBUTED, UM, ON THE DAY IS, UH, A MOTION THAT I'D LIKE TO BRING FORWARD THAT REALLY LAYS OUT A RECOMMENDATION TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
AND I ASK THAT, UH, STEPH, PLEASE SHARE THE MOTION TO, OH, IT LOOKS LIKE, OOH, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT GUYS.
YEAH, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYBODY ELSE, BUT MY ZIA OPTICAL IS NOT THAT GOOD.
UM, THIS WAS HANDED OUT THOUGH, RIGHT? FORTUNATELY, I THINK WE ALL HAVE A COPY.
BABELA, DO YOU HAVE A COPY AS WELL? I, I DON'T, BUT I, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL
I ACTUALLY THINK I HAVE SOME, UH, MAY I BELIEVE IT WAS EMAILED OUT.
SORRY FOR THE FOLKS AT HOME THAT MIGHT BE SQUINTING.
UM, SO I'M JUST GONNA LAY OUT THE MOTION, UM, WITH THE, WHEREAS IS, AND IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INTENT
[01:10:01]
BEHIND THE MOTION OR ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AROUND THE MOTION, UM, THAT'S FANTASTIC.UM, SO WHEREAS THE CITY COUNCIL HAS PREVIOUSLY DIRECTED THE CITY MANAGER TO WORK WITH THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE, UM, TO PRIORITIZE CURRENT AND FUTURE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS FOR THE GREATEST IMPACT ON HOUSING.
AND WHEREAS SINCE THE COUNCIL HAS PROVIDED DIRECTION TO THE MANAGER, UM, THE COMMITTEE HAS CONSISTENTLY PROVIDED FEEDBACK AND RECOMMENDATIONS RELATED TO THE ORGANIZATION AND PRIORITIZATION OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS.
AND WHEREAS CITY COUNCIL HAS INITIATED SEVERAL LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS AND DIRECTIONS TO STAFF RELATED TO EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS EO, UM, CITYWIDE COMPATIBILITY STANDARDS, DENSITY BONUSES, AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT MORE ACCESS, UM, TO HOUSING, JOBS AND TRANSIT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY INITIATED, UM, THE CITY COUNCIL INITIATED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS IN 2023 AS A PART OF THE HOME INITIATIVE THAT WILL ADJUST, UM, TO YOUR POINT, COUNCIL MEMBER SETBACKS, HEIGHT AND IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR SINGLE FAMILY, UH, FOR SINGLE FAMILY ZONING TO ALLOW MORE UNITS ON SMALLER LOTS, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED.
THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS TO THE FULL COUNCIL SUPPORT FOR THE EAD PACKAGE OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS AS PRESENTED BY CITY STAFF TO THE COMMITTEE ON JANUARY 23RD.
AND THAT INCLUDES, UM, TWO BULLETS, PRIORITIZING COMPLETION OF THE PREVIOUSLY INITIATED CITYWIDE COMPATIBILITY REFORMS. AND BULLET TWO IS INITIATE INITIATION OF AN EO OVERLAY, WHICH WE HEARD ABOUT EARLIER TODAY.
UM, CORRIDOR FOR THE URBAN RAIL PHASE ONE ALIGNMENT AND PRIORITY EXTENSIONS THAT WILL ADDRESS ANY EXISTING ZONING OVERLAYS, DISTRICTS OR PLANS.
UM, AND THEN LASTLY, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS TO THE FULL COUNCIL THAT REFORMING SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS ARE PRIORITIZED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED TIMELINE FOR A REDUCTION OF MINIMUM LOT SIZE REQUIREMENTS SO THAT THE COUNCIL MAY CONSIDER BOTH THE REDUCTION AND MINIMUM LOT SIZE REQUIREMENTS ALONG WITH REVISED SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS THAT ARE READY FOR COUNCIL REVIEW IN MID 2024.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, THAT IS MY MOTION AND I WILL LOOK FOR A SECOND AND THEN IF WE HAVE ANY THANK YOU, IT LOOKS LIKE.
SO, UM, THE MOTION IS MADE BY ME, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, UH, CHAIR OF THE HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION, UH, BY CHAIR ALTER? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
I JUST WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UH, I THINK AS WE LOOK AT SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, I DO BELIEVE THAT IMPERVIOUS COVER IS SOMETHING THAT IS, UM, UNIQUE AND, AND KIND OF HAS A HIGHER STANDARD THAN LET'S SAY, JUST ADDRESSING A SETBACK.
AND SO AS STAFF WORKS THROUGH THE COMPLEXITY OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO OR, OR WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS THEY'RE GONNA MAKE, UH, FROM THE WATERSHED DEPARTMENT AS IT RELATES TO IMPERVIOUS COVER, YOU KNOW, THOSE MIGHT TAKE MORE TIME.
AND WE NEED TO GET THIS RIGHT BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE CHAIR, UH, INCLUDING THE LANGUAGE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THOSE STANDARDS THAT ARE READY BECAUSE IT IS, UH, VERY POSSIBLE THAT THOSE ARE NOT READY.
AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE NEED TO GET IT RIGHT RATHER THAN GET IT FAST.
SO JUST WANNA MAKE THAT COMMENT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION COUNCIL MEMBER S AND I'VE GOT A A POINT OF CLARIFICATION TOO, JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UM, IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT ANY OTHER ORDINANCES LIKE SAVE OUR SPRINGS THAT HAVE VERY SPECIFIC MAPS TIED TO, UM, RECHARGE FEATURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THOSE WOULD, UM, NOT BE BROUGHT UP IN THIS DISCUSSION NECESSARILY.
THESE WOULD BE ABOUT OTHER WATERSHEDS THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE BARTON SPRINGS ZONE.
IS THAT CORRECT? I'LL JUST TAKE A NOD.
UM, SO, SO WE WILL COUNT THAT.
AND I TOO THINK THIS IS A VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION.
I, I'M REMINDED OF BACK IN 2019, UM, IT WAS ACTUALLY COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE THAT HAD ASKED VERY SPECIFICALLY FOR STAFF TO TAKE A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN LOOK WATERSHED BY WATERSHED AND MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ALLOW FOR GENTLE DENSITY IN SOME AREAS THAT WE ARE STILL MINDFUL OF IMPERVIOUS COVER LIMITATIONS.
UM, AND IN THE REWRITE OF 2019, WHICH WE KNOW IS, UM, SITTING RIGHT NOW NOT MOVING FORWARD, UM, BECAUSE OF OTHER ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP, UM, STAFF HAD COME UP WITH A WAY TO ACCOUNT FOR MORE GENTLE DENSITY, MORE WAYS OF DOING INFILL DEVELOPMENT THAT ALLOWED PEOPLE TO BE, UM, TRANSIT RIDERS, LESS CAR DEPENDENT.
UM, SO THIS IS A CONVERSATION I'M VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN.
WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF WHERE OUR SENSITIVE FEATURES ARE, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UM, PRIORITIZING SOME NEIGHBORHOODS OVER, OVER OTHERS BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT
[01:15:01]
NO NEIGHBORHOOD IS FLOODING AND EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO BE ABLE TO USE THE LAND THAT THEY NEED, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING IT IN A RESPONSIBLE WAY.AND SO I'M GLAD THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE COMING BACK UP.
I THINK WE'LL HAVE A ROBUST CONVERSATION ON THE DIOCESE ABOUT THESE MOVING FORWARD.
UM, BUT I'M GLAD THAT STAFF IS LOOKING INTO IT.
AND, AND YOU GOT THE NOD YOU NEEDED.
I WANNA PIGGYBACK ON COUNCILMAN VELA AND COUNCILMAN RYAN ALTER AND MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE, THE FINAL EZ THERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SETBACKS, HEIGHTS AND IMPERVIOUS COVER FOR THE SINGLE FAMILY ZONING SO THAT WE CAN ALLOW SMALLER LOTS.
AND THEN IN THE SECOND RESOLUTION WE TALK ABOUT SIDE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS BEING PRIORITIZED.
AGAIN, THAT'S WITH REGARD TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THESE MINIMUM LOT SIZES AND REDUCING MINIMUM LOT SIZES, CORRECT? CORRECT, SIR.
STAFF, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD THAT I MAY HAVE MISSED, UM, WITH CLARIFYING ON HIS QUESTION? ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE ALL SQUARED AWAY.
SO I MADE THE MOTION IT WAS SECONDED.
ALL IN FAVOR OF US BRINGING THE MOTION BEFORE COUNCIL AS AN ENTIRE BODY.
LOOKS LIKE WE ARE UNANIMOUS ON THE DAYS.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA, I SEE YOU LOOKING IN MY DIRECTION.
NO, NO, I'M, I'M, I GUESS SINCE I'M NOT OFFICIALLY A A A COMMITTEE MEMBER, I, I, YOU KNOW, DON'T VOTE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT I WAS TOLD TO DO BY THE CLERK.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST TO
[6. Identify items to discuss at a future meeting.]
I THINK WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO WHAT I PERSONALLY THINK IS GONNA BE, UM, ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PARTS OF THIS MEETING.WE GET TO TALK ABOUT WHAT WE GET TO DO IN THE FUTURE, UM, US AS A BRAND NEW BODY IN THIS BRAND NEW YEAR WITH SO MANY EXCITING THINGS FOR US TO LOOK FORWARD TO.
UM, SO FOR 2024, ARE THERE ITEMS THAT, UM, COLLEAGUES WOULD LIKE TO BRING FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION, UM, DURING THE COURSE OF THIS CONVERSATION? UM, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME TO BRING THEM LATER.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER ESS, I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC TOPIC, BUT I JUST WANTED TO DAYLIGHT.
WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF MEETINGS WHERE THEY WERE EITHER FORMALLY POSTED AS JOINT MEETINGS OF MOBILITY AND HOUSING AND PLANNING, OR THEY WERE JUST UNOFFICIAL JOINT MEETINGS SINCE A NUMBER OF US OVERLAP IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND SO I, I LOOK FORWARD TO US HAVING MORE CONVERSATIONS THAT, THAT CENTER AROUND TRANSIT PLANNING AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH OTHER ENTITIES LIKE THE COUNTY AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND SO I HOPE THAT WE HAVE MORE COLLABORATION LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THESE CONVERSATIONS IN 2024.
I, I THINK YOU ARTICULATED IT BETTER THAN I DID.
UM, 'CAUSE WHAT I'VE BEEN ENCOURAGING STAFF AND FOLKS THAT WE'RE TAKING MEETINGS WITH, IT'S LIKE IF I SEE ANY OVERLAP WHATSOEVER, SO IF YOU SEE YOUR NAME WITH FIVE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE INVITATION, IT'S BECAUSE I'VE DECIDED THAT WE TAKE TOO MANY MEETINGS AND
UM, SO MOVING FORWARD, I'D LIKE VERY MUCH FOR US TO, UH, WHENEVER POSSIBLE TO, TO HAVE OUR DISCUSSIONS BE CONDENSED.
UM, SO WITH THAT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE ABOUT TO BE ADJOURNED ON THIS FINE DAY 1 23, 20 24 AT 3:51 PM HAVE A SWELL DAY, EVERYBODY BE SAFE OUT THERE.