Welcome to Ultraground. We show you what’s being entitled in Austin.
May 23
District 1
3121 E 12th St: 110-Unit VMU Mixed-use | Approved
District 2
Gobi 250: 230-Unit VMU Mixed-use | Approved
Citywide
Safe Fencing Regulations | Approved
ETOD (Equitable Transit-Oriented Development) | Postponed
Imagine Austin Update | Presentation
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DISTRICT: 1
3117-3121 E 12th St
Rosewood | 1.0 Acres | 110 Units | Approved (Discussion)
The Rosewood Neighborhood Plan Contact Teams’ argument against Geyser Group’s new 110-unit VMU2 project was that the current 40’ height limitation conditional overlay prevents gentrification in their neighborhood. We’ll skip to the point: the commissioners sided with the local developer’s effort to bring affordable units to a transit rich area.
3117-3121 E 12th St could deliver 110 multifamily dwelling units and 1,500 SF of street level retail to East Austin. That includes affordable units at 60% MFI.
The Geyser Group asked for three things.
Rezone the two lots to the same zoning category, CS-MU-V-CO-NP.
Amend the FLUM designation on one lot from commercial to mixed use so that both lots mixed use.
Remove one of the conditional overlays on the site that limits the height to 40 ft.
That height restriction lies to these parcels at forty feet. Under CS zoning, they would be able to build up to sixty feet and under VMU2, they would be able to build up to ninety feet. The city staff did not recommend carrying forward the height restriction of forty feet on these tracts. The highest restrictions, too restrictive around a CapMetro rail station, level two ASMP roadway, and imagine Austin activity portal, which is Airport Boulevard. Maintaining this height restriction would not allow affordable housing units to be built on rate as a part of VMU's program, additional street level retail and potentially the redevelopment of these underutilized parcels.
Key argument: The transit station, a half mile away, did not exist when the neighborhood plan was passed in 2001.
“I was curious if you could talk about the affordability because I noticed that in the back up that there were concerns if we about how that might work if we didn't list lift the cap. Could you speak to them?
Armbrust & Brown attorney Michael Whellan, representing The Geyser Group, argued that the site had limitations due to zoning and compatibility lines, and that the removal of the overlay would allow for more density and development.
“…With interest rates rising, construction costs not dropping much. It's just been it's hard to make that something work at this point.
Whellan also highlighted Geyser’s previous successful developments in the area. Namely, they just finished a 76-unit, 363 TOD development that is now leasing. Geyser also has a 363 development under construction utilizing the VMU program.
The discussion focused on the impact of the proposed height increase on the neighborhood, including concerns about gentrification and displacement.
“They (The Geyser Group) gambled that Whellan could stigmatize East Austin neighborhoods, exploit Austin's affordability problems fueled mostly by other parts of the city and lean on the candidates that they financially backed extract more value than they paid for.
Commissioner Connolly pushed back on the neighborhood representative, addressing his own impact on the very issue they were arguing in the name of.
“When did you move to the neighborhood?
“…I believe the process of gentrification took place over time, and I'm just curious what point in that process you join the neighborhood, which you speak so passionately for.
Page responded that rezoning changes the value of the land and the value of the land is what draws in speculative buyers.
Other commissioners had some pointed comments too, this time is was Greg Anderson with questions for the City staff:
“Our future land use map for an area is twenty one years old. Do we plan to fix that anytime soon maybe have it be more representative of today's needs. I'm just looking at Austin's population when this was adopted was roughly one point three million. And today, double that?
The City staff is not planning to initiate any updates of neighborhood plans. The neighborhood plan teams have an opportunity to submit a plan amendment application on behalf of their neighborhood. Staff wasn’t sure if a update of a FLUM would be considered something that they they could do.
“But the direction I think counts all of what we've seen with VMU2 and the efforts to try to get more density in and around areas where we have bus and planned transit. In my mind, supports the applicant's request. So we're gonna continue to having these kind of cases that are coming up quite frequently, but this one I think hits the metrics for increasing the height and additional units for families to live in.
The motion to approve the staff recommendation for the plan and zone case was made by Commissioner Anderson and seconded by Commissioner Connolly. The commission voted in favor of the motion.
“I'm not convinced by any data that that setting an arbitrary limit on height to forty feet has in any way helped prevent displacement from neighborhoods.
Developer: The Geyser Group
Attorney: Armbrust & Brown, Michael Whellan LinkedIn
DISTRICT: 2
Gobi 250
South Austin | 5.17 Acres | 230 Units | Approved (Consent)
Ledgestone/State Street’s proposal to develop up to 230 multifamily units and 5,000 square feet of ground floor general retail uses was approved on consent.
The development team argued that multifamily housing with neighborhood-serving ground floor retail/commercial uses will add to the diversity of development for the Garrison Park Neighborhood.
Owner: State Street Properties, Robert McKee LinkedIn
Developer: Ledgestone Development Group, Craig Alter Email: [email protected]
Representative: Alice Glasco Consulting, Alice Glasco
Imagine Austin
Citywide
The staff stated that they would like to complete the update in the next two years, including the future land use map.
The commission prioritized resources around making strategic changes to the code and identifying additional changes. The growth concept map was also discussed, with a focus on equity driving decisions.
Safe Fencing Regulations
Citywide | Approved
The proposed amendments aim to address dangerous fence designs (prohibiting spiked pickets, spiked bars, or other spiked decorative elements).
The ordinance would apply to new fences and any existing fences that are replaced by more than 50%.
The maximum height for front fences was proposed to be 60 inches, taking into consideration transportation-related concerns and pool safety.
ETOD (Equitable Transit-Oriented Development)
Citywide | Postponed
The meeting discussed the integration of ETOD (Equitable Transit-Oriented Development) into the Imagine Austin plan.
The meeting also addressed concerns about the slow progress of code changes and the need for more resources and staff to speed up the process. The meeting was postponed until June 27th to allow for further review and recommendations from the Comprehensive Plan Joint Committee.
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