West Austin Neighborhood Group

Preserving and Protecting West Austin

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    Neighborhood Planning Information

    April 2nd, 2009
    by admin

    Welcome to the neighborhood planning process!

    The Tarrytown Neighborhood, along with the Bryker Woods and Pemberton Heights Neighborhoods, are officially going through the City’s “Neighborhood Plan” process as part of the Central West Austin Combined Neighborhood Planning Area. The Neighborhood Planning Process will address a number of important issues,
    including, Parks & the Environment, Transportation, Urban Design/Neighborhood Character, and Land Use & Zoning (properties may be rezoned as a result of the planning process).

    Neighborhood planning is an opportunity for citizens to take a proactive role in the planning process and decide how their neighborhoods will move into the
    future. All stakeholders of the neighborhood – business owners, renters, residents, property owners, and various community organizations and institutions — are invited to provide
    community input addressing the local issues and concerns affecting the neighborhood. Working together with Neighborhood Planning staff, stakeholders establish a clear vision of their priorities, needs and guide for future development. For a general introduction
    to neighborhood planning, visit our Overview of Neighborhood Planning.To browse other education and background materials, visit Neighborhood Planning
    Library Resources.
    Finally, to see the previous West Austin Neighborhood Group “Neighborhood Plan” adopted in
    1986, see the WANG Neighborhood Plan (www.WestAustinNG.com/neighborhoodplan.pdf).

    Also, please check out the updated Website,www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/central_west_austin.htm for more information.

    Previous
    Meetings (Listed Chronologically)

    Neighborhood
    Plan Kickoff Meeting on
    June 21, 2007 | Agenda | Notice

    The Kickoff Meeting for the
    Central West Austin Neighborhood Plan was held on June 21 at the Lions
    Municipal Golf Course Club House, and the turnout was tremendous! At the Kickoff Meeting, the City staff
    presented various aerial and land use maps of our neighborhood, and provided an
    introduction and overview of the neighborhood planning process.

    Powerpoint
    Presentation
    – Introduction to the Neighborhood Planning Effort

    Stakeholder
    Input

    See their responses about improving the neighborhood

    Meeting
    Game

    stakeholders were asked to perform several tasks to facilitate discussion

    At the June 21 meeting, certain questions
    were raised, and the following links provide information about those questions:

    ·        In response to
    questions about which neighborhoods have been through the neighborhood planning
    process, see the neighborhood planning status map at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/downloads/npstatus_tab.pdf.

    ·        In response to
    questions about the status of the Brackenridge Tract, see the document entitled
    “The Brackenridge Tract: Frequently Asked Questions” which is posted at www.WestAustinNG.com/BrackTractFAQ.pdf. Additional information is posted at http://www.WestAustinNG.com/BrackTract.htm.

    ·        In response to
    requests to see a copy of the Brackenridge Tract Development Agreement, it is posted
    at http://www.WestAustinNG.com/BrackenridgeAgreement.pdf.

    First
    Workshop,
    July 11, 2007 | Agenda | Notice

    This
    workshop focused on stakeholder issues, expectations and questions for the
    planning area, and also allowed stakeholders to provide input discussing the
    initial survey results and neighborhood history.

    If you
    could not attend this meeting, please fill out and return the What
    issues you would like to discuss
    questionnaire.

    ·        Initial Survey Results are in, with over 300
    respondents! See what issues you and your fellow participants thought were
    important by clicking
    here.

    Second Workshop, August 1, 2007 | Agenda | Notice

    This
    meeting focused on answering stakeholder questions and concerns about the
    planning process

    What
    were stakeholders issues, expectations, and questions from the July 11 Meeting?

    Mapping the
    Neighborhood Vision,
    August 30, 2007 | Agenda | Notice

    This
    meeting focused on reviewing neighborhood demographic data and obtaining
    stakeholder input using a neighborhood vision map exercise

    Definition
    of Vision, Goals, Objectives, and Recommendations

    PowerPoint
    Presentation
    (demographic data comparisons between 1990 and 2005)

    Vision and Goals
    Workshop,
    September 13, 2007 | Agenda

    In this
    meeting, stakeholders provided input to begin drafting various “vision” and
    “goal” statements for the neighborhood plan

    PowerPoint
    Presentation
    (explains “Visions,” “Goals,” etc.)

    Examples
    of a Vision from other plans

    Examples
    of Goals from other plans

    Results
    from the August 30 Vision Mapping exercise
    (these were not presented
    at the Sept 13 meeting, as suggested by the City’s website)

    First Issue Specific Workshop –
    Parks and Open Spaces, Thursday, September 27, 2007
    | Agenda |

    In this meeting, stakeholders provided
    input on the topic of parks and open space issues. Presentations were made by the City’s Parks
    and Recreation Department and the Keep Austin Beautiful program, and
    stakeholders conducted a brainstorming session to propose ideas for maintaining
    and improving parks, as well as creating additional park space and open areas
    in any development of larger areas (e.g., Austin State School, Lions Municipal
    Golf Course, Brackenridge Tract, etc.) as buffers to the existing residential
    neighborhood. A copy of the PowerPoint
    Presentation for the Parks and Open Space Workshop is posted at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/downloads/cwa_PowerPoint_Sept_27.pdf.

    The
    City’s website includes a posting of Meeting
    Notes
    for the meeting. These meeting notes do not correctly reflect what actually occurred at the meeting, particularly
    with reference to the statement that the stakeholders approved the proposed
    working goal. In fact, the stakeholders
    requested a number of revisions to the proposed working goal to clarify that
    the goal here should also include creating open space and parks on large
    properties to serve as a buffer to protect existing single family homes in the
    neighborhood.

    On the topic of “Parks and
    Open Space,” please be sure to review the “Parks and Environment”
    section from WANG’s 1986
    Neighborhood Plan
    (www.WestAustinNG.com/neighborhoodplan.pdf.

    Second Issue Specific Workshop –
    Transportation,
    Wednesday,
    October 17, 2007
    | Agenda |

    In the Traffic Issues Workshop meeting, stakeholders
    received presentations from City Staff concerning traffic issues, such as
    traffic calming, cut-through traffic, speeding, bike lanes, and sidewalks. In addition, there was a discussion of the
    report by the Brackenridge Task Force concerning the redevelopment of 345 acres
    along Lake Austin Boulevard and the Colorado River that includes 500 units of
    affordable housing for married students (many with children), the municipal
    golf course, a biological field lab, and the West Austin Youth
    Association. In summary, the Report
    recommends that a master plan be prepared to guide the development of the
    entire tract by leasing (not selling) the tracts (including the Golf Course and
    WAYA facility) to meet “pressing financial needs of the University.” The Board of Regents is holding a public
    hearing on the report on November 9th at 1:30pm at 201 W. 7th Street. You can view the task force’s report at http://www.utsystem.edu/bor/files/bracktract/report.pdf.

    Time ran out
    before the group interaction exercises were conducted to review traffic circulation
    and management, bikes, and sidewalks data.

    On the topic
    of “Transportation,” please consider the Transportation section from WANG’s 1986
    Neighborhood Plan
    (www.WestAustinNG.com/neighborhoodplan.pdf.

    Third Issue Specific Workshop –
    MoPac and Mass Transit,
    Wednesday, November 14, 2007 | Agenda | Meeting
    Notes

    Focus: Stakeholders
    provided input on draft Parks goal.

    Presentation from the
    Texas Department of Transportation, Capital Metropolitan Transportation
    Authority, and the Austin/San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District
    regarding

    Loop 1 (MoPac) and mass
    transit. Stakeholders asked questions
    about MoPac sound barriers, traffic improvement, managed lanes and other
    transportation project implications.

    Documents: PowerPoint
    presentations from the Central
    West Austin planning team
    (including TxDOT Loop 1/MoPac presentation), Austin-San
    Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District
    , and Capital
    Metro
    .
    A second Capital Metro presentation, about their long- and short-range planning
    efforts, was not given during this meeting, but can be viewed here: Capital
    Metro Long and Short Range Planning
    .

    Fourth Issue Specific Workshop –
    More Transportation,
    Wednesday, December 5, 2007 | Agenda | Meeting
    Notes

    Focus: Stakeholders revised the draft Transportation Goal as follows:

    Transportation Draft Goal

    “Support and not
    compromise the livability and vitality of Central West Austin neighborhood
    streets by not widening existing streets, enhancing safety and convenience for
    pedestrians, cyclists and transit users (with particular attention to routes
    serving neighborhood schools, parks, and libraries), improving access to
    reliable transportation services, enforcing speed limits, controlling on-street
    parking to protect residents’ property rights, and maintaining acceptable
    traffic service levels and traffic safety and protecting against cut-thru
    traffic.”

    In addition, the stakeholders worked
    in groups for a mapping exercise to revise and extend transportation issues and
    concerns in the neighborhood.  In particular, topics discussed included
    proposed transit oriented development at the MoPac/35th street
    intersection, designing traffic flow to address future development at
    Brackenridge, Camp Mabry and the Austin State School, sidewalks, school bus
    routes through the neighborhood, cut-through traffic, traffic calming,
    speeding, and bike lanes.

    Documents: PowerPoint
    presentation
    | Concerns
    and opportunities
    regarding
    a potential commuter rail station at 35th St. | Transportation
    Goal handout
    .

    Maps: Two maps were handed out at this
    meeting, including the Traffic
    count map
    (explanation
    of map
    ; traffic
    count data
    ) and Traffic
    collision map
    (explanation
    of map
    ).

    Fifth Issue Specific Workshop –
    Process Check-up & Vision,
    Wednesday, January 9, 2008 | Agenda
    and Plan Timeline
    |

    Focus: Review what was covered in 2007, and what will be done in 2008—trees,
    creek erosion, neighborhood character, housing, land use, and zoning. In addition, draft recommendations for the
    parks and open space chapter were introduced, and a vision statement was “workshopped.” On both topics (see “handouts”
    below), comments may be provided by contacting Greg Claxton at .

    Documents: Powerpoint
    presentation
    | draft
    Vision handout
    | Parks and
    Open Space handout

    Sixth Issue Specific
    Workshop – Trees,
    Wednesday, January 30, 2008 | Agenda |
    Focus:
    Presentation by City Staff regarding Austin’s tree protection and planting
    programs and how Austin Energy manages trees alongside its utility
    infrastructure.  Neighbors were asked to prepare for the meeting by
    thinking about the questions posted at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zoning/downloads/CWA_Jan9_HWJan30.pdf.

    Topics addressed included the different roles that trees can play in shaping
    neighborhood character, providing shade for pedestrians, lowering energy costs,
    and improving creek erosion.
    Documents: Neighborhood
    planning staff presentation
    | Austin
    Energy presentation
    | Tree
    protection regulations presentation
    . For more
    information, please see the City’s information on urban forestry and Austin Energy’s tree
    trimming website
    .

    Seventh Issue Specific
    Workshop – Water, Creeks, Erosion & Flooding,
    Wednesday, February
    20, 2008 |
    Agenda | Mapping
    Exercise handout

    Focus: Watershed Protection
    and Development Review staff presented information about water quality and
    drainage issues.  A mapping exercise looked at flooding and erosion
    problems and opportunities for water quality improvement.
    Documents: Watershed
    Protection Presentation Entitled “Protecting Lives, Property and the
    Environment”
    ; part two.

    Eighth Issue Specific Workshop –
    Community Life and Housing Affordability,

    Wednesday, March 5, 2008
    | Agenda |

    Focus: Neighborhood crime and safety
    presentation from APD Sergeant Dustin Lee, followed by a presentation of staff
    discussions with the principals of Brykerwoods Elementary, Casis Elementary,
    and O. Henry Middle Schools. We ran long
    and did not get to the housing affordability section. Before the meeting, the vision statements (below) were presented and attendees voted for their favorites.

    Documents: Planning
    staff presentation
    | APD presentation |

    Crime maps: personal, property, nuisance, drug/alcohol | Crime
    tallies by offense
    | APD
    Districts for Central West Austin

    Links: Sergeant Lee mentioned two
    online safety resources the city provides. First is the Resource Manual, which
    directs citizens to city resources for complaints or problems. Second is APD’s
    online crime map viewer.

    Ninth Issue Specific Workshop – Residential Review, Code
    Enforcement, Housing Affordability, and Historic Preservation
    , Saturday, March 29,
    2008 |
    Agenda | Presentations: part 1, part
    2
    |

    Focus: Jessica King from Residential
    Review talks about the city’s review of new construction, demolitions, and
    remodels and how to report violations. Susan Villareal from historic preservation talked about historic
    designations and historic districts. Paul Tomasovic of Code Enforcement talked about how to spot and report
    code violations. The group did a mapping exercise to look at what areas could
    be designated historic and what characteristics of housing in the neighborhood
    they wanted to preserve.

    On the
    topic of affordable housing, there will likely be a request made for locating
    multi-family zoning in our neighborhood. On this topic, please be sure to review objective 1.6 of the “Land Use”
    section from WANG’s 1986 Neighborhood Plan (posted at http://www.WestAustinNG.com/neighborhoodplan.pdf), which is set forth below:

    1.6 Limit multifamily housing as a buffer from office and retail
    zoning along arterials. It should not be
    permitted as an end in itself. A buffer
    is a use which is less intrusive than that which is being buffered.

    Tenth Issue Specific Workshop – Mid-Process Review And Open
    House
    , Saturday, April 26,
    2008 |
    Agenda | Introductory
    presentation
    | Chapter drafts (Word) (PDF) |

    Focus:
    At this meeting, staff and stakeholders discussed the following draft
    neighborhood plan chapters:

    ·        Transportation
    (available as PDF; editable
    Word file
    ).

    ·        Parks,
    Open Space & Environment (available as PDF).

    ·        Community
    Life (not available).

    ·        Neighborhood
    In Context (not available).

    Stakeholders reviewed the draft chapters to
    determine whether they help to create the neighborhood that we envision for the
    future. Neighborhood stakeholders have
    been working on revisions to the draft “Transportation” and “Parks” chapters,
    which are posted as redlined documents at “Revised
    Transportation Chapter
    ” and “Revised
    Parks Chapter
    .”

    This WILL NOT be the final review for these
    chapters, and staff
    will continue to take comments on these chapters in the coming months.

    Eleventh Issue Specific Workshop
    – Land Use Education Workshop
    , Wednesday, May 7, 2008 | Presentation | | Current
    Land Uses Maps: WANG, Windsor
    Road
    .

    This
    meeting introduced the first step in the land use planning process, and set the
    foundation for the upcoming land use meetings.

    Twelfth Issue Specific Workshop – First Land Use Workshop, Wednesday, May 21, 2008, LCRA Red
    Bud Facility
    | Agenda

    Staff
    reported on their first meeting with the Brackenridge Tract consultants, which
    included a tour of Lions Golf Course. The consultants, led by David McGregor,
    of Cooper Robertson, attended part of the meeting, and introduced themselves.
    Staff also announced the formation of a transportation sub-committee to discuss
    in more detail some of the problems that came up during the April 26
    Mid-Process Review.

    Staff
    talked about land use patterns within Central West Austin, as well as the
    context the neighborhood is in within the city as a whole, and introduced the
    framework of corridors and nodes that will be used to break the neighborhood
    into manageable pieces for future land use meetings (see the corridor and node map and schedule.

    There was
    a discussion of “things to protect and preserve” and “things to
    change or enhance;” see the results in this photo of the meeting’s white
    board
    .
    Finally, the group began putting colors on the map: some civic uses (public
    schools, fire, and EMS) and parks and open spaces.

    Second Land Use Workshop, Thursday, June 12, 2008, LCRA Red
    Bud Facility

    This workshop discussed land uses along Exposition
    from Casis Elementary to Windsor Road as well as Windsor Road from Exposition
    to MoPac. Three separate groups
    attempted to map out future land uses for these areas, but none of the groups
    completed the exercise.

    Third

    Land Use Meeting, Thursday, June 26, LCRA Board Room.

    The workshop was
    a continuation of the “Land Use” workshop which continued with mapping the future land use along Windsor and
    Exposition.

    Brackenridge Workshop, Saturday, July 12. LCRA Red Bud Facility | Agenda

    Staff
    presented an overview of the Brackenridge Tract and its development agreement.
    A researcher at the Biological Field Lab gave a presentation on what the Field Lab
    does. Stakeholders were asked what the pros and cons were of the current uses
    on the Brackenridge Tract, and what their preferences were for the Tract in the
    future.

    Documents:
    Presentations: by City
    staff
    , by
    the Biological Field Lab
    | Stakeholder
    responses
    | Helpful
    information
    | For more information on the Brackenridge Tract,
    click here.

    Fifth Land Use Meeting, Wednesday, July 23, 6:30pm
    to 9pm
    | Agenda

    The three
    land use groups continued their work on identifying future land uses for Exposition
    Blvd and Windsor Rd
    .

    Sixth Land Use Meeting, Saturday, August 2, 9am to 1pm,

    LCRA Red Bud Center.

    Topic: Continuation
    of the discussion of Exposition Boulevard from Westover to Windsor, and Windsor
    Road from Exposition to MoPac.
    Seventh Land Use Meeting,
    Wednesday, August 27, 6:30pm to 9pm,

    LCRA Red Bud Center.

    This workshop discussed land uses along Exposition (from Windsor Road to Enfield)
    and Enfield (from Exposition to MoPac). To move away from the “consensus” approach for making decisions only
    with unanimous agreement, the City Staff introduced a new two-stage framework
    for land use meetings. In the first
    stage, stakeholders met in separate groups to discuss what is good about these
    corridors and what is wanted in the future for these corridors. Subsequently, City Staff will present the
    Future Land Use categories that would achieve the different ideas that
    stakeholders discussed in the first meeting. Stakeholders will then select an option to put in the plan.

    At the
    meeting, Staff presented this
    handout
    for context on these two roads. Subsequent to the meeting, the results of the
    brainstorm were posted here.
    w:st=”on”>

    Eighth

    Land Use Meeting, Thursday, Sept. 11, 6:30pm to 9pm

    At our
    last meeting, it was overwhelmingly decided to maintain the current “single
    family” land use patterns for Exposition (between

    Windsor
    and

    Enfield) and the “multi-family” land use
    pattern for the intersection of Exposition and

    w:st=”on”>
    Enfield.  The results are posted here.

    Documents: Land
    use options
    | Results
    for Exposition and the intersection of Exposition and Enfield
    |
    Stakeholder comments from
    August 27 | Corridor handout from
    August 27 Land Use meeting.
    w:st=”on”>

    Ninth

    Land Use Meeting, Sept. 24, 6:30pm to 9pm, LCRA Hancock Building Board Room.

    At this meeting, the stakeholders determined the future
    land use map for two areas on

    Enfield
    Rd. between Exposition and MoPac, voting by
    consensus to keep Enfield Road (Between Exposition and Mopac) at its current
    mix of Multifamily and Single Family, and to keep the intersection of Enfield
    and Mopac (on the west side) at its current mix of Multifamily and Single
    Family.  There was also a “brainstorming” discussion of how the Deep Eddy
    section of

    Lake Austin Blvd

    (from MoPac to Hearn) is currently used and how it could better serve the
    neighborhood in the future.

    Documents: Agenda | Corridor
    handout for Deep Eddy along Lake Austin Blvd
    | Sept
    24 results

    Tenth

    Land Use Meeting, Oct. 8, LCRA Red Bud Facility.

    At this
    meeting, the stakeholders determined the future land use map for Deep Eddy
    along

    Lake Austin Boulevard,
    voting by consensus to keep the current neighborhood commercial land use for
    Area 1, and to keep the two parcels in Area 2 as single family.

    Documents: Agenda | Results
    w:st=”on”>

    Eleventh

    Land Use Meeting, Oct. 22, 6:30pm to 9pm, LCRA Red
    Bud Facility.

    At this
    meeting, stakeholders discussed the non-single family areas east of MoPac: along

    35th St
    and

    34th St,
    and between

    38th St
    and

    31st St
    and Shoal Creek and

    Lamar Blvd
    (see the map here).

    Documents: Agenda | Corridor
    handout

    Maps and Documents

    Maps (these are large
    files stored on our ftp site)

    Base Map | 2003 Land Use
    Map

    Aerial
    Photo Maps: 2006 | 1997 | 1940

    Traffic
    count map
    (explanation
    of map
    ; traffic
    count data
    )

    Traffic
    collision map
    (explanation
    of map
    ).

    Documents

    Initial
    Population Data Summary

    Council
    Resolution authorizing the Central West Austin Neighborhood Planning Initiative

    Building
    Permit Data, 1990-2007

    West
    Austin Neighborhood Group Demographics

    Windsor
    Road Demographics

    Austin
    Police Department Area Statistics

    Neighborhood
    survey results

    City Staff Planning Team Contact
    Information

    Paul DiGiuseppe

    (512) 974-2865

    Adrienne Domas

    (512) 974-6355

    Victoria Craig

    (512) 974-2857

    Greg Claxton

    (512) 974-7630

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