Agenda Comprehensive Plan Joint Committee June 9, 2022, 12:00 – 1:00 PM Street-Jones Building RM 400A 1000 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78702 Zoning and Platting Commission Cesar Acosta Hank Smith Scott Boone COMMITTEE MEMBERS Planning Commission Grayson Cox Yvette Flores Carmen Llanes Pulido Robert Schneider CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first three speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2. NEW BUSINESS 3. OLD BUSINESS a. Industrial Study (Discussion and/or possible action) 4. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Future agenda items will NOT be discussed at the current meeting, but will be offered for initiation, discussion, and/or possible recommendation to the full Planning Commission at a FUTURE meeting. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 2 days before the meeting date. Please call Dee Dee Quinnelly at Housing and Planning Department, at 512-974-2036, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Comprehensive Plan Joint Committee, please contact Dee Dee Quinnelly at 512-974- 2036 and DeeDee.Quinnelly@austintexas.gov
ANALYSIS OF INDUSTRIAL LAND USE AND ZONING IN AUSTIN, TEXAS Prepared by the City of Austin’s Planning and Zoning Department March, 2020* *Updated September 2020 with minor changes Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3 The Austin Context.................................................................................................................................. 4 Environmental Justice, Racial Segregation, and the 1928 City Plan ................................................. 4 Research and Development ............................................................................................................... 6 Annexation of Industrial Property ....................................................................................................... 7 National Trends and Best Practices in Sustainable Industrial Development ......................................... 7 San Francisco, California .................................................................................................................... 8 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ................................................................................................................. 9 Los Angeles, California .................................................................................................................... 10 Portland, Oregon .............................................................................................................................. 12 Current State of Austin’s Industrial-Zoned Land ................................................................................. 13 Industrial Land Uses ........................................................................................................................ 16 Property Values................................................................................................................................ 17 Zoning Cases ................................................................................................................................... 17 The Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan ........................................................................................ 20 Geographic Distribution & Transport ............................................................................................... 20 Vacancies and Undeveloped Land .................................................................................................. 20 Building and Annexation Over Time ................................................................................................. 20 Workforce Considerations ................................................................................................................... 21 Workforce Master Plan .................................................................................................................... 21 Job Totals for Austin’s Industrial-Zoned Land ................................................................................. 23 An Industrial Cluster Typology for Austin ............................................................................................. 24 Key Considerations .......................................................................................................................... 26 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 28 Trends .............................................................................................................................................. 28 1 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 29 Appendix I: Maps ................................................................................................................................. 30 Base Zoning Districts ....................................................................................................................... 30 Industrial Clusters – Land Use ........................................................................................................ 31 Industrial Zoning District Cases ....................................................................................................... 32 Industrial Clusters - Loss of Industrial Zoning ................................................................................. 33 Imagine Austin Jobs Centers ........................................................................................................... 34 Freight Transport Network ............................................................................................................... 35 Developed & Vacant Industrial Zoning ............................................................................................ 36 Industrial-Zoned Properties Decade Annexed ................................................................................. 37 Industrial-Zoned Properties Year Structure Built ............................................................................. 38 2001 Zoning Layer with 2002 US Census Data .............................................................................. 39 2018 Zoning Layer with 2017 US Census Data .............................................................................. 40 Industrial Zoning Study: Case Study Area........................................................................................ 41 Appendix II: Industrial Cluster Case Studies ........................................................................................ 42 North Research Boulevard .............................................................................................................. 42 North Burnet/Gateway .................................................................................................................... 42 Tech Ridge ....................................................................................................................................... 44 US 290 East..................................................................................................................................... 45 Near East ......................................................................................................................................... 46 US 183............................................................................................................................................. 48 St Elmo ............................................................................................................................................ 50 Ben White ........................................................................................................................................ 54 2 Introduction Austin, like many growing cities across the country, is experiencing pressure to convert industrially used and zoned land to mixed-use commercial and residential redevelopment and development. Imagine Austin (2012), the City’s comprehensive plan, envisions “a city of complete communities…defined by amenities, transportation, services, and opportunities that fulfill all Austinites’ material, social, and economic needs.” One component of a complete community is employment opportunities for residents of all skill and education levels. In 2017 there were a total of 624,417 employees citywide. In the city’s industrial-zoned properties, there were 75,244 employees, representing 12% of the …
ANALYSIS OF INDUSTRIAL LAND USE AND ZONING IN AUSTIN, TEXAS Comprehensive Plan Joint Committee Briefing October 14, 2021 Mark Walters Study Organization Workforce Considerations National Trends and Best Practices Current State of Austin’s Industrially-Zoned Land Industrial Cluster Typology for Austin , Texas Conclusions & Recommendations Maps and Case Studies 2 Current State of Austin’s Industrially-Zoned Land 11,657 Acres or 6.6% of Austin zoned for industrial (2018) Only 38% of Industrial zoned land used for industrial uses • Undeveloped 27% • Office 12% 3 Current State of Austin’s Industrially-Zoned Land Industrial zoned areas mostly located to take advantage of highways and ABIA 4 Current State of Austin’s Industrially-Zoned Land Between 2001 and 2018 1,846 acres rezoned from industrial to non-industrial zones Industrial zoned land lost through neighborhood plan rezonings was not included 5 Current State of Austin’s Industrially-Zoned Land Worth $9.5B or 6% of Austin’s value Higher Improvement-to-Land Ratio 2014-2018 tax assessments increased 52%/ commercial land increased 62% Most industrial zoned land gained through annexation North Burnet/Gateway lost over 1,000 acres of industrial zoned land (2008) 6 Industrial Cluster Typology for Austin Identified 8 industrial clusters within Austin Based on best practices from Las Angeles, CA and Philadelphia, PA staff developed an industrial cluster typology Protection Intensification Transition 7 Industrial Cluster Typology for Austin Protection Industrial zoning should be maintained and residential uses discouraged Intensification Can accommodate more industrial uses through zoning certainty, planned infrastructure improvements, and master planning to coordinate public and private investment Transition Areas experiencing significant land conversion to non-industrial uses and are no longer or increasingly less viable for industrial 8 Industrial Cluster Typology for Austin North Research Boulevard Intensification / Protection North Burnet/Gateway Transition Tech Ridge Intensification US-290 Intensification Near East Transition US-183 Transition St. Elmo Transition Ben White Intensification 9 Findings Annexations biggest driver in industrial land growth 37 acres of industrial zoning lost annually for the last ten years Neighborhood and Small Area Plans 10 Findings Recent development of corporate campuses and business/industrial parks Austin’s legacy industrial clusters undergoing transition (e.g., St. Elmo & NBG) Undeveloped industrial land along one-way freeway frontage roads targeted for garden-style apartments 11 Recommendations Precautions must be taken to ensure that nearby industrial properties do not pose a risk to future MF residents Redevelopment in Transition areas should provide sidewalks, bike lanes, storm water facilities, open space, etc. Existing long-term industrial uses should not be punished by new residents …
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN JOINT COMMITTEE Draft Minutes The Comprehensive Plan Joint Committee convened in a special called meeting on April 28, 2022 at Street-Jones Building, 1000 East 11th Street, Room 400A, Austin, TX 78702. Some member participated by video conference. SPECIAL CALLED MEETING April 28, 2022 Zoning and Platting Commission Hank Smith The meeting was called to order at 12:14 p.m. Joint Committee Members in Attendance: Planning Commission Grayson Cox Yvette Flores Robert Schneider City Staff in Attendance: Matt Dugan, Housing and Planning Department Cole Kitten and Upal Barua, Austin Transportation Others in Attendance: Joe Reynolds PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Megan Meisenbach Members Absent Carmen Llanes Pulido Cesar Acosta Joe Reynolds and Megan Meisenbach spoke on the proposed amendments to the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan. 1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 2. NEW BUSINESS A motion was made to approve the minutes from the March 10, 2021 meeting by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Schneider. Vote 4-0. Commissioners Llanes Pulido and Acosta were absent. a. Austin Strategic Mobility Plan Amendments (Discussion and/or possible action). Cole Kitten and Upal Barua with Austin Transportation presented on the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan (ASMP) proposed amendments. Commissioners discussed the amendments and the ZAP recommendations, Cole Kitten and Upal Barua provided responses to the ZAP recommendations. A motion was made to forward to Planning Commission the proposed amendments, ZAP recommendations, and the staff response to ZAP recommendations by Commissioner Smith, seconded by Commissioner Cox. Vote 4-0. 1 3. OLD BUSINESS None. 4. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS -Industrial land study ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 1:16 p.m. The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Meeting locations are planned with wheelchair access. If requiring Sign Language Interpreters or alternative formats, please give notice at least 4 days before the meeting date. Please call Dee Dee Quinnelly at Planning and Zoning Department, at 512-974-2036, for additional information; TTY users route through Relay Texas at 711. For more information on the Comprehensive Plan Joint Committee, please contact Dee Dee Quinnelly at (512) 974-2036 or deedee.quinnelly@austintexas.gov. 2
