Public Comment on 506 West Residential — original pdf

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May 22, 2023 To: City of Austin Design Commission Re: Downtown Density Bonus Fees for 506 West Avenue On behalf of Shoal Creek Conservancy, I am writing to register our support for the potential $1,783,000 in Downtown Density Bonus fees towards the Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy. The Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy is a partnership between SCC and The Downtown Austin Alliance to improve the area around 3rd Street & Shoal Creek. The name is inspired by the historic name for Third Street, originally known as “Cypress Street.” This area is a gateway to critical community resources and major public investments such as the Central Library, Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail, and Seaholm Power Plant redevelopment. The City envisions these centrally located destinations as serving a citywide audience, yet the difficulty of navigating this area prevents that intention from becoming a reality. This strategy presents a community-guided vision to make the area safer, more accessible, and more connected through better bikeways, new trail connections, and pedestrian plazas woven together with urban greenery. In addition to connecting to Austin’s popular destinations, there is momentum for breathing new life into leftover urban spaces. It is a priority to carve out recreational open space for people among the bustling streets and soaring towers, and it is of equal importance to restore ecological functions in the midst of so much hardscape. The use of DDB funds to support the Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy is a fitting community benefit that will make a positive impact on downtown’s public spaces and the citywide community who walks, bikes, and rolls to central destinations. Sincerely, Ivey Kaiser Executive Director