1. 2. 3. 4. Environmental Commission Regular Meeting February 5, 2020 at 6:00 P.M. City Hall Council Chambers, 301 W. 2nd Street Austin, Texas 78701 Agenda COMMISSIONERS: Andrew Creel (D-1) Curtis Smith (D-2) Pam Thompson (D-3) Ryan Nill (D-4) Kevin Ramberg (D-8) Secretary Mary Ann Neely (D-5) Peggy Maceo (D-7) Katie Coyne (D-6) Vice Chair Wendy Gordon (D-10) Perry Bedford (Mayor) Linda Guerrero (D-9) Chair _________________________________________________________________________________ CALL TO ORDER CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Speakers should sign up to speak prior to the meeting being called to order; you will receive a three-minute allotment to discuss topics not posted on the agenda. EDUCATION a. Night Sky Preservation in Austin and Travis County—Cliff Kaplan, Hill Country Conservancy (15 minutes) b. Climate Vulnerability in Austin: A multi-risk assessment—Patrick Bixler, University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs (15 minutes) APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND ACTION a. Approve the minutes of the regular Environmental Commission meeting of January 15, 2020 ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER’S UPDATE ON PAST COMMISSION ACTIONS AND REPORT ON ITEMS OF INTEREST a. None (5 minutes) STAFF BRIEFINGS* a. None 1 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION a. None PUBLIC HEARINGS AND POSSIBLE ACTION a. Name: Xspace Group, SP-2019-0189D Applicant: Garett-Ihnen Civil Engineers Watershed: Lake Austin Watershed, Water Supply Rural Classification, Drinking Water Location: 4229 N. FM 620, Austin, TX, 78734 (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Staff: Jonathan Garner, Environmental Program Coordinator, Development Services Department Protection Zone Request: Variance request is as follows: 1. Request to vary from LDC 25-8-301 to construct a driveway on slopes in excess of 15 percent gradient 2. Request to vary from LDC 25-8-342 to allow fill in excess of four feet of depth Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends these variances, having determined the findings of fact to have been met. (30 minutes) b. Name: Aspen Heights Multifamily Wastewater Service Extension Request #4629 Applicant: Caitlin Kuglen, P.E., Kimley Horn Associates Location: 11210 N FM 620 RD, Austin, TX 78726 (2-Mile Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Staff: Kaela Champlin, Environmental Officer’s Office Watershed: Lake Travis Watershed, Water Supply Rural & Bull Creek Watershed, Water Supply Suburban, Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, Drinking Water Protection Zone Request: Wastewater Service Extension Request recommendation Staff Recommendation: Staff recommend this request. (30 minutes) COMMITTEE REPORTS a. Urban Growth Policy and Water Quality Protection Committee – Pam Thompson, Kevin Ramberg, Mary Ann Neely, Curtis Smith, and Perry Bedford b. Urban Forestry Committee – Peggy Maceo, Pam Thompson, Linda Guerrero, …
Hill Country Alliance Night Sky Preservation in Austin and Travis County Presentation to the City of Austin Environmental Commission February 5, 2020 Contact: Cliff Kaplan Program Manager, Hill Country Alliance cliff@hillcountryalliance.org, 512.387.3097 Today’s presentation: • What night sky preservation is and why it matters • Current efforts for night sky preservation • Where the City of Austin can go from here I - 35 divides the mostly dark half of the US from the very light polluted half Light pollution can be caused by urbanization or industrialization, but it doesn’t have to be… Why does night sky preservation matter? Habitat: Preserving naturally dark nights is a vital part of preserving habitat. All of the plants and animals that live in Central Texas, including humans, are evolved for dark nights. (Exception: cave-dwelling species) Why does night sky preservation matter? Habitat: Preserving naturally dark nights is a vital part of preserving habitat. All of the plants and animals that live in Central Texas, including humans, are evolved for dark nights. (Exception: cave-dwelling species) • Pollinators (eg moths) • Fireflies • Frogs • Birds • Bats • Deer • Coyotes • Etc. etc. Why does night sky preservation matter? Wasted electricity: It is estimated that 33% of all outdoor lighting is wasted by shining where it is not intended to be. VS. Why does night sky preservation matter? Wasted electricity: It is estimated that 33% of all outdoor lighting is wasted by shining where it is not intended to be. That amounts to between 10 and 15 million tons of CO2 annually in the US, for residential lighting alone. Overall, $3 Billion are spent annually in the US on outdoor lighting shining where it is unintended. Source: International Dark-Sky Association, data from US Dept. of Energy Why does night sky preservation matter? Tourism and recreation: Central Texas destinations, including some in Austin, are enjoyed for their star-filled skies. Why does night sky preservation matter? Visibility for driving and security: Glare from unshielded lights reduces our ability to see at night, by making shadows darker. What is good lighting? • Fully Shielded: No sky glow, glare, or light trespass What is good lighting? Outdoor lights should be rated 3000K or below What is good lighting? • Fully Shielded: No sky glow, glare, or light trespass • Correlated Color Temperature at or below 3000K • Only on when needed: use switches and sensors • Not …
ITEM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AGENDA COMMISSION MEETING DATE: February 5, 2020 NAME & NUMBER OF PROJECT: XSpace Group SP-2019-0189D NAME OF APPLICANT OR ORGANIZATION: Garett-Ihnen Civil Engineers (applicant) LOCATION: 4229 N. FM 620, Austin, TX, 78734 COUNCIL DISTRICT: Council District does not apply in Extraterritorial Jurisdiction ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW STAFF: Jonathan Garner, Environmental Program Coordinator, Development Services Department, (512) 974-1665, Jonathan.Garner@austintexas.gov WATERSHED: Lake Austin Watershed, Water Supply Rural Classification, Drinking Water Protection Zone REQUEST: Variance request is as follows: 1. Request to vary from LDC 25-8-301 to construct a driveway on slopes in excess of 15 percent gradient 2. Request to vary from LDC 25-8-342 to allow fill in excess of four feet of depth STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends these variances, having determined the findings of fact to have been met. Staff Findings of Fact Variance to LDC 25-8-301 Development Services Department Staff Recommendations Concerning Required Findings Construction of a driveway on slopes in excess of 15 percent (LDC 25-8-301) Project Name: Ordinance Standard: Watershed Protection Ordinance Variance Request: XSpace Group SP-2019-0189D Include an explanation with each applicable finding of fact. A. Land Use Commission variance determinations from Chapter 25-8-41 of the City Code: 1. The requirement will deprive the applicant of a privilege available to owners of similarly situated property with approximately contemporaneous development subject to similar code requirements. Yes. The entire portion of the property fronting the public right-of-way contains slopes in excess of 15 percent. The other three sides of the property are bound by private development, and there is no other alternative access into the site. Therefore, the only available access into the property and to the approximate 1.33 acres of developable land on the property (e.g., slopes 0-15 percent) is by crossing the existing slopes with a private driveway. 2. The variance: a) b) Is not necessitated by the scale, layout, construction method, or other design decision made by the applicant, unless the design decision provides greater overall environmental protection than is achievable without the variance; Yes. The only available access into the property and to the approximate 1.33 acres of developable land on the property (e.g., slopes 0- 15 percent) is by crossing the existing slopes with a private driveway. Is the minimum deviation from the code requirement necessary to allow a reasonable use of the property; Yes. Code and Criteria allow a driveway to be constructed on slopes over 15% when the driveway provides …
ITEM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION AGENDA COMMISSION MEETING DATE: February 5, 2020 NAME & NUMBER OF PROJECT: Aspen Heights Multifamily Wastewater Service Extension Request #4629 NAME OF APPLICANT OR ORGANIZATION: Caitlin Kuglen, P.E., Kimley Horn Associates LOCATION: 11210 N FM 620 RD, Austin, TX 78726 COUNCIL DISTRICT: Austin 2-Mile Extraterritorial Jurisdiction PROJECT FILING DATE: November 18, 2019 WPD/ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF: Kaela Champlin, Environmental Officer’s Office (512) 974-3443, kaela.champlin@austintexas.gov WATERSHED: REQUEST: STAFF DETERMINATION: Lake Travis Watershed, Water Supply Rural and Bull Creek Watershed, Water Supply Suburban, Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone, Drinking Water Protection Zone Wastewater Service Extension Recommended 1 MEMORANDUM January 27, 2020 Kaela Champlin, Environmental Officer’s Office Linda Guerrero, Chair, and Members of the Environmental Commission TO: FROM: DATE: SUBJECT: Aspen Heights Multifamily Wastewater Service Extension Request #4629 Service Extension Requests (SER) located in the Drinking Water Protection Zone and outside of the City of Austin’s full purpose jurisdiction require Council approval and review by the Environmental Commission. Watershed Protection Department staff has completed the review for Aspen Heights Multifamily Wastewater SER #4629 and recommend approval of the request. Site Overview The site consists of one tract of approximately 14.70 acres, located at 11210 FM 620 Road in the City of Austin’s 2-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction. The site is in the City of Austin’s Limited Purpose Jurisdiction The site is currently operating as a driving range without water or wastewater service. The applicant is proposing to develop a multifamily development with three four-story buildings with a total of 215 units, with associated leasing and amenity centers. Development Impacts Water: City water will be provided to the site, but a water SER is not required because water is in the front of the property along FM 620. Wastewater: The Applicant shall construct approximately 125 feet of appropriately sized gravity wastewater main from the existing 8-inch gravity wastewater main (Project No. 2015-0850) on the east side of N FM 620 and extend west across N FM 620 Rd to the subject tract, as approximately shown on the attached map. The applicant shall also construct an appropriately sized upgrade to the existing Volente Lift Station (approximately 220 gpm firm capacity). Upgrades shall include, but are not limited to, replacement of existing pumps, generator, and starters. 2 Environmental Impacts The property is split between the Lake Travis watershed, classified as Water Supply Rural, and the Bull Creek watershed, classified as Water Supply Suburban. The site is in …
Aspen Heights Multifamily Wastewater Service Extension Request #4629 Request Summary • 14.70 acres • 2-Mile ETJ • Lake Travis (Water Supply Rural) & Bull Creek Watersheds (Water Supply Suburban) • Located in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone • Drinking Water Protection Zone (DWPZ) SER #4629 Site Location Austin City Limits Austin ETJ Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone Austin City LimitsETJRechargeContributingAustin City LimitsETJRechargeContributing Site Location Lake Travis Bull Creek Site Location Lake Travis Bull Creek Site Location SER #4629 Summary Description of proposed extension: • Applicant shall construct approximately 125 feet of appropriately sized gravity wastewater main from the existing 8-inch gravity wastewater main (Project No. 2015-0850) on the east side of N FM 620 and extend west across N FM 620 Rd to the subject tract, as approximately shown on the attached map. The applicant shall also construct an appropriately sized upgrade to the existing Volente Lift Station (approximately 220 gpm firm capacity). Upgrades shall include, but are not limited to, replacement of existing pumps, generator, and starters. • SER #4629 Proposed Wastewater Extension Map provided by AWU SER Scoring Matrix SERs recommended for approval SERs not recommended for approval Project points ≥ 1 Project points ≤ 0 Aspen Heights Multifamily Score: 3 Staff Recommendation Staff recommends approval. Basis for recommendation: Staff review determined that there were no significant environmental risks to extend service to the site. The proposed project is consistent with Austin Water’s business plan and located within the Council-approved impact fee boundary. Additionally, previous SERs have been approved by Council within a one-mile radius of the site. Contact Information Kaela Champlin Watershed Protection Department City of Austin (512) 974-3443 kaela.champlin@austintexas.gov
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MOTION 20200205 006a Date: February 5, 2020 Subject: XSpace Group, SP-2019-0189D Motion by: Katie Coyne Seconded by: Mary Ann Neely RATIONALE: WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes the applicant is requesting variances from: • LDC 25-8-301 to construct a driveway on slopes in excess of 15 percent gradient; and, • LDC 25-8-342 to allow fill in excess of four feet of depth. WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes that staff recommends the approval of this variance because the findings of fact have been met. THEREFORE, the Environmental Commission recommends approval of the requested variances listed above. For: Bedford, Creel, Nill, Guerrero, Coyne, Neely, and Gordon Against: None Abstain: None Recuse: Ramberg Absent: Smith, Thompson, and Maceo VOTE 7-0 Approved By: Linda Guerrero, Environmental Commission Chair 1
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MOTION 20200205 006b Date: February 5, 2020 Subject: Aspen Heights Multifamily Wastewater Service Extension Request #4629 Motion by: Kevin Ramberg Seconded by: Wendy Gordon RATIONALE: WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes the applicant is requesting a Wastewater Service Extension Request recommendation; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes Service Extension Requests (SERs) located in the Drinking Water Protection Zone and outside of the City of Austin’s full purpose jurisdiction require Council approval and review by the Environmental Commission; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes Watershed Protection Department staff has completed the review for Aspen Heights Multifamily Wastewater SER #4629 and recommend approval of the request. THEREFORE, the Environmental Commission recommends the Service Extension Request listed above. VOTE 7-1 For: Bedford, Creel, Nill, Ramberg, Guerrero, Coyne, and Gordon Against: Neely Abstain: None Recuse: None Absent: Smith, Thompson, and Maceo Approved By: Linda Guerrero, Environmental Commission Chair 1
Climate Vulnerability in Austin: A multi-risk assessment A project of the Austin Area Sustainability Indicators & Texas Metropolitan Observatory of Planet Texas 2050 City of Austin Environmental Commission February 5, 2020 Prepared by: R. Patrick Bixler, PhD1 and Euijin Yang2 1. LBJ School of Public Affairs 2. Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering 2 A2SI Mission: To measure quality of life and sustainability trends and serve as the foundation for a systems approach to address the challenges of our region. www.austinindicators.org 3 The Texas Metro Observatory (TMO) is a communication and data platform dedicated to sharing information and ideas about Texas’ communities, understanding common problems, and developing solutions across the state’s metropolitan areas. https://tmo.utexas.edu/ TMO provides access to data (economic, environmental, health, demographic, governmental, etc.) for all metros in the state and produces unique data visualizations, infographics, and analysis tools that will provide a deeper understanding of issues within and among metro areas1. Climate Vulnerability in Austin Climate projections for Austin2 • Increases in annual and seasonal average temperatures • More frequent high temperature extremes • More frequent extreme precipitation • More frequent drought conditions in summer due to hotter weather Climate Vulnerability in Austin Austin can expect more extreme weather in the future Climate Vulnerability in Austin Climate Vulnerability in Austin Community Resilience Climate Vulnerability in Austin Community Resilience Neighborhood Household Climate Vulnerability in Austin Exposure Sensitivity Adaptive Capacity Community Resilience Neighborhood Household Climate Vulnerability in Austin Exposure Wildfire hazard exposure Flood hazard exposure Heat hazard exposure Sensitivity Adaptive Capacity Community Resilience Neighborhood Household Climate Vulnerability in Austin Exposure Wildfire hazard exposure (+) (+) Multi-hazard exposure (-) Community Resilience Flood hazard exposure Heat hazard exposure Sensitivity Adaptive Capacity Neighborhood Household Climate Vulnerability in Austin Exposure Wildfire hazard exposure (+) (+) Multi-hazard exposure Flood hazard exposure Heat hazard exposure Sensitivity Social Vulnerability (-) (-) Adaptive Capacity Community Resilience Neighborhood Household Climate Vulnerability in Austin Exposure Wildfire hazard exposure (+) (+) Multi-hazard exposure Flood hazard exposure Heat hazard exposure Sensitivity Adaptive Capacity (-) (-) (+) Social Vulnerability Adaptive Capacity Community Resilience Neighborhood Household Climate Vulnerability in Austin Assess the spatial sensitivity to hazards and difference across communities in their overall capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from hazards. We do this by adapting a well-vetted and oft-used tool – The Social Vulnerability Index (or SoVI®). Climate Vulnerability in Austin Assessing the spatial exposure of independent hazards. These include: …
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, February 5, 2020 The Environmental Commission convened in a public meeting on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 in Council Chambers City Hall, 301 W. 2nd Street, Austin, Texas 78701 Commissioners in Attendance: Andy Creel Perry Bedford Ryan Nill Kevin Ramberg Mary Ann Neely Katie Coyne Linda Guerrero Wendy Gordon Commissioners Absent: Curtis Smith Pam Thompson Peggy Maceo Staff in Attendance: Chris Herrington Atha Phillips Kaela Champlin Jonathan Garner Kristy Nguyen Mike McDougal Colleen Kirk Katie Frazier CALL TO ORDER Commissioner Coyne called the meeting to order at 6:02 P.M. CITIZEN COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Speakers should sign up to speak prior to the meeting being called to order; you will receive a three-minute allotment to discuss topics not posted on the agenda. Speakers Paul Robbins 1. EDUCATION a. Night Sky Preservation in Austin and Travis County—Cliff Kaplan, Hill Country Alliance (15 minutes) Item conducted as posted. No action taken. LBJ School of Public Affairs (15 minutes) Item conducted as posted. No action taken. b. Climate Vulnerability in Austin: A multi-risk assessment—Patrick Bixler, University of Texas 1 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES AND ACTION a. Approve the minutes of the regular Environmental Commission meeting of January 15, 2020 (5 minutes) The minutes of the regular Environmental Commission meeting of January 15, 2020 were approved on Commissioner Ramberg’s motion, Commissioner Neely’s second on a 7-0 vote. Commissioners Smith, Thompson, and Maceo were absent. Commissioner Creel was off the dais. ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER’S UPDATE ON PAST COMMISSION ACTIONS AND REPORT ON ITEMS OF INTEREST a. None STAFF BRIEFINGS* a. None ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION AND POSSIBLE ACTION a. None PUBLIC HEARINGS AND POSSIBLE ACTION a. Name: Xspace Group, SP-2019-0189D Applicant: Garett-Ihnen Civil Engineers Watershed: Lake Austin Watershed, Water Supply Rural Classification, Drinking Water Location: 4229 N. FM 620, Austin, TX, 78734 (Extraterritorial Jurisdiction) Staff: Jonathan Garner, Environmental Program Coordinator, Development Services Department Protection Zone Request: Variance request is as follows: 1. Request to vary from LDC 25-8-301 to construct a driveway on slopes in excess of 15 percent gradient 2. Request to vary from LDC 25-8-342 to allow fill in excess of four feet of depth Staff Recommendation: Staff recommends these variances, having determined the findings of fact to have been met. (30 minutes) Commissioner Ramberg recused on Item 6a. A motion to close the public hearing was approved on Commissioner Coyne’s motion, Commissioner Creel’s second on a 7-0 vote. …
