REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2026, AT 6:00 P.M. PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, ROOM 1405 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DRIVE AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the Environmental Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Nicole Corona, 737-291-3084, Nicole.Corona@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Mariana Krueger, Chair Jennifer Bristol, Vice Chair Haris Qureshi, Secretary Richard Brimer Isabella Changsut Annie Fierro AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Justin Fleury Martin Luecke Allison Morrison David Sullivan The first ten 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. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on May 6, 2026. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation regarding potential environmental impacts of the MoPac South Project, as presented to the Environmental Commission on May 6, 2026. 3. 4. 5. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation to Council regarding the Barton Springs Road Bridge Project, as presented to the Environmental Commission on May 6, 2026. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation to Council to purchase property located at 6202 and 6204 Caddie Street, 1600, 1604, 1606, 1608, 1610, 1612, and 1614 Montopolis Drive, and 6205, 6211, and 6215 Fairway Street. Presented by Susana Almanza, Poder. Sponsors: Vice Chair Bristol and Secretary Qureshi. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation to Council regarding implementation of efficient, local, natural gas-powered peaker generation units as part of Austin Energy’s Resource, Generation, and Climate Protection Plan to 2035. Sponsors: Vice Chair Bristol and Secretary Qureshi. COMMITTEE UPDATES 6. Update from the Urban Forestry Committee regarding the meeting on May 13, 2026. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS City Code requires at least two board members sponsor an item to be included on an agenda. This section of the agenda provides members an opportunity to request items for future agendas. Staff should assume that if there is no objection from other members expressed …
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MINUTES REGULAR MEETING WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026 The Environmental Commission convened in a regular meeting on May 6, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center, Room 1405, located at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Kruger called the Environmental Commission Meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Mariana Krueger, Chair Haris Qureshi, Secretary Richard Brimer Isabella Changsut Justin Fleury Martin Luecke Allison Morrison David Sullivan Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Jennifer Bristol, Vice Chair Mar Moretta-Urdiales PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on April 15, 2026. The minutes from the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on April 15, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Sullivan’s motion, Commissioner Brimer’s second, on an 8-0 vote. Commissioners Changsut and Moretta-Urdiales were off the dais. Commissioner Fierro was absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding the Barton Springs Road Bridge Project. Presented by Eric Bailey, Deputy Director, Austin Capital Delivery Services. The presentation was made by Eric Bailey, Deputy Director, Austin Capital Delivery Services. 1 The meeting was recessed from 8:09 p.m. until 8:18 p.m. without objection. PUBLIC HEARINGS 3. Name: SoLa Mixed Use, SP-2024-0397C Applicant: Hannah Riemer, P.E., LJA Engineering, Inc. Location: 2700 and 2800 South Lamar Boulevard Council District: 5 Staff: David Michael, Environmental Review Specialist, Austin Development Services, 512-974- 2263, David.Michael@austintexas.gov Applicant Request: Redevelopment Exception in the Barton Springs Zone, per City Code 25-8- 26 Staff Recommendation: Recommended The public hearing was conducted and a motion to close the public hearing was approved on Commissioner Brimer’s motion, Commissioner Sullivan’s second, on a 10-0 vote. Commissioner Fierro was absent. The motion to recommend the project SoLa Mixed Use, SP-2024-0397C, located at 2700 and 2800 South Lamar Boulevard, to Council with conditions was approved on Secretary Qureshi’s motion, Commissioner Brimer’s second, with the following amendment, on a 10- 0 vote. Commissioner Fierro was absent. The conditions were to: • Augment community benefit and promote alignment with the City’s Comprehensive Vision Plan and the Comprehensive Austin-Travis County Food Plan: • Increase affordable housing units to 25% of all units from 30 - 60% Median Family Income (MFI) • Utilize bird-friendly building design • • Incorporate a community garden on the ground or rooftop level Incorporate dense, native plantings throughout the property, and utilize no- mow and no leaf-blowing principles year-round The amendment was made by Commissioner Fleury, seconded by …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20260520-003: Barton Springs Road Bridge Project WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission was given a briefing by Austin Capital Delivery Services on May 6, 2026, regarding the update for the Barton Springs Road Project; and WHEREAS, the bridge is noncompliant with current ADA standards; and WHEREAS, the Zilker Park area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1997 as the Zilker Park Historic District with the existing historic bridge as a contributing feature to the Historic District; and WHEREAS, the citizens of Austin approved a Bond package in 2020, funding $11.1 million for the Barton Springs Road Bridge over Barton Creek; and, WHEREAS, the Austin City Council voted on May 2, 2024, to authorize a professional services contract for engineering services for the design of Barton Springs Road Bridge over Barton Creek in the amount of $9 million; and, WHEREAS, Austin Capital Delivery Services presented to the Environmental Commission on May 6, 2026, the preliminary plan for the new Barton Springs Road Bridge over Barton Creek; and, WHEREAS, the Historic Land Commission, on May 6, 2024, voted to request Council reconsider its decision to demolish the existing Barton Creek Bridge; and, WHEREAS, the Section 106 document supplied by Capital delivery services states, “Removal and replacement of the existing bridge would have as significant an impact on Zilker Park…and the larger mass and scale of the bridge and new design elements would not be complementary to the historic district’s existing physical aesthetics and would impact the historic district’s integrity of design, setting materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. As such, it is recommended that the bridge replacement option would have an adverse effect on the NRHP-listed Zilker Park Historic District.” WHEREAS, the carbon dioxide (CO2) impact of replacing the current bridge is twice the impact of repairing the existing Bridge; and, WHEREAS, construction of the new Bridge may require up to seven acres of Zilker Park to be “taken” for the purposes of constructing the new Bridge; and, WHEREAS, the Bridge is currently rated as a “6” and is “satisfactory” with “minor to moderate deterioration, such as cracks, rust or spalling, which may benefit from maintenance”; and, WHEREAS, the Bridge deck is in need of replacement, and subsequently, some of the spandrel . beams may need to be replaced, and other critical repairs made for the purposes of safety and utility; and, WHEREAS, the …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission acts in an advisory capacity on all projects and programs that affect the quality of life for the citizens of Austin, and to make recommendations for standards and recommend and initiate specific studies; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission reviews and analyzes the policies relating to the environmental quality of the City; and WHEREAS, community-based organizations, People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources (PODER), have brought forward a recommendation to Austin City Council to purchase the properties at Montopolis and Fairway to secure them for future low-income single-family housing; and WHEREAS, in 2001, the Austin City Council adopted the Montopolis Neighborhood Plan, which called for sustaining its single-family zoning in the heart of Montopolis; and WHEREAS, the 2018 report, “Uprooted: Residential Displacement in Austin’s Gentrifying Neighborhood and What Can be Done About It,” commissioned by the Austin City Council and completed by University of Texas experts recommended that the city make strategic, anti- displacement investments in Montopolis to protect it from further gentrification; and WHEREAS, for years, the Montopolis Neighborhood Plan Contact Team, along with other supporters, have been fighting to sustain its single-family zoning; and WHEREAS, Montopolis already has the highest concentration of multifamily, commercial, and industrial zoning of any planning area in the city, and building under these zoning categories have been constructed at the permitted restriction of 80% impervious coverage, worsening the urban heat island effect, erosion of the Colorado River, and flooding without natural drainage from green spaces that once made Montopolis the most undeveloped neighborhood in East Austin; and WHEREAS, the 1.9 acres, known as the Montopolis-Fairway Zoning case, is currently zoned for single-family housing and includes properties at 6202, 6204 Caddie Street; 6205, 6211, 6215 Fairway Street; 1600, 1604, 1606, 1608, 1612, and 1614 Montopolis Drive; and WHEREAS, while the zoning request from the developer to change the zoning from single-family to vertical mixed-use was denied, the property remains vulnerable to future gentrifying developments; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Environmental Commission recommends that the City of Austin purchase the property included in the Montopolis-Fairway zoning case to build low- income single-family housing and protect the neighborhood from future gentrification.
People Organized in Defense of Earth and her Resources TO: Mariana Krueger, Chair, and Environmental Commission Members FROM: Susana Almanza, Director DATE: May 13, 2026 Subject: Adoption or Resolution for City of Austin to Acquire Montopolis-Fairway Properties For years, the Montopolis Neighborhood Plan Contact Team, along with other supporters, has been fighting to sustain its single-family zoning. The 1.9 acres, known as the Montopolis-Fairway Zoning case, includes properties at 6202, 6204 Caddie Street; 6205, 6211, 6215 Fairway Street; 1600, 1604, 1606, 1608, 1612, and 1614 Montopolis Drive, which have been under constant threat from profit-seeking real- estate developers with little to no regard for the Montopolis community’s fragile natural and cultural environment, or its iconic history. Our green spaces, like our single-family zoning, are precious and limited. Help us to protect our families and our community by purchasing properties located in the Montopolis-Fairway zoning case. Montopolis already has the highest concentration of multi-family, commercial, and industrial zoning of any planning area in the city, and buildings under these zoning categories have been constructed at the permitted restriction of 80% impervious coverage, worsening the urban heat island effect, erosion of the Colorado River, and flooding without natural drainage from green spaces that once made Montopolis the most undeveloped neighborhood in East Austin. PODER request that the Environmental Commission support our Resolution to have the Austin City Council to purchase the Montopolis-Fairway Properties. PODER P.O. Box 17294 Austin, TX 78744 512-770-7896 email: poder.austin@gmail.com
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20260520-005: Austin Energy Gas Peakers and Alternatives WHEREAS, it is the Environmental Commission’s responsibility to advise “on projects and programs which affect quality of life for the citizens of Austin”; and WHEREAS, the greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal established by the Austin City Council in the Climate Equity Plan is to achieve “net-zero community-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, utilizing a steep decline path followed by negative emissions,” which translates to approximately 75% reduction in emissions by 2030; and WHEREAS, meeting the greenhouse gas reduction goals adopted by the Austin City Council in the Climate Equity Plan isn’t possible without significant emissions reductions by Austin Energy in the near, medium, and long-term; and WHEREAS, any increase in greenhouse gas emissions does not align with the Climate Equity Plan or the greenhouse gas reduction goals adopted by the Austin City Council; and WHEREAS, reducing and eliminating local air pollution, especially in and near historically and currently marginalized and lower-income parts of the community, is an important equity and community health priority reflected in the Climate Equity Plan; and WHEREAS, methane - the primary component of natural gas - has 86 times the global warming potential as carbon dioxide when emitted directly into the atmosphere, which is a well- documented problem, and natural gas also releases carbon dioxide emissions when combusted; and WHEREAS, the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan includes a commitment to “incorporating community input, prior to bringing a [natural gas peaker] project forward for approval”, and WHEREAS, the Austin Energy Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan states, “should Austin Energy seek Council approval for any peaker units, we will show any analysis performed demonstrating why a carbon-free alternative was not available and how the requested action will impact the utility’s ability to reach the goal of 100% carbon-free by 2035”, and . WHEREAS, the Austin City Charter states that all purchases greater than $5,000 must be let through a competitive bidding process, and WHEREAS, Texas state law requires municipalities to use competitive purchasing for purchases over $50,000, and WHEREAS, Austin Energy is requesting authorization to develop and execute a contract to purchase 400 megawatts of gas-burning peaker power generation without issuing a request for proposals or bids and without revealing to the public the cost, with whom the contract would be with, where the peakers would be located, how the …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20260520-002: Mopac South Expansion WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission was given a presentation on May 6, 2026, regarding the MoPac South Expansion; and WHEREAS, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) proposes adding two new toll lanes in each direction, a total of 4 new lanes, from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane; and WHEREAS, CTRMA has expanded the project, proposing to add between one and three new auxiliary and free lanes in each direction along the eight-mile route; WHEREAS, the proposed bridge over Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, and Austin High School would be expanded from 8 lanes to 13 lanes; and WHEREAS, the Austin City Council has passed Resolution 20241212-066 expressing concern about the environmental impact of the MoPac South expansion, lack of consideration of viable alternatives, and integration with existing public transportation; and WHEREAS, the Austin City Council passed Resolution 20190808-078 declaring a Climate Emergency on August 8, 2019, declaring greenhouse gas emissions from transportation a leading cause of climate change; and WHEREAS, the Austin City Council passed Resolution 20260423-064 expressing concern that the CTRMA Draft Environmental Assessment for the MoPac South Expansion is incorrect in its assertion that the Mopac South Expansion, “is likely to have no significant environmental effects on air and water quality, endangered species, caves and karst features, public parkland and community spaces, and vulnerable school-aged communities”; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin Urban Transportation Commission Recommendation 20260203-006 recommends that the CTRMA produce a complete Environmental Impact Study with a thorough study of alternatives before moving forward with the project; and WHEREAS, Hays County, over the objection of the Travis County Commissioners Court and with a contractor led by the former CTRMA Executive Director, is simultaneously moving forward with studies and planning aimed at connecting State Highway 45 Southwest to Interstate 35 (I-35), with roughly half of this project located in Travis County; and WHEREAS, if these two projects are both completed, MoPac would be converted from a local commuter highway into an alternative freeway, inviting large amounts of . interregional and interstate traffic, including truck traffic, onto MoPac, with harm to the environment, neighbors, and local commuters from Travis County, northern Hays County, and Williamson County; and WHEREAS, both construction and operation of the project would do direct harm to Lady Bird Lake parkland, Austin High School, Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, Barton Springs, the Barton …
Testimony provided 05/20,2026 to the Environmental Commission related to Barton Springs Road Bridge Project Hello and thank you for all of your countless hours of work on this commission. I realize that it can be a thankless job at times. My name is Katerina Dittemore. I have 30 yrs experience in grant writing, grant administration and environmental. I am here tonight to discuss the Historic Sec 106 Report which I am handing out now. PLEASE ACCEPT THE 2 HANDOUTS AS PART OF THE RECORD. THIS IS MY ATTEMPT TO FILL IN SOME OF THE INFORMATION GAP THAT IS SURROUNDING THIS PROJECT. It was prepared JAN 2023 by Ama Terra, most likely as part of the Bridge Infrastructure Fund Grant application for the BSpRd Bridge. I do not have access to the Attachments A, B or C. Please note Page 1 and Page 11- the proposed action would result in a change in setting, design, mlts, workmanship and feeling of the Zilker Park Historic District …having an adverse effect on historic properties. Historic is considered a part of the environmental it is in your wheelhouse. The same conclusion is reached on page 11 with regards to rehab. Now the definition of rehab, that is your 2nd packet. This is the conceptual design as presented by City staff to the Historic Commission. The reason I bring up the definition of rehab is because the bridge does need to be addressed, but not in the way as conceived in the packet. In order to reduce confusion, I am recommending that we approach the design as a retrofit/rehab. I also recommend hiring a Preservation Civil Engineer with heavy experience in historic structures. I want to bring your attention to the following: 1. Original intention/ purpose of the bridge In 1926 the bridge was constructed to provide safe crossing for vehicular traffic across a flood prone Barton Springs AND to serve as a gateway to Zilker Park. To connect the public to recreation. 2. Road Classification of Barton Springs Road- it is a MINOR ARTERIAL AND SCENIC ROADWAY. That means it is to provide LOCAL access. The Scenic classification requires additional site plan/ design considerations. THIS CLASSIFICATION says nothing about ACL / 3C 18 wheeler trucks bringing in equipment or about connecting to a major thoroughfare such as MoPac. 3. Current NEPA- In my opinion, the NEPA should be stopped until the new design is …
20260520-003, Barton Springs Road Bridge Project Public Comment Chair Krueger, Vice Chair Bristol, Commissioners, thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Barbara LaFollette, President of the Barton Hills Neighborhood Association, and I’m here to ask you to oppose demolition and full replacement of the Barton Springs Road Bridge, and instead urge the City to pursue a lower-impact rehabilitation and roadway “diet” alternative. First, the environmental footprint of full replacement is enormous and has not been fully presented to this Commission. Demolishing a nearly century-old bridge in the middle of Barton Creek’s floodplain will require heavy construction in and adjacent to the channel, deep foundations, dewatering, and staging areas that will permanently convert parkland and temporarily clear even more acreage during construction. Staff materials and past briefings acknowledge parkland takings and substantial construction easements, but this Commission has not been given a current, comprehensive environmental impact summary. Proceeding toward demolition without that information before the Environmental Commission is exactly backward. Second, the bridge is located within the Zilker Park Historic District, and the federal Section 106 process has already concluded that the proposed project would adversely affect historic resources. The City’s own historic consultants found that replacement would damage the setting, design, materials, workmanship, and feeling of Zilker Park’s historic entrance, which is part of the “human environment” your body is charged to consider. In plain terms, we are talking about tearing out a contributing historic structure at the front door of Austin’s most iconic park and replacing it with a much wider, more intrusive modern bridge. Third, scale matters. Commissioners have already raised concerns that the proposed bridge cross-section almost doubles the width—from roughly 60 feet today to on the order of 100 feet or more—despite Barton Springs Road already operating as a single lane in each direction for safety. A much wider deck, longer construction duration, and larger footprint directly translate to more shade changes, more concrete over Barton Creek, more habitat disturbance, and more permanent encroachment into parkland, all to push additional vehicle capacity into a constrained, two-lane roadway on either side. That is not a context-sensitive solution in a sensitive riparian corridor. Fourth, the record shows that rehabilitation is feasible and that cost differences between rehabilitation and replacement are small. Commissioners have noted that engineering estimates characterize the cost difference as negligible, while life-cycle expectations are on the order of 50 years for rehabilitation …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20260520-002: MoPac South Expansion WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission was given a presentation regarding the MoPac South Expansion on May 6, 2026; and WHEREAS, the Austin City Council passed Resolution 20241212-066 expressing concern about the environmental impact of the MoPac South expansion, lack of consideration of viable alternatives, and integration with existing public transportation; and WHEREAS, the Austin City Council passed Resolution 20190808-078 declaring a Climate Emergency on August 8, 2019, declaring greenhouse gas emissions from transportation a leading cause of climate change; and WHEREAS, the Austin City Council passed Resolution 20260423-064 expressing concern that the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) Draft Environmental Assessment for the MoPac South Expansion is incorrect in its assertion that the MoPac expansion, “is likely to have no significant environmental effects on air and water quality, endangered species, caves and karst features, public parkland and community spaces, and vulnerable school-aged communities”; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin Urban Transportation Commission Recommendation 20260203-006 recommends the CTRMA produce a complete Environmental Impact Study with a thorough study of alternatives before moving forward with the project; and WHEREAS, Hays County, over the objection of the Travis County Commissioners Court and with a contractor led by the former CTRMA Executive Director, is simultaneously moving forward with studies and planning aimed at connecting State Highway 45 Southwest to I-35, with roughly half of this project located in Travis County; and WHEREAS, if these two projects are both completed, MoPac would be converted from a local commuter highway into an alternative freeway, inviting large amounts of interregional and interstate traffic, including truck traffic, onto MoPac, with harm to the environment, neighbors, and local commuters from Travis County, northern Hays County, and Williamson County; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin Urban Transportation Commission Recommended (202504-003) that the MoPac South Extension be removed from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) 2050 Regional Transportation Plan; and . WHEREAS, both construction and operation of the project would do direct harm to Lady Bird Lake parkland, Austin High School, Lady Bird Lake, Zilker Park, Barton Springs, the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Barton Creek, Gaines Creek, Williamson Creek, the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer recharge zone, and other parkland and neighborhoods along the project route; and WHEREAS, the expansion will cause harm to natural wildlife such as the Barton Springs salamanders as well as local cave ecosystems; and WHEREAS, the expansion …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20260520-003: Barton Springs Road Bridge Project WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission was given a briefing regarding the update for the Barton Springs Road; and, WHEREAS, the bridge is noncompliant with current ADA standards; and, WHEREAS, the Bridge deck is in need of replacement, and subsequently some of the spandrel beams may need to be replaced and other critical repairs made for the purposes of safety and utility; and, WHEREAS, the Zilker Park area was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1997 as the Zilker Park Historic District with the existing historic bridge as a contributing feature to the Historic District; and, WHEREAS, the citizens of Austin approved a Bond package in 2020, funding $11.1 million for the Barton Springs Road Bridge over Barton Creek; and, WHEREAS, the Austin City Council voted on May 2, 2024, to authorize a professional services contract for engineering services for the design of Barton Springs Road Bridge over Barton Creek in the amount of $9.0 million; and, WHEREAS, Austin Capital Delivery Services presented to the Environmental Commission on May 6, 2026, the preliminary plan for the new Barton Springs Road over Barton Creek; and, WHEREAS, the Historic Land Commission, on May 6, 2024, voted to request Council reconsider its decision to demolish the existing Barton Creek Bridge; and, WHEREAS, the Section 106 document supplied by Capital Delivery Services states, “Removal and replacement of the existing bridge would have as significant an impact on Zilker Park…and the larger mass and scale of the bridge and new design elements would not be complementary to the historic district’s existing physical aesthetics and would impact the historic district’s integrity of design, setting materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. As such, it is recommended that the bridge replacement option would have an adverse effect on the NRHP-listed Zilker Park Historic District.”; and, WHEREAS, the carbon dioxide (CO2) impact of replacing the current bridge is twice the impact of repairing the existing Bridge; and, . WHEREAS, construction of the new Bridge may require up to seven acres of Zilker Park to be “taken” for the purposes of constructing the new Bridge; and, WHEREAS, the Bridge is currently rated as a “6” and is “satisfactory” with “minor to moderate deterioration, such as cracks, rust or spalling, which may benefit from maintenance”; and, WHEREAS, the City must legally show that there is “no feasible …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20260520-004: City Land Acquisition for Montopolis-Fairway Properties WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission was given a presentation regarding the Austin City Council proposed purchase of property located at 6202 and 6204 Caddie Street, 1600, 1604, 1606, 1608, 1610, 1612, and 1614 Montopolis Drive, and 6205, 6211, and 6215 Fairway Street; and, WHEREAS, the Montopolis area has a high concentration of multi-family, commercial, and industrial zoning; and, WHEREAS, buildings under these zoning categories have been constructed at the permitted restriction of 80% impervious coverage, worsening the urban heat island effect, erosion of the Colorado River, and flooding without natural drainage from green spaces that once had Montopolis as one of the most undeveloped neighborhoods in East Austin. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT NOW RESOLVED, that the Environmental Commission supports the Austin City Council purchasing the Montopolis-Fairway Properties to responsibly develop community-focused and environmentally friendly affordable housing and green space in the area to benefit the Montopolis community and Southeast Austin. Date of Approval: May 20, 2026 Motioned By: Secretary Qureshi Seconded By: Commissioner Sullivan Vote: For: 8-0 Chair Krueger, Secretary Qureshi, Commissioners Brimer, Changsut, Fierro, Fleury, Morrison, and Sullivan Against: None Abstain: None Off the dais: None Absent: Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioner Luecke Attest: _____________________________________________ Mariana Krueger, Chair
