Environmental Commission Regular Meeting of the Environmental Commission - Permitting And Development Center, Events Center Room 1405, 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive
REGULAR MEETING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 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 Sean Atkins Richard Brimer Isabella Changsut AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Annie Fierro 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 September 16, 2026. PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. Conduct a public hearing and approve a recommendation to Council regarding approval or denial of a wastewater service extension request for 1107 Castle Ridge Road, Austin, Texas, 78746. Presentation by Kaela Champlin, Environmental Program Coordinator, Austin Watershed Protection. WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS 3. Report of recommendations by the Dog’s Head Working Group. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. 5. 6. Approve a recommendation to Council from the Dog’s Head Working Group regarding the regulating plan for the area commonly known as Dog's Head, bounded by the Colorado River, US Highway 183, and State Highway 130. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding development agreement amendments for the area commonly known as Dog's Head, bounded by the Colorado River, US Highway 183, and State Highway 130. Approve the 2027 annual schedule of the Environmental Commission. 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 at the meeting, the members’ silence indicates approval for staff to include on the next agenda. ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the …
REGULAR MEETING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MINUTES WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026 The Environmental Commission convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center, Room 1405, located at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Krueger called the Environmental Commission Meeting to order at 6:04 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Mariana Krueger, Chair Jennifer Bristol, Vice Chair Richard Brimer Justin Fleury Martin Luecke David Sullivan Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Annie Fierro Allison Morrison PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Chris Flores, Request for Ethics Review Commission review of City Manger’s Office involvement with Dog’s Head. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on August 19, 2026. The minutes from the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on August 19, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Sullivan’s motion, Commissioner Fleury’s second, on a 6-0 vote. Commissioners Luecke and Morrison were off the dais. Secretary Qureshi and Commissioner Changsut were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding the City of Austin's Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System permit. Presentation by Jacob Johnson, Environmental Program Coordinator, Austin Watershed Protection. Sponsored by Secretary Qureshi and Commissioner Sullivan. The presentation was made by Jacob Johnson, Environmental Program Coordinator, Austin Watershed Protection. 1 3. Staff briefing to provide an update on Austin City Council action taken at the May 21, 2026, and July 23, 2026, meetings and to discuss next steps regarding the area commonly known as Dog's Head, bounded by the Colorado River, US Highway 183, and State Highway 130. Presentation by Liz Johnston, Environmental Officer, Austin Watershed Protection. Sponsored by Commissioners Brimer and Sullivan. The presentation was made by Liz Johnston, Environmental Officer, Austin Watershed Protection. WORKING GROUP UPDATES 4. Update from the Dog’s Head Working Group regarding the meeting on September 10, 2026. The update was given by Vice Chair Bristol. COMMITTEE UPDATES 5. Update from the Urban Forestry Committee regarding the meeting on September 14, 2026. The update was given by Commissioner Brimer. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS None. ADJOURNMENT Chair Krueger adjourned the meeting at 8:54 p.m. without objection. 2
MEMORANDUM To: From: Mayor and City Council Michael Rogers, Assistant City Manager Susana Carbajal, Assistant City Manager Date: October 5, 2026 Subject: 1107 Castle Ridge Road Wastewater Service Extension Request No. 6451 Service Extension Requests (SERs) located outside of the City of Austin’s full purpose jurisdiction and not within the Desired Development Zone require City Council approval and review by the Environmental and Water and Wastewater Commissions. Austin Water and Austin Watershed Protection staff have completed the review for 1107 Castle Ridge Road Wastewater Service Extension Request (SER) No. 6451, and both departments recommend approval of the request. Summary of Proposed Development The 1107 Castle Ridge Road project consists of approximately 2.85 acres (Property). The Property is located entirely within the City’s 2-mile Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction (ETJ), Impact Fee Boundary, Austin Water’s service area for wastewater, the Drinking Water Protection Zone, the Barton Creek Watershed, the Barton Springs Zone, and the Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone. The Property is generally located west of Loop 360 and north of Lost Creek Boulevard, near City Council district 8 in zip code 78746. There is an existing single-family home on this lot that receives water service from Travis County Water Control and Improvement District (WCID) No. 10 and has a privately owned and operated onsite sewage facility (OSSF) for its wastewater service. Parkside Homes, LLC (Owner) is proposing to demolish the existing home, abandon the OSSF, and redevelop the tract with three single-family homes. The Owner requested that the City provide centralized wastewater service to the Property. In response to the request, Austin Water determined that the Owner must construct infrastructure to receive wastewater services from Austin Water. These requirements are reflected in SER No. 6451. Travis County WCID No. 10 will continue to provide retail water service to the Property. The Owner previously submitted SER No. 5845 and SER No. 6290. The initial application for SER No. 5845 was approved on consent by City Council on October 10, 2024, but subsequently expired. The Owner later submitted SER No. 6290 but it was denied by City Council on April 23, 2026, over concerns related to the ability for the property to remove itself from the ETJ, thereby no longer being held to the high standards of environmental protections required by the Save Our Springs Ordinance Date: Subject: October 5, 2026 1107 Castle Ridge Road Wastewater Service Extension Request No. 6451 Nearby SER Activity There are …
Dog’s Head Working Group Recommendation Presented to the Environmental Commission on October 7, 2026 WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission formed “the Dog’s Head Working Group to organize and engage community stakeholders; advise the applicant, City of Austin (CoA), and City Council on the regulatory plan; and to make recommendations regarding the regulating plan of the Dog's Head development agreement.”; and WHEREAS, the working group consists of members of the Environmental Commission, the existing communities, and residents living on the Dog’s Head Property and environmental community, which met 10 times between June and September; and WHEREAS, the working group formed a smaller sub-committee to engage with Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd.; City of Austin (CoA) staff; and Council members. That group met three times at City Hall; WHEREAS, the sub-committee reached agreement with Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd. and CoA staff to delay the Regulating Plan until March 2027; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Dog’s Head Working Group recommends the following: 1. Reinstate Environmental Commission involvement in all phases of the Dog’s Head Development, as defined by CoA Code. 2. Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd. shall share any and all hydrological studies with the Environmental Commission and Austin Watershed Protection annually, with the first study to be released no later than January 1, 2027. 3. Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd., in partnership with the CoA, shall conduct an Environmental Resource Inventory on the property and in the river within two years of the Effective Date of the Development Agreement. The results of this inventory shall be publicly released, and a briefing shall be given to the Environmental Commission. 4. Austin Watershed Protection shall conduct a hydrological study of the groundwater and aquifers beneath the Dog’s Head Property, inclusive of flood management strategies. These shall be made public via the CoA website, with subsequent updates annually. 5. Projects not related to mining operations or the remediation of the former mines shall obtain approval for Cut Requirements (Section 25-8-341) and Fill Requirements (Section 25-8-342) that exceed four feet, in a manner consistent with 2026 CoA Code. Variance requests shall come before the Environmental Commission according to CoA code. 6. CoA, in partnership with Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd., shall conduct a full Environmental Assessment Study that includes: water quality, soil quality (including presence of pollutants in the area), baseline assessment of the state of the existing ecology on the site with …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20261007-005: Dog’s Head Development Agreement Amendments WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission was presented with a staff briefing regarding the Dog’s Head on September 16, 2026; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission finds multiple areas within the Development Agreement that should be amended to align with current city code that protects the environment; and WHEREAS, the Austin City Council voted on several amendments to the development agreement at the July 23, 2026, City Council meeting, but to date, City Legal and the City Manager’s Office have not finalized or publicized the incorporation of those amendments into the document; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Environmental Commission recommends the following amendments be made to the Dog’s Head Development Agreement (DA) prior to City Council approval of the Regulating Plan: 1. Updates from July 23, 2026, City Council Meeting a. Amend the DA to incorporate all amended language approved by City Council at the July 23, 2026, City Council Meeting. 2. Development Agreement Control/Conflicts a. Section 3.06 (d) (at present, the development agreement controls if there is any conflict with either the Regulating Plan or the interim zoning in city code) Amend the DA so that Regulating Plan Controls as soon as it is in place, with the DA, only as amended, controlling in the interim. i. 3. Land Use a. Section 3.03 (at present, the Director of Development Services can authorize any variance to Land Development Code administratively without public process) i. Strike this section and reinstate board and commission approval for all variances. b. Section 3.04 (at present, existing land uses are allowed to continue) i. Phase out autonomous boat testing and prohibit any military or military-adjacent operations. c. Section 3.05 (a-b) (currently, all permitted uses within the Dog’s Head Property will be classified as either Mixed Use Development or Open Space) i. ii. iii. Amend this section to preclude all polluting industrial uses, as described in the Land Development Code (LDC), 25-2-5. In particular, disallow data centers, chip manufacturing, and weapons/ defense-related manufacturing. Prioritize residential, civic, and agricultural uses as described in the Land Development Code (25-2-3, 25-2-6, and 25-2-7). d. Section 3.05 (c) (at present, all new land uses are automatically permitted) Remove this entire sub-section to allow for standard public process. i. e. Section 3.09 (currently, there are no height restrictions for the property) i. Limit building height to 90 feet. f. Section …
DRAFT 2027 ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING DATES Permitting and Development Center 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive, Austin, Texas 78752 Events Center Room 1405 | 6:00 PM Regular Meeting Dates (1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, unless otherwise noted) January 6 January 20 February 3 February 17 March 3 April 7 April 21 May 5 May 21 June 2 June 16 July 7 August 4 August 18 September 1 September 15 October 6 October 20 November 3 November 17 December 1
1107 Castle Ridge Road Wastewater Service Extension Request #6451 Austin Watershed Protection | October 7, 2026 What is a Service Extension Request? ▪ A service extension request is an application for City water or wastewater service from a property owner or developer. ▪ Required when: ▪ a property is more than 100 feet from accessible water/wastewater system or ▪ existing infrastructure isn't adequate for the proposed project demands ▪ May involve the construction of a new line/associated facility or upgrades to existing lines/facilities. ▪ Applicant pays for the associated infrastructure, as outlined in the service extension request. 2 Service Extension Request Policy ▪ A Service Extension Request requires Council approval if property: ▪ is in Drinking Water Protection Zone and ▪ is outside of the City's full purpose jurisdiction ▪ AW & WPD staff review plans and present staff findings ▪ Environmental Commission and Water & Wastewater Commission make recommendations for support or denial ▪ No conditions may be placed on Service Extension Requests per State law 3 Request Summary ▪ Wastewater Service Request ▪ 1107 Castle Ridge Road ▪ 2.85 acres ▪ 2-mile extraterritorial jurisdiction ▪ Barton Creek Watershed (Barton Springs Zone) ▪ Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone ▪ Drinking Water Protection Zone ▪ Subject to Save Our Springs Ordinance 4 Request Summary ▪ Subdivide 2.85-acre lot ▪ Existing single-family home will be demolished ▪ Redevelop the tract with three single-family homes with driveways and a firetruck turnaround entrance ▪ Requesting centralized wastewater service ▪ Travis County WCID No. 10 will continue to provide retail water service to property. 5 Background ▪ Owner previously submitted SERs for this property ▪ The initial SER application (SER No. 5845) was approved by City Council on October 10, 2024, but subsequently expired. ▪ Owner later submitted SER No. 6290 but it was denied by City Council on April 23, 2026, over concerns related to the ability for the property to remove itself from the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). ▪ Owner requested removal from 2-mile ETJ but was denied due to proximity to the Bee Caves Armory. 6 Service Extension Request #6451 Site Location Austin City Limits Austin extraterritorial jurisdiction Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone 7 Austin City LimitsETJRechargeContributingAustin City LimitsETJRechargeContributing Imagine Austin Growth Concept Map 8 Proposed Wastewater Extension ▪ Construct 760 ft of gravity wastewater main from existing 8” gravity wastewater main in Whitemarch Valley Walk ▪ Extend north to …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20261007-002: 1107 Castle Ridge Road Wastewater Service Extension Request No. 6451 WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes the applicant is requesting a Wastewater Service Extension at 1107 Castle Ridge Road; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes the site is located in the Barton Creek Watershed, Barton Springs Zone, Edwards Aquifer Contributing Zone, Drinking Water Protection Zone and is subject to Save Our Springs Ordinance; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission denied this request in 2024; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes that staff now recommends the wastewater service extension request. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Environmental Commission recommends the wastewater service extension request no. 6451 for 1107 Castle Ridge Road. Date of Approval: October 7, 2026 Motioned By: Vice Chair Bristol Seconded By: Commissioner Sullivan Vote: For: 10-0 Chair Krueger, Vice Chair Bristol, Secretary Qureshi, Commissioners Atkins, Changsut, Fierro, Fleury, Luecke, Morrison, Sullivan Against: None Abstain: Commissioner Brimer Off the dais: None Absent: None Attest: _____________________________________________ Mariana Krueger, Chair
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20261007-004: Dog’s Head Regulating Plan WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission formed “the Dog’s Head Working Group to organize and engage community stakeholders; advise the applicant, City of Austin (CoA), and City Council on the regulatory plan; and to make recommendations regarding the regulating plan of the Dog's Head development agreement.”; and WHEREAS, the working group consists of members of the Environmental Commission, the existing communities, and residents living on the Dog’s Head Property and environmental community, which met 10 times between June and September; and WHEREAS, the working group formed a smaller sub-committee to engage with Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd.; City of Austin (CoA) staff; and Council members. That group met three times at City Hall; WHEREAS, the sub-committee reached agreement with Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd. and CoA staff to delay the Regulating Plan until March 2027; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Environmental Commission recommends the following to Austin City Council: 1. Reinstate Environmental Commission involvement in all phases of the Dog’s Head Development, as defined by CoA Code. 2. Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd. shall share any and all hydrological studies with the Environmental Commission and Austin Watershed Protection annually, with the first study to be released no later than January 1, 2027. 3. Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd., in partnership with the CoA, shall conduct an Environmental Resource Inventory on the property and in the river within two years of the Effective Date of . the Development Agreement. The results of this inventory shall be publicly released, and a briefing shall be given to the Environmental Commission. 4. Austin Watershed Protection shall conduct a hydrological study of the groundwater and aquifers beneath the Dog’s Head Property, inclusive of flood management strategies. These shall be made public via the CoA website, with subsequent updates annually. 5. Projects not related to mining operations or the remediation of the former mines shall obtain approval for Cut Requirements (Section 25-8-341) and Fill Requirements (Section 25-8-342) that exceed four feet, in a manner consistent with 2026 CoA Code. Variance requests shall come before the Environmental Commission according to CoA code. 6. CoA, in partnership with Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd., shall conduct a full Environmental Assessment Study that includes: water quality, soil quality (including presence of pollutants in the area), baseline assessment of the state of the existing ecology on the site …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20261007-005: Dog’s Head Development Agreement Amendments WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission was presented with a staff briefing regarding the Dog’s Head on September 16, 2026; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission finds multiple areas within the Development Agreement that should be amended to align with current city code that protects the environment; and WHEREAS, the Austin City Council voted on several amendments to the development agreement at the July 23, 2026, City Council meeting, but to date, City Legal and the City Manager’s Office have not finalized or publicized the incorporation of those amendments into the document; NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Environmental Commission recommends the following amendments be made to the Dog’s Head Development Agreement (DA) prior to City Council approval of the Regulating Plan: 1. Updates from July 23, 2026, City Council Meeting a. Amend the DA to incorporate all amended language approved by City Council at the July 23, 2026, City Council Meeting. 2. Development Agreement Control/Conflicts a. Section 3.06 (d) (at present, the development agreement controls if there is any conflict with either the Regulating Plan or the interim zoning in city code) Amend the DA so that Regulating Plan Controls as soon as it is in place, with the DA, only as amended, controlling in the interim. i. 3. Land Use a. Section 3.01 (a) i. Add “Including, but not limited to Sections 14-18-1,14-18-2, 30-1-253, 2-1-144, Section 4 and 1.3.4.3, 1.3.4.4, and 1.3.4.5 of the Environmental Criteria Manual of the City Code.” b. Section 3.03 (at present, the Director of Development Services can authorize any variance to Land Development Code administratively without public process) i. Strike this section and reinstate standard board and commission approval for all variances and zoning. c. Section 3.04 (at present, existing land uses are allowed to continue) i. Phase out autonomous boat testing and prohibit any military or military-adjacent operations. i. ii. d. Section 3.05 (a-b) (currently, all permitted uses within the Dog’s Head Property will be classified as either Mixed-Use Development or Open Space) Amend this section to preclude all polluting industrial uses, as described in the Land Development Code (LDC), 25-2-5. In particular, disallow data centers (including crypto currency mining), chip manufacturing, gas peaker plants, nuclear power plants, and weapons and defense-related manufacturing. Prioritize residential, civic, and agricultural uses as described in the Land Development Code (25-2-3, 25-2-6, and 25-2-7). Remove research …
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2026 The Environmental Commission convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center, Room 1405, located at 6310 Wilhelmina Delco Drive in Austin, Texas. Chair Krueger called the Environmental Commission Meeting to order at 6:01 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Mariana Krueger, Chair Jennifer Bristol, Vice Chair Haris Qureshi, Secretary Richard Brimer Justin Fleury Martin Luecke David Sullivan Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Sean Atkins Isabella Changsut Annie Fierro Allison Morrison PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on September 16, 2026. The minutes from the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on September 16, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Sullivan’s motion, Commissioner Brimer’s second, on a 9-0 vote. Secretary Qureshi and Commissioner Morrison were off the dais. 1 PUBLIC HEARINGS 2. Conduct a public hearing and approve a recommendation to Council regarding approval or denial of a wastewater service extension request for 1107 Castle Ridge Road, Austin, Texas, 78746. Presentation by Kaela Champlin, Environmental Program Coordinator, Austin Watershed Protection. The public hearing was conducted and a motion to close the public hearing was approved on Commissioner Sullivan’s motion, Vice Chair Bristol’s second, on a 11-0 vote. There was a motion by Secretary Qureshi, seconded by Commissioner Brimer, to deny Wastewater Service Extension Request No. 6451 for 1107 Castle Ridge Road. The substitute motion to approve Wastewater Service Extension Request No. 6451 for 1107 Castle Ridge Road was approved on Vice Chair Bristol’s motion, Commissioner Sullivan’s second, on a 10-0 vote. Commissioner Brimer abstained. WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS 3. Report of recommendations by the Dog’s Head Working Group. The recommendation was given by Vice Chair Bristol. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. 5. Approve a recommendation to Council from the Dog’s Head Working Group regarding the regulating plan for the area commonly known as Dog's Head, bounded by the Colorado River, US Highway 183, and State Highway 130. The motion to approve the recommendation to Council regarding the regulating plan for the area commonly known as Dog's Head, bounded by the Colorado River, US Highway 183, and State Highway 130, was approved as amended on Vice Chair Bristol’s motion, Secretary Qureshi’s second, on an 10-0 vote. Commissioner Luecke was off the dais. The following amendment was made by Vice Chair Bristol and seconded by Secretary Qureshi. The amendment was to …
