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, NOVEMBER 4, 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 October 21, 2026. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Approve a recommendation to Council for proposed amendments to the existing Interlocal Agreement between the City of Austin and the University of Texas related to the area generally bounded by Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) to the south and west, Enfield Road and 8th Street to the north, and Veterans Drive and Hearn Street to the east that establishes the parties' expectations related to the conveyance of Lion's Municipal Golf Course (Muny), development regulations, the vacation of City rights-of-way, the creation of a regulating plan, and the creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ). Sponsored by Chair Krueger and Commissioner Brimer. 3. Approve the creation of a working group for bird-friendly design to update Staff and City Council on data requested in the memorandum and staff report from January 16, 2026. Sponsored by Chair Krueger and Vice Chair Bristol. 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 …
REGULAR MEETING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MINUTES WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2026 The Environmental Commission convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, October 21, 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 6:00 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Mariana Krueger, Chair Haris Qureshi, Secretary Richard Brimer Isabella Changsut Justin Fleury Martin Luecke David Sullivan Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Sean Atkins PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None present. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on October 7, 2026. The minutes from the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on October 7, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Sullivan’s motion, Commissioner Brimer’s, on a 7-0 vote. Commissioner Changsut was off the dais. Vice Chair Bristol and Commissioners Fierro and Morrison were absent. STAFF BRIEFINGS 2. Staff briefing regarding Sustainable Building Materials Forum and hands-on deconstruction workshop to increase local contractors’ capacity, salvage high-quality materials for reuse, and reduce demolition waste. Presentation by Cara Bertron, Program Manager II, Austin Planning; Beth Larkin, Project Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation; and Elizabeth Nelson, Planner Principal, Austin Resource Recovery. 1 The presentation was made by Cara Bertron, Program Manager II, Austin Planning; Beth Larkin, Project Manager, Austin Parks and Recreation; and Elizabeth Nelson, Planner Principal, Austin Resource Recovery. 3. Staff briefing regarding proposed amendments to the existing Interlocal Agreement between the City and the University of Texas related to the area generally bounded by Lady Bird Lake (formerly Town Lake) to the south and west, Enfield Road and 8th Street to the north, and Veterans Drive and Hearn Street to the east that establishes the parties' expectations related to the conveyance of Lion's Municipal Golf Course (Muny), development regulations, the vacation of City rights-of-way, the creation of a regulating plan, and the creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ). Presentation by Trish Link, Division Chief, Land Use and Real Estate, Austin City Attorney's Office, and Kim Olivares, Director, Austin Financial Services. The presentation was made by Trish Link, Division Chief, Land Use and Real Estate, Austin City Attorney's Office, and Kim Olivares, Director, Austin Financial Services. The meeting was recessed from 8:33 p.m. until 8:44 p.m. without objection. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. Discussion and action to approve a recommendation to Council regarding the Green Infrastructure Initiative. Presentation by David Sullivan, Environmental Commissioner. Sponsored by Chair Krueger …
. RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL Environmental Commission Recommendation 20261104-002: City of Austin and University of Texas Brackenridge Interlocal Agreement WHEREAS, the City of Austin and the University of Texas at Austin propose to amend the 1989 Brackenridge Development Agreement (BDA) to preserve Lion’s Municipal Golf Course (Muny) as an open public green space for the people of Austin and prepare the remaining 190 acres of university-owned land for the benefit of the University community; and WHEREAS, the BDA will describe the general process for the conveyance of Muny, a proposed update to the University’s lease of property at Mueller, the exchange of City rights-of-way, the proposed creation of a tax increment reinvestment zone (TIRZ) and the development of a mutually agreed to regulating plan; and NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the Environmental Commission recommends Council adopt the following additional requirements as part of the amended BDA: • Maximum height limits of all buildings be limited to 75 feet. • Require adherence to City Codes Chapter 6-2, 25-8-520 and 30-5 regarding the environment and storage of hazardous materials by the University and subsequent owners of the property within the amended BDA. • City of Austin’s Heritage Tree Ordinance shall be enforced. Mitigation of trees shall be within the BDA unless authorized by the City Arborist. • Limit impervious cover to 67 percent of each parcel. . • Impervious cover shall not be transferred between sites. • Maximum impervious cover for sites is 70 percent. • Floor area ratio (FAR) per site development shall not exceed .6:1 FAR unless Council authorizes an increase in FAR for the site using the process to rezone property. • Establish a setback of 250 feet landward from the shoreline. • Prohibit impervious cover within the 250-foot setback. • Require adherence cut/fill 5-8-341, and 25-8-342 of the City Code regarding cut and fill requirements. • Require adherence slope regulations including, but not limited to Sections 30-5- 302, 25-2-1122 and 25-2-1123 of City Code. • Require a public easement within the setback from Lady Bird Lake to allow for a hike and bike trail administered by the Austin Parks and Recreation Department. • Require the University to retain the Brackenridge Field Laboratory for a minimum of fifty years under the same conditions as provided by the current BDA agreement. • Should the University decide to close the Brackenridge Field Laboratory, require the University to give the option to the …
RESOLUTION NO. 20241121-073 WHEREAS, the City of Austin is committed to promoting environmental sustainability and biodiversity as a key part of its climate resilience and sustainability initiatives; and WHEREAS, Texas is recognized nationally and internationally for its important migration corridors for birds, with approximately one of every three birds migrating through the U.S. in the spring, and one of every four birds migrating through the U.S. in the fall, or nearly two billion birds, passing through every year; and WHEREAS, tourism generated from bird-watching brings more than $1.8 billion into the state’s economy annually; and WHEREAS, bird populations face significant threats from collisions with buildings, particularly due to glass structures and night lighting, which result in one billion bird fatalities every year from collisions with manmade structures in the United States; and WHEREAS, Audubon Texas initiated the Lights Out, Texas! campaign of education, awareness, and action that focuses on protecting the billions of migratory birds traveling through Texas; and WHEREAS, Resolution No. 20210902-050 previously directed the City Manager to initiate a program to turn off non-essential lighting in City buildings where feasible during peak fall and spring bird migration periods; and WHEREAS, Audubon Texas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department created the Bird City Texas campaign to promote science-based bird conservation initiatives and community-centric action; and Page 1 of 4 WHEREAS, the City of Austin became a Bird City in 2023; and WHEREAS, the Travis Audubon Society has been a leading conservation organization in Travis County since 1952, and in 2024, they contracted with bird- friendly design expert Heidi Trudell to present a report on bird friendly building design to the South-Central Waterfront Commission, Design Commission and Environmental Commission; and WHEREAS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with the American Bird Conservancy, DarkSky International, and Yale University has developed Bird-Friendly Building Toolkits that provide strategies and guidelines for designing and retrofitting low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise buildings to reduce bird collisions through the use of bird-friendly materials, lighting strategies, landscaping, and architectural designs; and WHEREAS, cities across the United States, including New York, Madison, San Francisco and twenty-three other cities, have successfully adopted bird- friendly building standards, demonstrating the feasibility and benefits of such measures; and WHEREAS, the integration ofbird-friendly building design supports Austin's existing efforts to protect wildlife habitats, promote urban biodiversity and sustainable development practices and provides an opportunity to lead by example in environmental stewardship; …
To: Through: From: Date: Subject: MEMORANDUM Mayor and City Council Susana Carbajal, Assistant City Manager Jorge L. Morales, P.E., CFM, Austin Watershed Protection Director January 16, 2026 Staff Response Related to Bird Friendly Design (Resolution No. 20241121-073) The purpose of this memorandum is to provide a response to Resolution No. 20241121-073 related to bird-friendly design. Staff developed a comprehensive report on bird-friendly building design implementation informed by stakeholder engagement with local developers, environmental organizations, and members of the public using virtual sessions, public tours, and professional roundtable discussions in collaboration with the American Institute of Architects. The staff report provides an overview of the impact that building collisions and light pollution have on bird populations and how Austin can address the problem through an examination of available building solutions, cost feasibility, and regulatory frameworks from peer cities including New York, Madison, Portland, Toronto, Berkeley, and Arlington County, Va. The research also explores how Austin's built environment and land development regulations present many opportunities for bird- friendly design implementation, including already existing regulatory mechanisms and programs like the Austin Energy Green Building program and Planned Unit Development (PUD) Zoning. These findings, while clearly illustrating the broad concern about bird collisions and light pollution, lack the context of robust local data, an issue that was raised several times during the boards and commissions stakeholder engagement process. Staff also acknowledge the significant community concern for affordability. Given these findings, staff suggest the following steps be taken in advance of providing final recommendations on specific code amendments and guidelines: 1. Bird collision data collection over the 2026 spring and fall migration seasons Build off national research data and findings to further explore the impact that Austin’s built environment has on the rate of bird collisions. Staff will engage with local organizations including Travis Audubon and area universities/colleges to encourage and advise on local bird collision data collection during two migration seasons (spring and fall). The data will provide information to tailor any future regulation recommendations to Austin’s unique landscape. Page 1 of 2 City of Austin Climate, Water, Environment, and Parks Committee Meeting Backup: January 28, 2026File ID: 26-2781Page 1 of 38 Date: Subject: January 16, 2026 Staff Response Related to Bird Friendly Design (Resolution No. 20241121-0173) 2. Coordinated updates to Austin Energy Green Building program policies Staff recommend ongoing interdepartmental coordination with Austin Energy to implement progressive enhancements to existing green building frameworks …
