Recommendation 20240821-003: Infill Plats and Site Plan Lite II Revisited — original pdf

Recommendation

Date: August 21, 2024 ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MOTION 20240821-003 Seconded by: Colin Nickells Subject: Infill Plat and Site Lite Part 2 Amendments Motion by: Hanna Cofer WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes the Code Amendments related to Home-2 known as Infill Plats and Site Lite Part 2 are a compilation of directives from City Council; WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission has been given a presentation from Staff on Infill Plats and Site Plan Lite on two occasions; and WHEREAS, research indicates that higher population density in urban areas leads to lower greenhouse gas emissions per household; and WHEREAS, low-density urban sprawl consumes valuable grassland prairies, tree-covered hill country, farmland, and other rural landscapes, and encroaches on wildlife habitat, WHEREAS, Council first initiated revisions to the site plan process for missing middle projects as a part of Affordability Unlocked, Resolution No 20190221-027; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission recognizes that Staff recommends these amendments; THEREFORE, the Environmental Commission recommends the code amendments with the following Environmental Commission recommendations and comments: 1. The Environmental Commission is concerned that these Code changes inequitably may impact low-income neighborhoods. 2. The Environmental Commission is concerned about how this impacts homes in the local flooding areas or homes that are on the edge of the floodplains. 3. The Environmental Commission is concerned about neighbor-to-neighbor flooding due to poor drainage, including “ghost drainage” that is done without permits. 4. Request that the public is well informed in multiple ways about the new changes, how that will impact them, and how they can utilize the Code legally. 5. Request that the public is made aware of the process for adjacent homeowners to protest or improve changes to a neighbor’s lot. 6. Request that the City Council identifies and implements community outreach and engagement strategies for future proposed code land development changes of this nature. 7. The Environmental Commission is in favor of increasing access to affordable homes and 8. This recommendation is conditional on maintaining current protection for trees and increasing density where possible. current impervious cover requirements. 9. The Environmental Commission requests a review after 1 year about how these amendments are affecting localized flooding, particularly in low-income neighborhoods, along with any updated staff recommendations about how to adjust the currently proposed guardrails based on the number of projects and where they are occurring. VOTE: 7-1 For: Hanna Cofer, Peter Einhorn, Mariana Krueger, Melinda Schiera, Perry Bedford, Colin Nickells, David Sullivan Against: Rick Brimer Recuse: None Abstain: None Absent: Jennifer Bristol, Haris Qureshi Approved By: Perry Bedford, Commission Chair