20260701-005, Dog's Head Working Group Presentation — original pdf

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Dog’s Head Working Group Environmental Commission Jennifer Bristol, June 29, 2026 Process Comprised of more than 20 individuals, the working group met 3 times between June 22 and June 29 A total system failure From the City of Austin that is eroding public trust The City failed to follow it’s own processes An Environmental Assessment or an Inventory have not been conducted per the City’s own Environmental Criteria Manual How can we plan Without the proper assessments •363 Species of birds recorded just across the river •Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory is a must see for any birder living in or visiting Austin •Birding generates $24 Billion annually to the Texas economy •Austin is home to the leading bird and nature tour company in the world •There are 4 Wild Birds Unlimited Stores in the greater Austin area Not 100% bombed Out Needs restoration- yes, but not 100% bombed out Farming and Ranching Since the 1830s Sighted in the Travis County Historial Commission Report 2018 According to Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, less than 1% of the original blackland prairie remains, lost forever due to development, row-crop agriculture, and overgrazing. It is one of the most endangered ecosystems in the U.S. Longhorn Dam High-Hazard Designation: The National Inventory of Dams tracks it as a "high hazard potential" dam. This ranking is due to the severe economic and human risks downstream if the structure fails completely. And what about the floodplain maps? Without an Environmental Assessment those maps are being modified without the input of City Staff at this time. Citizen Boards and Commissions act as oversight for the community and the environment •City Code of Austin, 2-1-144, the Board Authority of the Environmental Commission, which states, in part, “the commission shall advise the city council, the city manager, and the department concerning policies, projects, and programs that affect the quality of life or have the potential to affect the environment” The contract removes normal oversight From the Boards and Commissions- for up to 45 years Article V of the Draft Dog’s Head Development Agreement modifies multiple environmental sections of the Land Development Code within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Environmental Commission including: • • • • • • establishing a 200-foot Critical Water Quality Zone along the Colorado River (Section 5.07) and authorizing extensive development within the CWQZ. exempting Original Development from the cut and fill requirements of City Code (25-8-341 and 25-8-342 (Section 5.12) and authorizing construction on slopes created by mining and/or reclamation operations (Section 5.11) and bank stabilization from those section from Section 1.7 of the Environmental Criteria Manual (Floodplain Modification Criteria) (Section 5.1.3). allowing floodplain modifications without requiring compliance with the criteria listed in Section 1.7.0 of the Environmental Criteria Manual. Modifying impervious cover standards (Exhibit C) to allow 100% impervious cover in the development and 20% impervious cover in the “open space” category, resulting in 2,401.2 acres of impervious cover on a property almost entirely covered by floodplain within the Colorado River watershed; Removing the Environmental Commission oversight for environmental variances (Section 3.03) while permitting the Director of Development Services to grant variances to any standard of the Land Development Code, in its sole determination; Doubling, in the May 15, 2026 revised draft and as summarized in the City Manager’s May 18, 2026 memorandum the minimum drainage threshold for required channel restoration from 640 acres to 1,280 acres (Section 5.04a). Neighborhoods and adjacent landowners were not notified Classic Example Of Environmental Racism • Deeply concerned that this project will continue or compound the environmental harms inflicted on East Austin Let’s get to a better place Return to process and repair public trust Please find all supporting materials at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ 10eM6IlBRxRb8Hipk3GWEQymU8NHq z29F?usp=sharing