20261007-004, Dog's Head Working Group Recommendation — original pdf

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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 surveillance, the CoA’s current floodplain maps, cataloging and mapping of all critical environmental features, and a tree survey as defined by the Environmental Criteria Manual. 7. Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd. shall publicly release, on a CoA website, the entire “Phase I Environmental Studies,” including the results of any studies identifying pollutants requiring remediation. 8. Council shall approve and implement, via Code, a Dog’s Head Commission and/or task force (similar to the South Central Waterfront Commission). Members of the Commission / task force shall primarily consist of residents of Council Districts 1, 2, and 3. This Commission shall act as a forum for communication between the communities in and around Dog’s Head Property and Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd.. 9. Reduce allowable impervious cover from 79% to 60% of the total area within the Dog’s Head Property, excluding the Critical Water Quality Zone (CWQZ) setbacks, floodplain, and open space, taking into account design to reduce urban heat domes and minimize the effects of flooding. 10. Along the Colorado River, require a CWQZ riparian setback of 400 feet. 11. Prohibit commercial buildings, including hotels, within 600 feet of the Colorado River. 12. In accordance with CoA code, create public access points to the river trail, river, open space and parks. 13. Adhere to the updated Colorado River Corridor Plan. 14. Protect the Colorado River and its tributaries through enhanced water quality standards that exceed minimum 2026 CoA requirements. 15. Eliminate direct stormwater discharge into the Colorado River by using natural filtration systems. Require bioswales, rain gardens, constructed wetlands, and other green infrastructure throughout the Dog’s Head Property to naturally filter stormwater. 16. Preserve and restore native riparian vegetation along creeks, wetlands, and the Colorado River to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and provide wildlife habitat. Establish a maintenance plan to continue the removal of invasive plants for the duration of the Original Development. 17. Limit intensively managed athletic fields that require fertilizers, pesticides, and frequent irrigation; any that are established must be at least 2,000 feet from the river, to reduce pollutant runoff. 18. Monitor water quality of the Colorado River, ponds, and creek. Data shall be made public with quarterly reports on the CoA’s website. 19. Apply Section 1.7 of the Floodplain Modification Criteria to the Regional Stormwater System Outfalls and Bank Stabilization. 20. Prohibit the use of artificial turf, without specific approval and mitigation from Austin Parks and Recreation, Austin Watershed and the Environmental Commission. 21. Restore native Blackland Prairie plant communities throughout parklands, open spaces, utility corridors, right-of-ways and along trails that are not in the forested riparian zones of the river. 22. Work with Austin Parks and Recreation (APR) to provide connectivity to trails adjacent to the Dog’s Head Property. 23. Thirty to fifty percent of all trails throughout the Dog’s Head Property shall be ADA in accordance with CoA and federal regulations. 24. In accordance with Dark Skies guidelines, limit lighting in along trails and in parklands, including athletic fields. All lighting shall be warm in hue and shielded to prevent light pollution, especially near the river and bird habitat. 25. Commit to 0% impervious cover in the Critical Water Quality Zone, including no hard surface trails, no pavement, and no golf cart trails. Only natural, unpaved trails may be adjacent to the Critical Water Quality Zone. 26. Work with APR to design a single park in a central, continuous area (150 acres) or two parks outside of the flood plain (100 acres) and in the Carson Creek area (50 acres). Prioritize placement near existing and future housing. 27. Establish a Bird Preserve that includes native prairie and riparian ecosystems. 28. Establish, up front, a minimum of five acres of community gardens and food forests. The community garden shall be located in areas with quality soils, free of toxins. One additional acre shall be set aside per 2,000 residents. 29. Prioritize small-scale farmers and ranchers as local business tenants, in support of the Austin - Travis County Comprehensive Food Plan and the area’s ecological and cultural legacy. 30. Ensure a 1000 feet buffer for all existing and future residential neighborhoods from manufacturing and commercial development via parks, greenbelts, or utility corridors. 31. Encourage permeable pavement in appropriate locations to increase groundwater recharge. 32. Require rainwater harvesting and reuse systems on public buildings and commercial developments. 33. Participate in Austin Water’s “Go Purple” program, contribute to the expansion of Austin's Purple Pipe System, and ensure that large-scale commercial and residential projects utilize the system. 34. All commercial and manufacturing buildings shall comply with Bird-friendly Design best practices as defined in the Green Building Program. 35. No energy-intensive facilities (greater than 20 MW) or water-intensive users (greater than 85 million g/year) manufacturing, such as data centers, chip, semiconductor, military or battery manufacturing, shall be allowed on the Dog’s Head Property. 36. No nuclear energy on the Dog’s Head Property, including privately-owned, small nuclear facilities. 37. Future and existing manufacturing shall provide natural buffer zones between manufacturing, commercial, and residential uses. a. Buffers shall consist of native trees, shrubs, and understory vegetation to reduce noise, light pollution, and visual impacts. b. These areas shall also function as wildlife corridors connecting larger natural habitats. 38. Require solar panels on 50–70% of manufacturing rooftops and impervious surfaces, including parking lots and parking garages. Energy generated from the solar collection shall be used onsite or integrated into Austin Energy’s electrical grid. 39. Require manufacturing facilities to meet the CoA and state’s highest standards, of the time for which they are being constructed, for water conservation that include but are not limited to water recycling and reuse systems. 40. Minimize light pollution by utilizing the Dark Sky requirements that include but are not limited to using fully shielded, downward-facing lighting, timers and motion sensors for parking garages and outdoor lighting; minimize outdoor lighting between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and eliminate lighting that reflects off light-colored or shiny surfaces, such as the sides of buildings. 41. Require structured parking garages instead of expansive surface parking to reduce impervious cover. 42. Commercial facilities that employ 100 or more employees shall provide employees with outdoor spaces that include pollinator gardens and at least one-half mile of walking trails in a natural, park-like setting. 43. In accordance with CoA noise ordinance codes, restrict high-volume industrial operations between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. to reduce noise impacts on nearby residents and wildlife. 44. In accordance with the CoA urban core goals, ensure every resident lives within one-quarter mile of a park or open space. 45. Provide continuous sidewalks and walking trails connecting homes to schools, school bus routes, parks, public transportation, neighborhood services, and retail areas. 46. Dog’s Head Land JV, Ltd. shall utilize CoA Complete Street design recommendation of separating sidewalks with setbacks that are 4 to 6 feet wide to separate pedestrians from traffic. 47. Require rooftop solar panels on all single-family homes not in an affordability program. 48. Disallow the installation of non-native turf grass in the Dog’s Head Property, and replace existing non-native turf grass with native trees, prairie plants, and drought- tolerant landscaping to reduce water consumption. 49. CoA and CapMetro shall establish public transportation routes within Dog’s Head Property to support businesses and residents. This plan shall be given priority in funding and planning, and will happen in tandem with planning roads and bridges. 50. Bridges over the Colorado River shall take into account connectivity and environmental impact and be minimized to the extent possible, in consultation with Austin Watershed and Transportation and Public Works. Include protected and separated pedestrian and bicycle pathways on all new roads and bridges. Roads and bridges shall avoid fragmenting existing or planned parkland and sensitive natural areas. 51. Align the bridge connecting to Hwy. 973 so that it goes north of the public lands of Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory to avoid damaging bird habitat and the 100-year-old pecan trees at the end of Platt Lane. 52. Reduce carbon emissions by planting native prairie grasses and vegetation along roadways to increase carbon sequestration. 53. Reduce urban heat, support human health, and provide habitat by establishing Miyawaki-style “tiny forests” along transportation corridors and trails. 54. Landscape all parking lots with native trees and plants. No adaptive plants. Incorporate bioswales and rain gardens to treat stormwater runoff from parking areas. 55. Integrate fast-food establishments with other businesses instead of multiple standalone facilities to reduce impervious cover, energy consumption, and litter generated by those establishments. 56. Limit commercial signage to a maximum height of eight feet. Prohibit electronic billboards and digital wayfinding signs to reduce light pollution. 57. Limit building heights to: 1. Three stories adjacent to residential neighborhoods. 2. Ten stories adjacent to manufacturing areas and major transportation corridors. 58. Utility lines shall be buried in areas where the soil allows. 59. Utility right-of-ways shall be utilized as wildlife corridors and shall comply with or exceed protections in CoA code.