Environmental Commission – Nov. 18, 2026

20261118-001, Draft Meeting Minutes November 4, 2026 — original pdf

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REGULAR MEETING ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MINUTES WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2026 The Environmental Commission convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday, November 4, 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 Sean Atkins Richard Brimer Annie Fierro Justin Fleury Martin Luecke Allison Morrison David Sullivan Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Isabella Changsut PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL Diana Prechter, Damage to the Butler Landfill Cap during the 2026 Austin City Limits festival. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on October 21, 2026. The minutes from the Environmental Commission Regular Meeting on October 21, 2026, were approved on Commissioner Brimer’s motion, Commissioner Sullivan’s second, on a 10-0 vote. Commissioner Atkins was off the dais. 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 1 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. The motion to approve the 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) was approved as amended on Chair Krueger’s motion, Vice Chair Bristol’s second, on an 11-0 vote. The following amendment was made by Commissioner Sullivan and seconded by Chair Krueger. The amendment was to include the following: “Establish and guarantee a 300-foot-wide swath of undeveloped land encircling and adjacent to the Brackenridge Field Laboratory.” The amendment was approved on an 11-0 vote. The following amendment was made by Commissioner Sullivan and seconded by Chair Krueger. The amendment was to replace the 250-foot setback with a 300-foot setback: “Establish a setback of 300 feet landward from the shoreline of Lady Bird Lake and prohibit impervious cover within the 300-foot setback.” The amendment was approved on an 11-0 vote. The following amendment was made by Vice Chair Bristol and seconded by Chair Krueger. The amendment was to include the following: “Require bird-friendly building design and dark sky lighting throughout the Brackenridge tract and the potential developed area, with special emphasis near the boundary of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory.” The amendment was approved on an 11-0 vote. The following amendment was made by Chair Krueger and seconded by Commissioner Brimer. The amendment was to include the following: 2 “Delay the city council vote on the proposed terms of the amended Brackenridge Development Agreement until June 2027, to: • Allow for the 60th annual celebration of the Brackenridge Field Laboratory in April 2027, • Engage in significant public engagement with the neighborhood, the University of Texas campus, and the impacted scientific community, • Allow for a comprehensive environmental study before proposed development under the supervision of Austin Watershed Protection, and the results of which should be made public, • Allow for a stronger negotiating position for the City of Austin, in the wake of changed state leadership.” The amendment was approved on an 11-0 vote. The following amendment was made by Chair Krueger and seconded by Commissioner Brimer. The amendment was to include the following: “Additionally, the Environmental Commission recommends City Council adopt the following additional requirements as part of the amended Brackenridge Development Agreement”. The amendment was approved on an 11-0 vote. The following amendment was made by Chair Krueger and seconded by Commissioner Brimer. The amendment was to include the following: “Require the University to retain all 82 contiguous acres of the existing Brackenridge Field Laboratory tract in perpetuity under the same conditions as provided by the current Brackenridge Development Agreement.” The amendment was approved on an 11-0 vote. 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. The motion to approve the formation of the Bird-Friendly Design Working Group to update Staff and City Council on data requested in the memorandum and staff report from January 16, 2026, was approved on Vice Chair Bristol’s motion, Chair Krueger’s second on an 11-0 vote. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 3 Staff briefing on the proposed data center located at 6801 River Place Boulevard. Sponsored by Commissioners Brimer, Fierro, and Sullivan. ADJOURNMENT Chair Krueger adjourned the meeting at 7:55 p.m. without objection. 4