5.3 - 1500 E 12th St - 2019 OCEAN letter — original pdf

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OCEAN Trey Salinas and Talia Hill—3 Point Partners Eureka development plans for East 12th Street Summary of Feedback 06.24.2019 We are glad that Eureka is ready to work with the community on appropriate development, both within the Urban Renewal Area and further along the street. Our feedback below regards property within the Urban Renewal Area and the Central East Austin Neighborhood Plan—Blocks 1-9 and 11-17. http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=322262 Development priorities: Historic/cultural preservation; walkable, neighborhood-scaled retail and commercial; and compatible structures and uses that comply with current development controls in place. Historic preservation priorities: I.Q. Hurdle House, Bible Believers Church, and Eisenbeiser/Ministry of Challenge building. We are appreciative of recent efforts to stabilize the I. Q. Hurdle House and hopeful that implementation of a long-term plan for restoration/reuse at 1416 East 12th Street will occur within two years. A new roof may be needed to forestall more deterioration of the Eisenbeiser/Ministry of Challenge building, and please keep in mind that planning documents for East 12th Street may provide leeway for dealing with infrastructure challenges specific to that site. There is a great deal of frustration regarding block-lengths of vacant land owned by Eureka that has not been redeveloped in line with the development priorities described above. Eureka has owned one empty block (Block 2) since 2015. Developing long-vacant parcels versus acquiring more property or demolishing existing housing is the least controversial and potentially most productive way to promote positive change along the street. Robust, transparent and responsive engagement of area stakeholders is critical to a collaborative process. Input should be logged, along with the specific source of the input and that individual’s or organization’s relationship to the Urban Renewal Area. Thank you for clarifying that next steps in the engagement piece of the planning process will occur in August/September. It would be helpful for stakeholders to get a sense at that time of the team’s anticipated planning arc, so that individuals and groups know generally what steps to expect and approximately when they may occur. Timelines and deliverables help build faith in a shared outcome—successful, timely implementation. We agree that a neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach to planning for Eureka’s properties is much better than generating a master plan. We suggest that this planning exercise identify priority sites upon which to focus so that steady, concurrent progress along the entire urban renewal stretch is achieved, rather than serially completing one neighborhood plan process, implementing it and moving to the next plan. The 2011-2012 Implementation Strategy for East 11th and 12th Streets is out of date. Its analysis does not factor in current market realities, such as major projects in the area over the last eight years that are providing or will soon provide additional housing, grocery store(s) and a pharmacy, and its suggested projects may not reflect the current priorities of stakeholders, the URB or the City of Austin. https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Housing/draft-dev-strategy-rpt-010912.pdf Thank you for confirming that the map of Eureka property within the Urban Renewal Area prepared by NHCD is accurate. http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=322262 Thank you for taking a look at the current use of 1500 East 12th Street and 1501 East 13th Street, as well as the condition of existing fencing. There is a sign on 1500 East 12th Street advertising vehicle storage. Pictures on P3 are dated June 24, 2019 and appear to show vehicles and a port-o-potty stored, as well as tiny homes. The East 12th Street NCCD does not permit Vehicle Storage on any lot within the NCCD, and 1501 East 13th Street is zoned GR, which does not permit Vehicle Storage.