B-06 Citizen Comment.pdf — original pdf

Backup

From: Anne Lewis < Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2021 3:05 PM To: Rivera, Andrew <Andrew.Rivera@austintexas.gov>; Subject: Lessin Lane Villas *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** To the Planning Commissioners, I am writing in opposition to the waiver of setbacks for retention ponds proposed by the developer at Lessin Lane Villas. I live within 500 feet. The developer has already won an automatic upzoning from the City in opposition to neighbors who felt this was inappropriate and would damage their quality of life. There's simply got to be some stopping point for the developer's actions in violation of the rules that should protect us. The developer will never have to live in what's left of our community. This is sheer profit gouging with disregard and disrespect for our community. Surely the City can stop collaborating and give some priority to people who have lived and paid taxes here for 20 plus years. Anne Lewis From: Carmen Hernandez < Sent: Friday, March 19, 2021 12:29 PM To: Rivera, Andrew <Andrew.Rivera@austintexas.gov> Subject: Re: Lessin Lane Villas Thank you, Andrew. I would like to state my concern with the 25-2-1063 waiver. As I understand it the builder is asking for this waiver in regards to the retention ponds. As the homeowner directly next door to the property with my front door and upstairs balcony facing the property, one concern is that the builder will take liberties with this waiver and build house #10 much closer to my fence line. I have read code 25-2-1063 online and as I understand it limits the structure height to "two stories and 30 feet, if the structure is 50 feet or less from property". Granting a waiver of this code would give the builder an opportunity to build a very large house directly in front of my front door; thereby blocking all views. My third concern is the potential and inevitable flooding to houses near the creek. Thank you. Carmen Hernandez From: To: Subject: Date: Rivera, Andrew Julie Woods RE: Lessin Lane project SP-2020-0364C Tuesday, March 23, 2021 9:14:00 AM Received. Thank you, Ms. Woods. Andrew From: Julie Woods Sent: Tuesday, March 23, 2021 9:13 AM To: Rivera, Andrew <Andrew.Rivera@austintexas.gov> Subject: Lessin Lane project SP-2020-0364C *** External Email - Exercise Caution *** Hello, I'd like to comment on the Lessin Lane project; the builder has requested a waiver regarding placement of water retention ponds near East Bouldin Creek. Many of my neighbors and I opposed this project and we are opposed to this waiver because of the flooding hazard. I'm the president of the Dawson Neighborhood Association and have spoken to many of the neighbors, both near this project and downstream. We opposed this project because of the flooding hazard (and other impacts such as increased traffic and the lack of accessibility for emergency vehicles). We spoke to the Planning Commission about these concerns and asked that the builder be required to address these issues *before* the city changed the zoning form SF-3 to SF-6. We also predicted that the builder would soon be changing the project to make these problems worse, which is what is happening here. There are two likely outcomes of this change: if the retention pond is an earthen structure, we forsee a heavy rain event that would wash away the barrier between the creek and the pond, sending debris and water down the creek and into neighbors' yards and homes. Alternatively, if the retention pond is a concrete structure, we expect to see floodwater bypassing the pond and flooding neighbors' yards and homes. The city's own water quality review mentions that outcome. The pond will have negative impacts on water quality: these sorts of concrete retention ponds also do not serve to filter the water, so every fluid that dripped off a truck on Ben White will end up downstream in our drinking water. Also, a concrete pond will inevitably be an attractive nuisance, meaning that people will bypass the fence and either set up camp in the pond area or (in the case of children) play in the water. ("Attractive nuisance" is a legal term, usually used for swimming pools and other potentially hazardous areas, and does not refer to the appearance of the retention pond; most of these ponds accumulate trash and graffiti and are NOT attractive in the usual sense). People have drowned because of exactly this sort of poorly thought out project!  I would also like to point out that the plan shows proposed residences located on the very edge of the floodplain, which seems like a flooding hazard to the residents of those homes. Is it sensible to build homes in places where the lenders will require that the buyers purchase flood insurance? The builder needs only to place fewer buildings on the site or combine some buildings into duplexes. We realize that either of those changes would reduce their profits, but it is not the responsibility of the city to maximize builders' profits at the expense of neighbors and taxpayers who will suffer the foreseeable consequences. The inclination of the city of Austin to protect developers' profits while making taxpayers pay the costs is clearly evident here! Thank you for your concern and please share this with as many people as necessary. Julie Woods DNA President CAUTION: This email was received at the City of Austin, from an EXTERNAL source. Please use caution when clicking links or opening attachments. If you believe this to be a malicious and/or phishing email, please forward this email to cybersecurity@austintexas.gov.