Recommendation 20220809-010: Parkland Dedication — original pdf

Recommendation

PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20220809-10 Date: August 9, 2022 Subject: Commercial Parkland Dedication Motioned By: Commissioner Azhar Recommendation Approve Staff’s recommendation related to amendments to Title 25-1 of the City Code to require parkland dedication for commercial developments and include the following amendments: Seconded By: Vice-Chair Hempel • Add parkland dedication / fee exemption for small businesses - need to define size of "small business" - 5,000 SF • PARD staff shall reassess ordinance efficacy on an annual basis, and present findings to PARB and PC, including an annual evaluation and update of the estimated telecommuting rates in the Austin metro area. • Consider allowing partial credit for parkland within the 25-year floodplain if it can be activated safety as determined by the Director. • Explore opportunities to integrate parkland with bus and rail transit stops along transit • corridors. In the case of mixed-use developments, collect the higher fee of the two assessed for residential and commercial uses. • Use a 10-year average to calculate the cost of acquiring parkland in the formula. • The cost or the square footage of public exterior activity amenities provided in commercial projects shall be subtracted from the overall parkland dedication or fee requirement. • Exempt Commercial developments in projects with a Master Development Agreement or a Master Development Agreement in negotiations as of August 1, 2022 for the development of City-Owned property. • Consider adjusting or developing a unique parkland dedication formula for hotels in order • Exempt all income-restricted affordable units from the residential parkland dedication to assess their unique usage. fee. 1 of 2 • Create parkland credit process toward area target ratios based on public realm amenities & publicly accessible privately owned open space, comparable to parkland and related amenities, at a credit percentage determined by PARD staff. Insert, “ 5) art galleries, art workshops, theaters, and live music venues (pending Resolution No. 20220728-094) as defined in Section 25-2-4” Insert , “M) if the applicant agrees to a private Parkland Improvement and Operations Agreement approved by PARD, the amount of parkland owed may be reduced by a minimum of 10% and up to a maximum of 25% at the discretion of the Director based on the estimated value of the approved Agreement” Insert, “Parkland dedication and fee-in-lieu assessment is set at the time of site plan submission and the assessment does not change throughout the development process, unless the project substantially changes in nature.” Insert, “All fees should be collected before certificate of occupancy is issued.” Insert, “Institute a lower fee for construction within the urban core, parallel to parkland dedication requirements within section 25-1-602 (O)” Prioritize use of commercial parkland dedication funds to adopted park or trail vision plans and allow use of the funds in broader geographic areas than the residential parkland dedication ordinance. In the annual assessment consider modifying formulas to account for users who live in Austin but work outside the park service area and look at other park users not accounted for. Provide a 50% reduction on the commercial parkland dedication assessment for those developments that enter into a long-term affordability agreement with the City of Austin. • • • • • • • • Vote : 8-2 For: Chair Shaw, Vice-Chair Hempel and Commissioners Azhar, Cox, Flores, Howard, Llanes Pulido and Shieh Against: Commissioners Anderson and Thompson Absent: Commissioners Mushtaler, Praxis and Schneider. Attest: Andrew D. Rivera Planning Commission Staff Liaison 2 of 2