10 NPA-2022-0022.01 - 406 and 428 E. Alpine Rd.; District 3.pdf — original pdf

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Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 DATE FILED: July 20, 2022 (Out of cycle) NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT REVIEW SHEET November 8, 2022 406 and 428 E. Alpine Rd. 406 and 428 E. Alpine Rd. NEIGHORHOOD PLAN: Greater South River City Combined (St. Edwards) CASE#: NPA-2022-0022.01 PROJECT NAME: PC DATES: ADDRESSES: DISTRICT AREA: SITE AREA: OWNER/APPLICANT: Austin Memorial Home of Austin AGENT: CASE MANAGER: Kathleen Fox, Housing & Planning Dept. (512) 974-7877 STAFF EMAIL: TYPE OF AMENDMENT: Change in Future Land Use Designation David Hartman, DuBois Bryant & Campbell Kathleen.Fox@austintexas.gov 1.982 acres 3 From: Office To: Mixed Use Base District Zoning Change Related Zoning Case: C14-2022-0101 From: GO-CO-NP To: GO-MU-CO-NP September 29, 2005 NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN ADOPTION DATE: CITY COUNCIL DATE: Date pending PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: Pending STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the applicant’s request for Mixed Use land use. BASIS FOR STAFF’S RECOMMENDATION: The property is situated on a 1.982 -acre tract of land that has been used as a VFW Hall, while the remainder of the property is vacant ACTION: 1 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 land with tree and vegetation. The site is located on the north side of E. Alpine Road, which is located within the Greater South River City Combined Neighborhood Plan (St. Edwards). The subject property is also located within the St. Edwards Neighborhood Center, which supports new housing and redevelopment. The applicant proposes to change the land use on the future land use map from Office to Mixed Use for up to 40-unit townhouse project, or a multifamily building. To the north is Multifamily, to the south is Industrial, Recreation & Open Space, and Industrial, to the west is Industrial and to the east is Recreation & Open Space. The applicant’s request for mixed use land use, which would add missing middle housing to the area, supports the Strategic Housing Blueprint by creating more housing choice. This proposed residential project is also located near St. Edwards University, and within a half of a mile of a planned metro rail stop, making the site an acceptable location for housing, despite being adjacent to light industrial uses to the west, and south. Staff noted the lack of public sidewalks, the light industrial nature along this portion of E. Alpine Road, and the lack of any affordable units in this proposed project. Below are policies taken from the Greater South River City Neighborhood Plan document that also supports this request, including policies increasing the diversity of housing types, preserving housing affordability, and allowing infill housing in the planning area. Greater South River City Combined Neighborhood Plan Policies and Text Related to Neighborhood Plan Amendment: LAND USE DESCRIPTIONS EXISTING LAND USE ON THE PROPERTY Office - An area that provides for office uses as a transition from residential to commercial uses, or for large planned office areas. Permitted uses included business, professional, and financial offices as well as offices for individuals and non-profit organizations. 1. Encourage office‐related services in areas that cannot support the traffic generation of Purpose commercial uses; 2 2 of 1610 2. Provide for small lot office conversions as a transition from commercial to residential Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 3. Preserve sites for employment and office related services. uses; and Application 1. Appropriate for low volume streets such as collectors and minor arterials; and 2. Can be used to provide a transition between residential uses and more intense commercial and industrial uses. PROPOSED LAND USE ON THE PROPERTY Mixed Use - An area that is appropriate for a mix of residential and non‐residential uses. Purpose 1. Encourage more retail and commercial services within walking distance of residents; 2. Allow live‐work/flex space on existing commercially zoned land in the neighborhood; 3. Allow a mixture of complementary land use types, which may include housing, retail, offices, commercial services, and civic uses (with the exception of government offices) to encourage linking of trips; 4. Create viable development opportunities for underused center city sites; 5. Encourage the transition from non‐residential to residential uses; 6. Provide flexibility in land use standards to anticipate changes in the marketplace; 7. Create additional opportunities for the development of residential uses and affordable 8. Provide on‐street activity in commercial areas after 5 p.m. and built‐in customers for housing; and local businesses. Application 1. Allow mixed use development along major corridors and intersections; 2. Establish compatible mixed‐use corridors along the neighborhood’s edge; 3. The neighborhood plan may further specify either the desired intensity of commercial uses (i.e. LR, GR, CS) or specific types of mixed use (i.e. Neighborhood Mixed Use Building, Mixed Use Combining District); 4. Mixed Use is generally not compatible with industrial development; however it may be combined with these uses to encourage an area to transition to a more complementary mix of development types; 5. The Mixed Use (MU) Combining District should be applied to existing residential uses to avoid creating or maintaining a non‐conforming use; and 6. Apply to areas where vertical mixed use development is encouraged such as Core Transit Corridors (CTC) and Future Core Transit Corridors. 3 3 of 1610IMAGINE AUSTIN CENTERS and CORRIDORS Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 • Property is located within the St. Edwards Neighborhood Center, and 0.29 miles west of the South Congress Activity Corridor PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION and PARK MAP • Property located 0.35 miles from nearest public transit stop 4 4 of 1610 Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 Subject Property is to the left Aerial View of Subject Property 5 5 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 Imagine Austin Decision Guideline Checklist Project Name and Proposed Use: 406 and 428 E. Alpine Road. NPA-2022-0022.01. Proposed Use: 40 townhouses, or a multifamily development Yes Imagine Austin Decision Guidelines Complete Community Measures Y Imagine Austin Growth Concept Map: Located within or adjacent to an Imagine Austin Activity Center, Imagine Austin Activity Corridor, or Imagine Austin Job Center as identified the Growth Concept Map. Name(s) of Activity Center/Activity Corridor/Job Center: Within St. Edwards Neighborhood Center Mobility and Public Transit: Located within 0.25 miles of public transit stop and/or light rail station. Mobility and Bike/Ped Access: Adjoins a public sidewalk, shared path, and/or bike lane. Y Connectivity, Good and Services, Employment: Provides or is located within 0.50 miles to goods and services, and/or employment center. Connectivity and Food Access: Provides or is located within 0.50 miles of a grocery store/farmers market. Connectivity and Education: Located within 0.50 miles from a public school or university. Connectivity and Healthy Living: Provides or is located within 0.50 miles from a recreation area, park or walking trail. Connectivity and Health: Provides or is located within 0.50 miles of health facility (ex: hospital, urgent care, doctor’s office, drugstore clinic, and/or specialized outpatient care.) Housing Affordability: Provides a minimum of 10% of units for workforce housing (80% MFI or less) and/or fee in lieu for affordable housing. Y Housing Choice: Expands the number of units and housing choice that suits a variety of household sizes, incomes, and lifestyle needs of a diverse population (ex: apartments, triplex, granny flat, live/work units, cottage homes, and townhomes) in support of Imagine Austin and the Strategic Housing Blueprint. Mixed use: Provides a mix of residential and non-industrial uses. Culture and Creative Economy: Provides or is located within 0.50 miles of a cultural resource (ex: library, theater, museum, cultural center). Culture and Historic Preservation: Preserves or enhances a historically and/or culturally significant site. Creative Economy: Expands Austin’s creative economy (ex: live music venue, art studio, film, digital, theater.) Workforce Development, the Economy and Education: Expands the economic base by creating permanent jobs, especially in industries that are currently not represented in particular area or that promotes a new technology, and/or promotes educational opportunities and workforce development training. Industrial Land: Preserves or enhances industrial land. 3 Total Number of “Yes’s” 6 6 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 IMAGINE AUSTIN GROWTH CONCEPT MAP DEFINITIONS Neighborhood Centers - The smallest and least intense of the three mixed-use centers are neighborhood centers. As with the regional and town centers, neighborhood centers are walkable, bikable, and supported by transit. The greatest density of people and activities in neighborhood centers will likely be concentrated on several blocks or around one or two intersections. However, depending on localized conditions, neighborhood centers can be very different places. If a neighborhood center is designated on an existing commercial area, such as a shopping center or mall, it could represent redevelopment or the addition of housing. A new neighborhood center may be focused on a dense, mixed-use core surrounded by a mix of housing. In other instances, new or redevelopment may occur incrementally and concentrate people and activities along several blocks or around one or two intersections. Neighborhood centers will be more locally focused than either a regional or a town center. Businesses and services—grocery and department stores, doctors and dentists, shops, branch libraries, dry cleaners, hair salons, schools, restaurants, and other small and local businesses—will generally serve the center and surrounding neighborhoods. Job Centers - Job centers accommodate those businesses not well-suited for residential or environmentally- sensitive areas. These centers take advantage of existing transportation infrastructure such as arterial roadways, freeways, or the Austin-Bergstrom International airport. Job centers will mostly contain office parks, manufacturing, warehouses, logistics, and other businesses with similar demands and operating characteristics. They should nevertheless become more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, in part by better accommodating services for the people who work in those centers. Corridors - Activity corridors have a dual nature, and are the connections that link activity centers and other key destinations to one another and allow people to travel throughout the city and region by bicycle, transit, or automobile. Corridors are also characterized by a variety of activities and types of buildings located along the roadway — shopping, restaurants and cafés, parks, schools, single-family houses, apartments, public buildings, houses of worship, mixed-use buildings, and offices. Along many corridors, there will be both large and small redevelopment sites. There may also be a series of small neighborhood centers, connected by the roadway. Other corridors may have fewer redevelopment opportunities, but already have a mixture of uses, and could provide critical transportation connections. While many of these centers are currently best served by car, the growth Concept map offers transportation choices such as light rail and bus rapid transit to increase commuter options. To improve mobility along an activity corridor, new and redevelopment should reduce per capita car use and increase walking, bicycling, and transit use. Intensity of land use should correspond to the availability of quality transit, public space, and walkable destinations. Site design should use building arrangement and open space to reduce walking distance to transit and destinations, achieve safety and comfort, and draw people outdoors. BACKGROUND: The application was filed on July 20, 2022, which is out of cycle for neighborhood planning area located on the west side of IH-35. The month of February would be the normal filing period. The GSRC NPCT voted to approve the applicants request for the out-of-cycle application. The memo is provided in this report from the GSRC NPCT. 7 7 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 The applicant proposes to change the land use on the property from Office to Mixed Use. For more information, see the associated zoning case report for zoning case C14-2022-0101. PUBLIC MEETING: The ordinance-required community meeting. In compliance, a virtual community meeting was held on September 29, 2022, from 6 to 7 P.M. Approximately 603 community meeting notices were mailed to people who own property or a utility account within 500 feet of the property, in addition to groups who requested notification for the area on the Community Registry. City Staff in attendance: Kathleen Fox, Jesse Gutierrez, Maureen Meredith. Agent: David Hartman, DuBois. Audience attendees: 8 Kathleen Fox, with the City of Austin, gave a summary on the case and the NPA process. David Hartman, (DH) the agent gave a summary on his client’s proposal for Zone GO-MU- NP zoning to build a 40 unit, three story market rate townhouse development, or a four story multifamily project on the site. He showed a preliminary thumbnail sketch of the site, using the existing VFW curb-cut, and how the developer did not need the unimproved right-of-way on E. Alpine Road, going east. The project would not displace any residential uses. An internal hammerhead turn-around drive at the east end of the property was proposed. He discussed that his client did not plan to expand down E. Alpine Road, and that that decision to improve/open the existing E. Alpine Road right-of-way was up to the City of Austin, not his client. Questions and Comments from the attendees: Q: Are there be any affordable housing units? DH: No, and its not required under zone GO- MU. Q: Would the project intrude in the 50 ft. buffer from Blunn Creek, which could impact the required critical water quality zone buffer? DH: No. Client would follow development regulations. C: The preliminary sketch shows dumpsters and mailboxes next to Blunn Creek, which has a 12 ft. drop, and an attendee voiced concern about flooding, preserving the headwaters, and intruding into the 50 ft. critical water quality zone: DH: His client would look into that. He mentioned that Zone GO permitted by right a medical office building, which would be more intrusive use than multifamily or townhouses. C: A landlord for multifamily tenants on Willowrun Drive said his tenants are concerned that the project would get rid of the vegetative buffer now on the site, and that light and noise pollution from the new residential development would negatively impact them. DH: He would inform his client about their concerns on these issues. Q: When do you plan to break ground? DH: Based on the zoning application process, and site development/site plan reviewer, over a year from now. C: They asked the agent for assurances that the developer would request no opening of the existing but closed right of way going to the east along E. Alpine Rd.; they asked for a traffic signal at the intersection of S. Congress Avenue and Alpine Rd.; and lastly asked the agent to tell the developer that they had to address all traffic issues along E. Alpine Rd. DH: He discussed how it was up to the City of Austin’s purview to determine if road and traffic improvements were needed, not his client. He mentioned again that a medical office building was allowed by right under Zone GO, which would have triple the amount of traffic than townhouses. 8 8 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 Q: Why is client requesting mixed use instead of multifamily zoning? DH: Mixed Use zoning offers more options/flexibility. His client might consider adding additional Conditional Overlays to the site to prohibit some permitted uses under Zone GO, if suggested by the neighborhood. C: Light industrial are being pushed out in the area: Ms. Fox commented that the subject property was never zoned, FLUMed, or used for a light industrial use. Q: The VFW served alcohol – would that be carried over? DH: No. Ms. Fox also explained that the current zoning on the site did not permit alcohol sales. Ms. Fox referred all zoning questions to the zoning case manager, Wendy Rhoades. Mr. Hartman thanked the audience for the dialogue. The meeting adjourned at 7 P.M. Conceptual plan shown during virtual community meeting: 9 9 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 Site 10 10 of 1610 Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 11 11 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 Out of Cycle Letter from Application 12 12 of 1610 Application Summary Letter from Application Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 13 13 of 1610Letter of Recommendation from Greater South River City Combined Neighborhood Plan Contact Team Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 No Greater South River City Neighborhood Plan Contact Team letter was submitted by November 1, 2022 deadline, for the November 8, 2022 Planning Commission hearing 14 14 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 Received Comments and Correspondence 15 15 of 1610Planning Commission: November 8, 2022 From: David Todd <dtodd@wt.org> Sent: Tuesday, November 1, 2022 3:02 PM To: Fox, Kathleen <Kathleen.Fox@austintexas.gov>; Rhoades, Wendy <Wendy.Rhoades@austintexas.gov> Cc: kamerakim@gmail.com; secampbill1949@gmail.com; Rivera, Andrew <Andrew.Rivera@austintexas.gov>; Champlin, Kaela <Kaela.Champlin@austintexas.gov>; jeff@jeffkessel.com Subject: 406 and 428 East Alpine Dear Ms. Fox and Ms Rhoades, I write on behalf of a non-profit group, the Blunn Creek Partnership (https://blunncreekpartnership.org/), an organization founded over 15 years ago to protect and restore the Blunn Creek watershed. I’ve become aware of two pending cases, NPA-2022-0022.01 and C14-2022-0101, regarding development of a site at 406 and 428 East Alpine, abutting Blunn Creek and located in the headwaters of the Creek. I wanted to make it clear to you, and as a filing to include in the record of these cases, that we are very concerned about development’s impact there on downstream water quality and flood risk, and hope that you will do all possible to mitigate any effects. Over the years, we and other friends and neighbors have invested a good deal of time working and meeting with representatives from Parks and Recreation, Watershed Protection, the Austin Parks Foundation, the Austin Parks Board, the Children in Nature Collaborative of Austin, Families in Nature, Austin ISD (which owns the adjacent property), and others to protect Blunn Creek, using detention basins, restrictive covenants, buffer zones and easements. We want to assure you that we view 406/428 East Alpine as a very important tract of land, deserving the utmost thought and caution in how it is developed. Thank you very much for your consideration of our views, and for your work on these cases. David 16 16 of 1610