06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 3 Staff Report — original pdf

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NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN AMENDMENT REVIEW SHEET NEIGHORHOOD PLAN: East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan and Plaza Saltillo TOD Station Area Plan CASE#: NPA-2025-0002.01 DATE FILED: January 23, 3035 PROJECT NAME: 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street PC DATE: August 22, 2025 ADDRESS/ES: 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street DISTRICT AREA: 3 SITE AREA: 0.4515 acres OWNER/APPLICANT: 1301 East 4th Street, LLC AGENT: Drenner Group, PC (Leah M. Bojo, AICP) CASE MANAGER: Maureen Meredith PHONE: (512) 974-2695 STAFF EMAIL: Maureen.Meredith@austintexas.gov TYPE OF AMENDMENT: Change in Future Land Use Designation No change to the future land use map. From: Specific Regulating District Proposed change is from TOD (Live/Work Flex) subdistrict to TOD (Mixed Use) subdistrict To: Specific Regulating District Base District Zoning Change Related Zoning Case: C14-2025-0019 From: TOD-NP (Live/Work Flex) To: TOD-NP (Mixed Use) NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN ADOPTION DATE: East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan adopted May 13, 1999. Plaza Saltillo TOD Station Area Plan adopted December 11, 2008. CITY COUNCIL DATE: TBD ACTION: 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 31 of 24 PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION: April 22, 2025 – (action pending) STAFF RECOMMENDATION: To support the applicant’s request for TOD Mixed Use subdistrict. BASIS FOR STAFF’S RECOMMENDATION: The applicant is proposing to amend the Land Use and Design Concept Plan map(s) in the Plaza Saltillo TOD Station Area Plan from Live/Work Flex to TOD Mixed Use so the project can participate in the Density Plus Height Bonus Program. This program will require the proposed multifamily development to reserve a minimum of 15% of the entire square footage as affordable, on-site units for those earning no more than 50% Medium Family Income (MFI). The current designation as Live/Work Flex does not allow the property to participate in this program. Staff supports the applicant’s request because of the property is located 0.2 miles from the Plaza Saltillo Station where increased density can be supported. The TOD Mixed Use is the highest density designation that will allow for more residential and commercial uses to be developed within ¼-mile of the Plaza Saltillo Station. LAND USE DESCRIPTIONS: EXISTING LAND USE: Specific Regulating District - This map designation is intended for areas that have an adopted regulating plan. This district will be identified on the Future Land Use Map, but is not considered a typical land use category. The purpose of this designation is to make the user aware of the Regulating Plan and that it should be reviewed for development regulations. Yes Yes Imagine Austin Decision Guidelines Complete Community Measures 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: • Property is within the Plaza Saltillo Neighborhood Center • Approx. 0.15 miles north of E. Cesar Chavez Street and activity corridor • Approx. 0.20 miles south of E. 7th Street and activity corridor Yes Mobility and Public Transit: Located within 0.25 miles of public transit stop and/or light rail station. • 0.2 miles from Plaza Saltillo Station Red Line • Bus routes on Waller Street and E. Cesar Chavez Street No Mobility and Bike/Ped Access: Adjoins a public sidewalk, shared path, and/or bike lane. • Approx. 210 feet from the Red Line Trail Yes Yes 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. • 0.4 miles from Target Grocery • 0.4 miles from Royal Blue Grocery 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 32 of 24 • 0.6 miles from Whole Foods No Connectivity and Education: Located within 0.50 miles from a public school or university. • • 0.7 miles from Sanchez Elementary School 0.9 miles from Zavala Elementary School Yes Connectivity and Healthy Living: Provides or is located within 0.50 miles from a recreation area, park or walking trail. • • • 0.2 miles from Comal Pocket Park 0.2 miles from Pepe’s Park 0.6 miles from Pan American Park Yes 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.) • • • 0.2 miles Community Care Collaborative 0.2 miles from CommUnityCare: East Austin Health Center 0.3 miles from Integral Care - East 2nd Street Yes Housing Affordability: Provides a minimum of 10% of units for workforce housing (80% MFI or less) and/or fee in lieu for affordable housing. • Approx. 170 dwelling units are proposed with 25-30 units affordable at 50% MFI • Applicant proposes participation in the regulating plan’s density and height development bonus by reserving at least 15% of the total square footage of multifamily rental development as affordable habitable space at, or below 50% of the area MFI. 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. Number of Yeses Yes Yes No No Not known Not known No 9 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 33 of 24 Proximity to Imagine Austin Activity Centers and Corridors 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 34 of 24 Proximity to Public Parks 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 35 of 24 Proximity to Public Transportation 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, different 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. 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 36 of 24 Town Centers - Although less intense than regional centers, town centers are also where many people will live and work. Town centers will have large and small employers, although fewer than in regional centers. These employers will have regional customer and employee bases, and provide goods and services for the center as well as the surrounding areas. The buildings found in a town center will range in size from one-to three-story houses, duplexes, townhouses, and rowhouses, to low-to midrise apartments, mixed use buildings, and office buildings. These centers will also be important hubs in the transit system. Regional Centers - Regional centers are the most urban places in the region. These centers are and will become the retail, cultural, recreational, and entertainment destinations for Central Texas. These are the places where the greatest density of people and jobs and the tallest buildings in the region will be located. Housing in regional centers will mostly consist of low to high-rise apartments, mixed use buildings, row houses, and townhouses. However, other housing types, such as single-family units, may be included depending on the location and character of the center. The densities, buildings heights, and overall character of a center will depend on its location. Activity Centers for Redevelopment in Sensitive Environmental Areas - Five centers are located over the recharge or contributing zones of the Barton Springs Zone of the Edwards Aquifer or within water-supply watersheds. These centers are located on already developed areas and, in some instances, provide opportunities to address long-standing water quality issues and provide walkable areas in and near existing neighborhoods. State-of-the-art development practices will be required of any redevelopment to improve stormwater retention and the water quality flowing into the aquifer or other drinking water sources. These centers should also be carefully evaluated to fit within their infrastructural and environmental context. 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. 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. Corridors - Activity corridors have a dual nature. They 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. These redevelopment opportunities may be continuous along stretches of the corridor. There may also be a series of small neighborhood centers, connected by the roadway. Other corridors may have fewer redevelopment 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 37 of 24 opportunities, but already have a mixture of uses, and could provide critical transportation connections. As a corridor evolves, sites that do not redevelop may transition from one use to another, such as a service station becoming a restaurant or a large retail space being divided into several storefronts. 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 applicant proposes to change the subdistrict in the Plaza Saltillo TOD Station Area Plan from TOD (Live/Work Flex) to TOD (Mixed Use) subdistrict. The applicant proposes to change the zoning on the property from TOD (Live/Work Flex) to TOD (Mixed Use) subdistrict. For information on the proposed zoning, see case report C14- 2025-0019. The applicant proposes an approximately 170 dwelling units apartment building with 25-30 units will be affordable units @50% MFI. PUBLIC MEETINGS: The ordinance-required community meeting was virtually held on March 13, 2025. The recorded meeting can be found here: https://publicinput.com/neighborhoodplanamendmentcases. Approximately 379 community meeting notices were mailed to people with utility accounts and who own property within 500 feet of the subject tracts, in addition to neighborhood and environmental groups who requested notification for the area. Two city staff members from the Planning Department attended, Maureen Meredith and Mark Walters. Leah M. Bojo and Drew Raffaele from Drenner Group, PC attended, who are the applicant’s agents. Two members from the community attended. Below are highlights from Leah Bojo’s presentation: • The property is three tracts, 1301, 1303 and 1305 E. 4th Street. • Last year we rezoned 1305 and 1307 E. 4th Street, which are adjacent properties. • We are requesting the same zoning so they can be developed as one. • The area rezoning for the properties with this case is .45 acres, but combined with the other tracts the total is 0.7413 acres. • The property has proximity to transit and access and has great walkability. • The proposed development, including all tracts, is approximately 170 dwelling units. • 25-30 units will be affordable units @50% MFI. • Height Step-back is maximum 45 feet adjacent to alley. • 15-foot step back to 60 feet. • Parking will be approximately 0.5 spaces/unit. • Access will be two points for egress/ingress, likely off Attayac Street and the alley, but this will be determined at the site plan stage. 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 38 of 24 • The zoning will not change. It will remain TOD-NP. What is proposed to be changed is the subdistrict from TOD (Live/Work Flex) to TOD (Mixed Use). This allows the property to participate in the regulating plan’s Density and Height Development Bonus. The Density Bonus is only permitted on the TOD (Mixed Use). Comments: • We’ve lived on this corner for 22 years. I’m not opposed to development. To date, properties have developed at 40 feet, which is compliant with the TOD. This has been good for the neighborhood. We have concerns about a 60-foot building on this site. • I live across the alley from the project. I bought about 8 years ago. We already have a lot of noise pollution with traffic. It’s impossible for families to live in a downtown setting. The downtown is great for being able to walk to Wholefoods, etc. You’re limiting to young professional without families. When these new buildings come in that are denser, your increasing traffic and noise. The original rules and regulations provided a buffer. Leah Bojo’s Response: We are across the street from Scoot Inn, and a 60-foot building will help to buffer the noise from the commercial businesses from the north to the single-family homes to the south. We are not replacing any existing residential uses. We are providing new homes and also including affordable units at 50% MFI. 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 39 of 24 Applicant Summary Letter from Application 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 310 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 311 of 24 Letter of Recommendation from the Neighborhood Plan Contact Team (NPCT) (No letter as of April 16, 2025) From: Meredith, Maureen Sent: Tuesday, April 8, 2025 4:56 PM To: ericryanpace@gmail.com; eccsector7rep@gmail.com; saraz@zlyst.com; mpm167@gmail.com Cc: Tomko, Jonathan <Jonathan.Tomko@austintexas.gov> Subject: ECC NPCT Rec?: NPA-2025-0002.01_1301 E. 4th St Dear ECC NPCT: I apologize if I already sent you an email asking for this, but cases NPA-2025-0002.01 and C14-2025-0019_1301, 1303, 1305 E. 4th Street are scheduled for the April 22, 2025 Planning Commission hearing. If your team would like to submit a letter of recommendation to be included in the staff case reports, please email it to me and Jonathan Tomko, the zoning planner, no later than Wednesday, April 16, 2025 by 3:00 pm. If we receive the letter after this date and time, we will submit it as late material to the Planning Commission. Maureen 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 312 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 313 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 314 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 315 of 2406 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 316 of 24 Leah Bojo’s Presentation at the March 13, 2025 Virtual Community Meeting 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 317 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 318 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 319 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 320 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 321 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 322 of 24 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 323 of 24 Correspondence Received 06 NPA-2025-0002.01 - 1301, 1303, and 1305 E. 4th Street; District 324 of 24