02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 1 - Public Comment — original pdf
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September 7, 2025 Planning Commission City of Austin Dear Planning Commission Members, This letter supplements my letter of August 25th and requests that you deny two requests for the Austin Can Academy property in District 1 including denial of: (1) rezoning the part of a property that faces the Sol Wilson and Bedford from Residential to Commercial Mixed Use (case C14-2025-0049) and (2) rezoning the entire property from Civic to Mixed Use (case NPA-2025- 0008.01). The subject property has a different setting on the north than the south, as appropriately reflected in the current zoning. The subject property faces Rosewood Street on the south, Hargrave Street on the west, Sol Wilson Street on north, and Bedford Street on the east. Rosewood and Hargrave Streets are larger streets that have other public and commercial uses and larger vehicle capacity. Sol Wilson and Bedford Streets are lined with single-family residences and both terminate in dead-ends. Please see attached for an overlay showing adjacent property uses and street types as well as photographs of the area. This rezoning application is inappropriate since it pushes commercial use into a neighborhood of single-family residences, is along two low-capacity, ASMP Level 1 dead-end streets, and is unbalanced with the zoning on the Sol Wilson Street to the east of Bedford Street. In the virtual public meeting hosted by the City, the developer (who doesn’t currently own the property) expressed a desire to adaptively re-use the historic Rosewood Elementary School building and construct additional buildings and parking on the site. They reported that single- family housing is planned for the area currently zoned single-family residential. I recommend that Single-Family Residential zoning be retained on low capacity Sol Wilson and Bedford Streets where adjacent to single-family housing, in accordance with the developer’s own plans. I also recommend that part of the property be rezoned to Commercial where it is adjacent to existing Commercial zoning, public uses, and higher capacity streets. An overlay showing this option (compared to the existing zoning and application zoning) is attached. In the two weeks since the original hearing on this case was postponed, I’ve been able to talk with approximately 30 neighbors about the proposed rezoning. My neighbors and I are unanimous in three main desires for the property: 1. We are opposed to rezoning. Rezoning is not necessary for the planned redevelopment as reported in the virtual public meeting. We are supportive of building housing where currently zoning for housing. 2. We are supportive of the adaptive re-use of the historic Rosewood Elementary School and encourage historic designation. 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 11 of 17 3. Should part of the property be redeveloped into a commercial use, we want it to contain a use that is compatible with the neighborhood and be a place that neighbors experience as inclusive. I appreciate your consideration. Thank you, Kim Barker 1170 Bedford Street 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 12 of 17 Adjacent Property Uses Public Commercial Single-Family Housing Multi-Family Housing Subject Property Location 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 13 of 17 Adjacent Street Types ASMP Level 2 ASMP Level 2 ASMP Level 1 - Dead-end streets Subject Property Location 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 14 of 17 Current Zoning Other Commercial Single-Family Residential Multi-Family Residential Subject Property Location 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 15 of 17 Zoning Change under Consideration Other Commercial Single-Family Residential Multi-Family Residential Incompatible due to: 1. Pushes commercial use into a neighborhood composed of single-family residences 2. Presence of two low- capacity, ASMP Level 1 dead-end streets, 3. Unbalanced with Sol Wilson Street east of Bedford Street 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 16 of 17 RECOMMENDED ZONING Other Commercial Single-Family Residential Multi-Family Residential Retain Single-Family Residential zoning where adjacent to other SF Residential zoning, single-family housing uses, and ASMP 1 streets Re-zone to Commercial where adjacent to Commercial zoning, public uses, and ASMP 2 streets 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 17 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 2 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to multi-family housing (at left) and higher capacity roadway including bus route and bike lane Rosewood Avenue 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 18 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 2 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to multi-family housing (at right) and higher capacity roadway including bus route and bike lane Rosewood Avenue 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 19 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 2 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to Millenium Youth Entertainment Center (public use at left) and higher capacity roadway including bike lane Hargrave Street 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 110 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 2 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to Millenium Youth Entertainment Center (public use at left) and higher capacity roadway including bike lane Hargrave Street 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 111 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 1 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to single-family houses (at left and center) and low-capacity street that terminates in a dead-end Sol Wilson Street 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 112 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 1 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to single-family houses (at left and right) and low-capacity street that terminates in a dead-end (behind the photographer) Bedford Street 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 113 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 1 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to single-family houses (at center and right) and low-capacity streets that terminate in dead-ends Bedford & Sol Wilson Streets 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 114 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 1 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to single-family houses (at left, center, and right) and low-capacity streets that terminate in dead-ends Bedford & Sol Wilson Streets 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 115 of 17 Photos of the Property Adjacent to ASMP Level 1 Streets This part of the property is: Adjacent to single-family houses (at left, center, and right) and low-capacity streets that terminate in dead-ends Bedford & Sol Wilson Streets 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 116 of 17 Photos of the Dead-End Streets Bedford Street Sol Wilson Street 02 and 03 NPA-2025-0008.01 - 2406 Rosewood Ave and C14-2025-0049 - 1169 Hargrave Street; District 117 of 17