B-01 (C14-2019-0129 - 10801 Wayne Riddell Loop; District 5)_Part5 — original pdf

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May 8, 2020 Via Electronic Delivery Zoning and Platting Commission City of Austin 505 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704 Re: Opposition to Rezoning Case - C14-2019-0129 Dear Chair Kiolbassa and Members of the Zoning and Platting Commission, This letter is submitted on behalf of the Knolls at Slaughter Creek Homeowners Association (the “Knolls HOA”). Since the rezoning case was postponed in early March, Knolls HOA representatives have attempted to negotiate in good faith with the applicant to reach an agreement on entitlements that would allow the applicant to build a significant amount of new housing within the neighborhood, while mitigating impacts of cut through traffic on the neighborhood. Unfortunately, we need help from the Zoning and Platting Commission and the City Council to reach such a compromise. At this point, the Knolls HOA remains DENY the requested rezoning. OPPOSED to the proposed rezoning, and requests that you 1. Remove Wayne Riddell Loop Extension As previously noted in the Knolls HOA’s letter (attached hereto), the neighborhood is uniquely susceptible to cut-through traffic that builds up on FM 1626 and S 1st streets. The proposal to extend Wayne Riddell Loop to complete the connection between these two roadways will only make the existing cut-through traffic situation worse, by incentivizing vehicular traffic to use Wayne Riddell Loop as a bypass route to avoid the light at FM 1626 and S 1st Street. With proposed improvements to FM 1626 only in the distant, uncertain future, traffic congestion is anticipated to worsen, with longer and longer queues building up at intersections. The Knolls HOA is not alone with these concerns. The Village of San Leanna is also opposed to this project on the grounds that the extension of Wayne Riddell Loop will attract traffic S 1st St through the Village of San Leanna in hopes of bypassing traffic backed up on FM 1626. On March 24, 2020, the Board of Aldermen for the Village of San Leanna passed a resolution (also attached) opposing the extension of Wayne Riddell Loop and asking the Zoning and Platting Commission and the City Council to reject any action that would trigger the roadway’s extension. At their meeting, the Aldermen made several comments that the roadways extension might force the Village of San Leanna to consider their available legal options, which might include the closure of San Leanna Drive at their village limits to the general public . Should this happen, this would only serve as a ​ detriment to connectivity sought by the City of Austin through its Strategic Mobility Plan. ​ ​ ​  Additionally, the Principal of Akins High School has expressed concerns about the proposed project, citing concerns that the additional traffic generated by the development will increase hazards for parents dropping off and picking up students and noting that the traffic impact analysis does not include traffic from other nearby apartments under construction. The Principal was particularly concerned about how the proposed extension of Wayne Riddell Loop for vehicular traffic would impact students who walk to school on S 1st St. Also, Akins High School relies on the curb space in front of their school as a drop-off/pick-up zone, which the proposed transportation modifications would eliminate. To mitigate the increased traffic and safety issues in the area, the Akins HS Principal requested that ZAP consider single-family zoning instead of multi-family zoning, and to remove the extension of Wayne Riddell Loop. The Knolls HOA agrees with the Village of San Leanna and the Akins High School leadership. At a minimum, we ask that the Zoning and Platting Commission recommend to the City Council to adopt conditions, as part of this rezoning case, that would restrict vehicular access (and through traffic to/from S 1st Street) to Wayne Riddell Loop. Although the applicant has not included any such condition as part of its rezoning request, the applicant has stated that they would not oppose such a condition. In our most recent dialogue with the applicant’s land planner, he noted that the planned access for the new development, both ingress and egress, is intended to be off of S 1st Street. Restricting access to Wayne Riddell Loop would have no—if not minimal—consequence to the applicant and would go a long way with minimizing the impacts of the scale and intensity of the proposed development. We believe ZAP could influence this decision in a number of ways, including but not limited to, recommending (i) carving out the existing single-family lot upon which the Riddell Homestead sits, for dedication as community space of some kind or for a lower-intensity development at a later date; (ii) restricting vehicular access from the subject property to Wayne Riddell Loop road; (iii) installing crash gates at the end of the existing Wayne Riddell Loop so that the extension is used for emergency access and bicycle and pedestrian access only; and/or (iv) removing the Wayne Riddell Loop extension from the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan. The Knolls HOA remains open to ideas. 2. Development Standards Should be Limited to Mitigate Environmental Hazards Without a solution for the traffic problems this project and the roadway extension will generate, the other impacts of the proposed development become even more important. The Knolls HOA respectively requests that ZAP either DENY the requested rezoning or recommend a lower base district zoning (such as MF-1 or MF-2), as the appropriate zoning for this property. As noted by the applicant in its September 29, 2019, letter to the City, the property has several site constraints that make it ill-suited for intensive development. Parts of the property are heavily wooded, including heritage trees, and it drains into a watershed, Slaughter Creek, with known flooding and erosion control issues. The water quality and flooding concerns are only exacerbated, as Slaughter Creek flows into Onion Creek immediately downstream. As we know, these environmental hazards are only likely to get worse, as our changing climate increases the severity of rain events. The new 2 ​  floodplain maps, Atlas 14, only look backwards in time, but the infrastructure built on this property will be used for the next 40+ years. Given the known flooding problems in the area, the Knolls HOA would encourage the City to closely study drainage infrastructure in the area and limit, as much as possible, the impervious cover that is paved in such a close proximity to the creek. The applicant asserts that MF-4 (Multi-Family Residence Moderate-High Density) so that it can “provide for flexibility in the height of the buildings” as a means of adjusting to these site constraints. However, the same result can be achieved by simply scaling back the intensity of the project. For example, under MF-2 base district zoning, imperious cover would be limited to no more than 60% impervious cover and 50% building coverage. This would help preserve more natural areas and more trees, which will help absorb rainwater and enhance the controls on stormwater flows and pollution. And, at the same time, provide the applicant with significant density potential (23 units per acre). Additionally, the allotments of density in line with MF-1 or MF-2 would be more comparable to previous residential zoning cases that have occured in the area, as demonstrated by the staff’s chart provided in backup: (i) 11001 S 1st St was zoned MF-3-CO with a limit of 430 units; (ii) 9900 S 1st St was zoned SF-2; and (iii) 10000-10450 S 1st St was zoned MF-2-CO with MF-1 density limits. The request for MF-4, even with the proposed MF-3 modifications, would far exceed the general development patterns of the area. Thank you for your consideration of the Knolls HOA’s concerns. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. If you have a moment you can dedicate to us in the coming weeks to discuss this project in more detail, we would greatly appreciate scheduling a virtual meeting or phone call with you. Many thanks, Bobby Levinski Attorney, representing Knolls at Slaughter Creek Homeowners Association 512-636-7649 (mobile) bobby.levinski@gmail.com CC: David Hartmann, Applicant’s Attorney 3 ​ Correspondence Received RESOLUTION NO. R20-002 WHEREAS, The Village of San Leanna is a Type B General Law City in Travis County with exclusive control over its roads, which are built and maintained by Village of San Leanna taxpayers; and WHEREAS, a proposal has been made to extend Wayne Riddell Loop to connect to South 1st Street at 10801 Wayne Riddell Loop as part of the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan; and WHEREAS, such a connection would grant access to traffic cutting over from South 1st Street to FM 1626 by way of roads maintained by Village of San Leanna taxpayers; and WHEREAS, increased traffic through a purely residential area serves no purpose but as a shortcut for heavy traffic and would create increased wear and tear on Village roads as well as having a significant impact of the safety of the residents of the Village of San Leanna; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Board of Aldermen of the Village of San Leanna hereby strongly opposes the extension of Wayne Riddell Loop to meet South !st Street; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to all the members of the City of Austin Zoning and Platting Commission and the City of Austin City Council with our ardent plea that this action not be taken; AND BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be also sent to the several other neighborhood associations and other groups who join us in opposing this action. PASSED AND APPROVED on this 24th day of March, 20020 by a vote of to . ____________________________ Molly Quirk Mayor, Village of San Leanna Attest: ____________________________ Rebecca Howe City Administrator