[00:00:05]
>> GARCIA: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
ALL RIGHT. WELCOME TO THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING FOR OCTOBER 24. WE'LL START WITH A ROLL CALL.
>> CLERK: CHAIR, WE HAVE QUORUM. >> GARCIA: THANK YOU.
[Approval of Minutes ]
FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVAL FOR THE MINUTES OF OCTOBER -- OH, WAIT.SORRY. TODAY IS NOVEMBER THE 6TH. I SAID THE WRONG DATE.
BUT THE MINUTES ARE FOR OCTOBER 24TH. MY APOLOGIES.
YOU SHOULD HAVE THEM IN YOUR PACKAGE AND I WOULD LOVE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
[Public Comment ]
THE NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL START WITH ITEM NO. 3 AND THAT WILL BE JACK FINGER. MR. FINGER, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES.YOU'LL BE FOLLOWED BY COSMENA. >> MADAME CHAIR, OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE. FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER.
THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HAPPY WITH THE PASSAGE OF ALL THOSE CHARTER AMENDMENTS, JUST REMEMBER YOU'LL HAVE FOUR MORE YEARS OF JACK FINGER.
>> GARCIA: I THINK WE'LL HAVE MORE. >> YES.
ITEM NO. 3 ABOUT THE BRIEFING AND THE STATUS UPDATE OF THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK IN THE UPDATE TO THE TOD ZONING DISTRICT.
ARE YOU AWARE THAT THE PROPOSED TRANSIT-ORIENTED DISTRICT IS A MASSIVE LAND GRAB? A MASSIVE POWER GRABBY VIA. FOR REAL.
YOU LOOK AT THIS. LOOK AT WHAT VIA IS PLANNING ON DOING.
THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, VIA, SAYS DON'T WORRY. IT'S NOT A REZONING.
NOT A REZONING. NO, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE THINGS ENHANCED, ENHANCE THE AREAS AROUND THERE SO IT WILL MAKE THINGS MORE EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GET AROUND AND SO FORTH. WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THE DETAILS WHERE THE DEVIL IS, YOU'LL FIND THAT THE BUS DEDICATED LANES, THEY'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET . HOW DO PEOPLE GET TO THEM? THEY HAVE TO WALK UP TO VARIOUS BUS STOPS. REDUCED IN NUMBER ALONG SAN PEDRO AND ON THE WEST SIDE EVENTUALLY FOR COMMERCE STREET, FREDERICKSBURG ROAD, LOOP 410, ROOSEVELT, EVERYWHERE . THAT'S WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE. HOW DO PEOPLE GET TO THEM? THEY HAVE TO WALK LONG DISTANCES. WHY? BECAUSE THE REGULAR BUS ROUTES WON'T BE THERE. FOR REAL.
THINK ABOUT IT. HOW DO PEOPLE WHO GET ON THIS, YOU THINK IT WILL INCREASE RIDERSHIP? IT WILL DECREASE IT. PEOPLE WILL SAY I NEED TO GET A CAR. OF COURSE, BECAUSE OF THE DEDICATED BUS LANES, YOU WON'T HAVE AS MANY LANES AS -- YOU CERTAINLY WOULDN'T HAVE MORE LANES.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN? TRAFFIC JAMS. PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE AREAS THAT YOU REPRESENT, THEY'LL GET MAD AT YOU AND YOU WILL HAVE TO SUFFER FOR FOUR MORE YEARS OF THEIR TRAFFIC JAMS. THEY DON'T LIKE THAT. THIS IS SUCH A POWER GRAB THAT I BELIEVE THERE'S EVEN A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY FOR THIS.
YOU MAY WANT TO CHECK WITH THE ATTORNEYS IN THIS REGARD.
NO, THERE'S SO MANY FAULTS, SO MANY DEFECTS WITH THIS YOU'LL WANT TO SAY NO TO IT.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU, MR. FINGER. COSMENA COLVIN FOLLOWED
[00:05:02]
BY -- OH, JUST COSMENA. IS SHE HERE? THERE YOU ARE.>> OKAY. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING, MEMBERS OF THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, MY NAME IS COSMENA COLVIN AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE TIER 1 NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION. I SERVED ON THE SUBCOMMITTEE ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER LEADERS. OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRANSIT ORIENTED CODE DOES NOT CITY NEIGHBORHOODS . AS SOMEONE WHO GAVE UP OWNING A VEHICLE IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS, I'M VERY INVESTED IN THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE HOME TO MANY FOLKS THAT ARE LOOKING FOR BETTER MOBILITY.
WHAT WE'D LIKE TO ASK YOU TO CONSIDER TODAY AS YOU HEAR THE BRIEFING FROM THE STAFF IS THE FOLLOWING: ONE, WE SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE PC TAC.
SPECIFICALLY THAT SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, REGARDLESS OF CURRENT SIZE AND USE WITHIN THE ORIGINAL CRAG BE EXCLUDED FROM THE TOD DISTRICTS. OUTSIDE OF THE CRAG, SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES UNDER A HALF ACRE SHOULD BE EXCLUDED. TWO, WE SUPPORT THE CUSTOMIZED MAPS CREATED BY THE TASK FORCE SUBCOMMITTEE APPROVED BY THE TOD TASK FORCE AND POSTED TO SA SPEAK UP ON 1012. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THOSE MAPS SHOULD BE AMENDED PRIOR TO GOING TO THE ZONING COMMISSION.
WE ALSO SUPPORT LANGUAGE IN THE TOD TO CODIFY CUSTOMIZED MAP CREATION IN THE FUTURE.
. THIS LANGUAGE SHOULD INCLUDE A PROCESS TO NOTIFY ALL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE TOD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CREATION OF THEIR BOUNDARY MAPS. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MINIMUM 50% PARKING REQUIREMENT INCLUDED IN THE TOD MX DISTRICTS.
ALSO RECOMMENDED BY THE PC TAC -- FOR NEW DEVELOPMENTS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT A LOT OF EFFORT HAS GONE INTO THE TOD AND WE ARE GENERALLY IN SUPPORT.
HOWEVER, IT IS STILL INCUMBENT UPON US AND OUR LEADERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T DISREGARD THE PEOPLE AND NEIGHBORHOODS, THE EXISTING BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN OUR EFFORTS TO PROMOTE TRANSIT. IN CLOSING, THE TIER 1 NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION WORKING GROUP ON THE TOD WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO OUR MEETING THIS SATURDAY AT 9:00 A.M. AT THE DECO BUILDING AT 1800 FREDERICKSBURG ROAD. AS YOU ENTER THE BUILDING FROM THE PARKING LOT, WE WILL BE IN THE FIRST OFFICE ON THE RIGHT. THANK YOU.
>> GARCIA: THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE WILL, FOR THE BENEFIT OF
[Briefing and Possible Action on ]
THOSE WHO ARE IN THE AUDIENCE AND DON'T KNOW, ITEM NO. 4 WAS REMOVED FROM TODAY'S AGENDA PER STAFF. WE'LL HEAR IT AT A FURTHER DATE, LIKELY THE DECEMBER MEETING. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ WAS OKAY WITH IT. HE WAS INFORMED. BUT WE DO HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE FROM OUR ACS BOARD HERE. WE HAVE RITA, MY REPRESENTATIVE AND CHAIR, KAREN AS WELL, AND KATY. YOU WON'T HURT OUR FEELINGS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO STAY FOR PCDC BUT I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD LET YOU ALL KNOW.BUT ALSO IF YOU ALL, OUR ACS CHAIR DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB AND IT'S HER BIRTHDAY.
IF WE COULD WISH RITA A HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON HER WAY OUT AND JUST SAY THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE] WE'LL SPARE YOU FROM THE SINGING, MS. RITA.
SOMEBODY ELSE CAN SING TO YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO, AGAIN, MY COLLEAGUES, WE WILL NOT BE LISTENING TO ITEM NO. 4 TODAY.
[Consent Agenda ]
THE NEXT ITEM IS -- ACTUALLY, IF WE COULD TAKE UP THE CONSENT AGENDA BECAUSE WE HAVE SOMEONE WHO HAS A TIME LIMIT TODAY AND SO IF WE COULD PLEASE TAKE ACTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH INCLUDES A RESOLUTION OF NO OBJECTION FOR SAGE LOFTS FOR PET CORPS INVESTMENTS. YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD THEM IN YOUR PACKETS -- PERFECT. IS THERE A SECOND . THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND? ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.>> MOTION CARRIES. WE HAVE TAKEN CARE OF HALF OF THE AGENDA AUDIO] AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO LORI FIRST TO KICK US OFF.
THANK YOU, LORI. >> HOUSTON: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ON THIS BEAUTIFUL WEDNESDAY MORNING. I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS ITEM THAT WILL BE PRESENTED BY HRNA, WHO WERE THE CONSULTANTS
[00:10:06]
SELECTED TO DO OUR DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC PLAN. BUT THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE WORK WE STARTED IN 2011 . SO IF YOU'LL RECALL, CENTRO WAS OUR PARTNER IN 2011 AND THEY DID THE DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK AND CITY COUNCIL DIDN'T ADOPT THAT PLAN, THEY ENDORSED THAT PLAN WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT CITY STAFF WOULD COME FORWARD WITH A AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.SO THE ITEMS YOU SAW IN THAT DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK PLAN WERE RECOMMENDATIONS.
COUNCIL DECIDED WHICH ONES THEY WANTED TO BRING FORWARD FOR POLICY AND THEN COUNCIL TOOK THEM FORWARD ON THEIR OWN PLAN THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY BUT IT'S ABOUT PROBABLY THREE YEARS LATE. BUT WE ARE COMING FORWARD WITH A NEW DOWNTOWN STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK PLAN. IT IS DONE IN PARTNERSHIP NOT JUST WITH THE CITY BUT WITH CENTRO, WHO WAS OUR PARTNER LAST TIME, BUT ALSO A NEW PARTNER, WHICH IS VISIT SAN ANTONIO. I WANT TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR TOURISM INDUSTRY IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO AND THAT CITIES WOULD DIE TO HAVE THE DOWNTOWN ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH 14,000 HOTEL ROOMS, AN ACTIVE CONVENTION CENTER, AND THEN THE RESIDENTIAL THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
WHEN WE TALK TO A LOT OF PEER CITIES THEY SAY WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOUR TOURISM INDUSTRY IN ADDITION TO YOUR RESIDENTIAL. [TIMER]
>> RECOGNIZE THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE A BALANCE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO SHARE IS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THIS AS A DRAFT.
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK. WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO FROM HERE IS GO AND DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL IN A B SESSION IN JANUARY OR FEBRUARY WITH THAT INFORMATION AND THEN ULTIMATELY GO TO FULL COUNCIL FOR A RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT OF THE PLAN. FROM THERE, STAFF WOULD PICK UP THE IMPLEMENTATION COMPONENTS, WHICH ONES WE WANTED TO SEE.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY. I WANT TO THANK TRISH AND HER TEAM AT CENTRO FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT PARTNER AND REALLY TAKING THE LEAD ON THIS.
THEY HAVE BEEN THE ONES, THE RUNNING POINT FOR THE CONSULTANTS.
AND THEN I WANT TO THANK MARK ANDERSON FOR HIS FUNDING AND HIS SUPPORT AND HIS BOARD'S SUPPORT. BOTH CENTRO AND VISIT SAN ANTONIO PUT NORTH OF $200,000 EACH INTO THIS PLAN. THE CITY PUT $50,000.
AND SO I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR BEING TRUE PARTNERS IN REALLY BRINGING FUNDING TO THIS AND HELPING US MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR NEXT PHASE FOR DOWNTOWN.
SO I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO, I BELIEVE MARK FIRST AND MARK IS GOING TO PASS IT TO
TRISH AND THEN THE CONSULTANTS. >> HELLO, EVERYONE.
MADAME CHAIR, COUNCIL COMMITTEE MEMBERS, OVER THE PAST YEAR WE MET WITH ALL OF YOU TO TALK ABOUT THE INITIAL PLANS IN PLACE WITH THE CITY, WITH CENTRO, AND OUR PARTNERS HRNA. TOMORROW IS OUR VISIT SAN ANTONIO ANNUAL MEETING WHERE WE ARE GOING TO RELEASE THE HISTORIC ECONOMIC IMPACT TAX REVENUE AND JOBS PRODUCED IN 2023 HOPEFULLY INSPIRE YOU TO KNOW THAT OUR DOWNTOWN AREA IS GREAT BUT IT CAN BE EXCELLENT WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER IN COLLABORATION AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FROM THE HRNA PLAN. I HOPE IT INSPIRES YOU TO REALIZE THE POWER OF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM BUT ALSO THE POWER OF WHAT OUR DOWNTOWN CAN MEAN TO OUR LOCAL SAN ANTONIANS. THIS PLAN WAS PUT IN PLACE TO DEVELOP A RICHER DOWNTOWN FOR OUR TOURISTS, WHICH WILL INEVITABLY INCREASE ECONOMIC IMPACT, JOBS, AND TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
BUT THE PLAN WAS ALSO VERY THOUGHTFULLY PUT IN PLACE, SO THE LOCAL SAN ANTONIANS HAVE A HOME IN DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO AND THEY FEEL THEY HAVE A HOME AND A PLACE IN OUR DOWNTOWN CORPS. WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO TRISH DEBERRY,
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CENTRO. >> THANK YOU, MARK. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.
THANK YOU. ON BEHALF OF CENTRO'S BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OUR STAFF AND OUR AMBASSADOR OPERATION, WHICH IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF CENTRO, WE COULDN'T BE MORE PLEASED TO BE HERE TODAY. BEFORE I START, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE ON MY TEAM THAT HAVE BEEN CRITICAL TO THIS EFFORT. THAT IS EDDIE AND CONNIE. PLEASE STAND UP.
YES. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] THEY'VE WORKED DAY AND NIGHT AND CONNIE IS OUR DATA ANALYST AT CENTRO AND EDDIE
[00:15:10]
LEADS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES. ANYWAY, AS LORI MENTIONED, THIS PLAN IS PROBABLY THREE YEARS OVERDUE. THE FACE OF DOWNTOWN IS CHANGING AND CHANGING RAPIDLY. AND SO THIS IS A POINT IN TIME WHERE WE NEED TO GET AHEAD OF THE CURVE. I THINK WHAT YOU'LL SEE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PRESENTATION BY HRNA IS REALLY A DEEP DIVE SO I THINK THAT DATA WILL BE THOUGHT PROVOKING. AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT WE WILL HAVE QUESTIONS.BUT TEXAS IS A BIG STATE AND A STATE THAT IS AS WE LOOK AT NOT ONLY THE INFLUX OF PEOPLE NOT ONLY ACROSS THE STATE BUT IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT HOUSING. AND WE HAVE A SEVERE HOUSING SHORTAGE OF ALL TYPES ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS AND SAN ANTONIO TOO.
WHAT YOU'LL IS A CONCENTRATION REGARDING HOUSING BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE TOO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE LOOK AT REALLY THE PARK NETWORK AND THE OPEN SPACE THAT WE HAVE IN DOWNTOWN AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY ACTIVATE THE EMERALD GEM THAT WE HAVE REGARDING PARKS AND ACTIVATION. WHAT DOES ACTIVATION MEAN REGARDING DOWNTOWN? IT MEANS A ROBUST ENVIRONMENT REGARDING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND REALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ECOSYSTEM FOR DOWNTOWN, WE SHOULD NOT NECESSARILY LOOK AT THE RIVER WALK BEING SEPARATE FROM STREET LEVEL.
THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION. THIS IS HOW WE WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE REAL IMPACT ASSOCIATED WITH DOWNTOWN, IE HOW THEY ZONE HOUSTON, STARS AND STRIPES ON HOUSTON.
WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MAKE DOWNTOWN REALLY MORE ATTRACTIVE, NOT JUST FOR VISITORS, AS MARK TALKED ABOUT, BUT REALLY MY JOB AT CENTRO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO KNOW THAT DOWNTOWN IS A WELCOMING PLACE THROUGH FREE EVENTS AND ACCESSIBILITY ASSOCIATED WITH DOWNTOWN. SO OBVIOUSLY PARKING BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT. YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
AND WE ARE IMPLEMENTING A PARKING STUDY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING DOWN PARKING COSTS, SAFETY, AND SECURITY. REALLY, LIKE I SAID, MAKING DOWNTOWN A WELCOMING SITE FOR EVERYBODY. SO, ANYWAY, AT THIS POINT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THOMAS SIMPSON, WHO IS A PARTNER WITH HRNA, WHO WILL LEAD THE PRESENTATION. IT IS SIMPSON WHO IS HERE WHO HAS REALLY DONE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE HOUSING AND HAS DONE A GREAT JOB REGARDING THE DATA.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, THOMAS, PLEASE TAKE THE STAGE. >> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THIS EXCITING WORK.
IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TO WORK ALONGSIDE CITY STAFF, CENTRO, AND VISIT SAN ANTONIO AS WELL AS STAKEHOLDERS FROM ACROSS THE CITY AND DOWNTOWN IN TERMS OF PUTTING TOGETHER THE DRAFT OF THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK PLAN.
WHAT WE WANT TO GO THROUGH TODAY, AS LORI MENTIONED, IS A DRAFT AND REALLY IT'S FOUNDED ON SORT OF A VISION FOR DOWNTOWN, AN INSPIRING VISION FOR WHAT DOWNTOWN CAN BE. A SERIES OF GOALS THAT SUPPORT THAT VISION.
STRATEGIES THAT YOU CAN IMPLEMENT TO WORK TOWARDS THOSE GOALS.
AND THOSE WILL SORT OF LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR MORE SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS, POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND INVESTMENTS THAT CAN MAKE ALL OF THAT A REALITY.
A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO THIS RANGING FROM REVIEW OF PRIOR PLANS, A RIGOROUS MARKET AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS. ENGAGEMENT STEWARDED BY A TASK FORCE OF DOWNTOWN LEADERS BUT EXTENDING TO STAKEHOLDERS ACROSS DOWNTOWN AND BEYOND, INCLUDING DEEP ENGAGEMENT WITH LEADERS IN THE HOUSING SPACE.
AND CASE STUDIES AND BENCHMARKING TO UNDERSTAND DOWNTOWN RECOVERY AND OPPORTUNITY NATIONWIDE. SO WE WANT TO START WITH THE VISION HERE, WHICH IS THE NORTH STAR FOR THE PLAN. AND I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND READ IT OUT HERE, WHICH IS IMAGINE A DOWNTOWN THAT IS A FABRIC OF INCLUSIVE, CONNECTED, MIXED-USE NEIGHBORHOODS. THAT DRAWS SAN ANTONIANS AND VISITORS TO A THRIVING AND SUSTAINABLE CENTER OF CULTURE, INNOVATION, AND URBAN LIVING.
AND SOME KEY GOALS TO HELP ADVANCE THAT THAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE ARE, ONE, GREATLY INCREASING LOCAL PARTICIPATION IN A WAY THAT COMPLEMENTS THE VISITOR ECONOMY. AND A LOT OF WHAT WE SEE IN THIS SPACE IS INCREASINGLY VISITORS WANTING TO GO WHERE THE LOCALS GO. WE THINK THERE'S A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE DOWNTOWN SATISFY BOTH OF THOSE.
ACHIEVE A MIXED INCOME ENVIRONMENT WITH ACCESSIBLE OPTIONS ACROSS THE HOUSING CONTINUUM. AND THEN LEVERAGING INVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN TO SUPPORT BROADER CITYWIDE GOALS, WHETHER IT'S SUSTAINABILITY, EQUITY, OR
[00:20:01]
THE TYPE OF FUNDING TO SUPPORT SERVICES CITYWIDE THAT DOWNTOWN CAN DRIVE.SO DOWNTOWN, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY IS A REALLY UNIQUE PLACE WITHIN SAN ANTONIO. IT'S THIS CONFLUENCE OF CULTURE AND COMMERCE THAT'S KIND OF A KEY PART OF THE CITY'S IDENTITY. BUT IT'S ALSO AN ECONOMIC ENGINE. SO ALTHOUGH, FOR INSTANCE, THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT OCCUPIES LESS THAN 1% OF THE CITY'S LAND AREA, DOWNTOWN IS THE LARGEST JOB CENTER AND REALLY A DISPROPORTIONATE CREATOR OF TAX REVENUE THAT GOES TO SUPPORT SERVICES FOR ALL THE DISTRICTS IN THE CITY. AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INVESTMENT IN DOWNTOWN. YOU KNOW, COMING OUT OF THE 2011 PLAN AND INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE OF THAT. AND WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF RETURN ON THAT.
SO PROPERTY VALUE HAS GROWN FASTER WITHIN THE PID THAN CITYWIDE.
THERE'S BEEN A BOOM IN THE HOUSING STOCK DOWNTOWN AND GREAT NEW OPEN SPACES AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORT PEOPLE MOVING TO AND THROUGH DOWNTOWN AND FINDING PLACES TO ENJOY. AND THAT MOMENTUM IS CONTINUING.
THERE'S CATALYTIC PROJECTS THAT ARE PLAN AND MOVING FORWARD TODAY THAT ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO RESHAPE DOWNTOWN. AND WE THINK THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE HOW THOSE AND THE PROJECTS THAT COME BEYOND ACHIEVE PUBLIC POLICY GOALS. SO I THINK ONE OF THE KEY FINDINGS FROM OUR ANALYSIS AND FROM THE ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE DONE WITH STAKEHOLDERS IS DOWNTOWN HAS A LOT OF REALLY GREAT STRENGTHS AND ALSO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND WHO DOWNTOWN IS REALLY SERVING AND IS A GREAT PLACE FOR TODAY.
TOURISM CONTINUES TO DEFINE MUCH OF THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE, WHICH WE THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. THAT VISITOR ECONOMY HAS MADE DOWNTOWN SAN ANTONIO MORE RESILIENT THAN MANY OF YOUR PEERS WHO HAVE MORE OFFICE-BASED ECONOMY AND ARE REALLY STUCK WITH A LOT OF OPEN SPACE AND LESS FOOT TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN THAN THEY HAD BEFORE. BUT WE THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING MORE LOCAL SAN ANTONIANS TO ENJOY THE LOCAL ACTIVITIES DOWNTOWN AND THAT THERE ARE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS TO THAT. ALSO THE HOUSING STRATEGY HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AT DELIVERING MODERATE-INCOME HOUSING DOWNTOWN.
THIS IS A HOUSING TYPE THAT CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE CLAMORING TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT HOW TO DELIVER, AND YOU'VE DELIVERED IT IN SPADES.
IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN EXPAND BEYOND THE PRODUCT THAT'S AVAILABLE TODAY. SO I'M GOING TO STOP ON THIS MAP JUST FOR A SECOND BECAUSE I THINK IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING. THIS IS A MAP OF VISITATION TO LOCATIONS DOWNTOWN THAT HAVE 500,000 OR MORE VISITORS.
THE BIGGER THE BUBBLE, THE MORE VISITORS. THE DARKER THE BLUE, THE MORE THOSE VISITORS TEND TO BE TOURISTS. THE DARKER THE RED, THE MORE THEY TEND TO BE LOCALS. AND THE GOLD BUBBLES ARE PLACES THAT HAVE A RELATIVELY EVEN SPLIT BETWEEN VISITORS AND LOCALS. WE THINK AS SORT OF A FRAMEWORK FOR THIS PLAN IS HOW CAN WE TURN MORE OF THOSE BLUE BUBBLES GOLD SO THEY'RE SERVING VISITORS AND LOCALS ALIKE AND HOW CAN WE GENERATE MORE GOLD BUBBLES ON THE MAP THAT REPRESENT MORE ACTIVE NODES WHERE THERE'S LESS ACTIVITY TODAY.
AND THE FIVE STRATEGIES THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THIS FRAMEWORK TO ADVANCE THAT VISION AND GOALS ARE EXPAND SUPPLY ACROSS THE HOUSING CONTINUUM.
INVIGORATE THE PUBLIC REALM, CURATE LOCAL RETAIL, ESPECIALLY FOOD AND BEVERAGE. WE WANT TO BUILD ON THE ANCHOR INSTITUTION AND CATALYTIC INVESTMENTS THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR DOWNTOWN. AND THEN REALLY TELLING THE STORY OF WHY DOWNTOWN IS A PLACE OF OPPORTUNITY AND EXCITEMENT AND JOY FOR SAN ANTONIANS AND VISITORS ALIKE. SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE -- EACH OF THOSE STRATEGIES STARTING WITH EXPANDING SUPPLY ACROSS THE HOUSING CONTINUUM. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, YOU KNOW, AS WE THINK ABOUT HOUSING, HOUSING IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE, ULTIMATELY IT'S ABOUT PEOPLE. AND SO IF WE IMAGINE WHO THOSE HOUSING COHORTS ARE THAT OUR ANALYSIS IS SUGGESTING THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE HERE, THEY RANGE FROM FOLKS EARNING 30% AMI SEEKING MORE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY IN THIS MIDDLE-INCOME SPACE THAT REPRESENTS THE DOWNTOWN WORKFORCE. SO HOW ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY DOWNTOWN AND OTHER PLACES AND IN OTHER INDUSTRIES HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO LIVE CLOSE TO WORK IN A WAY THAT ALLOWS THEM TO ENJOY DOWNTOWN, SAVE
[00:25:03]
ON TRANSPORTATION COSTS, ET CETERA. THERE'S ALSO A GAP THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE DATA THAT'S REALLY ON THIS HIGHER END OF THE INCOME SPECTRUM WHERE HOUSEHOLDS THAT CAN DRIVE HIGHER-DENSITY DEVELOPMENT THAT GENERATES A LOT OF PROPERTY TAX AND ALSO BRINGS THE TYPE OF EXPENDABLE INCOME TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, SMALL BUSINESSES, ET CETERA. THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE DOWNTOWN AS WELL. AND THEN THE COHORT THAT WE'VE REALLY BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT SOLVING FOR IN RECENT YEARS, THIS SORT OF MIDDLE-INCOME GROUP, CREATING HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM AS THEY GRADUATE OUT OF THEIR FIRST, SECOND APARTMENT DOWNTOWN RATHER THAN LEAVING TO GO TO THE SUBURBS. SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS COMING INTO THAT 2012 PLAN, HALF OF THE UNITS DOWNTOWN WERE SUBSIDIZED. THERE REALLY WAS A MAJOR GAP IN TERMS OF MARKET-RATE HOUSING IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.AND I THINK THE PLAN AND THE INCENTIVES AND INVESTMENTS THAT THE CITY HAS BROUGHT FORWARD HAS HELPED SORT OF SOLVE FOR THAT INBALANCE. YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THIS CHART. I THINK THIS CHART ALSO DEMONSTRATES THOSE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE INCOME BANDS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE USER PROFILES TO BROADEN WHO HAS ACCESS TO LIVING DOWNTOWN AT BOTH ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHO THOSE RESIDENTS MIGHT BE. I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THE HOUSING PRODUCTS ARE THAT COULD HELP BRING THAT ABOUT.
SO THOSE RANGE FROM DEEPLY AFFORDABLE PROJECTS, MIXED INCOME RENTAL BUILDINGS, THOSE HIGHER-DENSITY PODIUM AND HIGH-RISE TYPE OF BUILDINGS THAT AUDIO] AND ATTRACT HIGHER-INCOME RESIDENTS. AND THEN ENTRY-LEVEL HOME OWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT IS REALLY CHALLENGING RIGHT NOW. WHILE THERE ARE SIGNS THAT THE ECONOMICS ARE GETTING BETTER, IT'S HARD TO MAKE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WORK FINANCIALLY. AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE AND ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AN ENVIRONMENT LIKE DOWNTOWN WHERE LAND COSTS AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE SO MUCH HIGHER.
SO THERE'S AN IMBALANCE IN THIS EQUATION WHEN WE LOOK AT EACH OF THESE PRODUCT TYPES UNDER THE CURRENT ECONOMICS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, REQUIRES SOME PUBLIC ATTENTION TO THINK ABOUT HOW TO SOLVE FOR. AS AN EXAMPLE, THIS IS THE MUSEUM REACH LOFTS PROJECT . THIS IS PRE-COVID TO THIS IS CONSTRUCTION COSTS WERE CHEAPER. THE INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT WAS BETTER.
AND FOR A PROJECT THAT HAD 10% OF UNITS AT 30% AMI AND MORE THAN HALF AT 80% AND ABOVE, IT REALLY TOOK THROWING THE KITCHEN SINK AT THIS THING TO MAKE IT WORK.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE AMBITIONS AROUND DELIVERING HOUSING DOWNTOWN I THINK ARE KEY TO ACTIVATION. BUT WE SHOULD BE CLEAR-EYED ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET THAT DONE. SO OUR TEAM, LED BY AIDA, MODELED THESE DIFFERENT PRODUCT TYPES. DID A FINANCIAL MODEL FOR THESE, TO LOOK AT WHAT WAS FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE TODAY AND IF THEY WEREN'T FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE, WHAT WAS THE GAP ON A PER-UNIT BASIS, WHICH IS WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
SO EXTRAPOLATE THAT OUT TO -- SURE. >>
>> SURE. SO MODELING A BUILDING THAT IS 50% OF THE UNITS ARE AFFORDABLE AT 30% AMI. 50% AFFORDABLE AT 50% AMI. WE FOUND $125,000 GAP HER UNIT. AND THIS IS WHILE APPLYING CERTAIN EXISTING TOOLS THAT
WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO HELP SUBSIDIZE THAT HOUSING. >>
>> CORRECT. >> MICROPHONE, PLEASE. >> HOUSTON: IT ASSUMES THAT THE PROJECT IS ALREADY A PFC AND IT'S ALREADY RECEIVING LOW-INCOME TAX
CREDITS? >> CORRECT. >> HOUSTON: AND SO IT'S AN
ADDITIONAL $125,000 IN CASH PER UNIT. >> IN CASH OR SOME OTHER
FORM OF SUBSIDY, YES. >> HOUSTON: THAT COULD BE FEE WAIVERS OR THINGS LIKE
THAT. >> YOU CAN SEE THAT THE MIXED INCOME LEVEL, IN THIS CASE, THIS IS USING THE EXISTING PFC REQUIREMENTS, AND THEN THE HIGHER DENSITY BUILDINGS, ASSUMING A KIND OF CURRENT TOP OF MARKET RENT DOWNTOWN. SO IN THAT CASE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU -- CAN YOU DRIVE THAT TOP OF MARKET RENT TO SOLVE FOR THAT GAP AS OPPOSED TO APPLYING PUBLIC SUBSIDY. SO LET'S SAY WE
[00:30:06]
EXTRAPOLATE THAT MAT YOU CAN SEE WE'VE MODELED THIS AS, YOU KNOW, ONE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE BUILDING, ONE MIXED INCOME BUILDING, ONE AT THAT HIGHER INCOME RANGE, AND THEN 250 AFFORDABLE HOMES, IF WE'RE ASSUMING WE'RE DIRECTING PUBLIC SUBSIDY TOWARDS THOSE TWO PRODUCTS TO THE LEFT, IT WOULD BE A 38 MILLION TO $50 MILLION GAP WE WOULD NEED TO SOLVE FOR TO DELIVER 1,000 UNITS IN DOWNTOWN.>> I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT SLIDE AS WELL. I APOLOGIZE. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO FOR -- IF WE WERE TO DO A PROJECT THAT IS 125 UNITS AT 30%, 125 UNITS AT 60%, THAT'S 100% HE DEEPLY AFFORDABLE, WE WOULD NEED TO PROVIDE $32 MILLION TO GET THOSE 250 UNITS FOR THAT PROJECT. BUT ON THE LUXURY, YOU'RE SAYING WE DON'T NEED TO PROVIDE A SUBSIDY. WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS OR AMENITIES IN DOWNTOWN.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? >> THAT'S WHAT THIS FRAMEWORK IS SUGGESTING HERE, THAT IF YOU CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH PUBLIC INVESTMENTS THAT SERVE EVERYBODY, YOU CAN GENERATE DEMAND THAT CAN HELP UNLOCK THOSE MARKET RATE HIGHER DENSITY PRODUCTS WITHOUT DIRECTLY DEPLOYING SUBSIDY TO THE DEVELOPER.
>> SO SUBSIDY IS NEEDED FOR DEEPLY AFFORDABLE, NOT NEEDED FOR MARKET
RATE? >> I WOULD SAY THERE'S A GAP ACROSS THE BOARD, AND THERE'S A POLICY DECISION ABOUT WHERE YOU DIRECT THAT SUBSIDY, BUT WE THINK THERE ARE PATHS TO DELIVERING THAT MARKET RATE HOUSING THAT
AREN'T CASH FROM THE CITY COFFERS. >> THANK YOU.
>> TO ELABORATE ON THAT POINT, THE ULTIMATE DIRECTION THAT THE PLAN IS SUGGESTING RIGHT NOW IS WE'VE GOT A LOT OF TOOLS IN OUR TOOLKIT FOR HOUSING. WE WANT MORE TOOLS IN OUR TOOLKIT.
LET'S BE FLEXIBILITY AND INTENTIONAL IN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE DIRECT THOSE TOOLS. SOME OF THE TOOLS ARE MORE APPROPRIATE, EITHER FROM AN ECONOMIC STANDPOINT OR WHAT WE PRESUME FROM A PUBLIC POLICY STANDPOINT TO DIRECT TOWARDS CERTAIN TYPES OF PROJECTS.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS COULD MAKE A HUGE IMPACT IN TERMS OF GENERATING DEEPLY AFFORDABLE UNITS IN DOWNTOWN, AND THAT'S WHAT THAT TOOL IS MOST SUITABLE FOR AND ONE THEY WITH TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TO REACH OUR GOALS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOWNTOWN.
WHEREAS GAP FUNDING, YOU KNOW, MIGHT HAVE -- THERE MIGHT BE STRATEGIC REASONS FOR THOSE, AND THEN WE THINK ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD IN INVESTMENTS TO DRIVE ACROSS THE SPECTRUM, BUT THAT COULD HELP UNLOCK SOME OF THOSE MARKET RATE OPPORTUNITIES. THE NEXT STRATEGY HERE IS INVIGORATE THE PUBLIC REALM. SO YOU HEARD TRISH MENTION THE EMERALD GEM DOWNTOWN. OUR ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT DOWNTOWN HAS A FABULOUS PARK NETWORK. THERE'S AMAZING OPEN SPACES IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF PARKS IN DOWNTOWN. THEY ARE PARTICULARLY WELL SUITED AT SUPPORTING LARGE SCALE EVENTS, BUT ULTIMATELY, THERE'S INCONSISTENT QUALITY ACROSS THAT NETWORK, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE PHYSICAL SPACE AND THE LEVEL OF PROGRAMMING.
BRINGING THAT TYPE OF ACTIVATION AND STRATEGIC INVESTMENT IN PARKS CAN BOTH HAVE A MAJOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IMPACT, WHICH WE'VE SEEN IN CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO, AND ALSO CREATE THAT ENVIRONMENT THAT CREATES PLACES IN DOWNTOWN FOR FOLKS FROM EVERY DISTRICT OF THE CITY. WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT PUBLIC SPACE AS MORE THAN JUST PARKS, AND THIS INCLUDES THINKING ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE PUBLIC REALM, BOTH STREETS AND SIDEWALKS.
THE CONDITION OF THOSE AND ALSO OPPORTUNITIES TO TREAT THOSE AS PUBLIC SPACE, AND I THINK A MANTRA HERE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'VE SEEN SUCCESSFUL IN PARK STRATEGIES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE CONSISTENT QUALITY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES. NOT EVERY PARK SHOULD DO THE SAME THING. NOT EVERY PARK NEEDS TO HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF PROGRAMMING, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THE DIVERSITY OF PROGRAMMING AND OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE PARK SYSTEM TO SERVE EVERYBODY.
SO GOING BACK TO THIS MAP, YOU KNOW, CALLING OUT A FEW OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN THINK ABOUT IN THE NEXT ROUND OF WORK, WE'LL BRING FORWARD MORE SPECIFIC IDEAS AROUND LOCATIONS THAT PARK INVESTMENT AND PUBLIC SPACE CAN REALLY CREATE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE
[00:35:06]
NEW GOLD BUBBLES ON THE MAP HERE. SO I THINK THE THREE KEY COMPONENTS OF THIS STRATEGY THAT HAVE EMERGED SO FAR ARE IMPROVING COORDINATION AND RESPONSIBILITY AMONG THE ENTITIES THAT CURRENTLY ARE INVOLVED IN PARKS DOWNTOWN, TO TREAT PARKS AS A NETWORK AND REALLY AS PART OF THAT, MAKING SURE WE ARE PROPERLY RESOURCES PARKS FOR OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, BRINGING CONSISTENT PROGRAMMING AT DIFFERENT SCALES THAT ARE GOING TO BRING IN A VARIETY OF USERS HAVE AROUND THE CITY. RIGHT NOW, THE ANALYSIS HASN'T SHOWN -- THERE'S A HUGE NEED FOR NEW PARKS TO FILL IN GAPS, BUT BRINGING TARGETED CAPITAL INVESTMENTS TO EXISTING PUBLIC SPACES IS GOING TO GO A LONG WAY TO REALLY ENLIVENING DOWNTOWN IN THE FUTURE. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT CURATING LOCAL AUTHENTIC RETAIL WITH EMPHASIS ON GOOD AND BEVERAGE. WE THINK THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR DOWNTOWN TO BE THE BEST PLACE TO EAT AND DRINK IN THE REGION. A LOT OF THIS, I THINK, REALLY STEMS FROM MAKING SURE THAT DOWNTOWN SMALL BUSINESS IS LOCALLY DRIVEN. THERE'S EXAMPLES OF, I THINK, WHERE THIS HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN BRINGING BOTH LOCALS AND TOURISTS IN UNDO TOWN TODAY. IF YOU START TO LOOK AT RIVER NORTH.ALSO, OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE'VE SEEN LOCAL BUSINESS HAS BEEN A GENERATOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THERE'S GREAT RETAIL INFRASTRUCTURE THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN TODAY.
BEAUTIFUL STOREFRONTS AND CORRIDORS THAT REALLY HAVE GOOD BONES AND STRONG OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE THINK THERE'S GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ON. I WANT TO SPEND THE MOST TIME, I THINK, IN THIS SECTION ON THIS SLIDE WHICH IS REALLY LOOKING AT THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS YOU CAN PUT IN PLACE TO TARGET HOW YOU DRIVE RETAIL AND FOOD AND BEVERAGE IN DOWNTOWN TOWARDS THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO SAN ANTONIO. SO SOME EXAMPLES THAT FOCUS ON BUILDING UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR MINORITY AND WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES FROM THIS PROGRAM IN RALEIGH THAT WE CAN POINT TO AND A PROGRAM IN ORLANDO THAT'S BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN A VERY SIMILAR ENVIRONMENT WHERE TARGETING INCENTIVES TO SORT OF TIERED LEVELS BASED ON FOCUS AREAS AND THE TYPE OF BUSINESS THAT YOU WANT TO ENCOURAGE CAN START TO REACH THOSE POLICY OUTCOMES. SO THE THREE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THIS STRATEGY ARE INCENTIVIZING BUILDOUT OF GROUND FLOOR STOREFRONTS. FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND RETAIL, REALLY PUSHING TOWARDS THINKING OF DOWNTOWN AS A FOOD AND BEVERAGE DESTINATION. ESTABLISHING STRATEGIC COLLABORATION OF PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND CIVIC PLAYERS. HOW CAN THAT PLAY A ROLE IN CURATING THE ENVIRONMENT THAT YOU HAVE DOWNTOWN AND WHERE YOU WANT TO FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION. AND THEN REALLY SORT OF A MARRIAGE OF THE OPEN SPACE AND RETAIL STRATEGIES.
HOW CAN OPEN SPACE BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS AND ACTIVATE DOWNTOWN. NEXT IS BUILD ON ANCHOR INSTITUTION AND CATALYTIC INVESTMENTS. REALLY, THESE NEXT STRATEGIES ARE SORT OF PLATFORMS, I THINK, FOR ENABLING THOSE FIRST THREE.
THERE'S A NUMBER OF CATALYTIC PROJECTS GOING ON IN THE FUTURE FOR DOWNTOWN TODAY, WHETHER IT'S THE CIVIC PARK PHASE TWO AND UNCOMING MIXED INCOME DEVELOPMENTS AND HEMISFAIR.
LEVERAGING TO ACHIEVE POLICY GOALS, ALONING THOSE PROJECTS WITH BROADER STRATEGIES. HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE AS THESE PROJECTS COME ONLINE THEY ARE SUPPORTING THE PUBLIC SPACE GOALS AND HOUSING GOALS AND THE RETAIL GOALS AND ENSURING THERE'S STRONG FACILITATION AMONG STAKEHOLDERS SO THEY ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE CONVERSATION. THE LAST ONE IS BROADCAST THE VALUE, VISION, AND IDENTITY LOCALLY AND BEYOND. YOU'VE GOT TO GET THE BASICS RIGHT AND THERE'S A GREAT JOB AT SAFETY, PARKING, AND THE ABILITY TO DISCOVER NEW THINGS. THOSE ARE THINGS WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE WE GET RIGHT TO ENABLE THOSE OTHER STRATEGIES. SO A COUPLE OF COMPONENTS OF THAT ARE MARKETING THE VARIETY OF DOWNTOWN DESTINATIONS TO LOCALS. THERE'S A LOT OF VARIETY DOWNTOWN, AND I THINK THERE CAN TEND TO BE A TENDENCY TO LUMP IT INTO TOGETHER.
HOW DO WE TELL THE STORY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLACES THERE ARE
[00:40:04]
DOWNTOWN AND WHY THEY CAN BE ATTRACTIVE TO ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF USERS? USING TECHNOLOGY AND INCENTIVES TO MAKE PARKING EASIER AND MORE AFFORDABLE AND IMPROVING WAY FINDING SYSTEMS THAT ALLOW FOLKS TO BOTH LOCALS AND VISITORS PARK ONCE AND EXPLORE AND ENJOY DOWNTOWN IN A WAY THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT MOVING AROUND. SO IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTATION, SORT OF THE STRUCTURE HERE TODAY THAT WE'VE LAID OUT IS, YOU KNOW, THIS OVERARCHING VISION WITH GOALS IN SUPPORT OF OF THAT AND STRATEGIES TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN. THE FINAL WILL GO DEEPER IN TERMS OF MORE TACTICAL RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN THE PLAN WILL BE THE CITY AND ITS PARTNERS' ROLE TO DEVELOP POLICIES, PLACE-BASED PLANNING, AND PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPLEMENT.IT'S GOING TO TAKE COORDINATION ACROSS ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT WE KNOW THAT PLAY IMPORTANT ROLES IN DOWNTOWN. I JUST WANT TO FINISH ON THIS BRINGING BACK THE IMAGE OF THE PEOPLE WE TALKED ABOUT SERVING THROUGH THIS PLAN AND INVITE YOU ALL TO IMAGINE A DOWNTOWN THAT HAS PLACES TO LIVE, WORK, ENJOY AND VISIT WITH YOUR FAMILY, HAVE A CULTURAL EXPERIENCE IN A WAY THAT'S ACCESSIBLE, JOYFUL, AND UPLIFTING AND AFFORDABLE FOR EACH OF THESE COHORTS. WE THINK THAT THIS PLAN IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DELIVER ON THAT. THANKS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND WE'LL GET INTO QUESTIONS IN JUST A LITTLE BIT. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND I THINK WE'VE CERTAINLY COME A LONG WAY FROM THE DECADE OF DOWNTOWN AND SAFE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS WHAT WE WANT FOR RESIDENTS ON EVERY SIDE OF TOWN. RIGHT? SO I APPRECIATE THE CAREFUL CONSIDERATION AND THE THOUGHT THAT YOU ALL PUT FORWARD ON THAT. I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS IN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT. I FEEL LIKE -- I REMIND PEOPLE ALL THE TIME THAT DOWNTOWN IS A NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S SOMEONE'S NEIGHBORHOOD, A LOT OF PEOPLE'S NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WE NEED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT CERTAIN QUALITY OF LIFE IDEAS ARE MET THERE.
BUT THEN ALSO, LOOKING AT HOW WE LEVERAGE PEOPLE COMING IN FROM DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS. I ALSO THINK THAT THIS HELPS MAKE THE CASE FOR HOUSING BOND ROUND BE TWO.
RIGHT? A LITTLE BIT STRONGER AND HOW WE NEED SOME ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT, AGAIN, NOT JUST IN DOWNTOWN, EVERYWHERE.
I LIKE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL HAVE, THE CONCEPTS THAT YOU HAVE.
I WAS THINKING FIRST FRIDAY AND HOW TO KIND OF REINVIGORATE THAT.
CAN YOU TELL ME, YOU HAD A PARK ONCE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT PARK ONCE ON PAGE 37 MEANT? WE HAVE PARKING ISSUES.
SO I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU ALL MEANT BY THAT. >> YEAH. THE IDEA THAT YOU CAN PARK ONE TIME IN DOWNTOWN AND THEN GO WALK TO ALL THE DESTINATIONS AROUND IT AND THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW HOW TO DO THAT AND THAT IT'S ACCESSIBLE AND THAT THE PLACES IN BETWEEN WHERE YOU PARK AND WHERE YOU WANT TO GO INVITE STROLLING AND ENJOYING.
>> OKAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
AND THEN HOW ARE YOU MAKING SURE THAT THIS FRAMEWORK FITS INTO OUR
STRATEGIC HOUSING AND IMPLEMENTATION GOALS? >> WE SPOKE A LOT ABOUT THAT, AND THAT'S WHY YOU'LL SEE THE RECOMMENDATION REALLY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE HOUSING CONTINUUM, THAT, ONE, WE NEED TO REALLY FOCUS OUR INCENTIVES ON THAT DEEPLY AFFORDABLE, AND WE SHOULD NOT BE LOOKING AT PROJECTS THAT ARE ONLY MIXED INCOME WHERE YOU GET THAT 10 TO 15%, THAT MINIMUM THRESHOLD OF 30% AMI.
WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT PROJECTS THAT ARE 100% AFFORDABLE, AND YOU HAVE MORE LIKE THEY MODELED IT, 50% OR 30% AMI AND THE OTHER 50% AMI, THAT PRODUCT IS EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO MEET OUR GOALS, AND TO REALLY KIND OF CENTRALIZE THE SERVICES.
IT WILL HELP STREAMLINE COSTS AND PROVIDE EFFICIENCY. THEY ARE FOCUSING MORE ON, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SUBSIDIZE ANYTHING FOR HOUSING, THE CASH INCENTIVES NEED TO GO TOWARD THAT DEEPLY AFFORDABILITY. YOU NEED MARKET RATE AND LUXURY, BUT WHAT YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON IS IMPROVING AMENITIES FOR EVERYONE DOWNTOWN.
IF YOU IMPROVE AMENITIES FOR EVERYONE, THE LUXURY AND MARKET RATE SHOULD
[00:45:04]
FOLLOW WITHOUT CASH INCENTIVES. PUT ALL YOUR CASH IN THAT AFFORDABILITY TO PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS IN DOWNTOWN THAT BENEFITEVERYONE. >> THANK YOU, LORI. DID YOUR ASSESSMENT INCLUDE CURRENT VACANCY RATES AND APARTMENT DOWNTOWN AS WELL?
>> I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT MORE BECAUSE WE HAVE DONE DEEP DIVE LOOKING AT BOTH DOWNTOWN VACANCY RATES AND CITYWIDE AND PEER DOWNTOWN APARTMENT RENTAL VACANCY RATE, AND I WOULD SAY THAT MOST DOWNTOWNS HAVE BEEN HIT HARD POST-PANDEMIC. HOWEVER, IF WE LOOK AT THE RATE FOR CLASS A MULTIFAMILY BUILDINGS, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS AT PAR WITH OTHER MAJOR PEER DOWN TOWNS IN TEXAS. SO WE DO THINK THIS IS A HEALTHY MARKET DYNAMIC WITH PEOPLE ADJUSTING THEIR LIFESTYLE, WORKING FROM HOME. THERE IS AN UPTICK IN VACANCY IN APARTMENT RENTALS, BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE BEING BALANCED WITH NEWER PROJECTS GETTING ABSORBED AND THAT'S WHY WE ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE ON NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT BECAUSE RENTERS WANT TO ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF DOWNTOWN HAVING LOCAL COFFEE SHOPS, AMENITIES, AND EVEN PROVIDING SUPPORTING -- PROVIDING AMENITIES THAT CATER FOR YOUNGER FAMILIES. THESE ARE ALL THE NEWER USER TYPES THAT WE HOPE WITH NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENT CAN CONTINUE TO ATTRACT.
>> THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THE FOCUS AND THANK YOU FOR THINKING ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I'M OF THE OPINION THAT WE SHOULDN'T INVENTIVIZE CONSTRICTION IF WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF VACANCIES. SO HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE REINVIGORATE THE AREAS AROUND THESE PLACES THAT MIGHT STILL BE AVAILABLE.
RIGHT? AND SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I DEFINITELY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A VIBRANT DOWNTOWN SO PEOPLE CAN FEEL SAFE AND LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY ESSENTIALLY.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS WE'RE ATTRACTING OUR OWN RESIDENTS TO DOWNTOWN, THAT WE ARE ALSO PAYING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO OTHER AREAS OF TOWN.
SO SOME OF THE OLDER PARTS OF SAN ANTONIO LIKE I WOULD PROBABLY PUT DISTRICTS ONE THROUGH SEVEN IN OLDER CATEGORIES AND PARTS OF DISTRICT NINE AND POCKETS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T FEEL LEFT OUT WHEN THEY COME DOWNTOWN AND SEE, LOOK AT ALL THIS INVESTMENT GOING ON. WHAT ELSE ARE WE DOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE TAKEN CARE OF. SO THE LAST QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS ON PAGE 41. YOU HAD -- ACTUALLY, I THINK IT WAS ORIGINALLY -- IT WAS ONE OF YOUR FIRST SLIDES, BUT YOU REPEATED IT. IT WAS PERSONAS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE VISITING OR LIVING IN DOWNTOWN.
THE ONLY THING THAT I DIDN'T SEE IS LIKE THE AGING IN PLACE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR DOWNTOWN RESIDENTS THAT HAVE LIVED AT APARTMENTS FOR 20-PLUS YEARS. SO ANYWAYS. THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THAT I DIDN'T SEE. I KNOW YOU HAD THE RETIREE, THE SINGLE RETIREE, BUT AS WE THINK ABOUT HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND NEEDS, ET CETERA, OF THAT GROWING POPULATION. BUT THAT'S IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK. COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE,
GO AHEAD. >> THANK YOU. I THINK THIS WAS THOROUGH AND I APPRECIATE HOW YOU'VE LAID THIS OUT AND NOT GO OVER THOSE AREAS AND THEY ARE ALL VERY RELEVANT TO THE DIFFICULTIES WE HAVE IN CREATING A MORE VIGOROUS DOWNTOWN.
I STILL BELIEVE HOUSING IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUES, AND OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE LAID OUT THAT WE'VE GOT LESS THAN 1% OF THE PEOPLE INVOLVED IN HOUSING NOW THAT ARE GETTING 30% AMI IN DOWNTOWN GROWTH.
I THINK 15% ALTOGETHER WAS BELOW 60%. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, THERE ISN'T A LOT OF AFFORDABILITY DOWNTOWN.
I KNOW ALL OF US ARE HAVE AGREED. WE NEED TO HAVE MORE THAN THAT.
IT'S NOT JUST DOWNTOWN BECAUSE WE CAN SPEND A LOT OF MONEY TO BUILD AFFORDABILITY DOWNTOWN, BUT WE NEED AFFORDABILITY EVERYWHERE. I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WITH THE NUMBERS YOU HAD INDICATED IN HERE AS FAR AS COSTS AND EVERYTHING, A LOT OF THE COSTS FOR DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE IT'S DOWN TOWN, THE LAND IS MORE VALUABLE, BUT YOU START DEVELOPING MORE AFFORDABILITY IN MANY OTHER DISTRICTS AROUND TOWN ESPECIALLY OTHER AREAS. INSIDE LOOP 410, SCATTERED NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST, THE COSTS WOULD BE LESS.
[00:50:02]
I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR A WHILE, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, I THINK THIS CITY NEEDS TO DEVELOP A SEPARATE BOND PROGRAM FOR ABOUT HALF A BILLION DOLLARS IN HOUSING BONDS THAT WOULD HELP US DEVELOP REALLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING. ONE OF THE SLIDES HERE SHOWED THAT, I THINK, THE COST OF HOUSING FOR 250 UNITS AT 30% AMI MEANT YOU HAD TO PUT IN, LIKE, $27 MILLION TO $32 MILLION TO CREATE THAT. THAT'S JUST 250 UNITS.NOW, LET'S SAY YOU WANTED TO DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, 2500 UNITS, AFFORDABLE. THEN 10 TIMES THAT IS $320 MILLION.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER WAYS THAT YOU PUT DOWN DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, LIKE PROJECT-BASED VOUCHERS, PUBLIC LAND THAT CAN BE USED TO LOWER THE COST, MODIFYING GAP FUNDING, YOU KNOW.
SO THERE ARE OTHER WAYS OF DOING IT. BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO ASK THE VOTERS IN THIS COMMUNITY TO THINK ABOUT.
I DON'T SEE WAITING UNTIL 2027 WHEN WE HAVE ANOTHER BOND PROJECT BECAUSE THAT MEANS NOTHING WOULD START UNTIL 2028.
IT'S FOUR YEARS FROM NOW BEFORE WE WOULD EVEN START TO DEVELOP ALL THAT ADDITIONAL HOUSING. TAKE ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO OR THREE TO GET THAT STUFF BUILT. CAN WE WAIT FIVE, SIX, SEVEN YEARS TO CREATE THE THOUSANDS OF UNITS THAT WE NEED IN THIS COMMUNITY TODAY, NOT JUST DOWNTOWN, BUT AROUND THE CITY? SO THAT'S WHY I'M PRETTY STRONG ADVOCATE FOR LOOKING AT HOUSING BONDS SOONER AND PUTTING IT TO GOOD USE. NOW, THE OTHER PROBLEM THAT I SEE WITH DOWNTOWN IS THAT WE JUST DON'T GET A LOT OF PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING.
YOU CAN LOOK AT VIA, AND THEY DO A LOT MORE INSIDE LOOP 410 THAN OUTSIDE LOOP 410. THEY ARE TRYING TO DO MORE, AND THAT'S GOOD.
I THINK WE'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN MY DISTRICT. I'M SURE COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ FEELS THE SAME WAY AND COUNCILMEMBER WHITE WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY. PEOPLE FAR NORTH AREN'T THAT WILLING TO COME DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THERE'S CONGESTION AND THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH PARKING.
IF YOU RELY ON PUBLIC DESCRIPTION, WHICH DOESN'T EXIST FOR PEOPLE IN 8, 9, AND 10 REALLY TO GO BACK AND FORTH, WE'RE MISSING OUT ON A LOT OF INVESTMENT FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN DISTRICTS 8, 9, AND 10 THEY CAN MAKE IN DOWNTOWN BY GOING TO THE IMAGINISTIC -- MAGESTIC. IF THEY WENT DOWNTOWN, THEY WOULD SPEND JUST AS MUCH MONEY AS A TOURIST WOULD SPEND COMING TO SAN ANTONIO.
WE NEED TO BRING MORE OF OUR OWN INNER TOURISM FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE CITY DOWNTOWN. A LOT OF THAT IS TRANSPORTATION AND PARTICULARLY PARKING. I KNOW I FEEL THE SAME WAY.
WHY WOULD I GO DOWNTOWN AND HAVE TO RIDE A BUS AND GET OFF AT A CERTAIN PLACE AND WALK MAYBE A QUARTER MILE OR MORE TO GET TO WHERE I WANT TO GO TO? THEN HAVE TO WALK BACK TO GET THAT BUS.
I HAVE TO GO ON THEIR TIME, NOT MY TIME. SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO DEVELOP BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO GET DOWNTOWN AND TO BE ABLE TO PARK SO THAT THEY CAN COME AND GO AS THEY PLEASE.
WE DON'T HAVE ACCURATE PARKING, AND THE COST IS GETTING SO EXPENSIVE THAT IT, AGAIN, DETERS PEOPLE. WHY SPEND $20 TO GO TO SOMETHING MAYBE YOU WANT TO DINE OUT AND YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND $70 UP TO $100 BUT ADD 20% FOR PARKING. SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES WE NEED TO FACE, AND I KNOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THESE A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THEM HARDER AS THIS PLAN GOES FORWARD.
THOSE ARE SOME OF MY COMMENTS. >> THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATIONS. EA COUPLE DIFFERENT MOVING PIECES.
WERE YOU ALL ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH UNITE HERE LOCAL 23?
>> NO, I DON'T THINK WE'VE ENGAGED WITH THEM SPECIFICALLY.
>> WE DON'T WANT TO COME BACK TO COUNCIL UNTIL [INDISCERNIBLE] AND DO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FINE-TUNE THIS. WE HAVE -- WE'VE DONE STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS AND OTHER INTERVIEWS BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE THOSE PIECES. THOSE ARE THE NEXT STEPS.
>> THANK YOU. AND I ASK THAT QUESTION BECAUSE AS YOU ALL HAVE
[00:55:03]
HIGHLIGHTED IN THE PRESENTATION AND IN THIS WORK THAT SAN ANTONIO IS A TOURIST CITY, WE THRIVE OFF OUR HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY AND I VALUE THAT YOU ALL HIGHLIGHTED MAKING -- CONTINUING TO KEEP SAN ANTONIO A FOOD AND BEVERAGE DESTINATION. I THINK ENSURING THE FOLKS WHO SERVE IN THE RESTAURANTS AND CLEAN OUR HOTELS, ALLOWING THEM TO GIVE INPUT ON THIS FRAMEWORK WOULD BE VERY VALUABLE.MY COLLEAGUE RAISED A POINT ABOUT TRANSPORTATION.
I GO THE MY DRIVER'S LICENSE THREE YEARS AGO. WHEN THE BUS STATION WAS ESTABLISHED, THAT ADDED ABOUT 20 MINUTES TO MY COMMUTE TO GET TO A POINT ACROSS DOWNTOWN. DOWNTOWN IS VERY SMALL. I UNDERSTAND THE GOAL IS TO GET FOLKS TO WALK. IF WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO USE PUBLIC TRANSIT, I THINK MAYBE TALKING TO RIDERSHIP BEFORE MAKING THAT DECISION, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A DIFFERENT LOCATION FOR THAT HUB.
I THINK WHEN WE TALK TO OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR WORKERS, THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ESTABLISH BETTER AND-OR KEY PRIORITIES.
THAT'S WHAT COMES TO MIND WITH UNITE HERE. I THINK THERE IS ALSO VALUE -- I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL HAVE SPOKEN TO A COUPLE LANDLORDS SUCH AS OPPORTUNITY HOME. I THINK THERE WOULD BE VALUE PLUGGING INTO TENANT UNIONS UNDER TEXAS ORGANIZING PROJECT SO WE CAN HEAR WHAT THEIR PRIORITIES AND GOALS ARE.
I VALUE WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS BUILDING A SAN ANTONIO OR DOWNTOWN RATHER THAT'S ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE AND I THINK CENTERING THOSE FOLKS BEING PUSHED OUT OF DOWNTOWN WOULD HELP STRENGTHEN THE FRAMEWORK THAT YOU ALL ARE CURRENTLY DRAFTING. IN TERMS OF THE HOUSING PIECE, AS MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION, ESSENTIALLY FOUR OUT OF FIVE PROJECTS PRIORITIZE CONSTRUCTING UNITS AT OVER 70,000 AMI.
JUST GOING BACK TO THE SHIFT, I VALUE -- I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK ESPECIALLY AROUND PUBLIC HOUSING.
THERE'S A LOT OF PUBLIC HOUSING THAT'S SURROUNDED BY DOWNTOWN, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE HIGHLIGHTED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOWARDS INVESTING AND PRESERVING THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO. ONCE IT'S GONE, IT'S GONE. I UNDERSTAND THAT CONSTRUCTING DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS VERY EXPENSIVE, NO MATTER IF IT'S AFFORDABLE, MARKET RATE IS THE SAME TO CONSTRUCT. HOWEVER, JUST LOOKING AT WHAT WE'VE INCENTIVIZED -- I'M GOING TO USE THE BASEBALL STADIUM.
WE COULD HAVE FUNDED THREE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECTS FOR THE COST OF WHAT WE SUBSIDIZED THE BASEBALL STADIUM. I WANT TO CHALLENGE AND PUSH BACK THAT IT'S NOT POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE THE MONEY.
WE JUST NEED TO REPRIORITIZE OUR PRIORITIES AND IF WE WERE TO SPLIT THAT UP, WE COULD CONSTRUCT THAT AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
IN TERMS OF THE VACANCY YOU HAVE BEEN TRACKING, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT RAW DATA? I'M THINKING OF STRUCTURES OCCUPIED AT THE BOTTOM FLOOR AND VACANT AT THE SECOND AND THIRD FLOOR.
ARE YOU TRACKING THOSE AS WELL? WHAT DO THEY LOOK LIKE?
>> ARE YOU SPEAKING TO LIKE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES?
>> YES. >> WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT DATA AS PART OF THIS STUDY AS WELL. I WILL SAY, THE SOURCES ON THAT DATA, ESPECIALLY ON RETAIL, TEND TO NOT BE AS RELIABLE AS THE RESIDENTIAL DATA BECAUSE A LOT OF IT IS THE WAY IN WHICH IT'S COLLECTED.
HAPPY TO PASS ALONG THE ANALYSIS TO YOU. >> I WOULD LIKE TO SKIM THROUGH THAT. THE OFFICE OF PRESERVATION HAS A PROGRAM, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF THEY TRACK THE VACANCIES OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS THAT MAY BE VACANT AT THE TOP ON THE SECOND OR THIRD FLOOR. IN TERMS OF THE COMPONENTS FOR PUBLIC INVESTMENT, FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENTS, ARE YOU THINKING STORE LINES. WHEN YOU WRITE NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENTS, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE TO YOU
ALL? >> I THINK IN TERMS OF THE TYPES OF NEIGHBORHOOD INVESTMENTS THAT -- THERE'S A LOT OF EVIDENCE, I THINK, FOR WHAT TYPES OF AMENITIES AND PLACE MAKING CAN HAVE IMPACTS ON GENERATING DEMAND FOR HOUSING. I THINK ONE IN PARTICULAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO FOCUSED ON IN THIS PLAN IS OPEN SPACE INVESTMENT. SO REALLY GREAT PARKS, AND THEN ALSO I THINK ON THAT RETAIL SIDE, I THINK THERE'S A POSITIVE FEEDBACK LOOP IN TERMS OF GENERATING SOME OF THAT MARKET DEMAND THAT THIS FRAMEWORK COULD HELP CREATE. THE BENEFIT OF THAT IS, THOSE OPEN SPACES ARE PUBLIC, AND SO THERE ARE AMENITIES FOR EVERYBODY.
YOU CAN COME DOWNTOWN -- >> THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING, COMMUNITY ASSETS. WHEN I READ THAT, I THINK OF UTILITIES. I WORRY ABOUT SOME SMALL BUSINESSES THAT MAY BE CONCERNED WHEN THEY SEE THAT LANGUAGE. MAYBE CLARIFYING COMMUNITY
[01:00:03]
ASSETS COULD EASE CONCERNS THAT OUR SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY MAY HAVE WITH CONCERNS AROUND I GO DIDDING UP ROADS AND -- BIG BIGGING -- DIGGING UP ROADS AND HOW IT MAY HAVE ACCESS TO THEM.>> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. >> THANKS.
SO ALL OF US TRAVEL, SOME MORE THAN OTHERS, JUST A COUPLE OF
OBSERVATIONS. I JUST GOT BACK FROM -- >>
>> CAN YOU GUYS TELL SAPD OUTSIDE? THANK YOU.
>> WE'LL LET HER PAUSED ] >> WE'LL CONTINUE. WE'LL RESUME OUR MEETING AT 11:08 A.M. I'M SORRY THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING AT HOME.
WE HAD A MINOR MEDICAL EMERGENCY. WE'LL RESUME NOW.
COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ HAD THE FLOOR. >> SO I WAS SAYING -- I WAS JUST IN MEXICO CITY A WEEK AND A HALF AGO, TWO WEEKS, AND ON A SUNDAY, THEY ACTIVATED THEIR ENTIRE PORTION AROUND BLANCO, AROUND THE PARK, FOR BICYCLES AND RUNNERS. THEY CLOSED DOWN ENTIRE STREETS. I WAS COMMENTING, WHAT A NICE THING TO DO.
RIGHT? FOR -- WHAT IS THE SPECIAL EVENT? THEY SAID IT'S JUST A SUNDAY. RIGHT? AND THIS IS WHAT THEY DO ON SUNDAYS. THEY SAID IT'S ONE OF THEIR MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS TO GET PEOPLE TO THIS DOWNTOWN AREA, AND THAT IT'S REALLY THE ONE REASON MANY OF THESE FOLKS WILL COME DOWNTOWN. RIGHT? I'VE SEEN HOW SAN ANTONIO ACTIVATES FOLKS AND BRINGS THEM OUT. IT SEEMS TO ME A NEAT OPPORTUNITY WOULD BE TO PERMANENTLY ACTIVATE DOWNTOWN, NOT EVERY SUNDAY, BUT EVERY OTHER SUNDAY OR ONCE A QUARTER ON ONE STREET SO THE LOCALS COME BACK FOR A REASON. I DON'T THINK LOCALS AVOID DOWNTOWN JUST BECAUSE OF PARKING. I THINK MANY OF THEM JUST AVOID DOWNTOWN BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MOST AMERICANS ONLY HAVE 7 RESTAURANTS IN THEIR ROTATION. RIGHT? AND THEY JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW. THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DOWNTOWN IN MANY, MANY YEARS. SO THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT THERE'S THINGS AVAILABLE TO THEM HERE. BUT ONE WAY TO GET THEM OUT IS TO BRING THEM TO DO THE THINGS THEY LIKE TO DO.
RIGHT? SO ANYWAY, JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
I MEAN, PEOPLE IN SAN ANTONIO ARE HUNGRY TO RIDE THEIR BIKES AND TO GET OUTSIDE. THE SECOND THING I'LL TELL YOU IS, I THINK -- THIS IS NOT ME SAYING IT, BUT I THINK PHIL WAS COMMENTING ON THIS ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN I TALKED TO HIM. HE'S LIKE, THERE'S ONLY TWO CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES OTHER THAN SAN ANTONIO THAT YOU CAN POINT TO AND SAY, THEY'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AT PROTECTING THEIR AUTHENTICITY. THAT'S BOSTON AND NEW ORLEANS. RIGHT? AND THEY'VE DONE IT IN A WAY THAT'S NOT CAMPY. SO I THINK THAT WE'RE THE THIRD CITY.
HE WAS SAYING WE WERE THE THIRD CITY. I THINK HE'S RIGHT.
RIGHT? AND WHAT WORRIES ME -- IT DOESN'T WORRY ME TOO MUCH. I THINK DRIVING HOME THE POINT, BUT WE NEED TO SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC BY REMINDING THEM WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE, AND I THINK THAT AUTHENTICITY IS MISSING FROM YOUR PRESENTATION.
RIGHT? IT'S NOT A BAD THING. I THINK IT'S IMPLICIT IN THERE, BUT YOU DON'T SAY IT EXCEPT FOR ONE TIME, AND YOU'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF RETAIL. RIGHT? AND I WOULD CAUTION YOU TO IGNORE AUTHENTICITY IN EVERYTHING ELSE.
AUTHENTICITY, IN WHATEVER WAY THAT MEANS TO PEOPLE.
VSA SPENT MONEY ADVERTISING AROUND THE WORLD THAT WE ARE REAL AND TRUE. THAT MARKETING IS A PROMISE THEY ARE MAKING TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY SHOW UP HERE, IT'S GOING TO BE REAL AND TRUE.
IF THE ONLY THING THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THAT'S REAL AND TRUE IS RETAIL, WE'VE MISSED THE MARK. I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS CAREFULLY CURATED SO THAT WHEN PEOPLE SEE IT, THEY'LL SAY I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT ANYWHERE ELSE.
AND I APPRECIATE THE -- I THINK YOU AND I ARE PROBABLY IN AGREEMENT 100% ON THIS, BUT IF THE WORDS REAL, TRUE, AND AUTHENTIC AREN'T OOZING OUT OF THIS PLAN, WE'LL DISAPPOINT FOLKS. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE TO REMIND THE ENTIRE PLANET THAT WE'RE THE MOST REAL AND TRUE PLACE THEY CAN
[01:05:01]
FIND. I NOTICE ON PAGE 40, ALL YOUR DIFFERENT GROUPS.RIGHT? THAT YOU WANT TO INVOLVE.
YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY WE HAD GEN JENNA'S TEAM OUT HERE.
MAYBE I'M MISSING THE CIRCLE. I'M NOT SEEING IT. I WOULD BE EXPLICIT IN INCLUDING OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VOICES AT THE TABLE.
IT'S GOT TO BE MORE THAN DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES. IT'S GOT TO BE WITH A THOUGHT TOWARDS OUR -- WITH A THOUGHT TOWARDS CONSIDERING DOWNTOWN TO BE AN ECONOMIC -- YOU SAID IT. IT'S AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GENERATOR. IF WE'RE NOT HAVING THE PEOPLE IN THE CIRCLE, I THINK WE'RE MAKING A MISTAKE. AM I NOT SEEING -- IS IT
IN THERE? >> WE DID. THEY'RE NOT -- WE DON'T HAVE A COMPLETE LISTING, COUNCILMEMBER, OF EVERY KISINGLE PERSON.
THEY WERE INVOLVED IN A STAKEHOLDER CONVERSATION.
COUNCILMEMBER, WE DON'T HAVE A -- WE CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THE COMPLETE LIST. WE JUST SHARED A SMATTERING OF WHO WE WERE SPEAKING TO, BUT YEAH. GREATER SATX WAS PART OF
THE CONVERSATION. >> THAT'S THE POINT I'M DRIVING HOME. THEY NEED TO NOT JUST BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. THEY NEED TO BE YOUR
CO-LEADS ON THIS. >> OKAY. >> I MEAN, IF WE'RE SILOING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND, YOU KNOW, NOT MAKING THEM AN INTEGRAL PART OF EVERY PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, I THINK WE'RE MAKING A MISTAKE. I THINK THEY CAN ADD VALUE.
AT THE SAME TIME, YOU'LL ADD VALUE TO THEIR MISSION.
IF THEY'RE IN IT WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, THEN THEIR CONVERSATIONS WHEN THEY GO OUT AND ABOUT AND SAY, HEY, LOOK, WE'RE TRYING TO SELL SAN ANTONIO. HERE'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES IS THE BEST THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY DO. SO IT'S GOT TO BE -- THERE'S NO DAYLIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND I ON THIS. YOU AND I BOTH KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE. I'M JUST SAYING, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE --
>> WE'LL MAKE SURE MOVING FORWARD, THEY'RE AN INTEGRAL PART OF YOUR PLAN. THEY ARE A CO-LEAD. TO YOUR POINT OF AUTHENTICITY, THAT'S AN INCREDIBLY GOOD POINT TO MAKE BECAUSE I TALK ALL THE TIME ABOUT SAN ANTONIO AND OUR DOWNTOWN HAS A SOUL UNLIKE ANY OTHER CITY IN THE COUNTRY. SO THE JOB OF THIS REPORT AND WHAT WE'RE DOING COLLECTORRIVELY IS TO REVIVE THE HEART BEAT AND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. TO YOUR POINT, IF WE CAN REMOVE BARRIERS, COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE, REGARDING PARKING AND OTHER INTIMIDATING FACTORS WITH ACCESSING DOWNTOWN, THE BETTER OFF WE'RE GOING TO BE. TO YOUR POINT, COUNCILMEMBER, YES, REGULAR ACTIVATION, NOT JUST ONE EVENT OR TWO EVENTS, BUT EVERY WEEKEND OR WHAT WE CAN DO TO DRIVE HEME INTO DOWNTOWN BECAUSE TO YOUR POINT, 300 YEARS OF HISTORY AND ART AND CULTURE AND THE FACT THAT EVERY BLOCK IN SAN ANTONIO TELLS A STORY, WE NEED TO BE
ACCELERATING AND AMPLIFYING THAT. >> SO, AGAIN, I'M LOVING EVERYTHING Y'ALL ARE LAYING DOWN HERE. I KNOW WHY YOU USED THE PICTURE OF D UMBO IN BROOKLYN. WE NEED TO SEE WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING RIGHT AND NOT COPY THEM BUT LEARN FROM THEM AND SEE IF THOSE CONCEPTS WORK HERE AND MAKE THEM AUTHENTIC SAN ANTONIO FEATURES.
I'LL TELL YOU, I LIVED IN CINCINNATI FOR A YEAR AND A HALF IN 2004, AND THE ONE THING THAT CINCINNATI IS NOT, IT'S NOT A TOURISM CITY.
IT'S A DOWNTOWN THAT BELONGS EXCLUSIVELY TO ITS RESIDENTS. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST VIBRANT IN NORTH HE CANNER PH. IT'S A HEADQUARTER CITY. RIGHT? PROCTOR & GAMBLE, DHL.
EVERYONE WORKS AND PLAYS DOWNTOWN. THEY'VE DONE SOMETHING RIGHT.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO ANY OF THAT WITHOUT HEADQUARTERS NO SAN ANTONIO WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO JENNA AND HER TEAM.
I'LL STOP THERE. >> THANK YOU, AND IN CLOSING, TOO, I JUST CAME BACK FROM A CONVERSATION IN VEGAS. WHAT I WALKED AWAY WITH IS THAT THIS STUDY AND WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IN DOWNTOWN IS REALLY ABOUT INTENTIONAL EQUITY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, OBVIOUSLY, CRAZY IMPORTANT, BUT ALSO COMMUNITY BUILDING, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE
TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AT THE SAME TIME. >> OKAY.
THANKS. >> COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR. SO I CAN TALK ABOUT TRIPS AND CITIES THAT I'VE BEEN TO ALSO. I THINK ABOUT MADRID AND THE NUMBER OF RETAIL THERE. SO WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT RETAIL, I WAS LIKE, LIKE MADRID. YOU WALK DOWN THE BLOCK AND THERE'S AN ALI HOP ON EVERY CORNER OR A JEWELRY STORE OR ZARA. I CAN SEE THAT, BUT I
[01:10:01]
THINK IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT, TRISH, IS BEING INTENTIONAL AND TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT WE WANT MOVING FORWARD, OUR IDENTITY TO BE DOWNTOWN. WE ARE ALREADY IN THE POINT THAT WE CAN'T TAKE THE TOURISM PIECE AWAY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE THAT CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS. WE'VE GOT WATER'S EDGE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF VALEROS OUT IN THE NORTHWEST.
SO WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? THAT'S WHY I APPRECIATE THIS STUDY, AND YOU PUTTING IT SO SUCCINCTLY IN TO WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT I THINK -- LORI, TO YOUR POINT, AS WE BRING THE STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS WHO ARE THE BIGGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA. IS IT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO? IS IT ONE OF OUR HOTELS? WHERE ARE THOSE PEOPLE LIVING? DO WE NEED MORE HOUSING THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF OUR FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY? WHAT IS THE CAMPUS NEEDS? BECAUSE THEY ARE HERE. ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A HOSPITALITY PIECE TO ONE OF OUR UNIVERSITIES, BE IT UTSA OR TEXAS A&M SAN ANTONIO? IF THAT'S GOING TO BE DOWN HERE, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE ROOM FOR THAT? SO I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE PEOPLE IN THE CONVERSATION. IF YOU CAN, TRISH, GET ME THE LIST OF THE STAKEHOLDERS YOU'VE BEEN WORKING AND WHO SOME OF THE BIGGER EMPLOYERS ARE DOWNTOWN. BECAUSE IF YOU HAD DONE A SURVEY OF CITY HALL AND YOU ASKED THE CITY HALL WHERE DO YOU GO TO EAT, THEY ARE GOING TO BE CHICK-FIL-A, CIRCLE K, POBLANOS.
I THINK THEY ARE KIND OF THE PEOPLE YOU WANT TO HIT.
NOBODY CAN GO THERE IF YOU'RE WORKING DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THE LINE IS ALWAYS LONG. BUT YET, YOU WALK INTO, YOU KNOW, THE PALM, AND IT'S EMPTY SOME WEEKENDS. I THINK WE NEED TO START ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS AND DOING THOSE SURVEYS ABOUT -- I LIKE TO SEE A BIGGER SURVEY AMONG THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WHEN YOU -- GIVE THEM A LIST OF CITYWIDE PROJECTS DOWNTOWN, THE MISSIONS, AND WHAT ARE PEOPLE GOING TO? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE WERE PLENTY OF PEOPLE FROM THE NORTH SIDE THAT KNEW EXACTLY HOW TO GET TO MISSION LIBRARY TO VOTE DURING THIS PAST ELECTION.
SO I THINK IT'S NOT THAT THEY ARE NOT COMING DOWNTOWN.
IT'S JUST THEY ARE GOING TO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. THE PARK IS ANOTHER ONE. WE NEED TO SURVEY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CITYWIDE PROJECTS, WOOD LAWN LAKE, WHERE ARE YOU GOING AND WHY? WHAT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER OR MAKE YOU WANT TO COME DOWNTOWN AND SEE THE RIVER? BUT, AGAIN, KEY IS GOING TO BE OUR -- I THINK WE HAVE MADE IT CLEAR AS A COUNCIL THAT HOUSING IS KEY AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PRESERVE THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING THAT'S HERE AND SEE HOW, WITH THE EXISTING BUILDINGS, WHAT SORT OF HOUSING WE CAN DO, AND I'M ALL FOR CONSERVATION. I LOVE PRESERVING OUR HISTORY, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT JUST ARE TOO EXPENSIVE TO PRESERVE OR NOT NOT ADA ACCESSIBLE NO MATTER WHAT SORT OF REVISIONS WE DO OR UPDATES. WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT SORT OF R REAL ESTATE THAT IS AND WE CAN BUILD NEW. WHETHER IT'S AFFORDABLE OR NEW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND THE SPACE DOWNTOWN.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE FOLLOW-UP ON THIS, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING C AND E COME UP WITH ANOTHER AWESOME SURVEY THAT GETS A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE LIKE THE HORSE CARRIAGE ONE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER.
WE ACTUALLY NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS TO FULL COUNCIL.
LORI WAS SUGGESTING THAT WE GET SOME ADDITIONAL INPUT BEFORE IT'S PRESENTED TO COUNCIL. WE COULD MAKE THAT MOTION WITH THAT CAVEAT WITH ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT. IS THERE A SECOND?
>> I'LL SECOND. >> WONDERFUL. COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ HAD
QUESTIONS. GO AHEAD. >> NOW, I'M LOOKING AT YOUR PRIORITIES OR THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE DON'T COME DOWNTOWN, PARKING, SAFETY, THERE'S NOT THINGS THAT -- I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DON'T KNOW. I'M WONDERING IF THE SAME SURVEYS CAN BE DONE OF PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING DOWNTOWN. RIGHT? DESPITE THE FACT THAT THERE'S NO PARKING OR DESPITE THE FACT THAT SOME PEOPLE FEEL -- WHY DID YOU COME? I WONDER WHAT LESSONS
[01:15:01]
CAN BE LEARNED FROM ASKING IT FROM THE OTHER END.RIGHT? I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING THAT WORRIES ME AS WE EMBARK UPON THIS IS THE VIA PHENOMENON. WE ALL GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC.
EVERY DISTRICT ASKS. I THINK ALL MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE ASKED THEIR HOA -- I'M SORRY -- TOWNHOMES AND COMMUNITY GROUPS WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR YOU TO RIDE A VIA BUS. EVERYTHING SAYS THE SAME THING. RELIABLE SERVICE. IT HAS TO BE SAFE AND CLEAN. THE RIDES HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, FAST.
THEY ALL SAY THAT. RIGHT? IT'S GOT TO BE COMFORTABLE. THERE'S HAS TO BE SCREAMING FAST WI-FI ON THE BUS.
THEY SAY THAT. THEN WE POSE THE QUESTION.
GREAT, IF WE DID ALL THAT, WOULD YOU RIDE THE BUS? MOST PEOPLE HANDS STAY DOWN. THEY GIGGLE AND YOU'RE LIKE, WHY ARE YOU GIGGLING? THEY SAY, ALL RIGHT.
LOOK. WE WANT ALL THOSE THINGS.
THE BUSES WILL STAY FULL. I WANT THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF POF MY WAY SO I CAN DRIVE MY F150 DOWNTOWN.
THE QUESTION IS, WHEN PEOPLE TELL US, LOOK, I DON'T GO DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF PARKING A OR I DON'T FEEL SAFE, ARE THEY TELLING US THE TRUTH? ARE THEY TELLING US, I THINK THAT PEOPLE DON'T GO DOWNTOWN, BUT I'M STILL NOT GOING TO GO ANYWAY BECAUSE IF YOU BUILD ALL THE PARKING STRUCTURES OR MAKE IT SAFE AND CLEAN, I'M JUST NOT INTERESTED IN GOING. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT AND I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRILL DOWN INTO SEEING WHAT WE'RE GETTING IS THE ANSWERS THEY THINK THEY SHOULD BE GIVING US.
RIGHT? OR THE REAL ANSWERS AS TO WHY IT IS THEY ARE NOT COMING DOWNTOWN. SMARTER PEOPLE THAN ME KNOW SURVEY SCIENCE MUCH I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CAPTURING THE MOST HONEST ANSWERS AS OPPOSED WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THOSE ANSWERS.
HOW DO WE DO THAT, TRISH? >> I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT POLLING AND SURVEYS, WE'RE TALKING QUANTITATIVE DATA.
I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DIVE INTO IS MORE QUALITATIVE DATA, WHICH IS MAYBE DIFFERENT FOCUS GROUPS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS WHERE WE GET ACTUAL LIKE COMMENTARY TESTIMONIALS FROM PEOPLE THAT WE CAN RECORD, AND WE CAN TABULATE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK REALLY FROM A SURVEY STANDPOINT YOU GET TO WHERE YOU NEED TO BE WITH EXCLUSIVELY QUANTITATIVE OR QUALITATIVE. WE'VE GOT TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS.
I THINK THOSE REAL CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, DRIVE A STRATEGY ASSOCIATED WITH WHY OR WHY NOT PEOPLE COME TO DOWNTOWN.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT COMES TO ADVOCACY AND OUTREACH, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT ASSOCIATED WITH DOWNTOWN.
ERADICATING THE BARRIERS LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, LOWER BROADWAY HAS OPENED FINALLY WHICH WAS A BARRIER AND BARRICADES ARE OBVIOUSLY KEEPING PEOPLE FROM COMING DOWNTOWN. WE'LL COME BACK TO PARKING BECAUSE WE ARE DIVING INTO A PARKING STUDY AND MAYBE DEVELOPING AN APP WHERE PEOPLE, IF YOU LIVE IN STONE OAK OR THE DOMINION AND YOU WANT TO LOOK AT COMING INTO DOWNTOWN, YOU CAN IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC PARKING SPACE THAT COULD BE AVAILABLE THAT YOU RESERVE SO THAT YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE YOU'RE GOING WHEN YOU COME INTO DOWNTOWN. SO SOME OF THIS IS JUST MAKING IT LESSON INTIMIDATING AND TREACHEROUS, WHICH I THINK IS A COMMON THING WE HAVE ASSOCIATED WITH DOWNTOWN CURRENTLY MUCH AS WE ACTIVATE DOWNTOWN AND WE LOOK AT IT IN FIVE TO TEN YEARS, HOW DO WE REMOVE THE
BARRIERS INTO DRIVING PEOPLE INTO DOWNTOWN. >> I WONDER IF ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED AS WE PROCEED IS, DO YOU EVEN FEEL WELCOMED? HAS ANYBODY INVITED YOU DOWNTOWN? I THINK PEOPLE SHOW UP WHEN THEY ARE INVITED. I HAD A FRIEND IN COLLEGE -- I HAD A TACKY FRIEND WHO SAID HE WOULD DATE MADONNA BUT ONLY IF SHE ASKED HIM OUT FIRST. IF OUR DOWNTOWN IS THIS WONDERFUL FANTASTIC MADONNA, IS MADONNA REACHING OUT AND ASKING THEM COME DOWNTOWN AND HANG OUT WITH ME? I WONDER IF WE'RE ACTIVELY ASKING THE
NEIGHBORHOODS TO COME ON DOWN. >> PROFESSOR: .
>> IT'S THE THREE AS, AUTHENTIC EN SISSITY, AFFORDABLE, AND
ACCESSIBILITY. WE HAVE TO GET AHEAD. >> THANK YOU.
COUNCILMEMBER COURAGE. >> THANK YOU. YEAH.
I'M GOING TO TAG ON TO WHAT MY FELLOW COUNCILMEMBER WAS POINTING OUT ABOUT PEOPLE COMING DOWNTOWN AND PARKING.
I THINK THAT ONE OF THE KEYS IS WE NEED TO HAVE A CIRCULATOR DOWNTOWN.
WE NEED TO HAVE BUSES THAT COST A QUARTER OR NOTHING THAT WILL MOVE PEOPLE ALL AROUND THE DOWNTOWN AREA TO ALL THE DIFFERENT FACILITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM. I SEE PEOPLE GET OUT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER EVERY DAY AND THEY JUST START WALKING.
SOMETIMES THEY DON'T KNOW HOW FAR IT IS TO GET FROM ONE SIDE OF DOWNTOWN TO THE OTHER OR HOW TO GET THROUGH SOME STREETS TO GET OVER TO DIFFERENT FACILITIES. WE NEED TO HAVE A CIRCULATOR, SEVERAL OF THEM, THAT RUN AROUND, AN A-LINE, B LINE, C LINE.
I KNOW THAT'S EXPENSIVE, BUT THE RETURN TO THE CITY WITH THE INVESTMENT
[01:20:04]
OF PEOPLE COMING, BECAUSE IT'S SO EASY TO GET AROUND DOWNTOWN, AND THE MONEY THEY'LL SPEND BEING ABLE TO GET TO ALL THESE PLACES, I THINK, IS A CRITICAL ADD FOR OUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS FILLING IN ALL THESE EMPTY STORES, ALL THESE EMPTY PLACES, ALL THESE BLACKENED WINDOWS OR UNLIT ENTITIES THAT ARE THERE, BUT WHEN YOU GO BY, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT, I GET UNCOMFORTABLE WALKING DOWN MARKET STREET OR COMMERCE STREET OR SOME OF THE SIDE STREETS.WE NEED TO LIGHTEN UP AND BRIGHTEN UP DOWNTOWN SO PEOPLE FEEL SAFE.
THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE. THEY SEE THINGS THAT GIVE THEM A GOOD DIRECTION AND A SENSE OF WHERE THEY NEED TO GO. I DON'T SEE YOU TALKING ABOUT THOSE, BUT I HOPE THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU DO TALK ABOUT IF WE'RE GOING TO REINVIGORATE DOWNTOWN. I APPRECIATE THE FACT WE HAVE EVENTS GOING ON AND THEY ARE GOOD. BUT PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE TO GET THERE. IF I DRIVE MY CAR DOWNTOWN, I PARK SOMEWHERE, IF I CAN GET ON A CIRCULATOR THAT'S GOING TO TAKE ME OVER TO SOMEWHERE AND I DON'T HAVE TO WALK THROUGH THE STREETS TO TRY AND FIND IT, THEN I'M GOING TO FEEL A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE ABOUT TAKING MY CAR, GETTING OUT, GET THAT CIRCULATOR THAT IS GOING TO TAKE ME TO WHERE IT IS I WANT TO GO TO.
EVEN FOR WORK. PEOPLE CAN GET AROUND AND PARK AND THEN GET TO WHERE THEY KNOW TO GO TO WORK. IF THEY RIDE THE BUS DOWNTOWN AND THEY CAN GET OFF ON A CIRCULATOR THAT WILL TAKE THEM, BECAUSE THE QUESTION IS, THAT FIRST HALF MILE OR THAT LAST HALF FILE, HOW DO YOU ACCOMMODATE THOSE THINGS? THE CIRCULATOR DOWNTOWN I THINK WILL HELP. ONE OTHER THING THAT I WANT TO MENTION IS, I THINK AS WE DO ALL OF THIS, AS WE LOOK AT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN, I'VE TALKED TO THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT THIS, WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE A PLANNING DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, WHICH BRINGS TOGETHER AND COORDINATES THE GROWTH DOWNTOWN FOR LIKE SAWS AND CPS AND PUBLIC WORKS AND BEXAR COUNTY AND CENTRO AND OHP AND BRINGS IN TXDOT AND AMPO AND THE ASSOCIATION OF GENERAL CONTRACTORS SO THAT EVERYBODY SITS DOWN TOGETHER AND SAYS, OKAY. THIS IS WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE LINE. ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THREE PROJECTS DEVELOP ON MARKET STREET AND SHUT IT DOWN FOR THE NEXT I CAN'TER? I CAN'T YEAR? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT CONTINUE TO SEE THAT ROAD SHUT DOWN? WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT SMALL BUSINESSES ARE IN ON IT SO THEY CAN PUT IN THEIR INPUT.
AS WE LOOK AT DEVELOPING ALL THESE THINGS, WE NEED TO BRING TOGETHER THE GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT WORK ON DEVELOPMENT, SAN ANTONIO HOUSING TRUST, IF THEY ARE WORKING ON AN APARTMENT DOWNTOWN, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SCHEDULE THESE, KNOW WHAT'S COMING, PLAN ACCORDINGLY SO THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING ONE THING ON TOP OF ANOTHER ON TOP OF ANOTHER THAT CREATES TURMOIL FOR TRANSPORTATION AND DETERS PEOPLE FROM COMING DOWN AND HURTS BUSINESSES.
THAT NEEDS TO BE PART OF WHAT WE DO LONG-RANGE TO MAKE THIS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN AND EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY WORK.
SO JUST WANT TO THROW THOSE OUT THERE. >> COUNCILMEMBER, IF I CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO EXPAND THE SCOPE ASSOCIATED WITH SOME THINGS YOU'RE TALKINGBUT REST AC ENTRO IS ADDRESSING SOME OF THE THINGS. WE TALKED ABOUT THE PARKING STUDY BECAUSE WE HEAR THAT TIME AND TIME AGAIN. PARKING IS TOO EXPENSIVE. ACCESSIBILITY, AFFORDABILITY OF PARKING. WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU WITH MORE ONCE WE HAVE THAT STUDY COMPLETE. REGARDING MOBILITY, THAT'S A BEG DEAL FOR US. YOU KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN RATTLING CAGES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT DOWNTOWN. WE HAVE THE CIRCULATOR REGARDING THE RUNNER THAT SERVICED UTSA. THAT WAS A PILOT PROGRAM. SO WE HAVE NOW PARTNERED WITH VIA AS PART OF THEIR VIA LINK. SO THE LITTLE RUNNER WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATED UTSA ON A FIXED ROUTE, A TRUE CIRCULATOR.
THE BEAUTY OF PARTNERING WITH VIA IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND THAT TO SOUTH TOWN AND THEN OVER INTO RIVER NORTH AND OTHER AREAS, TOO.
YOU'RE RIGHT. IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE PROPOSITION BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION, I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, IS EXPENSIVE.
BUT THE OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, LONG-TERM FOR US TO BE ABLE TO INVEST IN MICRO MOBILITY, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE, IT COULD BE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE, FOR PEOPLE TO COME FROM YOUR DISTRICT TO COME TO DOWNTOWN, PARK ON THE EXTERIOR AND THEN USE MICRO MOBILITY TO TRAVERSE DOWNTOWN IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE LASER FOCUSED ON.
SO ANYWAY, I CAN'T CONTROL CONSTRUCTION AND THE TIME ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. IT'S GETTING BETTER. WE HAVE THE FINAL FOUR COMING IN MARCH. WE'LL HAVE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN DOWNTOWN THAT HOPEFULLY WILL BE ABLE TO NAVIGATE DOWNTOWN IN A BETTER WAY.
[01:25:05]
SUFFICE TO SAY, LIGHTING, WE'RE WORKING WITH CCDR RIGHT NOW REGARDING LIGHTS THAT ARE OUT AND IDENTIFYING WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S COMPLICATED, TOO. IT COULD BE THE CITY.IT COULD BE CPS ENERGY. IT COULD BE THE COUNTY. WE ARE LASER FOCUSED ON LIGHTER. WE'VE GOT BIDS OUT TO THE STRETCH REALLY WHERE FAT HEAD PIZZA IS IN THE EXCHANGE BUILDING ALONG TRAVIS AND ST. MARY'S TO LIGHT THAT CORRIDOR, TOO. THE HOPE WOULD BE LIGHTING AS WE DO ON HOLIDAYS ON HOUSTON OR WHAT WE DO AT TRAVIS AND ST. MARY'S WHERE WE HAVE LIGHTING, TOO. IT MIGRATES BECAUSE LIGHTING IS CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT. >> THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER
COURAGE. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> THANK YOU.
A COUPLE OF LAST PIECES. I THINK IN TERMS OF FOLKS TO ENGAGE WITH BEFORE THIS RETURNS BACK TO COUNCIL, I THINK COUNCI COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN RAISED A POINT ABOUT CITY EMPLOYEES. I THINK THERE WOULD BE VALUE IN MEETING.
I HAVE TEAM MEMBERS THAT LIVE DOWNTOWN. I ASKED THEM IF THEY WENT TO AN EVENT, AND THERE ARE REASONS AS TO WHY OR WHY NOT.
I THINK THERE'S VALUE ON HOW TO STRENGTHEN THE FRAMEWORK BASED OFF THE FEEDBACK OF FOLKS DOWNTOWN. I KNOW YOU'RE DOING THAT, BUT TO THE COUNCILMEMBER'S POINT ABOUT THE CITY IS ONE OF THE CITY'S LARGEST EMPLOYERS AND THERE'S VALUE IN THAT.
IN TERMS OF THE PARKING STUDY, I THINK THIS IS MORE OF A COMMENT FOR US TO SIT WITH IS WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE A TOD CONVERSATION AROUND ZONING AND PROHIBITING THE EXPANSION OF AUTO SHOPS.
THEY ARE RELYING ON PUBLIC TRANSIT. BOTH OF THESE LINES RUN THROUGH DOWNTOWN AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PARKING STUDIES.
RIGHT? SO THERE'S SOME CONTRADICTIONS THERE.
BUT I THINK THERE WOULD BE BENEFIT TO -- I KNOW VIA.
HOW CAN WE MARKET THE PARK AND RIDE? IT'S VACANT.
THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO GET THERE AND COME DOWNTOWN TO WHERE WE'RE NOT HAVING TO TALK ABOUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO BUILD MORE PARKING WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE TOWARDS A MORE TOD CITY.
LASTLY, IN TERMS OF THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT FOLKS ARE ASKING, I'M THINKING ABOUT SOUTH TOWN AND SOUTH FLORES AND HOW WE CAN PLUG THAT IN. I KNOW THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT -- I SEE CHRIS WHO HAS DONE WORK AROUND ASSETS AROUND THE CITY AND WHAT THE PLANNING PROCESS CAN LOOK LIKE. I THINK THERE WOULD BE VALUE TO PLUG IN THAT WORK THAT CITY STAFF HAS DONE TO STRENGTHEN DOWNTOWN AND, OF COURSE, THOSE CONNECTORS, SOUTH TOWN AND SO MUCH MORE.
THERE'S GROUND WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PLUGGING INTO THIS PLAN WOULD STRENGTHEN IT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. SO -- OH, JIMMY.
THAT? >> THE REQUEST IS TO HAVE STAFF VISIT SAN ANTONIO TO CONTINUE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THROUGH DECEMBER, JANUARY E AND THEN COME BACK TO COUNCIL AT A B SESSION
WITH AN UPDATE. >> OKAY. ARE YOU ALL OKAY WITH
>> THERE'S A PROBLEM CHILD IN EVERY FAMILY. >>
>> COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ, THERE WAS A PROPOSAL JUST TO CLARIFY YOUR MOTION, AND SO THE MOTION, IF YOU COULD RESTATE IT, IS TO HAVE CITY STAFF AND OUR PARTNERS MAKE SOME ADDITIONAL STUDIES AND DO RESEARCH, WORK WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND THEN TAKE IT TO FULL COUNCIL AT A B SESSION. ALL RIGHT. I'LL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE. ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? ALL RIGHT. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK. WE MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, WHICH IS ALSO RELATED. IT IS SPECIFICALLY AN ORDINANCE -- THIS IS A BRIEFING AND STATUS UPDATE ON THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK AND UPDATE TO TRANSIT-ORIENTED ZONING DISTRICT.
THE FLOOR IS ALL YOURS. THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING.
CAT HERNANDEZ DIRECTOR OF CITY'S TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
I'LL BE PROVIDING YOU A QUICK BRIEFING AND STATUS UPDATE SINCE THE
[01:30:01]
B SESSION BRIEFING THAT OCCURRED ON OCTOBER 16TH ON OUR WORK-RELATED TO THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK AND UPDATE TO THE TOD ZONING CODE. WITH ME IS VERONICA GARCIA, DIRECTOR OF NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES DEPARTMENT WILL BE ON HAND FOR QUESTIONS DUE TO ONE OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK.SO AS MENTIONED DURING THE B SESSION, THIS PROCESS STARTED LATE LAST YEAR WITH THE CREATION OF THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP UNDER THE HOUSING COMMISSION WHOSE CHARGE WAS TO WORK ON RECOMMENDATIONS TO SUPPORT HOUSING NEAR TRANSIT.
OUR REMOVING BARRIERS SUBCOMMITTEE CONTINUES THEIR EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT THE PLAN WITH THE FOCUS TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS WITHIN THE POLICY FRAMEWORK THAT ADDRESS HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND ANTI DISPLACEMENT. AS THIS CONTINUES TO BE THE COMMON THEME WE HEAR DURING OUR ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS. AS YOU ARE AWARE, CCR WAS COMMITTED TO CREATE A TRANSIT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
IN JANUARY, GOVERNANCE RECOMMENDED STAFF MOVE FORWARD WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PLAN AND THE CREATION OF THE TASK FORCE TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO UPDATE THE EXISTING TOD ZONING CODE AND, OF COURSE, ALL OF THIS WORK CULMINATES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRANSIT-ORIENTED POLICY FRAMEWORK. SO WHEN WE ORIGINALLY PRESENTED AT B SESSION, WE HEARD KEY TAKEAWAYS INCLUDING HOW BOTH THE FRAMEWORK AND UPDATE TO THE ZONING CODE PROVIDE GOOD PROTECTIONS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS, ENSURING THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT IS COMPATIBLE WITH EXISTING NEIGHBORHOODS, AND PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT AND MAINTAIN COMMUNITY INTEGRITY. THERE WAS ALSO FEEDBACK AND CONCERNS REGARDING TRAFFIC AND WE'RE PROVIDING AN OPTION TO HELP ADDRESS THAT. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PROCESS FOR FUTURE CORRIDORS AND WE WILL LAY OUT A PROCESS TO SHOW HOW THAT WORKS. LASTLY, ENGAGEMENT WAS HIGHLIGHTED AND THE NEED TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO HELP EDUCATE AND RE-ENFORCE THE MESSAGE THAT THIS IS NOT A REZONING. SO AS PROVIDED DURING THE BRIEFING, THE FRAMEWORK INCLUDES PRINCIPLES TO PROVIDE A ROAD MAP FOR ADDRESSING KEY ISSUES ALONG THE TRANSIT CORRIDOR.
HOUSING AFFORD ABILITY WAS A PRIORITY IN THIS FRAMEWORK.
BY PRIORITIZING THE PROTECTION OF CURRENT RESIDENTS ALONG WITH THE CREATION OF HOUSING THAT IS AFFORDABLE, A GOAL OF THE HOUSING RECOMMENDATIONS IS TO PREVENT DISPLACEMENT, MAINTAIN COMMUNITY INTEGRITY AND REDUCE THE BURDEN OF HIGH HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION COSTS. RECOMMENDATIONS FOCUSING ON PROTECTING AND SUPPORTING CURRENT RESIDENTS FALL INTO THREE CATEGORIES.
COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND INCENTIVES, AND PLANNING STRATEGIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT.
COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATION SUPPORT INCLUDES RECOMMENDATIONS SUCH AS SUPPORT FOR SHARED AND IMMATERIAL WILLED EQUITY MODELS OF HOUSING-LIKE COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS AND LIMITED EQUITY COOPS.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND INCENTIVES ARE FOR HOME REPAIR AND ACCESSORY DWELLINGS. THE CITY WILL EXPLORE ADDITIONAL WAYS TO OFFSET HOME PRESERVATION EXPENSES FORS HOMEOWNERS WITH LOW AND MODERATE INCOMES.
PLANNING STRATEGIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES EXPLORE THE CREATION HE IS OF PROCEDURAL PROTECTIONS FROM DEMOLITION AND EXPANDING THE USE OF DISPLACEMENT IMPACT INFORMATION GATHERING TOOL TO INCLUDE INFORMING DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WHO MAY BUILD ALONG CORRIDORS. THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ORIGINATE FROM THE SHIP AND OTHER LOCAL PLANS AND STUDIES. THERE WERE CONCERNS RELATED TO THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE TOD ZONING DISTRICT.
PART INCLUDE A WAIVER OF THE SECTION OF CODE THAT REQUIRES TRAFFIC ANALYSIS AND MITIGATION NEEDED. SINCE MITIGATION IS BEING DONE AS PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION VIA IS DOING WITH THE TRANSIT LINE, IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO DO A STUDY OR ANALYSIS THAT WOULD HAVE NO OUTCOME. THE COST FOR THE STUDY AND ANALYSIS IMPACT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. HOWEVER, WITHIN THE TIA'S SECTION OF THE CODE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR TRAFFIC CIRCULATION STUDIES FOR SCHOOLS.
NEIGHBORHOODS ARE CURRENTLY DEALING WITH TRAFFIC ISSUES CAUSED BY SCHOOLS BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS HAVE A ZONING THAT WAVES THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS SECTION WAVING A REQUIREMENT FOR TRAFFIC CIRCULATION STUDY. TO ADDRESS THIS, STAFF WILL BE PROPOSING THAT THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENT FOR CIRCULATION STUDY FOR SCHOOLS BE INCLUDED IN THE TOD CODE. WE WILL BE PRESENTING THIS AT PLANNING COMMISSION FOR INCLUSION.
AS MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE CURRENT TOD ZONING DISTRICT ALLOWS ANYONE TO REQUEST A REZONE WITHIN A HALF MILE OF ANY BUS STOP.
THIS MEANS ANY PROPERTIES IN ORANGE ON THIS SCREEN IS ELIGIBLE TO REZONE TO THE TO DEFINITELY ZONING DISTRICT.
IT SHOULD BE MORE SPECIFIC TO CORRIDORS THAT HAVE A HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT COMPONENT SO YOU CAN FOCUS THE DENSITY AND INTENSITY TO THOSE CORRIDORS. THE SUBCOMMITTEE AND TASK FORCES TACKLED THIS AND RECOMMENDED THAT PROCESS THAT ALLOWS TO CREATE THE GUARDRAILS FOR APPROPRIATE TOD APPLICABILITY.
[01:35:07]
IT IS NOW APPLICABLE TO CERTAIN CORRIDORS IDENTIFIED AT R CORRIDORS. WE HAVE HEARD SUPPORT AS YOU HEARD EARLIER TODAY FOR THIS APPROACH DURING COMMUNITY MEETINGS AS WELL IN BRIEFINGS. WE HEARD THE FUTURE PROCESS FOR ANY CODE UPDATE AND ADDITION TO AN ART CORRIDOR. THIS SLIDE SHOWS WHAT THAT PROCESS WOULD BE FOR THE NEW ART CORRIDORS. IT STARTS WITH VIA'S DESIGNATION OF A CORRIDOR AS AN ART CORRIDOR.WHAT WOULD FOLLOW IS A CCR TO UPDATE THE UDC TO INCLUDE THE NEW ART CORRIDOR AND START THE PROCESS TO CREATE BOUNDARY MAPS.
A TASK FORCE IS CREATED OUT OF THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS WHO'LL BE TASKED WITH REVIEWING AND DRAFTING PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CODE.
THE CHANGES CAN ALSO BE REFINEMENTS AND-OR CLARIFICATIONS AS NEEDED. AS A SIDE NOTE, DURING THE FIVE-YEAR UDC AMENDMENT PROCESS, STAFF CAN BRING THOSE EDITS TO THE CODE WHERE WE SEE CLARIFICATIONS CAN BE MADE. IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO TWEAK WHERE WE THINK WE NEED TO BASED ON WHAT IS WORKING AND WHAT ISN'T.
ONCE BOUNDARY MAPS AND THE PROPOSED CODE LANGUAGE ARE DRAFTED, IT MOVES THROUGH A COMMUNITY FEEDBACK PROCESS TO ALLOW ALL THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS ALONG THE CORRIDOR TO PROVIDE INPUT.
THEN IT MOVES THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS TO THE ZONING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL. JUST A QUICK UPDATE ON OUR ENGAGEMENT.
WE HOSTED TWO COMMUNITY MEETINGS SINCE B SESSION.
ONE ON OCTOBER 22ND AT THE ENTER CENTRAL LIBRARY AND ONE ON NOVEMBER 2ND ATWOOD LAWN LAKE GYM. AROUND 75 PEOPL PEOPLE ATTENDED. WE DID FACEBOOK LIVE AND IT'S ON OUR SA SPEAK UP SITE. WE'RE AT ABOUT 245 PLAYS.
THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS INCLUDED BOARDS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR RESIDENTS, TO PRIORITIZE WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE RELATED TO THE DIFFERENT PRINCIPLES. WE ARE RECEIVING SOME GREAT FEEDBACK TO HELP US PRIORITIZE FOR PHASE TWO AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. A BOARD THAT ALSO ALLOWS OUR RESIDENTS TO PRIORITIZE THE MOST IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES WHICH HELPS US TO DRIVE THAT IMPLEMENTATION EFFORT HE.
SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE RECEIVED ARE DISPLAYED HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS. THEY INCLUDE CONCERNS REGARDING DISPLACEMENT FROM FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS, TREES, TREES, AND MORE TREES IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THAT SHADE AND WALKABILITY. MORE BIKE LANES WAS ALSO HIGHLIGHTED. THEY WANTED TO SEE MORE OF A COMPATIBLE MIX OF USES AS WELL AS DENSITY OF THOSE BUSINESSES SO THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS NEEDS. THERE IS INCENTIVES AND PROTECTING HOMEOWNERS AND MISSING HOUSING ALONG WITH THE DEVELOPMENT. LASTLY, INTEGRATE NATURE AND ENHANCE SAFETY AND FOSTERING COMMUNITY, TIES TO CREATE A MORE VIBRANT AND LIVABLE NEIGHBORHOOD. AS PART OF THE UPDATE TO THE CODE, PLANNING COMMISSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH IS RECOMMENDING TO THE COMMISSION, CONSIDERED THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE AND RECOMMENDED APPROVAL WITH TWO POINTS. ONE OF THOSE WAS THAT ALL SINGLE FAMILY ZONE LOTS WITH SINGLE FAMILY USES WITHIN THE CRAG, THE FIRST 36 SQUARE FILES ARE EXCLUDED FOR BEING AVAILABLE FOR ZONING. STAFF SUPPORTS THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UPON A PROPERTY BEING REZONED WAS ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION THAT A RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING PROGRAM BE EVALUATED FOR THE A BUDDING NEIGHBORHOOD AS THIS RECOMMENDATION IS PRESENTED TO PLANNING COMMISSION, WE WILL LET THEM KNOW WE ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION AS WELL AS STAFF WILL BE ON HAND TO PROVIDE BACKGROUND RELATED TO THE RESIDENTIAL PERMIT PARKING PROGRAM.
THIS SLIDE PRESENTS OUR NEXT STEPS FOR THE APPROVAL PROCESS.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN OCTOBER WE HAD SEVERAL COMMITTEES AND BRIEFINGS AS WELL AS BRIEFINGS TO TOD TASK FORCE REMOVING BARRIERS SUBCOMMITTEE AND TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP. WE DID A BRIEFING TO ZONING COMMISSION AND GOT POSITIVE FEEDBACK. TODAY WE'RE HERE DOING A BRIEFING FOR THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.
NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE GOING TO PLANNING COMMISSION FOR CONSIDERATION AND A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN WE MOVE FORWARD TO DO SOME BRIEFINGS WITH BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT AND HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION.
THEY WILL MAKE THEIR CONSIDERATION OF BOTH THE CODE AND THE BOUNDARY MAPS ON NOVEMBER 19TH, AND ON NOVEMBER 20TH, HOUSING COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER THE POLICY FRAMEWORK. LASTLY, THAT GETS US TO DECEMBER FOR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION OF BOTH THE POLICY FRAMEWORK AND UPDATED ZONING CODE. SO WE'RE BUSY OVER THE NEXT MONTH AND A HALF. WITH THAT, WE'LL BE HERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A MAJOR INITIATIVE BY CITY
[01:40:06]
COUNCIL AND WE'VE DISCUSSED IT AT MULTIPLE COMMITTEES AND AT VIA BOARD MEETINGS. IS ANYONE FROM VIA HERE?JUST MAKING SURE JUST IN CASE I THINK ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES HAD ASKED LAST TIME. LET ME ASK BEFORE. OKAY.
AND SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONCERN FROM THE HOMEOWNERS ALONG THE PROPOSED LINES AND THEY ARE ASKING RIGHTFULLY SO, SOME QUESTIONS.
RADIOITY? SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL HAD THOSE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS. I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL.
I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO PROTECT THOSE HOMES.
SO ALL AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING TO BUILD SOME ADDITIONAL AFFORDABLE UNITS OR A MIX. RIGHT? OF HOUSING. SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER ON. BUT I DO THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT MOST PEOPLE USE THE BUS BECAUSE IT'S NEEDED. RIGHT? IT'S OUT OF NECESSITY. IT'S NOT BECAUSE THEY PREFER TO DO THAT.
IT REALLY IS BECAUSE MAYBE THEY JUST CAN'T AFFORD GAS OR A CAR OR INSURANCE. WHILE WE TRY TO EXPAND THESE SERVICES AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INCREASE OUR RIDERSHIP, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONVENIENCE OF THAT SERVICE ISN'T LOST FOR THOSE WHO ACTUALLY NEED IT. RIGHT? AND DEPEND ON IT TO GET TO WORK OR THE GROCERY STORE, ET CETERA. SO I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES AT THIS POINT.
DO WE NEED A MOTION ON THIS? NO.
OKAY. JUST A BRIEFING. PERFECT.
ALL RIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WANTS
TO START. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> THANK YOU, CHAIR.
THANK YOU, TEAM, FOR THE PRESENTATION. I APPRECIATE YOU ADDRESSING THE TRAFFIC CONCERNS ON SLIDE 6, PARTICULARLY REGARDING SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT NEEDS TO BE IN THERE, IF IT SHOULD SAY PUBLIC AND PUB ELECTRIC CHARTER SCHOOLS AS WELL.
I WANT TO BE SURE ALL THE SCHOOLS WOULD HAVE TO ABIDE BY THAT. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT LANGUAGE NEEDS TO BE IN TH SPECIFICALLY.
>> WHAT WE'LL DO IS MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS CLARIFIED BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, IN THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, IT JUST SAYS PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I ALSO SEE D5 APPOINTEES TO THE TOD COMMITTEE. GRATEFUL FOR THEIR ACCURACY ON THAT COMMITTEE AND ENSURING OUR TEAM IS UP TO DATE ON WHAT SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS ARE WITH THAT REGARDING THE SINGLE FAMILY HOME ZONING. I APPRECIATE INTEGRATING THEIR FEEDBACK AS WELL AS LAYING OUT THE PROCESS FOR FUTURE CORRIDORS.
SO ONE OF THE PRIMARY QUESTIONS THAT I GET FROM D5 RESIDENTS, AROUND TOD, IF THIS PROCESS IS GOING TO UPDATE THE UDC, WHICH IT IS, AND IF IT'S GOING TO APPLY TO THE EAST-WEST CORRIDOR WHICH IS
CORRECT. CORRECT? >> THAT'S CORRECT.
>> THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT. ONE OF THE -- AN ADDITIONAL CONCERN THAT WE HEAR AND I KNOW THIS IS ONE SHARED BY LETTIE IS AROUND THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT. AROUND THE PRIORITIZATION FOR THE 2027 BOND, DO STAFF INTEND TO RECOMMEND TOD BUCKET WITHIN THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND?
>> I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF CITIZEN INPUT AND ALL OF THAT, BUT I THINK IT MAKES SENSE AND WE DID ALSO RECOMMEND -- I THINK I MENTIONED IT PREVIOUSLY -- SET ASIDE SPECIFICALLY FOR STRATEGIC LAND ACQUISITION AND SAYING THAT WOULD BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THIS PARTICULAR FRAMEWORK. SO IT HASN'T BEEN -- WE HAVEN'T COME TO COUNCIL TO UTILIZE ANY OF THIS FUNDING YET. SO SINCE WE DID SET ASIDE SOME 2022 BONDING, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY WE WOULD HAVE A SIMILAR
RECOMMENDATION FOR 2027. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
IN TERMS IT OF THE RECOMMENDATION, I KNOW WITH THE PAST BOND, THERE WAS A PARAMETER FOR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST AND THEN WITHIN THE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S RECOMMENDATIONS ARE ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS THAT WOULD NEED TO TAKE PLACE BEFORE 2027. HOWEVER, FOR THE COMMUNITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT, I'M CURIOUS OR WOULD LIKE TO LEARN WHAT STAFF IS THINKING IN TERMS OF THAT AND WOULD IT FALL UNDER THAT TOD RECOMMENDATION OR WOULD IT BE BE A SEPARATE BUCKET? I UNDERSTAND THERE'S COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS LOOKING TO GET ESTABLISHED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THAT MAY LOOK LIKE.
>> SURE. SO, YES, IN THIS BOND, WE DID SET ASIDE SOME FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST, SPECIFICALLY WHERE THEY COULD MAYBE ACQUIRE PROPERTIES. WE CAN'T USE THE BOND FUNDING FOR SPECIFICALLY ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT, BUT WE DID APPLY TO THE HUD PATHWAYS FOR
[01:45:05]
REMOVING OBSTACLES GRANT AND ASKED FOR FLEXIBILITY TO HELP HIRE CONSULTANT AND OUT OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS MAY COME SOURCES WE COULD USE FOR ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT. THAT IS ONERECOMMENDATION WE'RE PURSUING. >> ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU, VERONICA. LASTLY, CAT, MY QUESTION IS REGARDING THE CODE THAT REQUIRES TRAFFIC ANALYSIS. WOULD THAT INCLUDE JUST THE SCHOOLS OR WOULD IT ALSO BE FOR TRAFFIC ANALYSIS FOR ALL ZONING
OF ALL DEVELOPMENT? >> IT'S JUST FOR -- SO THE CURRENT CODE REQUIREMENT IS JUST SPECIFICALLY FOR A TRAFFIC CIRCULATION STUDY. IT'S JUST FOR SCHOOLS, BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. SO THAT'S THE PIECE WE WOULD BE INCORPORATING INTO OUR CODE JUST RELATED TO SCHOOLS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, AS
WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE. >> THANK YOU, CAT, FOR
THAT CLARIFICATION. THANK YOU, CHAIR. >> THANK YOU,
COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> I HAD TO HEAD OUT ALSO. I AM GOING TO -- I HAVE VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FROM SOME OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS REGARDING CONSTRUCTION, REGARDING DELAYS, REGARDING KIND OF HOW THEY ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED IF THEY LIVE IN AND AROUND THE CORRIDORS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET A MEETING SET UP PROBABLY FOR THAT WEEK OF THE 18TH THROUGH THE 20TH, IF WE CAN GET A MEETING SO YOU CAN -- SO I CAN GET A BRIEFING ON HOW THE FEEDBACK IS GOING WITH THE DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS THAT Y'ALL ARE BRIEFING, AND, OF COURSE, I'LL HAVE THE UPDATE ON THE ZONING COMMISSION CONSIDERATION. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, THAT ALL OUR STAKEHOLDERS ARE ON THE SAME PAGE AND HAVING THAT CONVERSATION. WE DO HAVE SOMEONE HERE TODAY FROM VIA.
ALL RIGHT. >> THEY ARE PROBABLY ASKING ABOUT THE
CONSTRUCTION WITH THE LINE ITSELF. >> YEAH. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THEY ARE ALWAYS LOOKING ON WHO IS DOING THE CONSTRUCTION. THAT'S THE ONE THING WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO WITH THEM BEFORE IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE VIA, CPS, SAWS, THE CITY, THINGS LIKE THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE UPDATE. I LOOK FORWARD TO
MEETING Y'ALL IN A WEEK OR SO. >> GREAT.
THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN.
COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. >> I WANT TO MAKE SURE -- COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT NOT ALLOWING EXPANSION OF CAR DEALERSHIPS. IS THAT WHAT I REMEMBER? THAT'S A CLARIFICATION I NEED. I DON'T HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. >> IT WOULDN'T BE APPLICABLE.
>> SO THE TOD ZONING DISTRICT PROPOSES THAT AUTO REPAIR TYPE USES AS WELL -- BOTH MAJOR REPAIR, THOSE WOULDN'T BE USES THAT YOU WOULD ENCOURAGE IN A TO DEFINITELY ZONING DISTRICT.
THEY WOULDN'T BE PERMITTED BY RIGHT. BUT IF THE PROPERTIES -- THIS IS JUST A BOUNDARY THAT DETERMINES WHAT PROPERTIES ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE TO REZONE TO TOD. IF THEY WANTED TO DO AN AUTO REPAIR-TYPE SITE, THEY WOULD JUST CHOOSE ONE OF THE OTHER ZONING
DISTRICTS THAT WOULD PERMIT IT BY RIGHT. >> GOT IT.
THANK YOU. THOSE ARE MY QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER PELAEZ. ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT.
WELL, WITHOUT ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 1
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.