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[3:00 PM – Call to Order]
AFTERNOON EVERYONE.TIME IS DOWN 3:02 PM I'D LIKE TO CALL THE ORDER.
THIS IS STORY DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION FOR WEDNESDAY, MAY 20TH, 2026.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? MAMON.
AND GIBBS HERE WE HAVE A QUORUM.
MAY I HAVE TRANSLATION SERVICES, PLEASE? GOOD AFTERNOON.
THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION IS AN ADVISORY BOARD APPOINTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL.
I AM JAY MAURICE GIBBS CHAIRMAN, AND THE VICE CHAIR IS JEFFREY FETZER.
IT IS THE FUNCTION OF THE COMMISSION TO ADVISE THE CITY MANAGER IN ALL RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS CONCERNING ALL APPLICATIONS FOR PERMITS FOR PROPERTIES IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS, FOR LANDMARKS ON CITY PROPERTY AND THE RIVER IMPROVEMENT OVERLAY.
AND CONSIDERING WHETHER IT'S TO RECOMMEND APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF AN APPLICATION FOR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, THE COMMISSION SHALL BE GUIDED BY THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE AND DESIGN GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
AN APPEAL OF A DECISION BY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICIAL CAN BE FILED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CITY'S UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE.
IF ANYONE PRESENT WISHES TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OR IN OPPOSITION TO ANY ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA, PLEASE SIGN UP ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT SHEET.
IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO SIGN UP.
IF YOU ARE THE OWNER OF OR REPRESENTATIVE FOR A PROJECT ON THE AGENDA, YOU'LL BE CALLED ON AS THE CASE IS CALLED.
CASE REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE GIVEN NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES TO PRESENT THEIR CASE WITH AN ADDITIONAL TWO MINUTES TO RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SPEAKERS FOUR OR OPPOSED TO A CASE WILL BE LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES.
EACH SPEAKERS MAY ALSO SIGN UP TO YIELD THEIR TWO MINUTES TO ANOTHER SPEAKER WHO HAS SIGNED UP.
ANYONE WHO IS YIELDING THEIR TIME MUST BE PRESENT AT THE TIME THE SPEAKER IS CALLED UPON.
SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED UPON IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY'RE SIGNED UP FOLLOWING PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
ANY COMMISSIONER MAY CALL UPON ANY SPEAKER TO RESPOND TO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
APPROVAL BY THE COMMISSION DOES NOT TAKE THE PLACE OF ANY TYPE OF PERMITS.
PERMITS MUST BE OBTAINED FOR ALL WORK.
CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR WORK APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION WILL BE EMAILED TO YOU WITHIN 10 DAYS.
NO WORK OF ANY TYPE IS TO BE STARTED WITHOUT OBTAINING THE APPROPRIATE CITY PERMITS AFTER A CERTIFICATE.
APPROPRIATENESS HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF RESTOR PRESERVATION.
AT THIS TIME, PLEASE SILENCE US YOUR CELL PHONES.
UM, WE AS STAFF DON'T HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS TODAY.
I JUST WANNA NOTE WE HAVE TWO COMMISSIONERS THAT ARE ON VIRTUALLY, UH, ANNMARIE, COULD YOU JUST TEST YOUR MICROPHONE REAL QUICK? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN.
UH, SO, UH, WITH NO ANNOUNCEMENTS, UH, MR. CHAIR, WE COULD, UH, TAKE ACTION ON LAST MEETING'S MINUTES.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE FOR APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES FROM MAY 6TH, 2026.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MAYOR ROLL HALL, PLEASE MA'AM.
UM, IF Y'ALL COULD DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE SCREEN.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SIGNED IN TO SPEAK, UH, IN PERSON FOR ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
UH, ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE, UH, A HANDFUL OF, UH, REQUESTS THAT HAVE COMMENTS, UH, THAT ARE IN YOUR PACKETS, UH, WHETHER IN THE FORM OF LETTERS OR THE TRANSCRIBED VOICEMAILS.
UH, SO WHAT WE'LL DO NOW IS WE'LL WORK OUR WAY THROUGH, UH, ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA WHERE THERE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SIGNED IN TO SPEAK.
UH, AND I'LL JUST SAY, NOW I APOLOGIZE IF I MISREAD OR MISPRONOUNCE ANYONE'S NAME.
UH, SO FOR AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 3, 3 10 SOUTH ST.
MARY'S, WE HAVE, I BELIEVE DARLENE BRUCE, SORRY, UH, IS HERE TO SPEAK IN PERSON.
I'D LIKE TO REMIND SPEAKERS AS THEY COME UP TO SPEAK THAT YOUR TIME IS LIMITED TO TWO MINUTES.
ONCE YOU HEAR THEIR TIMER GO OFF, YOUR TIME IS UP.
SO PLEASE, UM, PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF THAT.
I'M DARLENE BURSAR AND I LIVE IN THE BRADY BUILDING DOWNTOWN.
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SUPPORT OF THE TOWER LIFE, UM, CHANGE.AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN POSITIVE NATURE OF THIS CHANGE.
UM, I FEEL THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC BUILDINGS IN THE WHOLE CITY, AND I FEEL THAT JORDAN FOSTER AND ALL THE VISIONARIES THAT HAVE WORKED DEDICATEDLY TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
NEXT, UH, WE'LL HAVE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
UH, FIRST WILL BE ANTHONY VER.
TIFFANY HOLIDAY WILL BE YIELDING HER TIME CHAIR, MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION.
UH, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'M HERE BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN AND SENIORS WHO WILL USE ELLA AUSTIN EVERY DAY.
ELLA AUSTIN DAYCARE WILL SERVE ABOUT 80 CHILDREN.
YET THE DROP OFF, THE PROPOSED DROP OFF ON BURLESON HOLDS ONLY SEVEN VEHICLES A DAY.
CHILDREN MUST BE UNBUCKLED GATHERED AND SAFELY HANDED OFF.
IT TAKES TIME, ESPECIALLY DURING PEAK HOURS.
THAT SAME SMALL LOOP ALSO SERVES A SENIOR CENTER WHERE PEOPLE MAY NEED EXTRA TIME OR ASSISTANCE.
SO WE'RE ASKING YOUNG CHILDREN AND SENIORS TWO VULNERABLE GROUPS TO SHARE LIMITED SPACE AT THE BUSIEST TIME OF DAY.
AND JUST 400 FEET AWAY ABOUT AN ACADEMY ADDS EVEN MORE TRAFFIC AND CONGESTION WHEN THE LOOP FILLS AND IT WILL, PARENTS WILL DO WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO, STOPPING IN THE STREET, UNLOAD CHILDREN AND NAVIGATE TRAFFIC ON FOOT.
THE SITE DESIGN PRIORITIZES PROXIMITY TO CURBSIDE DROP OFF IN A WAY THAT FUNCTIONALLY INCENTIVIZES STREET PARKING OVER ONSITE SPACES.
THIS CREATES REAL RISK CHILDREN STEPPING INTO TRAFFIC, LIMITED VISIBILITY AND UNSAFE CROSSINGS.
NOT BECAUSE FAMILIES ARE CARELESS, BUT BECAUSE THE DESIGN LEAVES NO SAFE ALTERNATIVE.
THIS ISN'T JUST INEFFECTIVE, IT'S UNSAFE, AND IT'S PREVENTABLE.
I'M ASKING YOU TO REQUIRE A DROP OFF DESIGN THAT ACTUALLY MATCHES HOW PEOPLE BEHAVE IN REAL LIFE, NOT HOW WE HOPE THEY BEHAVE ON PAPER, BECAUSE THE DESIGN THAT FORCES CHILDREN INTO THE STREET IS NOT SAFE.
I'M PHYLLIS MCNAIR WITH, UH, DIGNITY HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UH, WE WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO DISAPPROVE THESE, UH, PLANS.
THEY CAME TO US ON MONDAY, THE CITY DEPARTMENT, BUT THERE WAS STILL SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD TO ADDRESS.
AND, UH, THE THING ABOUT THE FI, THEY SAID THIS IS THE FINAL DESIGN, BUT WE STILL HAD QUESTIONS ON SOME OF THOSE DESIGNS, AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO, UM, HAVE IT DISAPPROVED UNTIL THEY COME BACK AND SPEAK WITH US A LITTLE BIT MORE.
THE, UM, CHANGES THAT THEY MADE, WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT 'EM.
THEY DID NOT SEND US ANY UPDATED, UM, DRAWINGS.
AND SO THE, THE LAST ONES THAT WE HAVE HAD IS THE 2024.
AND SO WE WANNA BE MORE CURRENT AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT THINGS THAT THE NEIGHBORS HAVE ADDRESSED AND ASKED FOR, THAT THEY WOULD BE CONSIDERED.
VICTOR KEROGA AND VICTOR ZUNIGA WILL BE YIELDING THEIR TIME.
I'M BEVERLY WATS DAVIS, AND I'M ACTUALLY THE CHAIR EMERITUS OF THE L AUSTIN BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
AND I'M HERE TO YOU TODAY BECAUSE AFTER ALMOST A YEAR OF PLANNING WITH THE GREAT INPUT, WE HOSTED A MEETING WITH COPS METRO AND THE L AUSTIN BOARD.
WE HOSTED A MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS AND, AND THE BOARD WITH THE GOVERNMENT HILL WITH, WITH FOUR DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS SURROUNDING ELLA AUSTIN.
WE, WE THOUGHT WE HAD AGREEMENT ON, ON THE THINGS THAT WE WANTED ONLY TO FIND OUT AT THE VERY END THAT NONE OF THOSE THINGS WERE
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INCORPORATED.ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WAS SPOKEN ABOUT WAS WHERE THE CIRCULAR DRIVE IS.
AND WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THE WAY THAT THE CONFIGURATION IS RIGHT NOW WAS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SAN ANTONIO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, THE, THE CITY'S TRAFFIC PEOPLE.
AND, AND THIS IS, THIS WAS 30 OR SO YEARS AGO, BUT ALL OF ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER AND L AUSTIN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DID NOT CROWD UP THE STREETS AND BE BAD.
THAT THIS WONDERFUL ASSET ENDS UP BEING A BAD NEIGHBOR FOR THE VARIED NEIGHBORHOOD IT'S IN.
IF YOU ALL KNEW WE'RE THERE BETWEEN SEVEN IN THE MORNING AND NINE 30, AND BETWEEN TWO 30 IN THE AFTERNOON AND SIX, YOU WOULD CREATE A PARKING LOT WHERE THERE'S NOT ALREADY INCREASED SIDEWALKS HAVING CHILDREN WHEN THEY DROP OFF THEIR CHILDREN, THEY DON'T JUST DROP OFF THE CARS AND THE KIDS RUN IN.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EARLY HEAD START CHILDREN.
THEY GET OUT, THEY GO IN, THEY CHECK THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEY CHECK THEIR STUDENTS IN.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A VERY, VERY LARGE, ONE OF THE LARGEST GROWING, UH, UH, UH, SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION WHO ARE GRANDPARENTS RAISING THEIR GRANDCHILDREN.
AND WE, AGAIN, ELLA AUSTIN, HAS NOT HAD THIS SUPPORT OF BOND FUNDING.
IT'S A 130 5-YEAR-OLD BUILDING.
THE ONE THING THAT THESE DESIGNINGS DO, AND I'M SO SORRY TO SAY THIS, BUT I I'M JUST SAYING THIS, I'VE ALREADY PRAYED ON IT, BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DESIGN OF THIS AND YOU LOOK AT IT IS SHAMEFUL, YOU'RE TAKING A BUILDING, THEY COMPLETELY GUTTED IT.
THEY TOTALLY DELETED ALL THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SPACE THAT WE HAD.
THEY ADDED, THEY DID ADD, UH, FOUR NEW, UH, CLA UH, UH, ROOMS FOR CHILDCARE.
BUT THE SENIOR CENTER, WHICH WE ALL VOTED IN TO HAVE, WE GET ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
IT'S NOT EVEN GONNA BE FIXING THE BATHROOMS THAT THEY'RE DOING THE SAME THING ON THE INSIDE.
AND WE HAVE $23 MILLION WAS ALLOCATED.
THEY SAID THAT SOME OF IT WENT TO A NEW ROOF.
WELL, I HAVE TO JUST TELL YOU, ALL YEARS AGO, MAYBE SEVEN YEARS AGO, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ALLOCATED A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE ROOF.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE GOT FOR THAT? IT WAS A PATCH JOB THAT WITHIN TWO DAYS OF WHEN THE PERSON FINISHED, IT WAS ALREADY LEAKING THROUGH THE CEILINGS INTO OUR OFFICES.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA PAY AGAIN FOR SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY BEEN PAID.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE SAID, WELL, WE HAVE TO CUT THINGS BECAUSE OF THE TARIFFS.
AND MY, MY MY POINT TO YOU ALL IS TO SAY, THIS REMINDS ME OF REDLINING.
AND I WILL HONESTLY SAY, AND I'M GONNA SAY THIS INTO THE RECORD, IF ELLA AUSTIN WAS NEXT TO PLACES ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE WHERE THE HOMES WERE 300, $400,000, I GUARANTEE YOU THEY WOULD'VE NEVER MOVED AN ENTRANCE TO THE BACK OF A BUILDING TO COMPETE WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHOULD HAVE FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.
WE'RE GONNA ASK A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE STREETS TO CLEAR UP IN THE MORNING AND IN THE AFTERNOON, WHO DOES THAT? AND ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CURRENT DESIGN WAS ALREADY CONSTRUCTED, THE WAY IT WAS CONSTRUCTED THROUGH BECAUSE OF AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.
SO IT WAS BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYTHING.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA TAKE IT AND MOVE IT TO THE BACK AND BLOCK UP A WHOLE STREET THAT MAKES ELLA AUSTIN A NEGATIVE ASSET FOR THE VERY NEIGHBORHOOD IT SERVES.
AND WE'RE ASKING YOU TO PLEASE HOLD THIS.
'CAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT THEY COMPLETELY GUTTED OUTTA OUR, OUR PANTRY SPACES.
WE HAVE BEEN THAT LIFEBOAT FOR SENIORS AND PEOPLE FOR SO LONG.
THEY TOTALLY GUTTED AND JUST SAID THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO IT AGAIN.
THE PLACE WHERE WE OFFER, YOU KNOW, CANNED GOODS, WE FEED SENIORS EVERY WEEK.
THE WHOLE SENIOR CENTER, WHICH WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A YOGA ROOM, AN EXERCISE ROOM, WE ARE GETTING NONE OF THAT.
THE ONLY THING THEY'RE GONNA DO IS PAINT THE WALLS.
THIS IS AFTER A $23 MILLION BOND ELECTION.
AND I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT THE, UNFORTUNATELY, MR. SHANNON IS HERE AND HE'S BEEN REFERENCING THE CITY, BUT HE WAS NOT WITH US DURING THIS TIME.
WE'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH THIS.
THE COUNCILMAN IS IN AGREEMENT WITH US, AND WE JUST ASK YOU ALL TO PLEASE, TO PLEASE DO THIS, THIS, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH THIS BUILDING FOR ANOTHER, WE HOPE A HUNDRED ANOTHER 135 YEARS OLD YEARS.
ELLA AUSTIN IS AN ICON IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND IT HAS TO, IT HAS TO SERVE THE NEEDS.
WE HAVEN'T, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GOING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN AUDITORIUM.
AND GUESS WHAT? THERE'S NO SEATS IN THE AUDITORIUM.
SO ONCE AGAIN, HAVE US COME BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
YOU ALL I WOULD, I WOULD BE HERE FIGHTING FOR YOU IF THIS WAS YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S BEEN IMPOVERISHED, A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S MAJORITY MINORITY.
AND, AND, AND WE'VE HAD FOUR MEETINGS.
AND THE REASON WHY DIGNITY WITTY CAME OUT THE WAY, SAME WITH COPS METRO.
THEY CALLED AND SAID, WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON? WE'VE ALREADY HAD ALL THESE MEETINGS.
WE ALREADY THOUGHT WE HAD MOVED.
MADE SURE THAT THE, THAT THE, THAT THE, THAT THE ENTRYWAY WAS FINE.
AND THE ONLY THING THAT REMAINED FROM ALL THE FOUR MEETINGS WE HAD WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD COP, METRO, THE CHURCHES, ET CETERA, WAS THE EXPANSION OF THE CHILDCARE CENTER TO ADD FOUR DIFFERENT ROOMS. WE'RE NOT EVEN REDOING THE, THE BATHROOMS. IT'S JUST YOU ALL, IT'S INSANE.
$23 MILLION HAS TO GET YOU MORE THAN THAT.
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MOST IMPORTANTLY, ELLA AUSTIN IS A RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY.YOU CANNOT POSITION IT TO THEN BE A NEGATIVE ASSET THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE STANDING AND THE LIVABILITY OF, OF ELLA AUSTIN AND, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE TO COME IN AND OUT OF THE CHILDREN.
TRYING TO GET THEIR KIDS IN AND OUT OF PLACE IS RIDICULOUS TO PUT THE ENTRANCE WHERE IT WAS.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM THAT WE HAVE IN PERSON SPEAKERS FOR IS ITEM NUMBER 12, WHICH IS 4 33 MADISON.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, DEBORAH CARRINGTON, WHO WILL RECEIVE SIX MINUTES.
ROBERT CARRINGTON AND KRISTEN CASEY ARE YIELDING THEIR TIME.
YOU WANT ME TO SHOW YOUR PICTURES? YEAH, YOU CAN SHOW THE FIRST ONE.
MY NAME IS DEBORAH CARRINGTON AND I'M SPEAKING FOR A GROUP OF NEIGHBORS.
MY HUSBAND ROBERT, AND I LIVE AT FOUR 30 MADISON, DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM 4 33 MADISON.
WE OBJECT TO THE OWNERS DEVIATING FROM THE PLANS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE HDRC ON DECEMBER 17TH, AND PROCEEDING WITH CONSTRUCTION FROM A DIFFERENT DESIGN WITH WITHOUT SEEKING APPROVAL FOR THE CHANGES, WE OBJECT PRIMARILY TO THE LARGE SOLID BACK WALL OF THE NEW COVERED PATIO FIREPLACE STRUCTURE FACING MADISON STREET, WHICH IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PLAN.
WE ASK FOR A RETURN TO THE APPROVED PLAN FOR THE BACK WALL, WHICH INCLUDED OPEN AREAS FLANKING THE FIREPLACE.
THESE OPENINGS HELP TO REDUCE THE VISUAL IMPACT OF THE LARGE STRUCTURE WHILE BEING HIGH ENOUGH TO GIVE PRIVACY TO THE OWNERS AS A COMPROMISE TO ASKING FOR A TOTAL RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING ADHERING TO THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PLAN.
WE CAN AGREE TO ITEMS ONE AND TWO IN THE NEW DESIGN REQUEST, BUT OPPOSE ITEM THREE, DESCRIBING ENCLOSING THE TWO OPEN AREAS FLANKING THE FIREPLACE.
THE OPENINGS WERE FILLED IN AFTER ORIGINALLY BEING PRESENT IN THE NEW STRUCTURE, AND THEREFORE CAN EASILY BE ADDED BACK.
YOU CAN SEE THE RED ARROWS ON THE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE STRUCTURE WHERE THOSE OPENINGS WERE FILLED IN.
NONE OF THE PROPOSED DRAWINGS AND RENDERINGS SUBMITTED TO THE OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOR APPROVAL ARE FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MADISON STREET.
CLEARLY THE UNAPPROVED CHANGES WERE FOCUSED ON THE POOL PERSPECTIVE AND PRIVACY, AND DID NOT TAKE MADISON STREET CONTEXT OR HISTORICAL APPROPRIATENESS INTO CONSIDERATION.
ALTHOUGH IT TECHNICALLY QUALIFIES AS A REAR STRUCTURE BY CODE, THE SHALLOW FRONT YARD MAKES IT PART OF THE MADISON STREET FRONT YARD.
NEIGHBORS AND VISITORS ALL EXPERIENCE THIS STRUCTURE AS THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY.
THE HOUSE AND GARDEN ARE LOCATED IN A PROMINENT CORNER, LOT MADISON EAST JOHNSON, AND ARE THEREFORE HIGHLY VISIBLE TO ALL WHO LIVE AND VISIT KING WILLIAM HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THE CLOSE PLACEMENT OF THE BUILDING TO MADISON STREET ALLOWED BY CODE MAKES IT EVEN MORE CRITICAL THAT THE DESIGN REFLECT HISTORIC SENSIBILITIES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE PHOTO OF THE STREET VIEW.
WE STRONGLY SUPPORT THE STAFF'S STIPULATION THAT A LANDSCAPE PLAN TO SCREEN THE STREET FACING FACADE OF THE COVERED PATIO FIREPLACE STRUCTURE BE SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL PRIOR TO ISSUANCE OF A NEW CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
HOPEFULLY WELL-DESIGNED LANDSCAPING WILL HELP SOFTEN THE IMPACT OF THE STRUCTURE WHILE ALSO RESTORING A DEGREE OF PRIVACY AND SHADE LOST TO THE REMOVAL OF SEVERAL LARGE TREES ON THE PROPERTY BEFORE CONSTRUCTION.
FOR ALL THESE REASONS, WE HOPE THE NEW LANDSCAPE PLAN WILL NOT BE SIMPLY ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED.
WE ASK THAT THE HDRC HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE LANDSCAPE PLAN TO ASSURE PLANTINGS, OFFSET THE SCALE AND MAGNITUDE OF THE STRUCTURE.
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IMPERMANENT AND UNENFORCEABLE AFTER INSTALLATION, AND THEREFORE MAY NOT ALWAYS PROVIDE SCREENING FOR THE LARGE STREET FACING WALL, WHICH MAKES IT ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT TO RETURN TO THE ORIGINALLY APPROVED LESS IMPOSING BACK WALL WITH OPEN SPACES FLANKING THE FIREPLACE TO FACE MADISON STREET.THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE TO YOUR SERVICE ON THIS COMMISSION AND FOR HEARING OUR CONCERNS TODAY.
UH, RICK CASEY, HE'LL RECEIVE TWO MINUTES.
OTHER SPEAKERS, UH, ARE DISCUSSING THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE STRUCTURE IN QUESTION.
I WOULD LIKE TO BRIEFLY ADDRESS TWO MATTERS, PROCESS AND PRECEDENCE.
I'VE LIVED IN THE KING WILLIAM NEIGHBORHOOD WITH ONE BREAK FOR MORE THAN 45 YEARS.
THAT ONE BREAK WAS IN HOUSTON, WHOSE DEVELOPMENT CULTURE IS VERY DIFFERENT IN HOUSTON.
EVERY MODEST HOUSE IN KING WILLIAM AND MANY GRAND ONES WOULD'VE BEEN DEMOLISHED AND REPLACED BY NOW.
SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE VALUE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND THE HISTORIC GUIDELINES.
I BELIEVE THE CONTROVERSY AT 4 33 MADISON HAS TAUGHT US TWO LESSONS.
THE FIRST IS THAT NEIGHBORS IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT MUST DEVISE WAYS TO BE ON TOP OF ISSUES SUCH AS THIS EARLY IN, UH, SUCH AS THIS EARLY IN THE PROCESS AND TO, AND TO BE AWARE OF DEVELOPMENTS AS MATTERS.
WE BECAME AWARE OF THE CONSTRUCTION WHEN IT WAS WELL UNDERWAY, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT IT VARIED SUBSTANTIALLY FROM A PREFERABLE DESIGN APPROVED BY THE STAFF.
NOT SURPRISINGLY, NEIGHBORS WERE NOT AWARE OF THE CHANGES.
THEN WE LEARNED THAT, THAT THE STAFF HAD APPROVED THE CHANGES, UH, IF APPROPRIATE LANDSCAPING WAS DESIGNED.
THE LESSON REGARDING PROCESS IS THAT EITHER NEIGHBORS NEED TO FIND A BETTER WAY TO STAY ON TOP OF CHANGES IN PLANS, OR THE COMM COMMISSION NEEDS TO FIND A MORE EFFECTIVE WAY TO KEEPING NEIGHBORS INFORMED.
THE LESSON REGARDING PRECEDENTS IS THAT RULINGS FROM THE HDRC APPEAR TO BE ADVISORY.
THE UNFORTUNATE PRECEDENT SET HERE GIVES US TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, AS SOME PEOPLE HAVE LONG SAID, UH, IT IS EASIER TO GET FORGIVENESS THAN TO GET PERMISSION REMISSION, WHERE THE, THE WISDOM OF ICONIC ARCHITECT FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT ALSO COMES INTO PLAY HERE.
HE FAMOUSLY SAID A DOCTOR CAN BURY HIS MISTAKES, BUT AN ARCHITECT CAN ONLY ADVISE HIS CLIENTS TO PLANT VINES.
MICHELANGELO SINO, HE'LL RECEIVE TWO MINUTES.
CAN I GIVE YOU IMAGE GREETINGS? UH, UH, I'M A NEWCOMER TO THE CITY.
I'M THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND PLANNING.
AND, AND SO I I JUST WANTED TO OFFER SOME COMMENTS THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE IMAGE COMING UP.
YOU KNOW, WHEN, IF YOU'RE, WHEN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WAS PLOTTED IN THE 19TH CENTURY, UM, THERE WERE NO CARS AND THE STREET MEANT EVERYTHING BECAUSE YOU WALKED ON SIDEWALKS.
IT WASN'T SORT OF THE AUTOMOBILE, UH, DES UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, NEIGHBORHOODS DESIGNED AROUND THE AUTOMOBILE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS IMAGE, YOU ARE BASICALLY LOOKING AT THE GAZEBO FROM THE POOL.
BUT WHAT YOU ARE NOT SEEING IS THE ENTIRE STREET, WHICH IS BEHIND WHERE THAT SUNNY SKY IS.
SO BASICALLY WHEN THIS, UH, GAZEBO WAS DESIGNED, THEY WERE NOT THINKING ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE FROM THE STREET.
AND THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT HERE.
UH, WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE STREET AND THIS SORT OF ABUNDANCE, THE GARDEN LIKE QUALITY OF KING WILLIAM, THE PROMINENT CORNER ON WHICH THIS, UH, HOUSE SITS MAKES IT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT.
UH, AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT OUR NEIGHBORS WOULD AGREE THAT THE MORE BEAUTIFUL THEIR HOUSE IS, THE MORE, UH, CURB APPEAL WILL HAVE AND MORE THEY CAN RESELL IT WHEN THEY WANNA LEAVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO OUR, OUR ADVICE IS, UH, TO REALLY NOT JUST LIKE PROMISE LANDSCAPE, BUT BE, UH, FORCED TO HAVE A REAL LANDSCAPE PLAN.
AND THESE TWO OPENINGS, IF THEY CAN COME TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THROUGH, AND IT'S NOT LIKE A, A FULL WALL, WELL, WELL, AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, EVERYONE WANTS A LITTLE BIT OF PRIVACY TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A SENSE OF AIRINESS TO THIS GAZEBO, WHICH IS ALWAYS BEEN IN THE HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE.
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GARDEN PAVILION MEANT TO BE NOT A GARDEN SHED.UH, SEAN CAMPBELL, SHE WILL RECEIVE TWO MINUTES.
I LIVE AT 5 24 KING WILLIAM IN COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
I'M CURRENTLY ON THE KING WILLIAM ASSOCIATION BOARD AND SINCE JANUARY, UM, HAVE BEEN SERVING AS THE CHAIR OF THE ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ALONG WITH THREE OTHER KING WILLIAM BOARD MEMBERS AND THREE MEMBERS OF THE KING WILLIAM ASSOCIATION.
I'LL SHORTEN THE ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO A A CI WANTED TO INTRODUCE MYSELF TODAY AND COMMENT ON 4 3 3 MADISON.
THERE IS A FORMAL LETTER IN YOUR NOTEBOOKS.
TWO MEMBERS OF THE A A C MET WITH KING WILLIAM NEIGHBORS THIS PAST SATURDAY TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS AND THEN MET WITH THE HOMEOWNERS DURING OUR REGULAR A A C MEETING MONDAY EVENING.
AS A RESULT, THE A A C SUPPORTS ITEMS ONE AND TWO TO MODIFY THE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED DECEMBER CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS AS PRESENTED BY THE OHP STAFF.
REGARDING ITEM THREE, THE, UM, THE INITIAL COA APPROVED IN DECEMBER HAD CUTOUTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FIREPLACE.
WHAT HAS BEEN BUILT IS A FULL WALL.
THE A A C WOULD PREFER TO SEE THE CUTOUTS PUT BACK, SO IT READS MORE AS AN OUTDOOR FIREPLACE THAN A PRIVACY WALL.
IN TALKING WITH THE HOMEOWNERS, THEIR VISION OF LANDSCAPING, THE WALL WILL INCLUDE TALL EVERGREENS, LAYERED HEDGES, AND A PIECE OF ARTWORK.
THE A A C AGREES WOULD SOFTEN TO THE EFFECT EITHER WAY.
UH, MARGARET LEADS, SHE'LL RECEIVE TWO MINUTES.
I LIVE AT 3 0 8 KING WILLIAM, AND I'VE LOVED THE KING WILLIAM HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD SINCE 1968.
AND I VISITED MY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND, CHARLIE CATRELL, THERE FOR THIR 30 YEARS.
AND WHEN I RETIRED, I WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE MY HOME, AND I'VE LIVED THERE FOR THE PAST 28 YEARS.
I SERVED ON THE KING WILLIAM ASSOCIATION BOARD PAST PRESIDENT AND THEN ON THE ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND IN THAT PROCESS, I SAW LOTS OF CHANGES IN THOSE 60 YEARS.
LOTS OF CHANGES IN KING WILLIAMS, SOME OF THEM REALLY WONDERFUL RENOVATIONS OF HOMES THAT DRASTICALLY NEEDED HELP TO SAVE THEM.
UH, AND I DEVELOPED THAT ON THE ARCHITECTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I AGREED WITH MANY OF THE THINGS THAT WERE APPROVED AND SOME I THOUGHT, OH, WHY IT DOESN'T MEET WITH MY TASTE.
BUT THEN MY TASTE IS NOT THE RULING FACTOR HERE.
AND THANK GOODNESS SOMETIMES, UM, I AM HOPING THAT, THAT OUR NEIGHBORS ON MADISON WILL BE ABLE TO CONFIGURE THE LANDSCAPING AND THE WALLS OF THAT STRUCTURE SO THAT IT FITS IN MORE APPROPRIATELY IN OUR ESTIMATION, AT LEAST WITH THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS REQUEST.
WELL, NEXT HERE, PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM NUMBER 13 13 15 EAST PIRON.
UH, JANE HENRY WILL RECEIVE FOUR MINUTES.
BRADY ALEXANDER HAS YIELDED TIME TO HER.
I'M PRESIDENT OF MISSION SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND, UM, UH, I'M HERE TO DELIVER COMMENTS ON, UM, JOEL'S COLLISION AT 34 0 6 ROOSEVELT AVENUE.
UH, THIS IS ITEM NUMBER 13 13 15 EAST PYRON.
UH, 34 0 6 ROOSEVELT WILL BE THE FIRST ITEM ON INDIVIDUAL.
WHAT WHAT, UM, THE JOEL'S COLLISION IS 34 0 6 ROOSEVELT.
OH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS POSTPONED.
[00:30:02]
YES, THE HOUSE, UM, WE HAVEN'T GOT A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHETHER THIS HOUSE INTENDS TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN PLACE OF THE HOUSE THAT SITS THERE, UM, ALREADY OR BEHIND THE HOUSE BECAUSE THERE IS A CONCRETE SLAB LOCATED BEHIND THE HOUSE IN THE YARD, IN THE BACKYARD.UM, I REMEMBER WHEN THIS, UM, WHEN THIS CASE CAME UP A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO FOR REVIEW BY HDRC.
UM, SOME OF THE COMMENTS, UM, FROM THE COMMISSIONERS WERE THAT A, UM, IT LOOKED, THE, THE DESIGN SUBMITTED LOOKED MORE APPROPRIATE FOR, UH, SOMEWHERE NEAR, UH, UH, SOME SUBURB ON THE NORTH SIDE.
UM, BECAUSE THE, HAD THE GARAGE, I THINK IT'S A DOUBLE GARAGE, UM, FLUSH WITH THE FRONT FACADE OF THE HOUSE, WHICH IS TOTALLY UNCHARACTERISTIC OF THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO THEY WERE ADVISED TO PUSH IT BACK OR PUT IT AROUND THE BACK.
AND AS FAR AS I'VE SEEN, UM, FROM WHAT IS SUBMITTED, UH, NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
UH, THE GARAGE IS STILL FLUSH WITH THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT CLEAR WHETHER THE HOUSE IN FRONT IS TO BE DEMOLISHED AND REPLACED BY THIS, UM, THIS HOUSE, UH, THE PROPOSED HOUSE OR, UM, OR IF THE PROPOSED HOUSE IS GOING TO GO BEHIND IT.
DOES ANYONE, CAN, CAN ANYONE CLARIFY THAT FOR US?
JUST CUT AND FINISH YOUR COMMENTS AND THEN WE CAN GO FROM THERE.
UM, WE DON'T THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR TO REPLACE THE HOUSE THAT IS ALREADY THERE BECAUSE IT, IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD OF FRONT PORCHES AND, AND PARKING AROUND THE BACK.
SO THO THOSE ARE OUR CONCERNS AND THEY'VE BEEN VOICED BEFORE WHEN THIS CAME UP BEFORE.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? SHE HAS COMMENTS NOW, MA'AM.
[CONSENT AGENDA Items are placed on the consent agenda when staff recommends approval or recommends approval with stipulations that the applicant agrees to. Any member of the public desiring to speak on a consent agenda item may sign up and be heard prior to voting on the consent agenda. Commissioners may request to remove any item from the consent agenda and have it placed on the individual consideration agenda. All items on the consent agenda will be considered for approval by one motion adopting the items with staff findings and recommendations.]
IF YOU CAN DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION BACK TO THE AGENDA THAT'S ON THE SCREEN.UM, THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS ARE THERE.
WE CAN PULL THOSE OR TAKE ACTION AS NEEDED.
DO ANY COMMISSIONERS WISH TO PULL ANY ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? YES, SIR.
I'D LIKE TO PULL ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
MR. CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO PULL ITEM NUMBER OR ITEMS NUMBER 12 AND NUMBER 13.
ANY OTHER ITEMS? HEARING NONE.
MAY I HAVE A, A MOTION FOR THE BALANCE OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE? YES, SIR.
MR. CHAIR, I MAKE A MOTION, UH, FOR THE BALANCE OF THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA WITH ALL STAFF STIPULATIONS LESS ITEM FOUR, 12 AND 13.
THAT WAS STAFF STIPULATIONS SECOND.
SO IS THAT, WAS THAT WITH STAFF STIPULATIONS? DID YOU SAY THAT? THANK YOU.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE, MA'AM? AYE.
IF YOU'RE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA AND YOUR ADDRESS IS 7 41 WEST ASHBY, THREE 10 SOUTH ST.
MARY'S 5 23 DEVINE ONE 12 SAN ARTURO, TWO 40 EAST SUMMIT SIX 12 LABOR, 5 39 EAST ATCH AND FOUR 15 FUR.
YOUR CASE HAS BEEN APPROVED AND YOU DO NOT NEED TO STAY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS HEARING.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CASE MANAGER OR A MEMBER OF STAFF.
YOUR CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS OR COMMISSION ACTION LETTER WILL BE PREPARED AND EMAILED TO YOU WITHIN 10 DAYS.
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, I'LL PULL UP ITEM NUMBER FOUR.
THIS IS ELLA, AUSTIN AND CAPITAL DELIVERY STAFF IS HERE IN PERSON.
CAN THE APPLICANT STEP UP TO THE PODIUM PLEASE?
[00:35:12]
HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON.I'M WITH WEST EAST DESIGN GROUP.
I'M ONE OF THE DESIGNERS FOR THE ELLA AUSTIN PROJECT.
UM, SOME DISCONCERTING COMMENTS BY, UH, UH, CITIZENS, THE FACT THAT, UM, UH, THE DESIGN DOESN'T ADDRESS CONCERNS THAT THEY HAD HAD THROUGH SEVERAL, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS.
UM, AND ONE SPECIFICALLY IS THE, THE DROP OFF FOR THE, UH, USERS OF THIS FACILITY, UH, BEING, UH, BASICALLY CREATING A, A HAZARDOUS CONDITION.
CAN YOU SHED SOME LIGHT ON, UH, THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS AND HOW DECISIONS WERE MADE THAT, UH, FROM WHAT WE'VE HEARD HASN'T FOLLOWED WHAT THE, THE USERS WANTED, UH, THE FACILITY TO, UH, BECOME? UM, YES.
UM, I, I MYSELF WAS ALSO NOT INVOLVED VERY EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS.
UM, BUT I, I WILL SAY THAT THE, THE ROUNDABOUT THAT WAS THERE BEFORE, UM, IS NO LONGER THERE BECAUSE WE'RE PROVIDING MORE AMENITIES ON THE SITE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE, UH, PROVIDING OPEN LAWNS FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY ON.
WE'RE PROVIDING A, AN AREA, A STAGING AREA FOR FOOD TRUCKS, FOR PEOPLE TO GATHER AND CONGREGATE.
UH, WE'RE PROVIDING A WORKOUT AREA AS WELL.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT COMPLETELY ELIMINATING THE LOOP JUST BECAUSE WE, WE DECIDED TO DO THAT.
IT WAS JUST TO PROVIDE MORE AMENITIES, UH, WHICH I BELIEVE WERE THINGS THAT WERE REQUESTED BY THE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE DID CONSIDER THE ENTRANCE TO THE SENIOR CENTER AND THE CHILDCARE CENTER.
AND WE, BECAUSE WE'RE SO LIMITED IN SPACE, WE HAVE THE EXISTING GYM THAT WILL REMAIN.
WE HAVE THE SENIOR CENTER THAT, THAT WILL REMAIN.
AND OBVIOUSLY THE MAIN BUILDING, WE HAVE A VERY LITTLE AREA TO WORK WITH FOR THE DROP OFF LOOP.
UH, WE TRIED EXPANDING AND MAKING THAT AS BIG AS WE POSSIBLY COULD.
UM, WE ALSO HAD TO REQUEST A VARIANCE FOR A DROP OFF LOOP.
WE'RE NOT TECHNICALLY ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
UH, WE NEED A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM THE INTERSECTION OF THE STREETS TO HAVE A DROP OFF LOOP.
SO, UH, US HAVING, OR EVEN HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE ONE IS, IS, UM, IS GOOD FOR US.
UH, BUT WE DO UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE CITY HAS INFORMED US THAT, UM, THEY WILL LOOK AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO RECTIFY THAT.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS THAT, UM, THAT WERE SAID NOT TO BE RECEIVED, UM, WERE ACTUALLY PACKING THE MAIN BUILDING, WHICH IS THE ORIGINAL BUILDING.
UH, THE FIRST FLOOR WE'RE, WE'RE PROVIDING NINE CLASSROOMS. WE'RE PROVIDING A DINING HALL FOR SENIORS.
WE'RE PROVIDING A TRAINING KITCHEN FOR THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE PROVIDING, UM, OFFICE SPACES, CONFERENCE SPACES, UH, AND OFFICES IN THE SECOND FLOOR.
WE ARE DOING COSMETIC UPGRADES TO THE, UM, AUDITORIUM.
IF THE BUDGET ALLOWS, WE ARE LOOKING TO, UM, PROVIDE SEATING AS WELL.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE LEAVE THE AUDITORIUM WITHOUT ANY SEATING.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY STRIPPING EVERYTHING AWAY.
I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT, UH, IS NOT HAPPENING AT THE MOMENT, JUST GIVEN THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, ARE THE SENIOR CENTER.
BUT WE'VE BEEN INFORMED THAT AS SOON AS, UH, THE FUNDING BECOMES AVAILABLE, THE SENIOR CENTER WILL BE ON THE DOCKET FOR, FOR, UH, FOR THE ELLA AUSTIN COM, UM, COMMUNITY CENTER.
UM, EDWARD, DO YOU HAVE A, AN EXISTING SITE PLAN SO WE CAN SEE THE EXISTING, UH, PARKING DRIVING DRIVE THROUGH THE SITE AND HOW IT'S CHANGING TO THE NEW? I THINK SO.
THERE'S, THERE'S, UH, ONE HERE.
THE, AT THE MOMENT, THIS LA LAYOUT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUIRED PARKING THAT WE NEED.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE ELIMINATING THAT AS WELL.
AND SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE PARKING.
UM, WE'RE ALSO PROVIDING ADDITIONAL PARKING RIGHT NEXT TO THE GYM.
UH, WE ALSO RECEIVED COMMENT REGARDING THE DUMPSTER ENCLOSURE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT THE PREFERRED PLACE FOR IT.
WE WILL ALSO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THAT TO SEE WHAT WORKS FOR THEM AND WHAT'S A GOOD LOCATION.
UM, SO WE WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE DESIGNERS AND AS SUCH, WE WERE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO GET THAT.
BUT WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT WE DO OBTAIN THE CERTIFICATE
[00:40:01]
OF APPROPRIATENESS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WORK.OTHERWISE, THIS WILL CONTINUE TO DELAY THE PROJECT.
THIS WILL CONTINUE TO EAT UP FUNDING IF WE DON'T START THIS SOON.
UM, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO AVOID THAT AS, AS, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
MA'AM, MA'AM, MA'AM, OUTTA ORDER MA'AM.
MR. CHAIR ONE, ONE MOMENT PLEASE, SIR.
UH, THAT'S ALL FOR THE MOMENT.
UM, ONE MOMENT FOR COMMISSIONER VELAZQUEZ.
I WAS ATTENDING THE TWO OR THREE COMMUNITY ME MEETINGS A FEW YEARS AGO, SO I'VE KIND OF FOLLOWED HOW THIS HAS DEVELOPED A FEW QUESTIONS.
IS THE TECHNICAL ARTS BUILDING DEMOLISHED ALREADY? N NO, THE, THE, THE BAR, THE DEMO BUILD, THE, THE BUILDING THAT WAS APPROVED FOR DEMOLITION ON THE NORTH SIDE WHERE YOUR DROP OFF LOOP IS.
OH, THE PHYSICAL CODE? NO, WE HAVE NOT, NOT TOUCHED THAT BUILDING.
SO THE DROP OFF LOOP WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS APPROVED EARLY ON IN THE CONCEPTUAL DRAWINGS OF THE COMMUNITY.
UM, NOW THE CONCERN ABOUT DROPPING OFF KIDS AND THE MANNER BY WHICH KIDS GET YOUNG KIDS GET DROPPED OFF, WHY WOULD THEY GO THROUGH THAT DROP OFF THAT CIRCULAR DROP OFF WHEN A PARKING LOT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THE ADULT TO STOP THE CAR, GET OUT, ACCOMPANY THE CHILD IN, INTO THE BUILDING AND FOR INTAKE AND THIS REVERSE ORDER AT THE END OF THE DAY.
WHY, UM, COULD THE EARLY CHILDHOOD DROP OFF OR, YOU KNOW, UM, DROP OFF ACTIONS OCCUR IN THAT PARKING LOT ON THE SOUTH? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
IF, IF, IF, IF THEY'RE WILLING TO PARK AND WALK TOWARDS THE CHILDCARE CENTER OR CHILDCARE ENTRANCE MM-HMM
BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE IF FOLKS ARE DROPPING OFF IN, IN THE CIRCULAR DRIVE AND THEN THE OVERFLOW GOES INTO THE STREET AND THEY'RE GETTING OUTTA THEIR CAR TO REMOVE THE KID THAT IS BASICALLY PARKING, RIGHT? THAT IS NOT.
SO PERHAPS WOULD, UM, WOULD IT WORK IN YOUR PLAN TO LIMIT THE DROP OFF TO SENIORS AND OTHER TYPES OF, UM, OTHER, UH, USERS? YES, MA'AM.
IS THAT POSSIBLE TO DO? I THINK SO.
WE CAN DISCUSS THAT WITH OUR CLIENT.
WE CAN DISCUSS THAT WITH THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT.
BUT YEAH, WE CAN LIMIT THE USAGE OF THAT DROP OFF FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.
JUST RELOCATE THE KIDS, THE VERY YOUNG KIDS ELSEWHERE.
UM, CURRENTLY IN YOUR DESIGN, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED FOR SECURITY ON THAT NORTH SIDE? CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE FENCING AND THE GATE CONFIGURATION FOR THAT DROP OFF? YES, MA'AM.
SO, UM, AT THE MOMENT WE HAVE, UH, VERTICAL BAR, VERTICAL BAR FENCING ALL AROUND THE SITE, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE EAST SIDE WHERE WE HAVE BRICK PILLAR FENCING.
UH, THAT BRICK PILLAR FENCING HAS BEEN DEMOLISHED.
UH, BUT WE, OUR DESIGN IS CALLING FOR THAT FENCING TO BE REBUILT AS IT WAS.
SO WE'RE NOT CHANGING IT, WE'RE JUST REBUILDING IT.
UM, WE ARE REPLACING SOME OF THE CHAIN LINK FENCING, UH, PARTICULARLY, UM, AT THE UPPER CORNER, UH, WHERE THE GYM IS, WHICH IS THE, THE, UH, NORTHWEST SIDE.
UM, THAT'S GONNA RECEIVE NEW FENCING TO MATCH THE EXISTING PERIMETER FENCING, WHICH IS EIGHT FOOT HIGH AT THE MOMENT.
SO THE ENTIRE SITE WILL HAVE PERIMETER FENCING.
THE DROP OFF LOOP WILL HAVE SWING GATES THAT WILL BE CLOSED AFTER HOURS SO THAT NO CARS GO IN THERE WHEN NO ONE'S AROUND.
UM, AND SO THAT'S HOW WE'RE HANDLING THAT.
AND ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE I ALLOW THE OTHERS TO, UM, HAVE THEIR QUESTIONS.
UH, WHAT IS THE SPECIFICATION OR THE ACTION FOR RESTORING, CLEANING, REPAIRING BRICK ON ALL OF THE FACADES, ESPECIALLY THE EAST FACADE OF THE AUDITORIUM ENTRY WHERE WE HAVE PAINT? IS THAT COMING OFF? YES, MA'AM.
WE ARE INTENDING TO CLEAN, WASH, UM, AND ACTUALLY PROTECT THE, THE, THE NEW BRICKWORK, OR NOT NEW BRICKWORK, BUT THE RESTORED BRICKWORK.
UH, WE'RE PLANNING ON REPOINTING ANY OF THE CRACKED AREAS.
UH, WE HAVE CERTAIN AREAS THAT, THAT NEED SOME, SOME REPAIR.
UH, SO WE'RE PLANNING ON THAT.
AND WE'RE ALSO PLANNING ON USING AN ANTI GRAFFITI COATING, UH, SO THAT IF MORE VANDALISM OCCURS, WE CAN AT THE VERY MINIMUM, CLEAN THAT OFF.
I MAY HAVE MORE QUESTIONS LATER.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GRU, I'M COMING TO YOU NEXT.
UM, COMMISSIONER VELASQUEZ, SIR? YES SIR.
I KNOW ALL THESE, UH, CONSIDERATIONS ARE, ARE REAL IMPORTANT.
I THINK IT'S ALSO PROBABLY IMPORTANT TO PUT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE AUSTIN EARLY WHEN THE COMMUNITY WAS A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE AND THE AMENITY SERVED A COMMUNITY THAT HAD NO AMENITIES, HAD NO SERVICES.
SO THE PROBLEM THAT Y'ALL FIND YOURSELVES IN IS CHANGING COMMUNITY, BUT THE
[00:45:01]
NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE INSIDE OF THE BUILDING ARE VERY DIFFERENT THAN PROBABLY THAT VERY COMMUNITY, OR AT LEAST WITH RESPECT TO THE, THOSE THAT ARE RECEIVING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND SENIORS.UM, WHICH RAISES A QUESTION FOR ME.
I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
THE THING THAT'S VERY CONFUSING IS, UH, THE PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION IS HERE YET IT SEEMS THAT THE CLIENT IS THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO WHERE'S THE, WHERE, WHERE IN THIS IS HOW, HOW, HOW, I THINK WE ALL WANNA SEE THAT THERE'S A SOLUTION, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
BUT HOW, HOW DO WE SEE A SOLUTION IF THE CITY IS THE CLIENT, WHICH MEANS THAT THE CRITERIA PROBABLY HAS BEEN MET, BUT THE CRITERIA IS DIFFERENT THAN THE OPERATING ENTITY.
IF THE, IF Y'ALL ARE, ARE Y'ALL OPERATING THE NO, SIR.
THEY, THEY, THE CITY OPERATES IT.
NO, WE'RE NOT OPERATING THERE, SIR.
WE, THEY ASKED US TO LEAVE AND WE AND THE BUILDING SAT VACANT FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR.
SO THERE'S AN INTERVENTION INSIDE OF YOUR, WHO, YOUR CLIENT IS THEY, THEY'RE THEY'RE TAKING THE LEAD IN THIS MEETING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO YOUR, SO YOUR, YOUR FUNCTION PLAN, WHICH IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, DROP OFF, AND ALL OF THAT, WAS YOUR, IS YOUR CLIENT HAPPY WITH THAT? YES, SIR.
SO, SO IF BY ANY CHANCE, MR. CHAIR, WELL, I GUESS I'LL WAIT TILL TILL WE GET INTO DISCUSSION OR ARE WE IN DISCUSSION? WE'RE NOT IN DISCUSSION.
I'LL WAIT TILL WE GET INTO DISCUSSION.
SO ALONG THAT SIDE, UM, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW RELOCATING THE, THE DROP OFF CIRCLE ONLY FOR KIDS.
I MEAN, YOU CAN'T RESTRICT IT FOR CERTAIN AGES.
EVEN IF YOU REMOVE IT, IF THE ENTRANCE IS RIGHT THERE, PEOPLE ARE GONNA STILL GONNA PARK ON THE STREET AND WALK A CHILD OVER.
SO, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE SAYING YOU WANNA WORK WITH IT.
SO WHERE WOULD YOU, WELL, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THAT? WELL, AGAIN, WE'RE LIMITED WITH SPACE.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE STUDIES AND SHOW HOW CARS CAN MANEUVER AROUND.
UM, WE DO PROVIDE ACCESSIBLE ROUTES TO THE ENTRIES OF THE CHILDCARE CENTER AND TO THE MAIN LOBBY.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO SEPARATE KIDS FROM WALKING ONTO THE DRIVE ITSELF AND ACTUALLY USING THE SIDEWALKS TO GET TO THE ENTRANCES.
AND SO THAT'S HOW WE WOULD PULL CHILDREN AWAY FROM THAT DRIVE.
WHAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE FOR THE, THE DROP OFF LOOP? UH, JUST TO HAVE SENIORS AND KIDS A BIT CLOSER.
UH, THOSE WHO NEED, UH, TO BE A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO THE FRONT ENTRANCES, UH, IT'S THERE.
SO IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A CONVENIENT FACTOR, A CONVENIENCE FACTOR.
SO, BUT IF IT'S CAUSING SO MANY ISSUES.
AND THEN SECOND, WHEN YOU SAID YOU'RE WILLING TO RELOCATE THE DUMPSTER, I GUESS IT'S MORE COMMUNITY COMMENT THAN, THAN THAT GUIDELINES.
WHERE WOULD YOU RELOCATE IT? WELL, WE ARE ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT MOVING IT SOUTH ON THE, WITHIN THE SAME PARKING LOT.
I KNOW THE COMMUNITY IS REQUESTING FOR THE, NOT THE DUMPSTER ENCLOSURE, BUT THE DUMPSTER CONTAINERS TO BE ALONG THE STREET IN THE RIGHT OF WAY SO THAT A SIDE LOADER CAN PICK THEM UP.
UH, ACTUALLY GOOGLE MAPS HAS IMAGES OF THE DUMPSTER CONTAINER RIGHT UP AGAINST THE SIDEWALK.
AND SO WE DO NOT WANNA DO THAT AGAIN.
AND SO, AND WHEN YOU SAID THIS IS FUNDED BY BOND MONEY AND WHEN, WHEN IS THE DEADLINE? WHAT, HOW FUN, HOW DOES THAT FUNCTION? IT IS PROVIDED BY BOND MONEY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DEADLINES ARE OR, UH, 'CAUSE YOU SAID THAT DELAYING COULD AFFECT FUNDING.
IT AFFECTS FUNDING BECAUSE NO WORK IS GETTING DONE AND THERE'S A GC ON SITE AT THE MOMENT.
AND IT IS CHARGING BY THE DAY.
BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING YOU WANNA WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE HAVE TO APPROVE SOMETHING, SO WE CAN'T, IF WE APPROVE SOMETHING AND THEN YOU GO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR SOMETHING ELSE, LIKE IT'S, IT'S MOSTLY GOES THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
YOU WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY FIRST AND THEN YOU COME TO US AND I DON'T, HOW WOULD YOU WORK THAT OUT? ARE YOU WILLING TO DO IT THAT WAY? WE, WE HAVE, UM, WE ACTUALLY MET WITH THE COMMUNITY ON MONDAY, AND SO NOW WE'RE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU.
I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE, THANK YOU, MA'AM.
SO I'M GONNA OFFER OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, QUESTIONS.
I MEAN, TIME TO ASK QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO INTO A SECOND ROUND OF QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, COMMISSIONER GALLWAY AWAY.
MIKE, I'M, I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW UP ON COMMISSIONER VA VELASQUEZ, UH, LIKE THE, LIKE WHO AT THE CITY IS, UH, IS YOUR CLIENT? LIKE, IS, IS THIS A CERTAIN DEPARTMENT OR THAT KIND OF THING? AND ARE THEY HERE TODAY? THEY ARE HERE TODAY.
AND IT'S THE CAPITAL DELIVERY DEPARTMENT? YES, SIR.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME, BUT I'D
[00:50:01]
LOVE TO HEAR FROM THAT DEPARTMENT, UH, WHEN, AT SOME POINT CAN THE REPRESENTATIVE COME UP FROM THEM? PLEASE? YOU CAN STEP ASIDE FOR A MOMENT, SIR.I'M CRYSTAL GONZALEZ, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH CAPITAL DELIVERY.
SO THE CLIENT DEPARTMENT THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING IS DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.
UM, SO IN CONJUNCTION, WE'RE BASICALLY MANAGING THE PROJECT, THE CONSULTANT, UH, AND THE PROJECT MANAGER, BUT THE CLIENT DEPARTMENT WILL OVERSEE THE PROJECT, UM, ONCE IT'S COMPLETED.
I'M MELODY WOOSLEY, DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES.
UM, ELLA AUSTIN FALLS INTO OUR LIST OF PROPERTIES.
WE LEASE THE, WELL, WE WERE UNTIL CONSTRUCTION STARTED LEASING THE FACILITY TO THE ELLA AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER NONPROFIT.
COMMISSIONER, YOU CAN ASK YOUR QUESTION.
HOW, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW THERE'S SUCH A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHERE THE CITY AND THE DESIGNER IS AT AND THEN WHERE THE COMMUNITY IS AT? UM, I'D LOVE TO HEAR LIKE HOW, YOU KNOW, I, I'M AWARE OF LIKE, THERE WAS MEETINGS YEARS AGO AND THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT, UM, WE'RE NOW AT A POINT WHERE I BELIEVE WE'RE GETTING CHARGED PER DAY, UM, FOR THE PROJECT.
AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A, A LARGE DIVIDE.
SO LIKE YOU SAID, THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF COMMUNITY MEETINGS OVER THE YEARS.
WEST EAST FACILITATED CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND THEN THE DESIGN WAS CREATED.
IT'S, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS, UM, HIGH PRIORITY FOR ELLA AUSTIN WAS ADDITIONAL CHILDCARE ROOMS. AND THAT PRETTY MUCH TOOK UP THE BOTTOM FLOOR OF THE CENTER OTHER THAN THE AUDITORIUM.
AND SO THOSE NINE CLASSROOMS, 10 CLASSROOMS ACTUALLY IS AN EXPANSION OF FOUR CLASSROOMS OVER WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE AGREE IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I BELIEVE WE'RE IN AGREEMENT THERE.
WE ALSO WANTED TO IMPROVE THE SECURITY FOR CHILDREN.
AND BY LOCATING THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHILDCARE CENTER AT THE NORTH SIDE WITH A DROP OF OFF LOOP, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT IS MORE SECURE SO THAT ONLY FAMILIES AND CHILDREN THAT ARE USING THE CENTER WOULD BE GOING INTO THE CENTER.
IT WOULD NOT BE ACCESSIBLE TO, UM, THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY THAT'S USING THE GYM OR THE SENIOR CENTER OR THE AUDITORIUM.
I'VE, I'VE FURTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL LET OTHER COMMISSIONERS GO.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MAYMAN.
UH, FOR DESIGN, PROBABLY, UM, THE, SO, SO THE NEW ENTRANCE IS GONNA BE ON THAT NORTH SIDE? CORRECT.
IS THE CURRENT ENTRANCE WHERE, UH, ON THIS IMAGE HERE, UM, JUST KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PROPERTY? NO, THE, SO THERE'S TWO ENTRANCES.
ONE IS FOR THE CHILDCARE CENTER.
AND I'M GONNA STEP OVER TO THE SCREEN HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.
SO THE MAIN LOBBY TO THE MAIN BUILDING IS RIGHT IN HERE.
SO THAT'S THE PARKING, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, THAT'S THE ENTRANCE.
AND THE PARKING FOR THAT IS HERE.
WE HAVE WALKWAYS THAT LEAD YOU ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE CHILDCARE ENTRANCE, WHICH IS HERE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE OUR SIDEWALK ACCESSIBLE ROUTES HERE.
SO THE CHILDCARE ENTRANCE IS HERE AND THE MAIN LOBBY ENTRANCE IN, IN THE NEW DESIGN IN, CORRECT.
IN, IN THE OLD, IN THE CURRENT, THE, UH, IT'S, IT'S WHERE THIS CIRCLE IS IN THE MIDDLE, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
UH, THE, THE ENTRANCE TO THE MAIN BUILDING REMAINS THE ENTRANCE TO THE CHILDCARE CENTER.
UH, I I BELIEVE IT WAS SOMEWHERE IN HERE.
UH, SO, SO IF, IF, CAN WE GO BACK TO THE NEW DESIGN? UH, PERFECT.
THERE, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT MAYBE MOVING THE DROP OFF TO THE SOUTH PARKING LOT AREA, BUT THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD FORCE THEN THE WALK FOR CHILDCARE TO GO TO THE NORTH SIDE, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
AND THEN SECOND QUESTION, YOU, YOU MENTIONED RIGHT NOW IS NOT IN THE BUDGET FOR A NEW SENIOR CENTER.
UH, IS IF THERE IS BUDGET FOR FUTURE SENIOR CENTER, IS IT GOING IN THE SPOT WHERE CURRENT SENIOR CENTER IS, OR WHERE WOULD IT GO IN THE DESIGN? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO, SO THAT WOULD BE RAISED AND THEN BUILT UP THERE.
AND WE'RE STRATEGICALLY WORKING AROUND IT FOR THAT REASON.
UM, I'M GONNA ASK THE REMAINING COMMISSIONERS IF WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE GO TO THE SECOND ROUND.
SO, UM, COMMISSIONER GIADA, NO QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, SIR.
I HAVE A QUESTION REGARDING WHO OVERSEES THE
[00:55:01]
REPAIR OF THE ROOF AND THEN THAT THE ROOF LEAK.UH, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY AND GETTING VERY LITTLE BENEFIT FROM THAT EXPENSE.
WHO IN THE, IS IT A CITY OR IS IT YOU WHO, WHO DOES, UH, OR WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OVERSEEING THE PROJECT ONCE THE WORK HAS BEEN COMPLETED? THAT WOULD BE US.
WE, SO WE HAVE BEEN CONTRACTED TO DO CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION, AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE OUT THERE MAKING SURE THAT THE INSTALLER, THE SUBS INSTALL IT PER OUR SPECIFICATION, PER OUR CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.
UM, WE WILL REQUIRE WHATEVER TESTING IS NECESSARY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BUILDING IS NOT LEAKING AND THE ROOF IS ACTUALLY PERFORMING.
SO YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHY IT'S
UM, A LOT OF THE LEAKS ARE ACTUALLY COMING FROM THE OPENINGS, NOT NECESSARILY FROM THE ROOF.
UH, WE DID SEE SOME, UM, SOME OF THE CAULKING UP UPON THE TERMINATION BARS, A LITTLE BRITTLE AND CRACKED, AND SO SOME WATER MAY MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THERE AS WELL.
BUT IT'S MOSTLY THROUGH THE WINDOWS, THE PARAPET CAPS AND THE DOOR OPENINGS WHERE WE'RE SEEING WATER INTRUSION.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER HOLLAND.
GOING TO ROUND TWO, UM, COMMISSIONER SINO.
SO IF THE SENIOR CENTER IS IN THE FUTURE, UM, MAY WE ASSUME, CAN YOU SAY THAT THE DESIGN FOR THE ORIGINAL SENIOR CENTER THAT WAS APPROVED AND PRESENTED DURING, AFTER THE CHARETTE SERIES, IS THAT THE SENIOR CENTER WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT? OR WILL YOU BE RETURNING WITH A DIFFERENT DESIGN? I WANNA SAY THAT THAT IS THE PLAN THAT WE WANT TO USE WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.
UM, BUT THAT'S NOT BEING COMMUNICATED TO US.
SO AS, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE INTENT IS TO, UM, BUILD WHAT WAS PROPOSED ORIGINALLY.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK THE SITUATION OF THE DROP OFF IS NOT GONNA BE SOLVED RIGHT HERE TODAY, SO, UM, UNDERSTOOD.
PERMISSION GALWAY, UM, I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE TO DISCUSS LIKE, ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY, AND I THINK THAT THEY SAID THAT YOU LED THAT.
UM, CAN YOU, OR IF I'M COR IF I'M CORRECT, UM, COULD YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE MEETINGS? LIKE HOW LONG AGO DID THEY HAPPEN? HOW MANY PARTICIPANTS? YOU CAN BALLPARK IT.
SO I WASN'T DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN ANY OF THOSE MEETINGS, UM, BUT THE CLIENT AND MY PREVIOUS COLLEAGUES, THE ONES THAT WERE INVOLVED, HAD MENTIONED SOME OF THESE MEETINGS.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE ONLY PART OF THE SCOPE THAT'S NOT REALLY BEING FULFILLED IS THE SENIOR CENTER.
EVERYTHING ELSE WE'RE MEETING WHAT THE COMMUNITY ASKED FOR.
I UNDERSTAND THAT THE DROP OFF LOOP AT THE MOMENT IS, UM, A BIT OF AN ISSUE.
UH, BUT I THINK BASED ON WHAT I'M LIST HEARING BASED ON WHAT WAS TOLD TO ME BY OUR CLIENT, BY OUR MY TEAM, UM, WE'RE MEETING MOST OF THE PROGRAMMATIC, UM, ELEMENTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED OR OR PROMISED.
COULD YOU GIMME AN ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH THE GENERAL CON CONTRACTOR COSTS PER DAY? LIKE HOW MUCH MONEY IS GO GOING OUT? I, I CANNOT, NO.
IS THERE ANYBODY FROM THE CITY THAT CAN GIVE US THAT NUMBER? I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE DID HAVE, SORRY, IT'S A LUMP SUM.
IT'S A LUMP SUM CONTRACT WITH A CONTRACTOR.
SO WE'RE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT PER DAY.
BUT BASED ON THE 14 MONTH SCHEDULE AND $17.8 MILLION, I MEAN, YOU CAN DO SOME GENERAL MATH ON, ON WHAT THAT WOULD BE, BUT A LOT OF THAT CONSTRUCTION IS, IS MATERIALS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE NOT, UH, INVOICED US FOR, FOR JUST TIME ON, UM, ON THE SITE, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WE'RE LOOKING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH AN APPROVAL SO THEY CAN BEGIN THAT WORK AS TO NOT CAUSE ANY FURTHER DELAYS AND ESCALATION.
I MEAN, COST AND MATERIALS GOES UP CONTINUOUSLY.
UM, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, TO DELIVER A, A GREAT PRODUCT TO THE COMMUNITY, AND IT IS WHAT THEY ASKED FOR IN THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, UM, THAT WE HAVE HELD SINCE 2022.
UM, WE MET WITH ELLA AUSTIN BOARD LAST WEEK, AND, AND I WAS BLUSHING, UH, AT THEIR PRAISE OF THE PRODUCT THAT WE PRESENTED TO THEM LAST WEEK, AND SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER, OR AT LEAST ONE MEMBER IS NO LONGER HAPPY WITH THAT.
UM, SO WE HAVE CONTINUOUSLY, UH, WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DELIVER A, A PRODUCT THAT THEY, UM, CAN LOVE AND ENJOY FOR, FOR ANOTHER 135 YEARS.
[01:00:01]
MAYMAN, SECOND ROUND QUESTIONS.COMMISSIONER VAZQUEZ? YE YES, SIR.
JUST A, UH, AND, AND I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT I'M, THE QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH, WITH, UH, THE, HOW YOU RUN THE BUSINESS OR WHAT THE BUSINESS IS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE CONSTRAINTS IN THE DESIGN.
UH, IS THE CITY MANAGING ASPECTS THAT ELLA AUSTIN'S NOT MANAGING IN THE FACILITY? LIKE, DO, IS THERE A, IS THERE A LEASE BASE WITH, WITH, UH, UH, ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT, UH, A, A SINGLE CONTRACTED ORGANIZATION LIKE EL AUSTIN? UH, I THINK MELANIE CAN BETTER, UM, ANSWER THAT.
SO AS FAR AS TENANTS IN THE BUILDING, IT'S, YOU KNOW, OUR LEASE IS WITH ELLA AUSTIN AND ELLA AUSTIN ALONE.
UM, NOW ELLA AUSTIN WOULD SUBCONTRACT SPACE TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, BUT, AND SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE PERCENTAGE WOULD BE THAT WAS, UM, OPERATED BY ELLA AUSTIN, OPERATED BY OTHER ENTITIES.
BUT, BUT WOULD IT BE A, A, A CLOSE ASSUMPTION THAT Y'ALL ARE MANAGING THE DEVELOPMENT, UM, FOR A AUSTIN, I MEAN, FOR THE LEASE HOLD HOLDER, OR, WELL, I WOULD SAY WITH CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW WE'RE MANAGING THE PROCESS FOR THE CITY BECAUSE IT'S A CITY OWNED FACILITY.
UM, AND THE, AND THE LEASE, BUT WITH THE INPUT OF L AUSTIN AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WILL, YOU KNOW, USE THE BUILDING ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY.
AND, AND I'M REMEMBERING THAT THIS, THAT THE DEMOLITION OF THE BUILDING ON THE NORTH WAS DONE TO FACILITATE EXACTLY WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPEN SPACE AND THAT BUILDING ALSO WAS, UM, NOT IN GOOD.
WELL, AND IT WAS A BIG, IT WAS A DIFFICULT DISCUSSION THEN THE DEMOLITION OF THIS BUILDING.
AND A LOT OF RESPECT TO THE, THE DESIGN FIRM.
I KNOW THAT THERE, I CAN SEE YOU EVEN THERE CRACKING YOUR HEAD TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT, THAT SEEM, THAT MAYBE THE SITUATION IS THE PRODUCT OF A VERY COMPLICATED SOLUTION.
'CAUSE I'M, I'M EVEN, I MEAN, SOME, SOME OF THE ARCHITECTS ON THE BOARD I THINK ARE ALSO LOOKING AT THE PROJECT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY WOULD DO IT.
IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT PROJECT.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY.
I WAS TAKING ROUND QUESTIONS, SIR.
UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, GUDA, NO QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, SIR.
COMMISSIONER VESO, NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
UM, WE'VE HEARD THAT Y'ALL ARE WILLING TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY AND THE TENANT, UH, TO COME TO SOME RESOLUTIONS ON HOW THE SITE, UH, IS GOING TO WORK.
UM, AND THERE'S ALSO ISSUES OF GETTING WORK STARTED, UH, DEALING WITH, UH, WATER INFILTRATION INTO THE BUILDINGS AND GETTING THEM WEATHER TIGHT SO THAT, UH, THE INTERIOR WORK CAN THEN PROCEED.
UM, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO, UM, ACCEPT A, AN APPROVAL FOR WORK ON THE BUILDINGS THEMSELVES FOR A CONTINUATION ON THE, UH, DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE? YES, WE WOULD.
UH, THAT IS OUR MAIN FOCUS IS TO GET STARTED ON THE BUILDING, UM, WHICH IS THE INTERIOR WORK.
UH, WE HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT A COUPLE OF OPTIONS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD, SO TO SPEAK, JUST LOOKING AT THAT INTERNALLY.
UM, BUT, BUT I DO URGE THAT IF THE CHANGES THAT WE MAKE WILL BE A COST TO THE PROJECT, UM, AND WILL TAKE AWAY FROM THE OTHER ELEMENTS THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY, THE GREEN SPACE PROVIDING NOT, NOT THAT, UM, VEHICULAR MOVEMENT THROUGH THE SITE, BUT THAT COMMUNITY, UM, IN AN AREA FOR THEM TO GATHER FREE OF CARS AND TRAFFIC.
UM, AND THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, REALLY JUST REMOVE THAT ALMOST COMPLETELY.
BUT IN THE GENERAL SEQUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION ON A PROJECT, YOU GET THE BUILDINGS DONE FIRST.
AND THEN YOU, UH, WORK ON THE SITE WORK.
AND SO HAVING FURTHER DISCUSSIONS, HAVING GIVING Y'ALL MORE TIME AND THE COMMUNITY MORE TIME TO,
[01:05:01]
UH, REVIEW WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED, WHAT YOUR NEW THOUGHTS ARE, UH, I THINK MIGHT BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF, UH, THE ENTIRE PROJECT AS WE APPRECIATE THAT.UH, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT FOR SEVERAL YEARS WITH, WITH A MANY COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
UM, AND WE FEEL THAT THE, UM, THAT THERE ARE A FEW OPINIONS THAT HAVE SHIFTED.
AND I DON'T, I, I I FEAR THAT THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO HAPPEN UNTIL WE GET BACK TO THE CURRENT DESIGN, WHICH IS, WELL, THE CURRENT CONFIGURATION, UM, WHICH IS NOT, WASN'T THE INTENT OF THE PROJECT AT ALL.
UH, I'M READY FOR YOUR MOTION, SIR, MR. CHAIR.
WITH, WITH, WITH STRONG CONSIDERATION FOR THE SCARCITY OF RESOURCES, PARTICULARLY IN THESE DAYS.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WITH RESPECT TO MUNICIPAL PROJECTS, WITH LARGE SCALE INVESTMENTS.
SOMETIMES, UH, UH, PROMPTNESS IS, IS THE MOST WISE THING TO DO.
I WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH STAFF STIPULATIONS.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY SECOND.
I, I'VE SPENT MANY HOURS AT THIS LOCATION, BUT I WOULD SAY MANY YEARS AGO, NOT TODAY, AND I SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN, IN, UM, NON-PROFIT OWNED OR, OR MANAGED CITY FACILITIES.
AND THE, THE AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES IS VERY SCARCE THESE DAYS.
AND I, I WOULD SAY THAT THERE'S ANYTHING THAT'S BEING PROPOSED THAT HASN'T BEEN BEFORE THIS, THIS COMMISSION BEFORE, UH, PARTICULARLY WITH RESPECT TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THIS SITE, UM, UH, IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE DONE TWO WAYS.
IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE DONE IN A WAY WHERE WE HAVE BEFORE US AN IMPROVEMENT THAT IS THAT, THAT MOST PEOPLE THAT ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS SITE CAN SAY IS MUCH NEEDED.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND, UH, WHEN RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE, THAT'S A GOOD TIME FOR CHANGES TO BE PROPOSED.
BUT TO, TO ASSUME THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDING FOR CHANGES TODAY REALLY RISKS THE POSSIBILITY THAT AN INVESTMENT THAT MAY ONLY COME AROUND EVERY 30 TO 50 YEARS, THAT, THAT IT'S, IT'S NOT CRITICAL THAT THESE FUNDS ARE, ARE PUT TO WORK TODAY, PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN THE DOLLARS IS CHANGING VALUE.
SO QUICKLY, I WANNA ADDRESS TO, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, THE LEADERS OF, OF THE AL AND I KNOW HOW HARD THAT IS.
SO IT'S A THING OF HEART MORE THAN, THAN IT IS OF, OF, UH, BEING ABLE TO SAY THAT YOUR OPINION IS RIGHT OR YOUR OPINION IS WRONG.
BUT I THINK WE KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET YOUR WORK DONE, AND HOPEFULLY WITH FINGERS CROSSED AND WITH A GOOD FIRM LIKE THE WEST EAST, THAT, UH, THEY'RE LISTENING.
AND IF, IF, UH, NEW DOLLARS COME AVAILABLE, UM, I'M SURE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT PEOPLE WILL BE OPEN TO CHANGES.
BUT, UH, MA'AM, MA'AM? MA'AM? MA'AM, MA'AM, YOU'RE OUTTA ORDER, MA'AM.
UNLESS YOU'RE ACTUALLY ADDRESSED AT THE PODIUM, MA'AM.
I, I DID LOOK AT HER AND I, I, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, BUT, UH, SO THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
I, I'M HOPEFUL THAT THIS CAN GET DONE, MR. CHAIR.
WITH A SECOND, LIKE, TO COMMENT MY, MY, MY COMMENTS SORT OF FOLLOW, UH, MY COLLEAGUE.
REALLY, I'M MORE CONCERNED WITH TIMELINES AND, UM, AND DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE IN THE PAST.
AND, AND, UH, I'M, I'M CONCERNED WITH HOLDING UP A PROJECT RATHER THAN MOVING FORWARD.
SO I WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF MOVING FORWARD ON THIS PROJECT WITH STAFF STIPULATIONS.
UM, I'LL GO GIVE EVERY, UM, COMMISSION OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
AND NOW I JUST WANTED TO SAY I AGREE.
I, I ACTUALLY, AFTER HEARING, I THINK THE SECOND SPEAKER, UM, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, NOW I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS BEEN IN THE PUBLIC FOR A LONG TIME, AND PUBLIC MINDS, SOME ARE MORE VOCAL THAN OTHERS, AND I THINK THEY'VE DONE THE DUE DILIGENCE.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THIS DOES CAUSE PROBLEMS ON BURLESON WITH TRAFFIC, I THINK THERE IS A STIPULATION ABOUT SIGNAGE, OR ONE OF THE REQUEST IS, YOU KNOW, SIGNAGE.
AND I THINK, UM, COMMISSIONER SINA HAD ASKED, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE YOU MAKE THIS DROP OFF SIGNAGE OR ENTRY, OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT THE BEST.
AND THEN I AGREE, THE CONTAINER SHOULD NOT BE THERE.
I THINK THAT THE STIPULATION THAT STAFF HAS THERE IS BECAUSE OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE CONTAINER.
[01:10:01]
YOU DON'T WANT THAT DISPLACEMENT, THAT THAT STIPULATION, MAYBE THE PLACEMENT OF THE CONTAINER SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE ELSE.COMMISSIONER VESO COMMENT, SIR.
UM, UM, THE PROCESS THAT OCCURRED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, A FEW YEARS AGO, THE PUBLIC PROCESS WAS, I THOUGHT, PRETTY ROBUST, PRETTY WELL ATTENDED.
IT WAS, UM, ADVERTISED OR PRESENTED AS A DISTRICT TWO, NOT SPECIFIC TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD HAS DIFFERENT USES OF THAT PROPERTY THAN THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, BUT ARE STILL IN DISTRICT TWO.
SO THE SENIORS THAT COME TO THIS, UH, LOCATION AS WELL AS THE YOUNG, UH, CHILDREN FROM, UH, FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE WOULD COME FROM, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS BEYOND.
SO THAT'S WHY THIS WAS PRIMARILY A DISTRICT TWO, UM, EFFORT.
UM, I HAD FIRST HEARD ABOUT OUT INDIVIDUALS OR, UM, TALK ABOUT REMOVING THE DRIVE ALREADY A YEAR AGO.
SO I GUESS I STILL HAVE A QUESTION, A LINGERING QUESTION FOR THE CITY AND ANYBODY ELSE, UM, WORKING ON THIS.
WHY DID IT TAKE A WHOLE YEAR TO COME BACK AND, YOU KNOW, FOR US TO BEGIN TO REVIEW THIS? WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN REVIEWING THIS ALREADY MONTHS, MONTHS AGO.
UM, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE FINANCIAL ASPECT, AND THAT'S WHY, UM, I, I TOO WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT THE SENIOR CENTER COULD NOT BE INCLUDED.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU SEE THE SENIOR CENTER, UM, NEW CONSTRUCTION, YOU SEE THE WHOLE THOUGHT OF THIS NEW CAMPUS THAT IS MORE PERMEABLE FOR MORE STREETS AND MORE GREEN.
ONE WOULD UNDERSTAND HOW THAT DROP OFF WOULD WORK.
AND IT WOULDN'T BE THE ONLY PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WOULD ENTER THE SITE.
THERE WOULD BE MANY POINTS OF ENTRY, RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU SEE THE SUITE OF BUILDINGS AND PLACES, IT MAKES SENSE.
UM, I THINK WE LOST A LOT BY TAKING OUT THE, THE SENIOR CENTER AND THE, UH, SITE WORK AROUND THAT.
SO, UM, UH, THIS IS, THIS IS A TOUGH ONE.
COMMISSIONER GALLOWAY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I, UM, I UNDERSTAND THIS FACILITY DEEPLY BECAUSE I OFFICED HERE FOR FOUR YEARS, UH, THREE TO FOUR YEARS.
AND, UM, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED OF THIS FACILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY.
I WATCHED PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS DROP OFF THEIR KIDS.
I WATCHED COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME IN AND HAVE MEETINGS IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
UM, I WATCHED, YOU KNOW, UH, WHEN IT RAINED REAL HARD, THE ROOF WOULD LEAK, RIGHT? UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.
UM, I, THE PROBLEM I HAVE WITH APPROVING THIS RIGHT NOW IS THAT THERE IS A, THE CITY CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE WITH DEEP, INTENTIONAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE THING WITH THE DROP OFF CIRCLE, UM, YOU COULD TURN THAT INTO MORE GREEN SPACE.
AND THEN I'VE SEEN SEVERAL SCHOOLS HAVE DROP OFF CIRCLES IN THE PARKING LOT, WHERE YOU JUST PUT OUT SOME CONES, THEY DRIVE IN IF THEY WANT TO PARK, THEY PARK IF THEY WANT TO GO AROUND, SOMEBODY'S THERE TO MEET THEM, THEY, AND THEY TAKE THE KID AND THAT KIND OF THING.
THIS JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S THAT HARD.
UM, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT, UM, TO CLOSE MY, MY REMARKS, YOU KNOW, UM, WE ARE DISCUSSING WORK IN A HISTORIC BLACK AND LATINO NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE CITY, AND WE SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY PRIORITIZING AND LISTENING TO THEM.
UM, AND THAT IS WHY I AM A SOLID NO VOTE ON THIS.
COMMISSIONER MAYMAN, THE, THE ONLY COMMENT I HAVE ON, ON SITE WORK AND TALKING THAT THROUGH IN THE FUTURE, UH, AND DOING THE BUILDING WORK RIGHT NOW, IS BECAUSE THERE'S A SHIFT OF, OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE NORTH SIDE THAT'S DICTATING THIS NEW DROP OFF LOCATION TOO, AS WELL.
SO RELOCATING THAT TO THE SOUTH SIDE OR OR TO THE OTHER LARGER PARKING LOT WOULD REALLY CHANGE THE SAFETY OF DROP OFF AND THE UTILIZATION OF THAT.
UM, I THINK IT'S COMPLICATED TOO, BECAUSE OF THE MULTI USES OF THIS FACILITY OF, UM, YOU KNOW, DAYTIME FOR STUDENTS WITHIN COMMUNITY AS WELL, AND SENIORS, UH, WHO JUST USE IT AT DIFFERENT TIMES THAN WHEN THE STUDENTS ARE GONNA BE DROPPED OFF.
UH, SO THE, THE DROP OFF LOCATION, WHILE NOT IDEAL IN SIZE OR, OR FORCING IT ONTO THAT ONE STREET, UH, I THINK IS THE ONLY LOGICAL, THE WAY THAT THE PLAN IS LAID OUT.
UM, I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS MOTION.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO COMMENTED.
[01:15:01]
ONE? UM, I'LL GIMME ONE MOMENT, PLEASE.UM, I'M GONNA LET COMMISSIONER GRU GO AND THEN I'LL PULL YOU BACK IN.
UH, BECAUSE WE'RE IN DISCUSSION.
I WAS VERY, UM, I THOUGHT MR. GALLOWAY'S, COMMISSIONER GALL'S COMMENTS WERE VERY VALID.
AND ALSO COMING FROM A PERSON WHO'S GOT SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THIS BUILDING, UM, SINCE YOU'RE NOT SUPPORTING THE MOTION AS IT IS, WOULD THERE BE A WAY, I'M TRYING TO SEE, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE GO FOR A VOTE.
IF IT DOESN'T PASS US, WHAT'S THE NEXT STEP? LIKE, WE NEED TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION BEFORE JUST VOTING AND NOT, AND THEN ANOTHER MOTION GOES ON THE TABLE THAT FAILS TOO, AND THEN WE'RE STUCK.
SO, IS, IS THERE A WAY OUT OF THIS, THE CITY SAYS THEY'VE HAD ENOUGH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS SAY THEY DON'T.
IS THIS APPROVING, LIKE COMMISSIONER FETZER, MAYBE.
SO DID THE SOLUTION SAY WE'RE PARTLY APPROVING SOMETHING, OR IS, IS THE DROP OFF LOOP JUST THE ISSUE AND WE DON'T APPROVE THE DROP OFF LOOP? THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
I, I WOULD SUPPORT, UH, COMMISSIONER FETZER'S, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, RECOMMENDATION EARLIER OF LIKE, OF APPROVING THE MAJORITY OF THIS, BUT LIKE CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION ON THINGS LIKE THE, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, ROUNDABOUT, UH, DROP OFF AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ONGOING.
UM, I JUST AM NOT GONNA SUPPORT BLANKET AS STAFF RECOMMENDED.
ARE YOU GOOD COMMISSIONER GROUP? MR. CHAIR? ONE MOMENT, SIR.
ARE YOU GOOD COMMISSIONER GROUP? YEAH, HE ANSWERED MY QUESTION.
UM, MR. CHAIR, I, I, UM, I HEARD THE COMMENTS THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER FETZER HAD A WHILE AGO.
IF COMMISSIONER FETZER WANTED TO ALTER THE MOTION, I WOULD BE OPEN TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK I, UH, COME FROM WHAT I HEARD FROM HIM A LITTLE EARLIER.
I COULD SEE HOW THAT WOULD BE WORKED OUT.
WELL, COMMISSIONER PROFESSOR HAS WORD NOW, SO GO AHEAD, SIR.
UM, I'LL NOT BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION AS IS.
SO I'M GONNA OFFER AN ALTERNATE MOTION, UM, TO APPROVE THE WORK ON THE RESTORATION OF THE BUILDINGS, UH, TO GET THEM, UH, WEATHER TIGHT.
AND SO THE INTERIORS CAN START, UH, BEING WORKED ON.
UH, THAT IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE DOLLARS ARE GONNA GO FOR THE PROJECT ANYWAY.
UH, IT WOULD ALLOW THE CONTRACTOR TO, UH, REALLY START WORKING ON THE, THE SITE AND THEN, UH, CONTINUATION ON THE, UH, SITE WORK, UH, WITH FURTHER AND, UH, WITH THE CITY AND THE, THE OTHER STAKEHOLDERS HAVING FURTHER, UH, DISCUSSIONS TO, UH, COME TO SOME CONSENSUS.
SO IF WE LOOK AT THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, WHICH OF THE ITEMS ONE THROUGH SIX ARE BEING APPROVED IN THIS MOTION? ITEM NUMBER SIX, ITEM ONLY.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, NOT ITEM FIVE.
UH, WELL, SINCE FIVE IS PART OF THE BUILDING, DES UH, ADAPTIVE REUSE, THEN I COULD SEE APPROVAL OF ITEMS FIVE AND SIX WITH CONTINUATION ON, UH, 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR.
AND YOU WOULDN'T ALLOW 'EM ITEM NUMBER TWO, EITHER.
THERE'S ALREADY CONSTRUCTION FENCE.
UM, I THINK WITH, WITH FUR, WITH FURTHER POSSIBLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE, THE FENCING AND PERIMETER, UH, PROTECTION MAY BE CHANGING.
UM, ANY SECOND? DID YOU WANNA COMMENT? UH, I APPROVE.
UM, HEARING NOTHING ELSE, WE HAVE DISCUSSION COMMENT.
UM, SO, SO I, I THINK YOU CAN WORK ON STUFF FOR THE BUILDING, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THE PROJECT IS DEPENDENT ON THE ENTRANCE OF THAT BUILDING.
SHIFTING COMPLETELY TO THE NORTH SIDE THEN, UNLESS WE ADDRESS YOU, SIR.
UM, DID YOU HAVE SET THE QUESTION FOR YEAH, SO, SO THAT, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR EVERYBODY TO CONSIDER, BUT ALSO IF THE DESIGNER HAS AN ANSWER FOR THAT.
SO, SO THE ONLY REQUEST WE WOULD MAKE, UH, FOR THE SITE, UH, THE, THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE IS THE, UH, PERMISSION
[01:20:01]
TO DEMOLISH THE PHYSICAL CULTURES BUILDING.UM, THAT'S THE BUILDING ON THE NORTH SIDE WHERE THE DROP OFF LOOP IS AT THE MOMENT.
UM, THAT BUILDING IS IN REALLY BAD SHAPE, UM, AND IT'S HOLDING UP SOME OF THE UTILITY WORK, UH, THAT WE NEED TO WORK OUT, UM, TO GET THE MAIN BUILDING UP AND RUNNING.
SIR, SIR, HASN'T THAT ALREADY BEEN APPROVED ALREADY FOR THAT? NO, SIR.
WE NEED THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS TO DEMOLISH THE PHYSICAL CULTURES BUILDING.
SO THE DEMOLITION WAS APPROVED IN 2023 WITH THE STIPULATION THAT THE SITE PLAN, INCLUDING THE REPLACEMENT, BE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION.
UH, SO THIS IS WHY WE ARE REVIEWING THE SITE PLAN TODAY.
WE'RE, WE'RE IN DISCUSSION, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
I, I WANNA, UH, FROM, FROM A REAL, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S A REALISTIC, UM, SCENARIO HERE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ON THE COMMISSION AND PART OF THE MOTION REQUIRES AN ASSUMPTION OF SOMETHING.
AND I, I JUST CAN'T SEE IN MY HEAD THAT, THAT, THAT THERE, THAT THERE, THAT ANYBODY HAS GIVEN US A PRIVILEGE TO AN ASSUMPTION THAT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING WILL ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
WE, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN STOP SOMETHING AND PRESCRIBE A BETTER SOLUTION, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY, ANY GUARANTEE THAT AFTER WE STOP IT, THAT WE'LL REACH THAT GOAL.
AND THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE CAN, WE CAN SEE THAT WE'RE LOOKING TOWARD A, A SOLUTION THAT, THAT SATISFIES EVERYBODY'S NEEDS.
BUT, AND THE PROJECT HAS BEEN HERE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROJECT.
THERE SEEMS TO BE A BREAKDOWN.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN THE CLIENT AND THE CLIENT'S AGENT.
IN MY MIND, THE CLIENT WOULD'VE BEEN ELLA AUSTIN, AND THE AGENT WOULD BE THE CITY E EVEN IF IT'S IN A LEASE CIRCUMSTANCE, BECAUSE AT LEAST THAT WOULD BE THE SENSIBLE LEASE AGREEMENT, BECAUSE THE PROGRAM HAS TO SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THE EL AUSTIN.
SO TO GET TO A POINT WHERE THAT IS DONE IN A WAY THAT SEEMS SENSIBLE, IT'S NOT JUST THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE ON THE SITE, IT'S ALSO A, A MUCH LARGER PICTURE.
AND IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, THE REAL BAD CIRCUMSTANCES OVER THERE THAT ARE ARCHITECTURAL SITE GRADING, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ANYBODY THAT GOES TO MEETINGS THERE KNOWS IT, I ALMOST FEEL LIKE TO VOTE POSITIVELY.
NOT THAT IT'S NOT A GOOD MOTION, BUT IN TERMS OF THE, THE MOTION, MAKING AN ASSUMPTION THAT I WOULD FEEL REALLY BAD IF NOTHING EVER HAPPENED OVER THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY I, I FEEL LIKE, YEAH, THE, THE, THE PROJECT GOT AHEAD OF ITSELF IN SOME WAY, BUT IT DOES SEEM THAT IMPROVEMENTS, QUAL QUALIFIED IMPROVEMENTS ARE UP AGAINST THE WALL.
SO I WON'T, I CAN'T SUPPORT THE MOTION.
I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST GONNA BE ABOUT SOME SITE CONSIDERATIONS.
BUT WE'RE EVEN TALKING ABOUT NOT DEMOLISHING THE BUILDING.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE HAD VIGOROUS CONVERSATION ABOUT BEFORE WITH RESPECT TO THE MOBILIZATION OF THE NORTH SIDE OF THIS SITE.
SO I, I WOULD BE MORE IN, IN, IN, UM, SUPPORT OF A, OF A, OF AN ALTERATION TO THE ORIG TO, TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION THAT TOOK INTO CONSIDERATION THE GREATEST CONCERN OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WAS ABOUT TRAFFIC PATTERNS.
AND, AND COMMISSIONER GALLAGHER, I MEAN, I, I WOULD THINK THAT, I KNOW THAT HE WANTS A BETTER SOLUTION THAN SOMEBODY GOING OUT THERE PUTTING CONES.
BUT IF IT WAS RELEGATED TO THE WEST, SOUTH SIDE OF THIS PROPERTY, THEN EVERYTHING ELSE COULD HAPPEN IF IT'S JUST ABOUT TRAFFIC FLOW.
UM, BUT ALONG THE LINES WITH FELLOW COMMISSIONER, HE WAS SAYING WITH RESPECT TO, UH, AND EVEN COMMISSIONER SAVINO ABOUT MULTIPLE POINTS OF ENTRY, WELL, WHY, UM, UH, SACRIFICE THE NORTHERN ENTRY THAT'S ALREADY HAS A SOLUTION THERE AT, THERE'S ONE.
NOW THERE COULD BE MORE, UH, BUT TO JUST ASSUME THAT THERE'S GONNA BE DOLLARS AVAILABLE OR THAT THE DOLLAR VALUE'S NOT GONNA CHANGE, OR THAT THE CONTRACTOR'S NOT GONNA, UH, FALL OFF A LADDER AND THEY HAVE TO GET A NEW CONTRACTOR.
AND ALL THE CONFUSION THERE, ALL THE THINGS THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN, I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY UNWISE FOR US TO DO ANYTHING THAT STOPS MORE THAN 75% OF WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED IN FRONT OF US.
I'M GONNA, UM, IF ANY OTHER COMMISSIONER HAS ANY COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO MAKE, I'LL, UM, PLEASE INDICATE THAT TO ME.
IF NOT, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO A VOTE ON THIS, UH, MR. CHAIR, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO AMEND THE SUBSTITUTE A MOTION TO ACCEPT OR TO ALSO INCLUDE THE DEMOLITION OF THE TECHNICAL ARTS BUILDING? IS THAT HOW THAT HAPPENS?
[01:25:01]
I, GO AHEAD.I WILL AMEND MY AMENDED MOTION TO INCLUDE THE DEMOLITION OF THE TECHNICAL ARTS BUILDING.
THAT'S A SECOND AGREE, SECOND STAND.
AND WHAT, MR. CHAIR, CAN I ASK FOR A CLARIFICATION? OKAY.
DOES THE DEMOLITION MEAN THAT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IN THAT ENVIRONMENT, UM, HAPPEN? IS IT NOT JUST THE DEMOLITION, BUT THAT THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT THEY WERE DOING UP THERE AS NEW CONSTRUCTION? I THINK THAT THAT, UH, BASED ON WHAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY, THAT THAT HAS SOME CONCERNS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE, THE TENANT AND, UH, PUTTING THE, THE NEW ENTRY TO THE, UH, EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTER AT THAT NORTH END DOES NOT PRECLUDE THAT NORTH SIDE BECOMING A PEDESTRIAN ENTRY, NOT NECESSARY A VEHICULAR ENTRY, UH, TO PROVIDE THAT MULTIPLE POINTS OF ACCESS TO THE SITE.
SO I THINK, UM, UNTIL THERE'S FURTHER DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE, THE, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, UH, THAT DRIVE SHOULD ALSO BE KEPT IN A CONTINUANCE.
JUST ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION FROM THE MOVEMENT ON THE CONTINUANCE, CAN WE HAVE, UH, DATE CERTAIN OF HOW LONG YOU WANT THOSE ITEMS CONTINUED? UM, I GUESS THIS IS A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT AND THE CITY.
HOW LONG DO YOU THINK, UH, IT WOULD TAKE FOR Y'ALL TO MEET WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AND COME BACK WITH AN ALTERNATE PROPOSAL FOR THE SITE? UM, WELL, OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS OF, UM, UH, EXAMINING WHAT WE CAN DO.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE TO, UH, PUT SOME NEW DESIGN LAYOUTS TOGETHER, PRESENT THOSE TO THE CITY, HAVE THE CITY REVIEW THOSE.
WE WOULD HAVE TO PRESENT THOSE TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, I WOULD, AGAIN, I WOULD, I WOULD HAVE TO DISCUSS THIS WITH OUR CLIENT, BUT, UM, I'M THINKING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX WEEKS.
SO THE, UM, DATE CERTAIN MIDDLE OF JULY, THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE NEXT, THE NEXT, UH, COMMISSION MEETING THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM TIME TO, TO DO THAT.
SO IS THAT THE, UM, THE SECOND MEETING, SECOND MEETING IN JULY FOR THE RECORD? THAT'S JULY THE 15TH.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR DISCUSSION, FOR YOUR COMMENTS, FOR YOUR QUESTION.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? ON THE ALTERNATE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, MAMON NAY SINO AYE.
VELAZQUEZ, UM, NAY GALLOWAY AYE.
ITEM NUMBER 12, PLEASE
THE APPLICANT'S HERE IN PERSON.
UH, IF THE APPLICANT COULD COME TO THE PODIUM NOW.
CAN YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF PLEASE, SIR? SURE.
THANK YOU MR. HERNANDEZ, FOR STAYING.
AND, UM, YOU HEARD THAT YOUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, COMMENT ON THE ALTERATIONS, UM, AND YOU ALSO SEE STAFF STIPULATIONS FOR THE OTHER TWO ITEMS. UM, DO YOU HAVE A RESPONSE OR DO YOU HAVE SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THOSE? YEAH, UM, I MEAN, WHERE TO BEGIN? YEAH.
UM, SO THIS IS PART OF A, A VERY SIGNIFICANT PROJECT.
SO WE BOUGHT THE HOME, UM, ALMOST A YEAR AGO.
IT HAD BEEN LEFT UNKEPT FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS.
IT, NOBODY HAD LIVED IN IT, SO IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE.
AND SO WE BOUGHT IT WITH THE FULL INTENT OF RE BRINGING IT BACK TO LIFE IN ITS HISTORIC NATURE.
SO THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS WE ENGAGED WITH THE OHP FOR ADVICE AND GUIDANCE.
WE HAD MULTIPLE COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, WE HAD ONSITE MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WOULD BE DOING ALONG THE WAY, UM, BOTH WITH THE STRUCTURE
[01:30:01]
AS WELL AS THE OUTSIDE.AND SO AT EACH STEP OF THE WAY, WE KIND OF BROUGHT THEM INTO THE VISION AND GOT THEIR GUIDANCE.
'CAUSE THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT WE JUST DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO HANDLE.
THINGS LIKE PULLING OUT THE STUCCO AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE, THE, THE ROCK UNDERNEATH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PART OF A VERY LONG PROCESS WITH A LOT OF STEPS.
SO THE, THE OUTDOOR, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL BEEN APPROVED.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE MISSED THE VARIANCE CHANGING, YOU KNOW, SO WE, WE ACCEPT THAT ONCE THE STRUCTURES WERE GOING UP, I THINK ALONG WITH THE CONTRACTOR WHO SEES THESE, AND WE CAN START TO SEE, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T, YOU CAN'T ANTICIPATE THE FULL VISION.
UM, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT ON PAPER, AND WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT IT, YOU, YOU CAN START TO SEE THE POTENTIAL, UM, EXPOSURES THAT IT, IT HAD.
AND THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THAT STRUCK US ABOUT THE WALL.
UM, ONE WAS THE INVASION OF PRIVACY, OR, OR THE POTENTIAL FOR THAT.
YOU, I MEAN, I THINK OUR, UM, OUR, MY, MY COLLEAGUES BEHIND ME ARE, RIGHT.
THIS IS AN, UM, A COMMUNITY WHERE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE IT.
AND THAT MEANS THAT THEY STOP.
THAT MEANS THEY TAKE PICTURES AND THE SPACE BEHIND THIS WALL, IT'S A PERSONAL SPACE, AND WE WILL HAVE CHILDREN THERE.
AND SO KNOWING THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE RIGHT IN, THAT STRUCK US AS THE WRONG SOLUTION.
AND SO WE DID FILL IT, AND WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS THE BETTER SOLUTION.
NOW, I DO APPRECIATE THE VISUAL FROM THE STREET AND, AND EVERY STEP OF THE WAY.
AND, AND, AND I GO THROUGH THAT WHOLE NARRATIVE TO SHOW YOU HOW DELIBERATE WE HAVE BEEN TO RECREATE THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE HOME INSIDE AND OUT.
AND SO THE NEXT PHASE OF THIS WOULD BE A LANDSCAPE PLAN THAT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH THE COMMUNITY STANDARDS.
IN FACT, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS, WE REACHED OUT TO THE OHP TO SAY, HEY, WHAT'S THE GUIDELINES? WHAT SHOULD WE BE THINKING ABOUT? WHAT KIND OF PLANS WOULD BE PERMISSIBLE IN THIS SPACE? SO WITH THAT GUIDANCE, WE CAN NOW START TO THINK ABOUT WHAT A LANDSCAPE PLAN WOULD BE.
WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THIS CONVERSATION HAS ACCELERATED THE PORTION OF THAT DISCUSSION AS IT RELATES TO THE VISUAL IN FRONT OF THAT WALL.
AND SO I, AND WE'VE SUBMITTED A PLAN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN PULL UP, BUT BASICALLY IT, IT, IT HIDES THE WALL.
AND SO THE WALL IN THE END DOES NOT GET SEEN WITH THE LANDSCAPE PLAN.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF GREEN, LOT OF, UH, PLANTS THAT ARE, ARE ALL TEXAS NATIVE.
AND SO WE THINK THE VISUAL ACTUALLY IS GOOD FROM MADISON.
SO, UM, THE FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE SITS BACK 24 FEET FROM MADISON, AND THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 16 FEET, RIGHT? SO THAT'S ABOUT 40 FEET BACK.
UM, AND TO THE PRIVACY CONCERN, UM, IF LANDSCAPE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IMPLYING THAT LANDSCAPE IS YOUR SOLUTION? WELL, PARTIALLY IT'S THE WALL.
BUT ALSO THE LANDSCAPE TOO, TOO.
THE LANDSCAPE IS AN ADDITIONAL YES, BECAUSE THERE WILL BE SEGMENTS AND RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK IN IT, AND I THINK, UM, THE NEIGHBORS PUT UP A PHOTO OF IT IN ITS CURRENT STATE, YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE SECTIONS THAT ARE STILL VISIBLE BECAUSE THERE IS NO LANDSCAPE YET.
SO THERE WOULD NEED TO BE LANDSCAPE ON EACH SIDE OF IT AS WELL.
THE QUESTIONS I HAVE ARE ABOUT THE USE AND THAT ARE NOT RELEVANT TO THIS.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR THIS APPLICANT? YES, SIR.
UM, WAS YOUR CONTRACTOR OR YOUR YOURSELF NOT AWARE THAT ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE STRUCTURE NEEDED TO COME BACK FOR REVIEW? YEAH, WE, WE JUST MISSED THAT.
IT WAS PART OF A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD.
WE FRANKLY JUST DIDN'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE A MATERIAL ENOUGH OF A CHANGE TO COME BACK TO THE PROCESS.
SO WHEN, WHEN IT WAS REVEALED, UH, THERE WAS A COMMUNICATION WITH OHP, UM, WE WERE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT IT.
WE SAID, WELL, LOOK, AS WE LOOK BACK AT EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE DONE, WE CAN ONLY SEE THE TWO THINGS, THE POSTS, AND THEN THE WALL THAT IS IN QUESTION.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY CAME OUT IN THAT CONVERSATION.
SO THEN WE CAME TOGETHER WITH THEM, WE TALKED ABOUT IT, WE SHOWED 'EM, YOU KNOW, CAUGHT 'EM UP ON WHAT WE WERE DOING, AND THE RATIONALE AS TO WHY.
UM, AND I THINK THEY DO SUPPORT THE, THE NEW, UM, DESIGN OF IT.
BUT YEAH, WE JUST, WE JUST FRANKLY MISSED THAT.
WELL, UM, I THINK PUTTING UP A SOLID WALL, UM, FOR THE REASONS YOU'VE STATED, I THINK IS A MAJOR CHANGE
[01:35:01]
TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN.UM, AND I THINK IT MATERIALLY AFFECTS THE IMPACT ON THE STREET, UH, VIEW.
AND, UM, THERE ARE, UH, DECORATIVE ELEMENTS ON THE EXISTING HOUSE.
THERE ARE, UH, RAILINGS AND, UH, SOME F WORK ON THE, THE REAR OF THE HOUSE WHERE THERE IS, UM, PATTERNS AND, UH, ELEMENTS THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE INCORPORATED INTO THOSE OPENINGS.
UH, BUILD IT LIKE IT WAS APPROVED PREVIOUSLY, AND THEN COME IN WITH SOME SORT OF GRILLAGE OR SCREEN OR SOMETHING THAT'S NOT A SOLID CONTINUATION OF THE WALL.
THAT MIGHT BE, UH, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT PRIVACY, MORE PRIVACY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AND NOT COMPLETELY RELYING ON THE, THE VEGETATION.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD CONSIDER, UH, INVESTIGATING? SO, UM, A, A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE, I, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE, THAT THE DESIGN THAT WE'VE PUT FORWARD DOES COMPLY WITH THE GUIDELINES AS, AS IT IS WITH THE SOLID WALL.
BUT SECOND, WE, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTEN CONFLICTING ADVICE ON HOW MUCH TO MATCH THE NEW STRUCTURE WITH THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE.
SOME IS THEY WANT MORE ALIGNMENT AND SOME SAY NO, IT'S GOT TO BE INFERIOR TO IT.
SO THE MORE THAT WE GO TO MATCH IT, THAT IS, THAT IN, IS AT LEAST BY SOME ADVICE, UM, AGAINST THE GUIDELINES.
SO, I MEAN, THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS I THINK THAT WE COULD DESIGN THIS, UM, AND WE COULD IMAGINE REDESIGNING IT, BUT THE, THE STRUCTURE THAT WE PUT IN FRONT NOW DOES COMPLY WITH THE GUIDELINES.
WELL, EXCEPT IT'S CONTRARY TO WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED.
WE, WE'VE GOT A PROPOSAL, UM, RIGHT.
AND THERE'S YES, MATCHING EXACTLY WHAT'S ON THE HOUSE IS FROWNED UPON IN TERMS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION.
BUT THERE IS PRECEDENT ON THE EXISTING HOUSE FOR OPEN GRILL WORK.
TRUE, MOST OF IT'S OUT OF WOOD.
BUT, UH, BUT SOME SORT OF CONTEMPORARY GRILLAGE, UH, SCREEN THAT'S, UH, SOMEWHAT OPEN, UM, MIGHT BE, UH, MORE APPROPRIATE THAN THIS SOLID WALL, UH, IN TERMS OF, UH, THE STREET FRONT, UH, VIEW.
I THINK NO MATTER WHAT THE WALL LOOKS LIKE IN THE END, THE INTENTION IS TO COVER IT WITH THE LANDSCAPING.
AND SO, I MEAN, I, IT, IT, IT WOULD BE ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT OF TIME, RESOURCE MONEY TO DO THIS.
AND I DON'T SEE WHERE IT BENEFITS, BECAUSE IN THE END, THE VISION WOULD BE TO HAVE LANDSCAPING.
THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO JUST RETURN TO WHAT WAS APPROVED.
WE'LL, WE CAN WITHDRAW THAT PART OF IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEN, THEN WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT LANDSCAPING.
'CAUSE THERE IS NO LANDSCAPING PROVISION UNLESS YOU WANT TO ADD LANDSCAPING FOR YOUR OWN.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER.
SO YOU JUST MADE A COMMENT, SIR, ABOUT, UM, THERE, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE NO BENEFITS.
UM, THE BENEFITS OF COURSE IS THAT, UM, VICE CHAIR FESSOR MENTIONED IT'S GOING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGN THAT WAS APPROVED.
AND SO, AND THEN ADDING THE VEGETATION OR THE LANDSCAPING, UM, WOULD, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY ENHANCE THAT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE ARE NOW AND WHICH IS WHY THE STOP ORDER WAS PLACED IN THERE.
SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE AS FAR AS THE HAVING A SOLID WALL FOR PRIVACY AND THINGS OF NATURE, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S NOT WHAT WAS APPROVED.
SO IN ORDER TO TRY TO, TO COME TO, UM, AN UNDERSTANDING ABOUT NOT ONLY WHAT THE GUIDELINES CALL FOR, BUT WHAT THE, IS, YOU KNOW, AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, UM, ACHIEVING WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ON THE PRIVACY SIDE, THEN THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE WE ARE AT THE MOMENT.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE, WE'RE CLEAR ON THAT.
YEAH, WE'RE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT.
OTHER QUESTIONS FOR IS APPLICANT MR. CHAIR? I'D BE PREPARED TO MAKE A, A MOTION IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, APPROVE ITEM NUMBER ONE AND NUMBER TWO AND TO, UH, DENY ITEM NUMBER THREE WITH
[01:40:01]
A SECOND, WITH A STIPULATION.THAT ITEM NUMBER THREE IS REVERTED.
THE OBJECT IS REVERTED TO ITS ORIGINALLY APPROVED FORM AS SHOWN IN SLIDE 15 OF 15 SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED AND PROPERLY.
SECOND COMMISSIONER S WELL, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S CLEAR, UM, WHEN WE LOOK AT WHAT WAS APPROVED, I ORIGINALLY SAW THIS MONTHS AGO AND THOUGHT, WELL, OKAY, THAT TALL WALL IS MEETING THE FENCE THAT SITS BEHIND.
AND SO THERE'S SOME RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BARRIERS IN THAT FRONT YARD ALONG MADISON.
UM, WHEN YOU ENGAGE THAT WALL WITH THIS COLUMNS TO THE SIDE, WHEN YOU INCREASE THE HEIGHT AND TOTALLY ENCLOSE IT, IT BECOMES A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STRUCTURE.
AND I THINK THE, THE NEIGHBORS HAVE IT.
SO RIGHT ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE ON THE STREET AND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A PEDESTRIAN IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I GIVE A LOT OF CREDENCE TO THAT.
BUT THEN ALSO, UM, ON THE POOL SIDE, UM, I WOULDN'T, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER WAYS TO ADDRESS THE PRIVACY.
AND I THINK YOU BEGAN TO DO THAT WITH THE LANDSCAPE.
COMMISSIONER HOLLY? YEAH, THANK YOU.
I, I JUST, I, YOU TOUCHED ON IT EARLIER, UM, AND THE CONSERVATION SOCIETY TOUCHED ON IT EARLIER, BUT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS A, IS AN OPEN WALKING NEIGHBORHOOD, AND SO EVERYBODY PARTICIPATES IN, UH, EACH OTHER'S YARDS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, PART OF, PART OF LIVING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER LIKE THAT IS YOU, YOU DO SEE INTO EACH OTHER'S YARDS.
AND SO, UM, I, I, SEEING THE NEIGHBORHOOD SHOW UP IN OPPOSITION, IT, IT'S CLEAR THAT THEY'VE GOT THIS ONE RIGHT.
AND IF IT'S ME AND I'M GONNA LIVE THERE, I'M, I'M GONNA WANT TO BE, UH, ON THE SAME PAGE AND THE SAME TEAM OF MY NEIGHBORS.
COMMISSIONER GRU, I SEE YOU OFF CAMERA.
ARE YOU HERE? DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? OKAY, MOVING ON TO, UM, COMMISSIONER GIVARE.
COMMISSIONER CHSO, NO COMMENTS AT THIS TIME.
COMMISSIONER GALLOWAY, NO COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER MADMAN.
I JUST APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEIR, THEIR, UH, PERSPECTIVE ON THIS.
UH, I AGREE WITH FELLOW COMMISSIONERS THAT GOING BACK TO THE, UH, ORIGINALLY APPROVED PLAN IS APPROPRIATE.
COMMISSIONER VELASQUEZ, NO COMMENT.
VICE SHERIFF ZER, UH, NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE? MAMON? AYE.
COMMISSIONER GRUBB IS ABSENT FROM THE SCREEN.
UM, THE APPLICANT IS HERE IN PERSON.
MR. TERRELL, COULD YOU PLEASE COME UP TO THE PODIUM? PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF, SIR.
SHE, I'M OWNER OF 1315 EAST PYRON.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, STICKING AROUND AGAIN TODAY.
UM, TO THE COMMUNITY'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE PROPERTY, EXISTING PROPERTY AND ITS CURRENT STATE, CAN YOU TELL US, UH, WHAT'S ON THE PROPERTY RIGHT NOW? YES, MA'AM.
SO, UH, THERE IS AN OLDER HOME, UM, ON THE PROPERTY RIGHT NOW IN A DILAPIDATED CONDITION THAT WILL BE, UM, DECONSTRUCTED, UH, ONCE WE GET THE PERMIT, UH, APPROVED.
UM, AND THAT, UH, DECONSTRUCTION, UH, IS, UH, PENDING AND JUST WAITING FOR THE APPROVAL.
AND STAFF, WAS THAT APPROVED BY, HOW WAS THAT DEMOLITION APPROVED? UH, DECONSTRUCTION WAS APPROVED INSTEAD OF DEMOLITION.
I'M TRYING TO FIND IT IN THE FINDINGS.
I KNOW THAT THIS CASE HAS GONE BEFORE THE HDRC AT LEAST THREE TIMES NOW.
SO FINDING E THE EXISTING STRUCTURE LOCATED AT THE ADDRESS RECEIVED A DETERMINATION OF NON-CONTRIBUTING STATUS ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2025, AND DECONSTRUCTION APPROVAL ON OCTOBER 8TH, 2025.
AND APPROVED BY THE, LET'S SEE, LET'S SEE, PER THE UDC, THE HISTORIC HOLD ON, THE DEMOLITION WILL NOT BE RESOLVED UNTIL REPLACEMENT PLANS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
AND APPROVED BY THE HISTORIC AND DESIGN REVIEW COMMISSION AND HAVE RECEIVED A PERMIT FROM DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
THE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING CONTEXT FEATURES HOUSES OF VARIOUS STYLES AND
[01:45:01]
CONSTRUCTION PERIODS, AS WELL AS LARGE TRACKS OF UNDEVELOPED LAND, THE, UM, AND ET CETERA.ALSO TO, UH, A NOTE TO THE, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP THERE, THERE IS A CONCRETE PAD AT THE BACK, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S FOR A BASKETBALL COURT, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
UH, PER THE PREVIOUS, UH, SIDE PLAN, THE SLAB IN THE BACK IS FOR A PLAY AREA FOR MY SON, UM, GOING TO BE A, UH, BASKETBALL COURT AND WHERE HE WILL MOST LIKELY LEARN HOW TO RIDE A BIKE AND, YOU KNOW, DO ALL THE THINGS THAT CHILDREN SHOULD DO, TRYING TO KEEP HIM OUT OF THE STREETS.
SINCE THE STREETS HERE ARE GONNA BE NARROWER THAN MOST.
SO, UH, HAVING A, A SAFE AREA IN THE BACK WAS GONNA BE THE BEST OPTION FOR US.
I WAS, I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT FOR YES, MA'AM, THE PUBLIC.
UM, COMMISSIONER VELAZQUEZ, UM, SO JUST SO THAT WE COULD REMIND OURSELVES, YOU CAME BEFORE THE COMMISSION PREVIOUSLY, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
UM, THE PREVIOUS, UH, TIME THAT I WAS HERE WAS WITH, UH, BUILDER A.
UM, BUILDER A HAS BEEN, UM, RELEASED AND BUILDER B HAS NOW, UH, STEPPED IN SINCE BUILDER A HAD THE ORIGINAL PLANS, UM, THAT I COULD NOT BRING OVER TO BUILDER B.
UM, BUILDER B NOW HAS NEW UPDATED PLANS, BUT USING THE STIPULATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL PLAN, UM, WITH THE GARAGE BEING SET BACK, UH, I BELIEVE IT'S THREE FEET FROM THE FRONT OF THE HOME, UM, WITH, UH, A FEW OTHER THINGS THAT WERE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, REDUCING THE WIDTH.
UH, UH, THE WIDTH OF THE HOME STAYED THE SAME, UM, JUST BECAUSE THAT WAS APPROVED PRIOR.
SO I TRIED TO KEEP AS MUCH OF THE HOME AS CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE, UM, WITH THE NEW BUILDER TRYING TO FIND SOMETHING THAT HAD A SAME SIMILAR BALANCE MM-HMM
THAN WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY, UM, APPROVED.
COMMISSIONER MAYMAN? ANYTHING SIR? NONE.
COMMISSIONER GALLOWAY? ANYTHING SIR? NO, NO.
MR. CHAIR, UM, ON THIS APPLICATION, UH, HE'S REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS, WHICH IS A FINAL MOVE BEFORE HE CAN GET PERMITTING.
UM, HOWEVER, STAFF IS REQUESTING OR RECOMMENDING CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL, AND WE'VE GIVEN CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL TO A PREVIOUS DESIGN.
CAN WE, NOW THAT THE DESIGN HAS CHANGED, THE BUILDER OR THE DESIGNER HAS CHANGED, CAN WE HAVE A SECOND CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL? YES.
UH, CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL'S, NON-BINDING.
SO, UM, IF THE COMMISSION SAW FIT TO, UH, MOTION FOR CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL FOR THIS DESIGN, THAT WOULD ALLOW THE APPLICANT TO MOVE FORWARD, WORK WITH STAFF, INCORPORATE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK, AND THEN COME BACK TO YOU WHEN EVERYTHING'S RESOLVED IN A FINAL STATE, THEN I'D LIKE TO MOVE, UH, FOR CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL WITH ALL STAFF.
AND, UM, WITH A, WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THE SITE PLAN, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THIS IS JUST A, A, A HOUSE A BOX FLOATING IN SPACE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S GOING TO LAND RELATIVE TO YOUR NEIGHBORS.
IF, IF I MAY, UM, SO IN THE PRO ONE, ONE MOMENT PLEASE, SIR.
SO, UM, JUST, UM, THE, THE SETBACK AND HOW IT IS CITED CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN APPEALING NEW NEIGHBOR OF THIS, YOU KNOW, UH, SIZE VERSUS A REAL INTRUSION ON THE, ON THE HISTORIC CHARACTER OF THE STREET FRONT.
AND MR. MR. CHAIR FOR MY AS WELL COMMENT, UM, ON MAKING A SECOND THAT YOU DO SECOND.
WELL, MR. CHARGE, I, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I ASKED THE APPLICANT, UH, WHETHER HE HAD BEEN HERE BEFORE WAS JUST TO CONFIRM THAT THAT, UH, WITH RESPECT TO SOME COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, UH, WE HAD VIGOROUS CONVERSATION IN DIALOGUE IN THE LAST, UH, TIME THAT THEY WERE HERE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I, I HOPE IS NOT FORGOTTEN, THAT THIS SEGMENT OF PIRON IS AN AREA THAT HAS RECEIVED OVER THE COURSE OF DECADES, SEVERAL CONTEMPORARY, UH, EXPRESSIONS.
SO WHAT COULD SEEM AS A SUBURBAN HOME THERE, THIS IS THE STREET THAT INTRODUCED THAT INTO THIS AREA.
SO IT'S NOT OUTTA CHARACTER AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT STEPS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER INTO A HISTORIC CONTEXT, BUT AT ITS BASE, IT, IT IS A BIT OF A SUBURBAN HOME.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THAT STREET, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL WITH PARKING GARAGES AND ALL OF THAT.
AND, AND IT WAS, IT IS THAT AREA WHERE AT SOME POINT IN THE EIGHTIES, UH, PEOPLE HAD A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY IN THE SOUTH SIDE, THAT, THAT THERE WERE A FEW THAT WERE THERE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WAS IT CALLED, UH, UH, UH, CHASING THE JONESES OR COMPETING WITH THE JONESES, THAT, THAT, THAT EMERGED IN THIS AREA.
SO, UH, JUST SO LONG AS WE DON'T FORGET THAT, THAT AT THAT TIME WE WERE, UH, AWARE OF THAT, THAT'S WHY THAT PROJECT, UH, WAS, HAD RECEIVED, UM, UH, THE APPROVALS THAT IT
[01:50:01]
DID.AND NOW THAT HE'S COME BACK, HE'S DONE THE RIGHT THING AND, AND, AND THE CONCEPTUAL, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ON THE RECORD SO THAT, UM, WE ARE NOT CHALLENGING THIS ALTERATION TO THE ORIGINAL AS A, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A BAD MARK BECAUSE HIS OTHER CONTRACTOR LEFT.
UM, COMMISSIONER HOLLAND QUESTIONS, I MEAN, COMMENTS FOR THE APPLICANT? NO, NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
CHECKING AGAIN FOR COMMISSIONER GROUP.
UM, COMMISSIONER GUEVARA, NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, SIR? THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER VESO.
UM, COMMISSIONER SABINO, ANY FINAL? NO, NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER GALLOWAY, NO QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER MAYMAN, NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE MOTION FOR CONCEPTUAL APPROVAL AND, UH, WITH THE STAFF STIPULATIONS AND ENCOURAGED THE APPLICANT TO, UH, CONSIDER.
WE HAD A DRC THIS LAST WEEK, AND THERE WERE SOME, UH, DESIGN DISCUSSIONS, UH, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE ROOF PITCH AND SOME OF THE EXTENT OF THE STONEWORK AROUND THE SIDES OF THE BUILDING.
UH, ENCOURAGE YOU TO STUDY THOSE WITH YOUR, UH, DESIGNER AND, UH, BUILDER AS YOU COME, UH, FORWARD WITH YOUR FINAL PLANS.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL, PLEASE? MAMON? AYE.
[INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION]
ITEM NUMBER 14, PLEASE.THE COMPUTER WAS WANTING TO FREEZE UP.
UH, AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 14, HDRC, CASE NUMBER 20 26 0 9 1 34 0 6 ROOSEVELT, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS FOR APPROVAL TO ONE INSTALL FENCING AND WALLS AROUND THE PROPERTY.
IRON FENCING WILL BE INSTALLED ALONG THE NORTH AND SOUTH PROPERTY LINE.
MASONRY WALL WILL BE INSTALLED ALONG THE WEST PROPERTY LINE PARALLEL TO WOODHULL DRIVE IN ROOSEVELT AVENUE, AND ALONG A PORTION OF THE SOUTHERN FACADE ADJACENT TO THE NEIGHBORING STRUCTURE, THE PROPOSED WR IRON FENCING AND MASONRY WALLS WILL REPLACE CHAIN LINK FENCING.
TWO TO PERFORM EXTERIOR MODIFICATIONS TO THE TWO EXISTING STRUCTURES ON SITE, INCLUDING THE INSTALLATION OF NEW FACADE MATERIALS, THE CONSTRUCTION OF ENTRANCE CANOPIES AND PAINTING THREE, AND ENLARGE AN EXISTING SIDE ADDITION AND CONSTRUCT A REAR ADDITION TO AN EXISTING METAL BUILDING.
FORWARD TO INSTALL LANDSCAPING MATERIALS THAT INCLUDE THE INSTALLATION OF GROUND COVER AND SHRUBBERY.
AND FIVE, INSTALL A WALL SIGN ON THE FRONT FACADE.
THE APPLICATION DOCUMENTS INCLUDE THE INSTALLATION OF TWO PYLON SIGNS WITH INTERNALLY ILLUMINATED CABINETS.
THESE SIGNS ARE PROHIBITED BY THE UDC SECTION 35,678, AND ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
STAFF RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF ITEMS ONE THROUGH FIVE BASED ON FINDINGS A THROUGH H WITH THE FOLLOWING STIPULATIONS, ONE THAT FENCING AND WALLS NOT EXCEED SIX FEET ON SITE PER THE UDC SECTION.
35 514 IS NOTED IN FINDING C AND THAT THE PROPOSED SOLID WALL NOT EXTEND PAST THE FRONT FACADE OF THE SOUTHERN BUILDING ON SITE TWO, THAT A DETAILED LANDSCAPING PLAN BE SUBMITTED TO OHP STAFF FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL PRIOR TO THE ISSUANCE OF A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
THREE, THAT FINAL MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS BE SUBMITTED TO OHP STAFFER REVIEW AND APPROVAL IF ALTERATIONS ARE PRO, PRO, ARE PROPOSED OR APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION.
FOUR, THAT A SIGNAGE PACKAGE BE SUBMITTED FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY THE COMMISSION IS NOTED IN FINDING G SIGNAGE SHOULD NOT EXCEED 50 SQUARE FEET UNLESS APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION FIVE, THAT A LIGHTING PLAN AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR LIGHTING ON SITE BE SUBMITTED TO OHP STAFF FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL.
LIGHTING SHOULD NOT RESULT IN LIGHT POLLUTION AND AN ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION IS, IS REQUIRED.
THE PROJECT SHALL COMPLY WITH ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS REGARDING ARCHEOLOGY AS APPLICABLE COORDINATION WITH LOCAL INDIGENOUS GROUPS REGARDING ARCHEOLOGICAL SCOPES IS ENCOURAGED BUT NOT REQUIRED.
UH, THE APPLICANT, UH, JAVIER GONZALEZ, IS HERE IN PERSON.
UM, JAVIER, IF YOU COULD COME TO THE PODIUM NOW, UH, MR. CHAIR, I DO WANNA NOTE WE DO HAVE CITIZENS SIGNED IN TO SPEAK IN PERSON ON THIS.
AFTERNOON, UH, CHAIRMAN GIBBS, UH, ESTEEM, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION AND THE
[01:55:01]
DISTINGUISHED STAFF MEMBERS.UH, MY NAME IS JAVIER GONZALEZ, GE ARCHITECTURE.
WE'RE HERE, UH, BACK WITH THE SAME PROJECT FROM ROOSEVELT.
UH, THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE, UH, WE HAD A, A, A GOOD DIS ROUND DISCUSSION, UH, WHICH HAD JUST COME OFF A PRESENTATION TO THE, UH, THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMITTEE.
THERE WAS A, A, I THINK, WELL-FOUNDED COMMENT THAT, HEY, WE DON'T HAVE PRESENTATION MATERIALS.
IT'S HARD TO SEE ALL THESE THINGS TOGETHER.
SO WE'VE SINCE PUT THOSE TOGETHER.
AND, UH, I IDEALLY TO HELP FRAME YOUR CONSIDERATION AND YOUR DISCUSSION MOVING FORWARD, LIKE TO BREAK EACH ONE OF THESE ITEMS INDIVIDUALLY AND HAVE YOU LOOK AT 'EM THAT WAY.
IDEALLY, UH, SOME OF THEM DO HAVE SOME CROSSOVER, SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT I WANNA REMIND YOU, UH, JOEL, THE NEW NEIGHBOR IN THE, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, BOUGHT THIS PROPERTY.
UH, IT WAS DONE, I THINK, A REALLY GOOD JOB.
UH, BUT HE DIDN'T FOLLOW THE PROCESS.
UH, HE DIDN'T COME TO HDRC, HE DIDN'T GO TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND HE, HE'S GOT HALFWAY THROUGH A, A, A, A BUILDING, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WITHOUT ALL THAT.
SO HE HAS SINCE GONE THROUGH THE PROCESS IN TALKING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TALKING TO THE COUNCILWOMAN.
IN TALKING TO DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, THEY HAD TO DO REZONING, SO THEY LOST SOME OF THEIR, UH, UH, NON-CONFORMING RIGHTS AND SO FORTH.
UH, AND SO ALL THAT BRINGS US TO HERE WE ARE TODAY, A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR WHEN HE FIRST STARTED, UH, THE, THE, THE PROCESS WHEN HE GOT THE STOP WORK ORDER.
UH, SO, SO WHAT WE HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH TODAY, IF WE CAN, UH, TAKE THESE ONE BY ONE, IF YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE OR TWO, THE OVERALL, THERE YOU GO.
THIS, UH, THIS VIEW SHOWS THE CONTEXT AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE GET THIS RIGHT, THAT WE'RE RIGHT BY AT, AT THE, AT THE FOOT OF THE, THE MISSION SAN JOSE PROPERTY.
UH, AND THE ADDITION THAT HE STARTED WITHOUT PERMISSION, UH, IS ALONG THE BACK OF THE LONGER BUILDING, WHICH, IF YOU'RE GONNA PLACE A, AN ADDITION THAT IS NOT, UH, IS MINIMALLY IMPACTING THE SITE, THAT'S WHERE YOU WANT IT.
UH, HE ALSO, UH, WANTS TO, AS PART OF THE PROJECT AND, AND THE ENGINEER THAT DESIGNED IS, IS, UH, IS, IS, IS BUILDING, UH, EXTEND THE PORCH OVER UP AND HIGH, UH, WHICH YOU SEE DEPICTED THERE.
NOW, JUST AS A, A QUICK NOTE, WE DID HAVE A NICE DRC MEETING WHERE THERE WAS SOME REALLY GOOD, I THINK, UH, UH, COMMENTS THAT CAME THROUGH.
WE STUDIED THOSE, UH, ALTERNATE, UH, CONCEPTS OF A LOWER CANOPY THAT'S MORE HUMAN SCALE AND SO FORTH, UH, DOESN'T HIDE THE SIGN.
WE, WE REVIEW, WE, WE READ THOSE WITH JOEL, PARDON ME.
UH, AND, AND HE, HE, HE DID NOT ACCEPT THOSE.
HE, HE, HE'S, HE'S GOT, UH, I, I THINK HE'S GOT ALL THE STEEL.
HE'S GOT EVERYTHING READY TO GO.
HE'S, HE'S OWNED IT FOR OVER A YEAR.
SO HIS PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE FROM A COST STANDPOINT, UH, IS, IS TO KEEP GOING WITH, WITH WHAT, WITH WHAT HE'S GOT.
SO THAT GIVEN, UH, THAT THAT IS A GIVEN, WHAT HE IS WANTING TO DO TO OFFSET SOME OF THOSE THINGS IS TO EXTEND THE, UH, MASONRY IN THE FORM OF OFFENSE, UH, PARTICULARLY ON ROOSEVELT AND ON THE WOODHULL OR MISSION SAN JOSE SIDE, WHERE YOU SEE IT THE MOST, WHICH IS A GOOD GESTURE.
AND FROM OUR FIRST DRC MEETING, UH, IT SOFTENED THAT, UH, WITH LANDSCAPING, UH, THAT IS A, I THINK, A, A GOOD MOVE ON HIS PART.
HE, HE, HE, HE, HE NOT, UH, HE DIDN'T HAVE THIS WALL AS PART OF HIS ORIGINAL PROJECT, BUT HE SEES THAT AS, AS A CONCESSION AND A TIP OF THE HAT TO THE MISSION AND TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND SO FORTH, TO REALLY DO THIS IN A QUALITY WAY.
UH, WE TALKED WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT HAVING SANDSTONE AS A MORE APPROPRIATE MATERIAL, BUT GIVEN THE COST AND SO FORTH, THE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND THE YEAR WITHOUT OPERATION, HE, HE, HE CAN'T SUSTAIN THE ADDITIONAL COST.
SO, SO WE'RE SHOWING SPLIT FACE MASONRY, UH, ACROSS THE FULL THING.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT HE IS GOT.
NOW, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF SIDEBAR, SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, THE, THE, THE WALL.
THERE IS A, AN EXISTING POLE AND FRAME ON THE WOODHULL WOODHULL SIDE, UH, WHICH ORIGINALLY HE WANTED TO, TO PUT A SIGN THERE, BUT IN, THERE'S DISCUSSIONS AND THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITH OUR, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS, HE, HE'D LIKE TO FOREGO THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE MORE SENSITIVE SIDE.
UH, IN LIEU OF THAT, HE'D LIKE TO HAVE IDEALLY MORE THAN 50 SQUARE FEET OF SIGNAGE.
UH, UH, ON, ON THE FRONT OF HIS BUILDING IN PARTICULAR, THAT ONE THAT YOU SEE THERE IS 50 SQUARE FEET.
AND THEN HE WANTS TO UTILIZE AN EXISTING POLE, UH, WHERE YOU SEE THE ONE THERE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXACTLY THAT ONE.
UH, THIS MIGHT BE A GOOD TIME, UH, IF I CAN TRY YOUR PATIENCE.
CAN WE SHOW SOME STREET VIEWS? UH, THE, THE, THE NEIGHBORS, UM, AND I THINK I SAID THIS LAST ON THE NEIGHBORS, UH, SIGNAGE IS AKIN TO A NASCAR.
IT'S GOT A SIGN EVERY, YOU KNOW, 10 FEET.
[02:00:01]
NEIGHBOR JUST PASSED THAT, UH, ORIGINALLY, ORIGINALLY FROM THE STREET VIEW, HAD A SMALLER, UH, PROBABLY 50 SQUARE FOOT SIGN.AND NOW IT'S, IT'S AN ENORMOUS, ITS SIGNS GONE CRAZY.
NOW, THOSE ARE NONCONFORMING, PROBABLY NOT DONE WITH THE, UH, THROUGH THE PROCESS THAT, THAT, THAT WE ARE ALL OBSERVING HERE.
UH,
UH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THIS ON THIS BUILDING HERE, UM, AS WELL.
NOW, UH, SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE, THE ADDITION.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE, THE, THE WALL AND NOW THE SIGNAGE, UH, THE, THE, THE PORCH YOU CAN SEE THERE, WHICH IS NOT BUILT YET.
UH, THAT, THAT, THAT'S IDEALLY WHAT HE'D LIKE TO DO.
THAT'S WHAT HE HAS AT HIS OTHER PROPERTY, AND IT'S PART OF THE DESIGN AND MATERIALS HE'S ALREADY PURCHASED.
UH, AS PART OF THE, UH, EXPANSION IN THE BACK, WHICH IS A, UH, A PAINT SPRAY BOOTH.
UH, HE HAS TO HAVE THESE EXHAUST, UH, UH, UH, STACKS THAT YOU SEE THERE.
AND THERE IS A VERY SPECIFIC TEC, UH, TECQ CODE ON THE HEIGHT AND THE SEPARATION BETWEEN THEM AND SO FORTH.
AND WE HAVE A LETTER FROM, UH, THE INSTALLER AND, UH, CAN GET ONE FROM TCEQ AS WELL THAT SAYS THAT THIS IS THE INDUSTRY STANDARD.
IT'S NOT INEXPENSIVE, AND THIS IS THE BEST THING.
ANYTHING LESS THAN THIS WOULD BE, UH, NOT APPROPRIATE WOULD BE HAZARD TO, TO THE EMPLOYEES POTENTIALLY THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND ANYTHING DIFFERENT WOULD BE CONSIDERING THAT THOSE, THOSE EXIST TODAY WOULD BE COST PROHIBITIVE.
SO HE, HE COULDN'T AFFORD TO DO THE WALL, FOR INSTANCE, IF HE DID THAT, UH, IS, IS WHAT HE'S TELLING US.
SO, UH, THE LIGHTING, I THINK THE LIGHTING IS A, A MUCH MORE EASILY MANAGED THING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LOW WALL PACKS THAT HAVE THE, THE CUTOFF.
SO YOU, WE DON'T HAVE LIGHT POLLUTION, SO THEY'D BE ALL ON THE BUILDING OR BEHIND THE WALL.
THEY'RE NOT STICKING UP HIGH, AND YOU'RE NOT, NOT CREATING THAT PHOTOTROPIC SYNDROME WHERE YOUR EYES IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, GO TO IT.
CAN YOU SHOW THE NIGHTTIME VIEW, PLEASE? AND YEAH, IT'S REALLY SOFT, UH, SOFTENED, UH, UH, FEEL.
NOW, I, I DO, UH, HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT SINCE WE LAST MET.
UH, CPS HAS GONE OUT THERE AND, AND MOVED RELOCATED POLES THAT WERE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY ONTO THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO THAT, THAT, THAT'S SOME STUFF THAT WE'RE SEEING OUT THERE.
THERE ARE SOME GUY WIRES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT, THAT I THINK ARE PROBLEMATIC AND PEOPLE CAN TRIP OVER 'EM OR BACK OVER 'EM.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THOSE WITH LANDSCAPING ALSO, UNLESS THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE CHANGING.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT EXACTLY WHAT CPS IS DOING.
UH, DID I GO THROUGH ALL THE, ALL THE ITEMS THAT WERE REQUESTED? UH, I DO BELIEVE SO.
UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE WALLS, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE ADDITIONS FRONT END REAR.
UM, WE, SO THE LANDSCAPING, UH, UH, THE APPLICANT'S HAPPY TO, UH, TO, TO GET A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT TO DESIGN HIS PLAN, BRING THAT TO YOU GUYS OR TO STAFF BEFORE THE, THE CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS IS, IS ISSUED, UM, IN MEETING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND I WISH WE HAD MORE TIME AND MORE MONEY, THE CLIENT HAS ALREADY STRETCHED AS, AS IT IS.
HE DID, UH, YOU KNOW, KICK IN SOME MORE, UH, TIME AND MONEY FOR US TO DO THESE RENDERINGS AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, IN DEALING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE THINK THAT WE FIND 'EM TO BE VERY, VERY AMENABLE CONSIDERING WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH AND HOW THIS, THIS KINDA WENT THROUGH WITHOUT THEIR INPUT.
SO I THINK WE'VE CAUGHT UP PRETTY QUICKLY.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, I THINK THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE NOT IN, IN THE PURVIEW OF THE HGRC THAT MIGHT COME UP.
LIKE FIRE ACCESS AND, YOU KNOW, UH, HEAD IN PARKING AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, THE THINGS THAT THE, THE PROJECT MUST BEAR AND, AND, AND GO THROUGH THE PROCESS UPSTAIRS HERE IN THE PLAN REVIEW.
BUT, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT HGRC ITEMS. SO WITH THAT, UH, I HOPE YOU CAN TAKE EACH ONE OF THESE ONE BY ONE.
UH, IF THINGS AREN'T, AREN'T, AREN'T, UH, QUITE WHAT THEY OUGHT TO BE, AND THE COMMISSION FEELS LIKE, LIKE IT CAN'T BE APPROVED, IDEALLY WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THE BUILDING ADDITION APPROVED.
SO THAT CAN GO THROUGH ITS PROCESS OF COMPLETION OF DESIGN THROUGH THE ENGINEER AND REVIEW UPSTAIRS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE CAN KIND OF TALK THROUGH IT.
WE'RE ALREADY DOING THAT WITH A SIGNAGE OF THE LANDSCAPING.
UH, SO THAT BEING SAID, UH, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU, UH, GIVE THIS YOUR, YOUR, YOUR VERY BEST CONSIDERATION.
UH, HE IS PUTTING DOLLARS, UH, UP WHERE, WHERE IT COUNTS.
AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA MAKE THE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE.
I'LL TAKE THOSE SPEAKERS, PLEASE.
UM, CHAIN HENRY IS SIGNED IN TO SPEAK.
UH, SHE'LL RECEIVE SIX MINUTES.
UH, BRADY ALEXANDER AND PRECI PSA CABRAL HAVE YIELDED TIME.
UM, FILIANA CABRAL HAS YIELDED TIME TO MS. HENRY.
AFTER MS. HENRY, WE WILL HAVE BRADY ALEXANDER, AND HE WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES.
[02:05:01]
MISSION SAN JOSE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.UM, I LIVE ABOUT A BLOCK AND A HALF FROM THIS, WELL, TWO BLOCKS FROM, FROM THIS LOCATION.
UM, UM, THE ARCHITECT WHO IS ONLY HIRED AT THE END OF MARCH BY JOEL, UM, MET WITH OUR, OUR, UH, EXECUTIVE BOARD AND, UH, THREE MEMBERS OF THE, UM, SAN ANTONIO CONSERVATION SOCIETY IN APRIL, RIGHT BEF JUST BEFORE TWO DAYS, BEFORE THE APRIL 15TH, UH, MEETING HERE.
AT THAT TIME, AT THAT MEETING, WE DISCUSSED ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
UM, HOWEVER, AT THAT TIME, HE DID NOT HAVE ANY NEW DRAWINGS, UM, READY TO BEGIN.
NUMBER ONE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS, UM, THERE HAS BEEN NO ARCHEOLOGICAL STUDY DONE ON THIS BEFORE CONSTRUCTION WAS DONE THERE.
WE HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT, UM, THE, THE OWNER WANTING TO OR INTENDING TO, UH, CONDUCT AN ARCHEOLOGICAL STUDY.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN, UM, WE, HE'S MADE NO ARRANGEMENTS FOR THAT, THAT WE KNOW OF.
UH, THE OHP ALREADY, UM, UH, IDENTIFIED TWO, UM, TWO ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES IN THIS AREA, IN THAT IMMEDIATE AREA.
AND IT'S, UM, VERY SAD THAT THEY COULD INDEED RIGHT NOW BE UNDER THE NEW CONCRETE THAT HE POURED FOR THAT 2,500 SQUARE FOOT ADDITION BEHIND, UH, THIS, THIS MAIN ENTRANCE THAT YOU SEE.
ALL OF THIS WAS DONE WITHOUT, WITHOUT PERMITS, AS YOU KNOW.
AND SADLY, THE CITY DID NOT RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH, UH, DESPITE OUR MANY, MANY, MANY WARNINGS UNTIL THE WHOLE THING WAS COMPLETED.
UM, NOW GETTING BACK TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, UH, I'M GLAD THAT AT THE DRC REVIEW, UH, WITH, WITH THE APPLICANT, UM, UH, IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT, UM, THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS BROUGHT UP THE IDEA THAT THE, THE ISSUE OF THE SMOKESTACKS, WHICH YOU SEE DO NOT APPEAR IN THAT, UH, ILLUSTRATION RIGHT THERE, BUT THEY ARE THERE AND THEY ARE VERY LARGE AND UGLY INDUSTRIAL.
UH, REALLY, UM, NOT THE KIND OF THING YOU WANT TO SEE WHEN YOU GO TO A WORLD HERITAGE SITE, MISSION SAN JOSE, UH, NATIONAL PARK.
UM, IT'S NOT PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY.
UM, HE AND I, HE WAS QUOTING FROM THE TEXAS ADMINISTRATIVE CODE ON, UH, AUTO FINISHING FACILITIES THAT I PROVIDED HIM.
UM, HE DID NOT MENTION THE ALTERNATIVE, WHICH I, UH, POINTED OUT TO HIM, WHICH IS, UM,
HE IS, I ASKED HIM, CAN, CAN THAT, WHY DON'T THEY USE THAT? HE'S NOT PRESENTED ANY ARGUMENTS WHY THE OWNER CANNOT INSTALL THAT IF IT'S COST, I'M SORRY, IF THE MATERIALS THAT ARE REQUIRED, THE QUALITY MATERIALS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO ENHANCE THE WORLD HERITAGE AND THE MISSION, UH, THE MISSION, SAN JOSE AND THE NATIONAL PARK, I'M SORRY, HE SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT BEFORE HE STARTED BUILDING ALL THIS STUFF.
IT'S NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY, IT'S HIS RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY AND MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF A, A SOW'S EAR.
AND THE ELECTRI ELECTRIFIED FENCING WAS NOT MENTIONED, AND I'M SORRY TO HEAR THAT BECAUSE THAT IS OF GRAVE CONCERN IN THIS LOCATION WHERE PEDESTRIANS WALK PAST EVERYDAY CYCLISTS.
YELLOW SIGNS MA'AM, SAYING MA'AM.
BRI ALEXANDER REPRESENTING THE HOT WELLS MISSION REACH NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
WE SUPPORT MISSION SAN JOSE AND THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND IT'S, UM, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON WITH IT.
UH, THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, ET CETERA.
UM, IF THIS WERE IN KING WILLIAM, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE.
IT WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING IF THIS WAS LOCATED A LITTLE BIT FURTHER NORTH OF TOWN, UM, WOULDN'T BE HAPPENING EITHER.
THERE ARE NO MISSIONS NORTH OF TOWN.
[02:10:01]
THE COMANCHES AND THE APACHES, UH, SAW TO THAT.UH, NOW THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS DOING MORE DAMAGE THAN THOSE INDIAN GROUPS EVER DID, TRYING TO GET RID OF THE MISSIONS.
AND IT IS REALLY SAD TO SEE THAT THE PLAN AROUND MISSION SAN JOSE IS A LIGHT INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK MODEL.
THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE FOR THE AREA.
UM, JOEL KNOWS WHERE TO PUT THE MONEY.
HE KNOWS WHERE TO MAKE THE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS TO, UH, LAME DUCK COUNCIL PEOPLE.
UM, IT'S, THIS IS SAN ANTONIO'S HISTORY, CORRUPTION, DESECRATION OF HISTORICAL FEATURES.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY SAD, BUT THIS IS AUTHENTIC AS YOU CAN GET.
AND IF Y'ALL WANNA RUBBER STAMP IT, WELL, Y'ALL ARE GOING RIGHT ALONG WITH HISTORY.
IT'S PRETTY DISGUSTING, REALLY.
UM, I'M NOT USED TO IT NOT BEING FROM HERE.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN OTHER TOWNS WHERE THEY DO CARE.
UH, THIS PROJECT HAS JUST BEEN, UH, ENDLESS PATRONIZING EUPHEMISMS CHANGES, UM, PUTTING, BASICALLY PUTTING THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, TRYING TO BUILD STUFF.
UNPERMITTED UH, THIS PROCESS SHOULD HAVE STARTED AT THIS COMMISSION BEFORE ANYTHING WAS DONE, BUT IT DIDN'T, THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO PUT THROUGH AS IS.
THIS SETS A PRECEDENT FOR WHAT IS GOING TO OCCUR.
THIS IS THE CLOSEST COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TO MISSION SAN JOSE.
AND IF THIS IS ALLOWED, GET READY, EVERYTHING ELSE IS TOO.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL START WITH QUESTIONS FROM, UM, COMMISSIONER.
SO I RESPOND TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS SO YOU GUYS HAVE CONTEXT TO HAVE YOUR DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER GROUP, COME ON UP, SIR.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO SOME OF THE ISSUES BROUGHT UP.
UH, THE, UH, ARCHEOLOGICAL, UH, SURVEY.
WE, WE, WE DON'T CONTEST THAT THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
NUMBER TWO, THE, THE, THE EXHAUST STACKS, NOT SMOKE STACKS.
UH, AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT THE EXPERTS ON THAT.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE FROM THE, THE, THE MANUFACTURER INSTALLERS, WHAT WE HAVE IS INDUSTRY STANDARD.
ANYTHING ELSE IS PROHIBITIVE FROM A COST STANDPOINT.
NOW, WE COULD TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HEY, THESE THINGS ARE UNSIGHTLY.
UH, WE DO MEET THE VIEW SHED, UH, REQUIREMENT.
IF YOU SEE 'EM FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE, YOU DON'T LIKE IT.
THE CODE DOESN'T CALL FOR THAT.
OF COURSE, YOU'RE SITTING WHERE YOU SIT.
YOU CAN EVALUATE THOSE THINGS.
UH, WE DID HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH, UH, THE CLIENT WHERE WE COULD SCREEN THESE, UH, UH, EXHAUST, I WAS GONNA SAY SMOKE STACKS, EXHAUST STACKS, BUT THAT, THAT WOULD DRAW MORE ATTENTION AND BE MORE OF A, A VISUAL HEAVY ELEMENT TO DRAW YOUR EYE TO IT.
UH, YOU, MS. HENRY POINTED OUT IN THIS VIEW HERE, YOU DON'T SEE THE SMOKE STACK.
WELL, THAT'S AN ARCHITECTURAL MODEL.
AND SO THE THE REALITY IS IF YOU'RE STANDING IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, YOU DON'T SEE IT.
UH, CAN YOU GO THROUGH SOME OF THE OTHER IMAGES? 'CAUSE WE, WE, WE ARE NOT HIDING IT.
THEY'RE THERE SOME OTHER VIEWS.
AND I THINK THE, THE STRAIGHT MODEL, UH, SEE, THERE YOU GO.
NOW YOU CAN SEE 'EM, THEY'RE THERE.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE, THERE'S SO MUCH ELSE GOING ON.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, THE GENTLEMAN'S CORRECT.
THIS IS THE CLOSEST COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TO THE MISSION.
AND I THINK WHAT NEEDS TO BE IDEALLY CONSIDERED HERE IS THAT THERE IS A LIVING NEIGHBORHOOD WITH COMMERCIAL, UH, BUSINESSES UP IN ALONG, UH, ROOSEVELT.
AND THAT HAS TO, THEY HAVE TO COEXIST.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, IT IS INDUSTRIAL.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO HIDE THAT FACT EITHER.
WE'RE TRYING TO SOFTEN IT AND REALLY MAKE IT APPROPRIATE WHERE IT, IT'S UP AGAINST THE MISSION, UH, AND LET IT BE WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE.
BY COMPARISON, I THINK WE'RE SETTING A VERY GOOD PRECEDENT FOR OTHERS DEVELOPING UP AND DOWN ROOSEVELT THAT CAN, YOU KNOW, HAVE A SOFTENED LANDSCAPE, HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE APPROPRIATE AND MORE EMPHASIS IN TERMS OF DOLLARS AND, AND, AND EFFORT ON THE SIDES THAT ARE MOST CRITICAL AND VIEWED FROM THE MISSION.
MAYBE IT'S MORE FOR STAFF, UM, AS IT IS RIGHT NOW WITH THE STIPULATIONS COMPARED TO WHAT'S PRESENTED TODAY, THAT THAT WOULD ALL COMPLY MINUS THE SIGNAGE.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, NO, NOT QUITE.
I MEAN, THERE, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING, UM, MAYBE ONE OF THESE RENDERINGS WILL SHOW IT A LITTLE BETTER.
UH, CERTAIN HEIGHTS FOR THE WALLS, THE WALLS ARE REQUESTED AT EIGHT FEET TALL.
UH, SO THERE WOULD NEED TO BE TALL.
WHICH WALLS ARE THE EIGHT FOOT? WHICH WALLS? I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT'S REQUESTING THAT ALL OF THEM BE EIGHT FEET TALL.
[02:15:01]
WE GET THAT CLARIFICATION? 'CAUSE IT'S NOT IN THE PLANS, IS IT?DO, DO YOU HAVE A ED OR DO I NEED TO PULL? THE APPLICANT WAS EIGHT, RIGHT? YES.
THAT THE APPLICANT'S REQUESTING EIGHT FEET TALL STAFF IS RECOMMENDING SIX FEET TALL TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE UDC AND THE GUIDELINES.
AND THEN ON THE SIGNAGE, ONE OF THE STIPULATIONS IS THEY HAVE TO COME BACK WITH A SINUS PACKAGE.
UH, I MEAN, CAN THEY GET, WITH OUR APPROVAL TODAY WITH THE ARTICULATIONS, CAN THEY MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR PROJECT AND GET A COA OR DO WE HAVE TO APPROVE A SIGNED PACKAGE BEFORE THEY GET THE COA? THE SIGNAGE COULD BE SEPARATE FROM THE BUILDING ELEMENTS.
STAFF IS SAYING THAT IF THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING MORE THAN 50 SQUARE FEET, OR THAT THE APPLICANT'S INSTALLING SIGNAGE, THAT A TOTAL SIGNAGE PACKAGE BE BROUGHT BACK TO THE COMMISSION.
THE APPLICANT'S NOTED THERE'S A, THERE'S AN IDEAL SITUATION WHERE THERE WOULD BE MORE THAN 50 SQUARE FEET.
UH, SO COMMISSION'S APPROVAL WOULD BE NEEDED FOR THAT.
BUT IT DOES NOT HINDER THEM TO GET A C OF A TODAY.
NO, NOT FOR THE OTHER ELEMENTS.
THE COMMISSION COULD TAKE ACTION ON ANY OF THE REQUEST ITEMS AND SEPARATE THOSE FROM OTHERS IF WANTED.
BUT WE CAN KEEP THE STIPULATION THERE.
RIGHT? 'CAUSE THE, THE STIPULATION STILL SAYS THEY HAVE TO COME BACK TO, TO THE HCRC.
I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
IT WAS A QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY, AND, AND FORGIVE ME IF THIS WAS ALREADY ANSWERED, BUT ON, ON STAFF STIPULATIONS, ARE THERE ANY OF THESE SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU TAKE EXCEPTION TO, UM, OTHER THAN THE SIGNAGE ONE, I'M, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR LARGER SIGNAGE.
WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO WORK WITH STAFF AND HAVE A SIX FOOT SIX FOOT WALL? TH THANK YOU COMMISSIONER HOLLAND.
UH, ACTUALLY WE HAD A REALLY GOOD OBSERVATION MADE AT THE DRC WHERE, UH, COMMISSIONER SAVINO SAID, UH, HEY, I, I, I'M SEEING A DROP IN THE ELEVATION.
SO IF WE WERE TO START AT THE LOW SIDE, MAKE IT EIGHT FOOT, WORK OUR WAY BACK UP TO THE BUILDING, OR COME TO SOME ALIGNMENT IN THE COURSEWORK OF THE MASONRY WHERE IT'S, IT'S NOT QUITE EIGHT FEET UP, UH, CLOSE TO THE BUILDING, WE COULD DO THAT.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE AMENABLE TO, TO THE SIX FEET.
IF, IF THAT'S WHAT THE, THE COMMISSION BELIEVES IS MOST APPROPRIATE.
WE'RE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT TALLER AND WE DISCUSS THAT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO OBSCURE ANY VISUALS OF, YOU KNOW, WRECK CARS AND WHATNOT BEHIND THAT WALL.
WE'RE TRYING TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THAT ONTO THE MISSION.
IF WE CAN GET THAT APPROVED, WE CAN MOVE, MOVE ON DOWN THE ROAD AND GET OUR WORK DONE.
IF, IF ANYTHING TALLER THAN THAT IS APPROVED BY THE COMMISSION, THE, THE, THE APPLICANT WOULD STILL NEED TO GO BEFORE THE BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT TO GET THAT OKAYED.
'CAUSE IT CAN'T BE TALLER SINCE THE COAT SAYS THAT IT HAS TO BE SIX FOOT OR, OR OR LESS.
SO THERE'S A, A WHOLE, WHOLE PROCESS WITH THAT.
SO, SO AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, SORT OF, AND I LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER SAVINA'S IDEA WHERE WE'D START ON THE LOW SIDE AND WORK OUR WAY UP AND FIND SOME ALIGNMENT THERE.
IT LIKELY WOULD STILL BE TALLER THAN SIX FOOT, UH, AT THAT LOW SIDE THOUGH.
IS THERE ANY UPDATE ON ANY ARCHEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT ANY OF THE LEVELS? LOCAL STATE STAFF DOESN'T HAVE THAT.
UH, WE HAVE A CITY ARCHEOLOGIST ON STAFF.
UM, THE APPLICANT WOULD HIRE, UH, A FIRM TO HANDLE THAT AND THEY WOULD COORDINATE THAT REVIEW WITH THE CITY ARCHEOLOGIST.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CHARLIE.
SO, NO, NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS.
UM, QUESTION FOR THE APPLICANT? YES.
AT THE DRC, WE DID DISCUSS THE, UH, EXHAUST STACKS REQUIRED FOR THE OPERATIONS.
AND, UM, KNOWING THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES OUT THERE, UM, DIRECT AND LOCALIZED VENTINGS AND WHERE YOU PLACE THEM, UM, AND ALSO THE FACT THAT MECHANICAL SERVICES ANDS ON ROOFTOPS ARE IN THE GUIDELINES ARE PART OF OUR PURVIEW.
AND I'M SURE IF WE HAD SEEN THIS CASE BEFORE THEY WERE INSTALLED, WE WOULD HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY AND SOME COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS.
SO WITH THAT MIND, HAVE YOU DISCUSSED AT LENGTH ALTERNATIVE VENTING SYSTEMS WITH YOUR CLIENT? UH, WE, WE AT GG ARE NOT THERMAL DYNAMIC.
UH, ENGINEERS COULDN'T BEGIN TO TELL YOU WHAT, WHAT'S REQUIRED.
WE HAVE, UH, ENGAGED IN, IN, IN HEALTHY DISCUSSION WITH JOEL, AND HE'S
[02:20:01]
BROUGHT IN, IN FACT, I CAN SEND, UH, I CAN FORWARD YOU AN EMAIL RIGHT NOW FROM, FROM THE, WOULD YOU MANUFACTURER.SO IT, IT, WHAT WHAT WE'RE HEARING, UH, FROM HIS EXPERT IS THIS COMPLIES 100% WITH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS.
UH, AND IT, IT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
IT'S, IT'S THERE, IT COMPLIES WITH TCEQ FOR THEIR MINIMUM STANDARDS OF OPERATION FOR THAT, UH, CLASSIFICATION.
UM, BUT ALSO WHEN YOU GO TO A VENDOR, UH, YOU'RE GETTING THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON THEIR PRODUCT.
HAVE Y'ALL, HAVE YOU CONSIDERED, UM, CONSULTING WITH A MECHANICAL SPECIALIST? UH, A MECHANICAL ENGINEER WHO SPECIALIZES A SIT DOWN? THIS IS, UH, MORE SPECIALIZED THAN MOST MEP ENGINEERS WOULD HAVE ANY CLUE.
UH, AND THEREFORE IT'S A SPECIALTY AND, AND IT HAS TO BE INSTALLED BY LICENSED PEOPLE, OF COURSE, AND DESIGNED BY LICENSED PEOPLE, OF COURSE.
UH, SO WE, WE HAVEN'T TAKEN THE DISCUSSION FURTHER MM-HMM
BECAUSE JOEL, UH, FEELS THAT, THAT HE'S EXPENDED THE, THE TIME, THE MONEY AND SO FORTH TO COMPLY WITH TCEQ.
NOW, I, I I, IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE, UH, COMMISSION FEELS IS ADVERSE TO, I, I SUPPOSE YOU, YOU CAN HAVE A, A STIPULATION TO REVISIT THAT OR LOOK AT THAT.
BUT, BUT I, I, I FEEL HE'S FIRM IN HIS, IN HIS STATEMENT THAT THIS IS INDUSTRY STANDARD.
IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT OF MONEY.
AND IF YOU GO DOWN THE STREET AS, AS I BELIEVE THE NEIGHBOR ASSOCIATION HAS, IF I MAY COMPLETE MY THOUGHT, UH, OLDER, UH, AND NOT THAT MUCH OLDER, BUT OLDER, UH, SIMILAR USES UP AND DOWN.
UH, MILITARY DON'T HAVE WHAT THIS IS.
THIS IS THE LATEST AND GREATEST.
COMMISSIONER MAYMAN? NO QUESTION.
CHAIR COMMISSIONER VELAZQUEZ? UH, NO COMMENT MR. CHAIR, BUT I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS FOR STAFF OR FOR THE APPLICANT.
THE DRAWINGS, UH, THAT SHOW THE, THE FENCE, THE BLOCK FENCE AND THE, UH, DUMPSTER ENCLOSURE ON SHEET 23 LISTS THE HEIGHT OF THOSE WALLS AS SIX FEET.
UH, THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION OR REQUESTS FOR EIGHT FOOT.
UH, IS THAT JUST A VERBAL REQUEST OR HAS THAT ACTUALLY BEEN PUT INTO THE APPLICATION? I'LL LET THE APPLICANT CLARIFY.
UH, WE'VE BEEN, IT'S BEEN NOTED MULTIPLE TIMES THAT, THAT THE PREFERRED HEIGHT IS EIGHT FEET.
BUT I'LL, I'LL LET JAVIER CLARIFY.
I, I, I BELIEVE, AND WE CAN LOOK RIGHT NOW, I THINK THE APPLICATION REQUEST IS FOR EIGHT FOOT, AND THEN THERE'S A STIPULATION FROM STAFF SAYING SIX IS WHAT WE SUPPORT.
AND THEN YOU HAD SAID THAT THE, UH, THE OWNER WAS OFFERING SOME ADDITIONAL SOLID FENCING, UH, BLOCK FENCING AROUND THE PROPERTY.
COULD YOU, COULD WE LOOK AT A SITE PLAN AND, UH, IDENTIFY EXACTLY THE, THE LENGTH OF THAT BLOCK WALL THAT HE'S PROPOSING? SURE, SURE, SURE.
CAN, CAN YOU GO TO THE COLORED SITE PLAN? YEAH, THERE YOU GO.
UH, SO I, I BELIEVE IF YOU ZOOM IN, PUSH THIS, UH, THE RED.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN SEE THE, THE, THE CURSOR HERE.
THIS IS MASONRY, MASONRY ROD, IRON GATE MASONRY.
AND THEN WE PICK UP AGAIN WITH A LITTLE BIT OF MASONRY HERE.
AND ALL THE WAY DOWN HERE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RENDERINGS, WE COME OUT TO ABOUT, IN LINE WITH THIS BUILDING WHERE ALL THEIR MECHANICAL, UH, PARDON ME, ELECTRICAL SERVICE COMES INTO THE BUILDING, NOT VERY, UH, NICE TO LOOK AT.
SO WE'VE GOT A TALL MASONRY WALL THERE.
AND THEN FROM THAT POINT FORWARD, WE HAVE A LOW FOUR FOOT WALL.
UM, AND TO FOLLOW ON, UH, QUESTION BY COMMISSIONER SAVINO, UM, AND THIS MAY BE BE, BE, BE BEATING A DEAD HORSE, BUT, UH, YES.
ONE MANUFACTURER OF AN EXHAUST SYSTEM HAS THEIR DESIGN AND THE ONE THAT IT HAS BEEN INSTALLED HAS THESE, UH, STACKS, UH, ARE THERE OTHER MANUFACTURERS FOR OTHER TYPES OF SYSTEMS THAT WOULD HAVE WALL EXHAUST OR LOWER PROFILE THAT WOULD STILL MEET TCEQ UH, REQUIREMENTS? I, I, I, I WOULD IMAGINE THERE, THERE COULD BE, BUT I COULDN'T SPEAK TO THAT WITH ANY AUTHORITY OR ANY EXPERIENCE.
COMMISSIONER QUE I'LL TAKE YOUR MOTION, SIR.
MR. CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, AND LET ME TRY TO WORK MY WAY THROUGH THIS.
A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH STAFF STIPULATIONS.
[02:25:01]
IT PLEASES THE COMMISSION, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY SIX FEET FROM THE MOST SHALLOW WITH RESPECT TO THE HEIGHT OF THE WALL, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT THE WALL COULD GET BIGGER PROVIDED THAT THE TOPO CHANGED.IF IT'S NOT THE, THE, THE PLEASURE OF THE COMMISSION HERE, THEN I'D LIKE TO CHANGE THAT ON THE, ON THE MOTION AND, AND JUST SAY SIX FEET A MAXIMUM.
DO I GET A FEELING FROM ANYBODY HERE? SO, UM, COMMISSIONER LAST 'CAUSE YES, SIR.
I'M GONNA ASK YOU TO JUST MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT CLEAR.
IS THIS NOT, WELL, IT WOULD BE ALL WITH STAFF STIPULATIONS.
RIGHT? BUT WHAT I WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR IS THAT THIS IS YOUR MOTION.
SO I IT IS NOT, IT'S, YOU KNOW, PLEASE SAY, WHAT IS YOUR MOTION, SIR? SO WE, ALL RIGHT.
WELL, LET ME JUST, LET ME JUST MAKE MY GAMBLE HERE.
UH, STAFF STIPULATIONS WILL NOT TO EXCEED SIX FEET IN HEIGHT, UH, REMOVING THE, UH, STAFF STIPULATIONS, INCLUDING THAT THE SIGN IS GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND, AND BE COMPLIANT.
AND, UM, I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THE MOTION THAT THE, UH, APPLICANT PURSUE, UM, FURTHER EXPLORATION ON, UH, SOLUTIONS FOR THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.
UM, SO BEFORE WE GO ON, UM, FOR LEGAL, IS THAT, IS THAT CLEAR ENOUGH? IT IS.
I JUST WANNA SAY SOMETHING ABOUT S THE SMOKE STACKS, I MEAN THE EXHAUST THINGS, UH, BE BECAUSE IT BRINGS TO MIND, UH, I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DOWNTOWN FIESTA AT THAT BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF THE NEW BUILDING.
AND, UH, FROM THE HIGHWAY, FROM THE STREET, I JUST CAN'T HELP BUT SEEING ALL THE MECHANICAL THAT'S ON TOP OF THAT BUILDING THAT I JUST BREAKS MY HEART.
BUT I, I DO WANNA SAY THAT, THAT, THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THE EXHAUST PIPES OF THIS BUILDING THAT PROVIDE A STATEMENT OF HONESTY.
AND, AND THERE'S SOMETHING LOST IN, IN ARCHITECTURE WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS THIS LIE, UH, UH, OR, OR IT'S A TRUE STATEMENT.
AND THIS, THE, THE EXHAUST FENCE, THEY, THEY GIVE THIS NONDESCRIPT BUILDING THIS, THIS KIND OF A REAL LOW PITCH BUILDING AN IDENTITY LIKE, LIKE A MUSTACHE OR LIKE, OR LIKE EARRINGS, HOWEVER YOU WANNA LOOK AT IT.
IT, IT, IT ADDS TO THE AESTHETIC.
SO I, I, I CAN APPRECIATE, UH, THE, THE, UH, UH, DESIRE TO, TO, UH, DEFINE IT IN THE CATEGORY OF WHAT IS UGLY IN THE WORLD, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S UGLY.
I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY VERY BEAUTIFUL IF THEY'RE DONE RIGHT IN, IN, IN THE COMPOSITION OF THAT, OF THAT BUILDING AND, AND IT'S ABILITY TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT IT DOES.
THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT IF YOU START THERE AND YOU MOVE SOUTH ON MILITARY DRIVE, WHICH IS THE BLOCK THAT THIS BUILDING BELONGS TO, IT'S ALL WITHIN THE CHARACTER OF WHAT IT IS GOING SOUTH.
AND YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO FURTHER SOUTH, YOU GET INTO THE JUNKYARDS AND YOU GET INTO FLEA MARKETS AND ALL THESE THINGS THAT OTHER SIDES OF TOWN ARE REALLY ASHAMED OF.
BUT WE ON THE SOUTH SIDE THAT THAT'S HOME TO US.
AND, UH, THIS IS IN CHARACTER WITH IT, PARTICULARLY THE STRENGTH OF THE SMALL BUSINESS AND THE ABILITY FOR THIS AREA TO CONTINUE TO DRAW REVENUE FOR THE AREA.
UM, UH, I WOULD JUST ASK THAT THE, THE APPLICANT THAT YOU'RE REALLY MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY.
IF YOU DON'T FIND A WAY TO GET A STONE THAT IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT MISSION, YOU'RE REALLY MISSING A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
UH, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT AS WELL.
SO I JUST, I'M GONNA PROVE I'M GONNA, I MEAN, UH, SUPPORT THE MOTION AT SIX FEET.
COMMISSIONER VELASQUEZ, THERE MIGHT BE SOME OPTIONS FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I THINK EVERYWHERE IT SAYS SIX A DOORWAYS, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE OVER SIX.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE SEE ON THE DRAWING.
SO LET'S KEEP IT AT SIX AND THEN THE APPLICANT CAN ALWAYS COME BACK WITH, YOU KNOW, A VARIATION OR SOMETHING.
BUT I THINK SIX IS ALSO WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS APPROVED.
UM, REGARDING THE SMOKE STACK.
I ALSO WANNA REC, YOU KNOW, ASK OUR COMMISSIONERS THAT THERE'S A CERTAIN PURVIEW AND WE CANNOT REQUIRE THEM TO GO TO OTHER EXPERTS.
AND WE ARE NOT EXPERTS IN THAT AREA.
I THINK VISUAL AND WHAT THE GUIDELINES IS, IS WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH IT.
AND I THINK COMMISSIONER VELASQUEZ, YOU'RE ASKING THE APPLICANT, YOU KNOW, MINIMIZE THE VISUAL IMPACT.
I THINK ON THE SIGNAGE, I WOULD NOT BE AGAINST SEEING 50 SQUARE FOOT ON THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING AND A SMALL PALEN GIVEN THE LOCATION OF THE BUILDING AND WHAT'S IN, IN THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
BUT THEN I'LL LET THE APPLICANT COME BACK WITH A SPECIFIC SIGNAGE PACKAGE.
[02:30:01]
NO COMMENTS FROM ME.COMMISSIONER MAMAN? NO COMMENT.
COULD I, UM, I'M SORRY I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR.
COMMISSIONER VELAZQUEZ, YOU MENTIONED SIGNAGE IN YOUR MOTION.
COULD YOU JUST CLARIFY WHAT WAS THAT WITH STAFF STIPULATION FOR SIGNAGE WITH STAFF STIPULATIONS? WOULD THEY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WERE GONNA COME BACK? OKAY.
MAY I HAVE A ROLL CALL PLEASE, MA'AM? AYE.
UM, THAT WAS THE LAST CASE ON THE AGENDA.
UM, TIME IS NOW 5 33 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.