Minutes ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Rosewood Neighborhood Contact Team Meeting January 18, 2007, 6:15 p.m. Conley-Guerrero Senior Activity Center Present ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian Bouillion, Ryah Christensen, Jarett Cole, Mahala Guevara, Mocha Jean Herrup, Willis Hunt, Sun McColgin, Dusty McCormick, Jane Rivera, J.R. Prestidge, Gilbert Rivera, Emma Roy, Scott Lyles, and representing the Hargrave Development: Jason Reese, Dimitri Koutsos, Dan Heil, Chien Lee, and Alice Glasgo Old Business ---------------------------------------------------------------------- December Minutes approved with the following language adjustment regarding Chair's Report item 4 (12th Street Rezoning) of last month's minutes: A petition is being circulated related to the compatibility and setback requirements proposed of the Neighborhood Conservation Combining District (NCCD) which was written to mirror provisions in the Community Development Plan (CRP) that has already been approved by City Council. Currently a person may not construct a structure 15 feet or less from a residential property. The setback increases up to 25 feet for a property that is 100 feet wide. The height cannot exceed 30 feet for the portion of the structure 50 feet or less from the property and cannot exceed 40 feet for the portion that is 50-100 feet from the property. The Council approved community plan (CRP) and the proposed zoning amendment (NCCD) specifies a 10 feet setback in Sub-districts 1&2 and a 5 feet setback in sub-district 3. The respective allowable heights are 60 feet, 50 feet, and 35 feet. The community plan entitles a structure to be built to its allowable height at the setback line. Chair's Report ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Jane requested a volunteer to list the Rosewood members who do not have e-mail and notify them of upcoming meetings. Sun volunteered. B. Downs Field Update Phase 1 completed (parking improvements, tree plantings, boulders, edging posts, etc), leaving $6,000 for some type of Art/ Historical marker on the site. Gilbert and Ryah are researching various ways to increase those funds and enlist city support. They will report their findings next month. Ultimately we hope to obtain an art piece of significance (statue of Willie Wells perhaps? C. Election of Officers 1. The only nominees who accepted nomination were the existing officers: Jane Rivera - chair, Dusty McCormick - vice chair, and Ryah Christensen - secretary. Motion passed, all in favor, to reelect these officers for a second term. 2. Special thanks to Michael Emery for all his hard work on the web site. New Business ---------------------------------------------------------------------- A. Planning and Zoning Committee to meet next month to look at mixed use properties in our plan and identify which ones would be in our best interest to "opt in or out" of the VMU ordinance. Also, we could consider an NCCD along 12th Street from Hargrave to Airport. This will be a major topic at the February meeting. B. Hargrave developers and longtime Austinites Jason Reese, Chien Lee, and Dan Heil, with their representative, former City of Austin planner and director of Neighborhood Planning and Zoning, Alice Glasgow, represented their plans to develop the property at 12th and Hargrave streets. Their ultimate plan is to develop the entire corner, including the land that Austin Sausage Co. and four small residential plots on 12th, into a high density mixed use development supporting 153,327 sf of residential, and 32,749 sf of commercial space. Phase 1 of this plan is the purchase and development of the property that is the tire shop at 12th and Hargrave, the four residential lots on Hargrave (only two have houses on them), and that land running behind those properties. Currently this property sits on both residential and Mixed Used zoning. They asked for our support to change zoning on the part of the property that faces Bedford street from SF-3 to SF-6 to allow the construction of condominiums/town homes, and to change the SF-3 zoning that faces Hargrave to CSMU-NP in order to merge that property with the rest of the site that is currently mixed use. Neighborhood concerns and developer response: 1. Homewood Heights residents do not want the site to look like or operate as a gated community; rather, they want residential units to face the surrounding neighborhood. However, they also do not want Sol Wilson to continue into the development--it currently dead ends--nor do they desire McClain street to be built. Ideally, foot traffic flows easily between neighborhoods but not vehicular traffic. 1a. We will not build Sol Wilson through, nor construct McClain Street. We would like to offer our residents privacy and safety, so there will be fences around the townhomes, but we will not gate the community, as we desire this location to be a destination, with easy access to retail, not a compound. 2. If you do not acquire the sausage factory, what happens to the plan? Does it limit affordable housing? 2a. It stays limited to Phase 1--a smaller version of the ultimate plan. No matter how big the development is, we commit to 10% affordable housing, defined as 80% MFI by SmartGrowth standards ($120,000-125,000). By building according to SmartGrowth guidelines, eligible residents may receive $10,000 grants for downpayments on housing. 3. Is it possible to build any units for those making less than 80% MFI, since you will be removing rental housing in that category? 3a. No. Any lower than 80% requires the city to step in and make up the difference. In order to build lower than 80% we would have to build fewer affordable units, then we would lose our SmartGrowth standing. However, we will try and relocate any residents displaced by our development. 4. How many bedrooms are in your affordable units? 4a. All of the affordable units are one bedroom. Note: neighborhood is not OK with this. We think that they will have difficulty finding people who qualify for those units, seeing as no families will move into one-bedroom units, and childless couples who qualify for 80% MFI housing will have to be making less than $30,000/year. 5. In your report you mentioned environmental concerns--this site was next to the old city incinerator. What did your testing reveal about the environmental dangers of this site? 5a. Testing showed high, but tolerable limits of hazardous metals. We will dispose of them properly. 6. What will you do if Zach, the owner of the 12th and Hargrave Quick Stop, does not sell to you? 6a. We will incorporate him into our project while building around him. Note: more about the initial discussion/response concerning this property was sent out in e-mail last week. Motion to support their request for zoning change from SF-3 to CSMU-NP passed 4 in favor, 1 against, and 3 abstentions. (Actual count was 8 in favor, but 4 of those people voting from Homewood Heights were not eligible to vote yet in the Rosewood group). *Meeting adjourned*