Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, August 30, 2011 (Agenda)
Item 26
>> now, there's another item that we need to try to get!
before noon, 26, consider and take appropriate action on a request for variance, city of Austin slack Travis County for the Austin 71 preliminary plan.
and Commissioner Huber needs another week?
>> yes.
>> since residents are here, maybe we can lay it out and hear from them.
miss bolin.
>> this preliminary plan is in Austin's e.t.j.
and what is on the agenda today is a variance to allow for a public street section or a proposed public street as opposed to a private street in the upcoming prelim and subdivision.
the reason why staff supports this variance is because of the topography in -- on this tract and the fact that surrounding this tract is preserve land so this isn't something that we would want to have connectivity through.
to essentially when the prelim comes, you know, you will see that there's a cul-de-sac that's coming off of 71, and we feel it would be more appropriate, we agree it would be more appropriate to be a private street as opposed to a public one.
so that's the nature of the variance.
the preliminary plan is not on the agenda today.
it would be coming forward in the future, but the first step is the variance.
>> okay, so they are asking that a private street come off of highway 71?
>> yes, sir, they are asking that the street inside their subdivision would be a private street as opposed to a public street, and our regulations require when we do a private street that it's a variance that we take to Commissioners court or zoning and platting board, depending on where it is in the county.
>> if we didn't do the variance for the private street, what would be the alternative?
>> well, they would need to do most likely a public street, which considering -- you know, from a staff standpoint, since this street would only be serving their subdivision, if it's, you know, in with the topography, I don't -- you know, I don't think that's something that we would necessarily prefer.
>> have the -- the -- we've had some conversations about this and I've not had -- the reason I'm asking for another week is I've not had the opportunity to get with the developer and I would like to do that.
>> okay.
>> unless there is some kind of real time constraint in the next week.
>> not that I'm aware of.
I'd ask the representatives for the developer.
>> my name is michelle lynch and jerry -- we would be happy to speak with you.
we called your office.
>> my apologize I haven't the opportunity.
>> it's a very small development.
>> I will go ahead and lay out my problems here and I'm not sure exactly how it fits into the relationship with approval for this variance or whatever.
this is an extremely dangerous stretch of highway 71.
and the improvements that are being done there given the location of the-what would be the main access and then the gated access both, I do not believe will be adequately addressed -- will adequately address safety issues as it relates to the volume of traffic generated even in this small subdivision.
if you use a multiply irrelevant of nine times 15 15 homes, I don't even know what traffic you are talking about generating in the commercial area, in the multi-family, the numbers of those.
you are small enough that you really haven't been required to do a t.i.a., but we've had problems before on 71 in coordinating with txdot and their approvals and access in situations like this.
so I just want some more time to talk with you folks about that and to talk with txdot about that because I cannot -- I travel this every single day and I'm totally familiar with the traffic patterns out there and I know a lot of the -- the guidelines that we make these decisions by and our jurisdictional bodies don't always take into account certain behavioral driving patterns.
so that's where my concerns are coming from.
I applaud an effort for growth, it stimulates our economy, I know you have a project that you are excited about, but I don't think we've crossed all the is and dotted all the ts on the 71 safety issue.
that's what I would like to talk with you about.
>> we'll coordinate with your office and we do have some information to present on that.
>> thank you all for coming.
sorry to take so long.
I wasn't sure what item you were here on.
see you soon.
should we have it back on next week or pull it and let you let me know when?
>> we can put it on next week.
I'll try my best to make our calendars work.
>> thank you all again.
should probably notify the members of the parking committee that we'll call that parking item up at about 1:40 this afternoon.
and do we have a three or four-minute item?
what item are you all here on?
>> 25.
>> that will take a whole lot longer.
move we recess until 1:30.
>> second.
>> all in favor?
that carries unanimously.
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