Travis County Commissioners Court
February 28, 2012 (Agenda)
Item 17
And do we have everybody here on item number 17?
17 is receive briefing by city of Austin on progress of the upper airport boulevard initiative.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, roger he will curry.
I asked the city of Austin project manager more say to come and give you presentation.
jorge and allen are project managers on this important project and they did lot of good work with the neighborhood and with the -- with with the business and
>> [indiscernible] and then our purpose -- sorry, come and give you presentation at Commissioners court.
>> before you get started, number one I would like to thank the city for being involved with this particular issue.
and, of course, years ago we looked at devising a master plan.
during that time judge Biscoe and I along with the neighborhood and staff met many times with with the neighborhood up there to look out we can integrate things into that north campus.
so, again, that is a part of this process and so I just want to remind the folks out there that that's listening to this particular presentation to let them know that early on we involved a lot of folks within this process as far as Travis County is concerned.
so I'm just applauding you for being here today and at least bringing us up to date on a few things.
and, of course, I'm willing to hear what you have to say, so -- but thank you.
>> thank you, Commissioner.
roger, thank you for the introduction.
your honor, Commissioners, my name is more way
>> [inaudible] with with the city of Austin plan and development review doesn't.
as roger expressed earlier I'm a co-project manage other the upper boulevard code initiative along with mr. Alan
>> [inaudible] and I'll be here this morning but he was instrumental leading us through the effort that involved heavy input from the surrounding neighborhoods and the communities of airport boulevard.
he sends his regards.
obviously he will be here next time to join us.
but I want to take you through a presentation on the screen with an overview of the initiative up to date and to guide you through the next steps of what we're going to do on this initiative.
when we started looking at where airport boulevard used to be about 60 years ago, airport boulevard was out in the middle of nowhere.
it was out in a very powerful suburb of Austin.
and when you look about eight miles high and you look at what imagine Austin is starting to come up with in terms of the growth sectors, airport boulevard is right in the middle of the action.
it is right between some of the most advanced and major growth sectors that imagine Austin is starting to identify.
and Austin is obviously projected to double in population in the next 30 years, and we've come to the realization that there's going to be a need to house a lot more individuals and families in the central core of Austin.
so if we start to zoom in to airport boulevard and start looking at what the initiative is starting to encompass, we start to ask where is upper airport boulevard.
and if you look at the slide on the screen, the north terminus point is from lamar boulevard as you come south through airport past the highland mall, acc property, the Travis County and north campus, and the terminus point of this study is at interstate 35.
and it follows parallel to the capital metro red line that is currently in operation.
so this initiative is going to address public improvements as well as private development and we're looking specifically as to recommendations how to improve and we imagine the boulevard as a true boulevard as it used to be at one point in time.
and also look at the properties adjacent to the boulevard, not only the businesses and the iconic businesses located in the boulevard, but the relationship of the existing neighborhoods surrounding airport boulevard.
how was the airport boulevard initiative started?
how was it begun?
in 2010 the city council started to see some of the changes that were occurring along airport boulevard and recognized the synergy of the reinvention of highland mall and the changes that were occurring with the property itself and with the interest of the Austin community college to revitalize some of those properties.
Travis County has initiated their master plan to reinvent, reimagine some of those spaces at the site.
and the activities of the red line.
so why the attention on airport boulevard?
big changes are underway already.
the metro rail is already operational.
there's quite a substantial amount of individuals that use the metro rail on a daily basis.
highland mall is already under new ownership and there's a diversification of activities going on at the highland mall site.
with acc already commencing some of their transformative changes to the mall itself and the anchor stores transferred to administrative and classes and that will be happening through the next few years.
there's also the second phase of the midtown commons at crestview station at the north terminus point of the study area, and Travis County, again, has already initiated their master plan for their north campus that will help to synergize itself as an employment center for the area.
so it's clear that airport is already going through some transformative changes and what we want to do is take advantage of those changes and ride the enthusiasm that there is on airport boulevard to really look at what this initiative can do.
so what is the initiative?
the initiative is trying to answer some basic questions.
what kind of redevelopment do we want to see in the future?
keep in mind that redevelopment looks at 25 years and beyond.
it's not something that will transform the boulevard from one week to another or one year to another.
it will be to respond to market conditions to incentive I've redevelopment.
how might the boulevard and the initiative be more attractive and walk active.
we heard from many of your constituents that live in the area that they want a walkable, vibrant airport boulevard.
right now it's very auto dependent, hardly anybody walks the boulevard.
there's missing sidewalks, not very good infrastructure in the area and that's something this initiative is frying to look at.
more transportation options and amenities for all users of airport boulevard, not just the people that live but the people who use airport boulevard to work, play and entertain themselves on airport boulevard.
it was important for us to look at this realistically.
how can airport boulevard be a good neighbor?
we heard a lot of comments from constituency, we want airport boulevard to be a true boulevard from the city of Austin and a destination place so everyone can enjoy airport boulevard.
>> when I hear you say boulevard, I should think of what kind of road?
>> you would probably see two roads.
>> okay.
>> two directions, north and south with two lanes.
and a median in the middle with landscapingen amenities for pedestrians.
and you would have a diversification of transportation choices for the pedestrian, for bicycle, for vehicles, and still have to function as a roadway.
you still have to get cars through boulevard, through the boulevard itself, but offering a wider range of transportation choices for users.
>> okay.
thank you.
>> so how is the vision going to be realized?
we started to work with our consultants in developing illustrious visions and these are just tools to understand the tools for the private and public involvement.
corridor.
this is not a site plan, this is not a detailed analysis of the properties, but it's more of a compass.
if you think of it in terms of where it is we're trying to go, it's an illustrative of what we want to do.
this is back in October of 2011 where we held our workshops and design intensive workshop and this is the concept we came up with.
that was then and this is now.
you'll notice that the boundary has been pulled back as we need to do have a broader understanding of the entire area in context.
and one of the key things about the success of this initiative is that it is context specific and it's geared and designed towards the actual conditions on the ground and how the neighborhoods interact with with the initiative itself.
so what we want to do is start creating now a character map that starts to specifically address some of these different character districts.
this is something very different than what our current land development code addresses.
our land development code addresses zoning districts, which is just a hierarchy of land uses that are categorized by the intensity and it doesn't really give you a snap shop of what the community wants.
it's a whole listing of things we don't want instead of what we want.
so this initiative is trying to change that.
and the tool that we're trying to use the the form based code.
and the form based code takes a foothold on characteristics specific to area we're studying.
when we with zoom in closer we see Travis County is identified as a civic campus in this initiative.
and of great interest to you would be what a civic campus.
the intention of this vision for Travis County is to create the employment center in conjunction with the Travis County north campus activities and master plan that you are doing.
we are not here to redesign your master plan.
we're here to work in conjunction with the efforts that you've already started developing so that those could be integrated into the vision and maximize the potential to create a regional destination along with with some of the visioning we're trying to look at for middle fiskville road and 53rd street.
how is this vision going to be realized?
we're going to start to direct and make recommendations for public investments into the right-of-way.
and also to use the form based code tools as a new regulatory tool that will help us to achieve that greater certainty of physical design in the corridor itself rather than just depending on uses alone.
there will be some regulation of land uses but that will be at a lesser degree.
the upper boulevard initiative is trying to accomplish a lot of things but there are some things I want to be clear on for the court and the public.
things that the initiative is not trying to do.
the initiative does not take private property by any shape, means or form by eminent domain or any other --
>> repeat that very loudly so folks can hear that again.
>> yes, thank you, Commissioner Davis.
I appreciate that.
the airport boulevard initiative does not take private property by eminent domain or any other shape or form.
it does not increase the airport boulevard right-of-way.
all the improvements we're proposing will happen within the right-of-way itself.
no private property will be taken or removed from any private property owner.
it does not displace homeowners.
it does not encourage demolition of residential properties.
as a matter of fact, it looks to preserve the residential character of those cherished neighborhoods that are established on both sides of airport boulevard.
as we know that would be the true jewel that will help revitalize airport boulevard.
it does not rezone residential properties to commercial.
there is no objective or vision in our plan to change residential properties to commercial activity.
and it does not increase traffic in the neighborhoods.
as a matter of fact, it gives more transportation options to diversify and hopefully lessen the traffic impact this these neighborhoods.
so we just wanted to be clear up front that this initiative is doing a lot of great things, but be clear on the things that we're not trying to do.
>> is it realistic to reduce the traffic?
I mean we know that -- we may have -- at least at the upper limit of density but not necessarily in the airport boulevard area.
it's still growing.
>> that's correct.
>> so I'm worried about managing expectations that the upper airport master plan will reduce traffic.
>> well, it will give transportation options in terms of traffic circulation.
so the expectation is that it will redirect traffic.
>> it will manage it better.
>> it will manage it better.
>> that is absolutely -- I'm gratified at the idea of having multimodal appearances.
just gave me pause to -- options.
gave me pause there was a possibility of reducing the overall through-put.
I thought that might be just from an expectation management idea that that might be a stretch.
>> and I appreciate the comments, Commissioner Eckhardt, because the capacity of airport boulevard needs to be maintained.
as a matter of fact, the traffic volumes that our traffic engineers are studying with with the vision they will still be maintained at current operational levels and will be diversified by the other transportation choices that then hopefully that will help mitigate some of the impact and be better managed in terms of the traffic flow and the access to airport boulevard.
>> I'm very excited about that.
>> thank you.
>> on that last bullet you really mean it does not increase vehicular traffic.
>> it doesn't seek to increase vehicular traffic in the neighborhood so it would help diversify and give other choices so traffic can flow at different directions and points but not target the traffic into the neighborhood.
so in other words, whatever is happening on airport boulevard we're not going to start overflowing into the adjacent neighborhoods in terms of the activity and the revitalization of airport boulevard.
we don't seek to park the cars all on the interior.
there may be some parking thanks we look into, but the intent is not to burden the adjacent neighborhoods with heavy traffic because of their revitalization that occurring on airport.
>> thank you.
>> so when we look at the phasing and the time line, we are actually between the orange and the gray square where we have concluded our design and planning phase and we're good b.
to start the coding portion of this initiative.
now, it's important to walk through the process to date starting from 2010 when the council directed us to initiate the airport boulevard plan.
there was an intensive analysis and stakeholder input that occurred mid summer of last year and a community workshop in September with a design intensive workshop that occurred.
also on October there was a public forum that rolled out the initial vision and mobility refinements occurred in November and that brings us up to where we are today, refining and reshaping that vision to that it sets the stage for a code framework that will then set the precedent for the actual code itself that council will consider as part of an ordinance.
sometime potentially late fall, towards the end of the year.
there will be an opportunity for to us come back to court and give you a full briefing on those actual details and nuances as to what the ordinance entails.
in terms of the time line for this particular phase, we are at this portion in February and March where we're reaching out to the neighborhoods.
we've having a series of multiple neighborhood round tables.
these are intimate, closed discussions with neighborhood groups, business owners, stakeholders of airport boulevard, constituents.
we also have meetings up coming with highland mall and the Austin community college to specifically address and specifically understand their needs and how this initiative and in turn be an official to their future considerations for entitlement and plans into the future.
so as you can see, we'll be having a series of neighborhood round tables through April and we'll conclude with a public forum in terms of -- think of it in terms of an open house where the community at large to come back and review what we've done to date and bring them closer to where we are in terms of a framework for the code itself.
then we will go back to the boards and commissions for a mid point check-in that will specially what we're looking for is a green light to proceed with the initiation of writing the code itself with a council briefing and we will offer to return to you in July after the city council briefing to give you a full briefing as the council has received on the entire effort that we're doing with the airport boulevard division.
>> > unfortunately she was not able to be here so she's watching it on television so watch what you say.
>> she has been very instrumental.
>> she has along with with the whole area.
go ahead, I didn't mean to cut you off.
>> thank you.
hi, martha.
how can your constituents get involved?
talk to us.
we do have a welcome back sight your constituents can sign up to receive direct input in terms of meeting notices, upcoming meetings we'll be doing with the community.
you can contact either of the co-project managers, myself or mr. Alan holtz.
we'll be more than happy to reach out to your constituents to give either a detailed presentation or some of the presentations that we've been giving out at the neighborhood round tables so that they would be able to be informed about this initiative.
the project team consults of gateway planning group let my scott and jane and joe willhite who is our transportation consultant on this initiative.
this concludes my presentation in terms of a broad overview to the court and what we are doing on airport boulevard and I'll be happy to take any additional questions if we have any.
thank you.
>> questions?
so at some point I guess we'll have to address the issue of funding to implement the recommended changes and achieve the vision.
>> correct.
>> what's the -- what's the thinking regarding resources?
>> when we look at the funding for the infrastructure projects, we're going to essentially start to redo, redesign at some point various phasesser the transportation coming out of the mobility study.
there's two studies.
the mobility study is look at the entire corridor from lamar all the way through 183.
and inspections and the mobility portion that's looking at this upper airport boulevard is looking at it from lamar to 35.
the same boundary that we have for the upper airport boulevard.
so in terms of funding, we're looking at various funding sources that could play into assisting to implement --
>> [one moment, please, for change in captioners] area is rezoned through the code so those entitlements that you need at this time and for the future would be considered.
as parts of this initiative, so that -- so that you will take advantage of those items later on in the future as you continue to expand or have a need to expand your operations
>> [indiscernible] Travis County.
>> so none of our plans has any -- any inconsistency with what you have in mind as the vision for airport boulevard.
>> no, it doesn't.
as a matter of fact it dove tails right into that.
what we are looking to is to build upon that, not only look at what your needs are today, but start to think about what your needs could be in the future.
say, for example, in the county needed to grow beyond the projected 1,000 employees that you are looking at for -- for Travis County north campus.
should you have the need to grow to 2,000, for example.
would you have the capacity in the -- and the vision to accomplish that.
and so we're not saying that you need that at this time.
but trying to be visionaries for the future and saying can we set the entitlements in place so that those can be tweaked later on.
should you need to have further expansion.
at your north Travis County campus.
>> okay.
thanks.
>> judge, and roger -- roger can speak for himself, but he's been basically diligently anticipating I guess -- all of the lead-ins along with my staff, my office staff, also, been meeting during the time that they have been presenting a lot of things to the community.
so roger is -- is up to speed.
on -- on the latest and the greatest as we go through this process.
and of course he keeps me informed and -- and when I'm not able to be there.
I just wanted to let you know he's really tied into the system especially representing the use of that north campus with our employees housed there.
so I just wanted to lay that out a little bit.
let you know if you need right off the cuff, roger el khoury is a great source.
>> any other questions or comments.
>> thank you, I just want to add that jim goes to the meetings times.
I cannot go to the meeting tonight.
>> okay.
maybe leave him out.
>> thank you very much, we appreciate it.
>> thank you, Commissioners, your honor, appreciate it.
>> thank y'all for bringing that to us.
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
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