CNA 12.08.08 General Meeting Minutes

Steven Zettner presented background on Sustainable Neighborhoods of North Central Austin (SNNCA) and explained the reasoning behind their resolution put before the CNA general assembly.

SNNCA is approximately 1-year old, having been formed from the neighborhood VMU teams that were formed some years back to provide feedback to the city on the new ordinance rezoning in favor of VMU development along transit corridors. Its goal is to deal with growth issues along the transit corridors. The two big issues of the rezoning that it is most concerned with are traffic (which is expected to increase of the redevelopment is not done correctly), and the types of residences built (neighborhoods expected to decline in quality if redevelopment not done with an eye towards quality of life). The ordinance as is does not require the creation of a pedestrian-friendly environment.

Open space, in this context, is any place where people can walk and do things (functional open space). Not necessarily green space.

Steven gave examples of different properties around the city and explained how SNNCA ranked these in increasing order of desirability as far as how pedestrian-friendly they were.

1 – Burnet Rd. Pedestrian hostile.
2 – Cesar Chavez. VMU enabled. Walkable, but not inviting for pedestrians (primarily facilitates car traffic and little else).
3 – 2nd Street. Walkable with outdoor dining and shops.
4 – Amy’s Ice Cream on Burnet. Playscape and outdoor dining, but people must drive there.
- House owner’s backyard. Space to relax and unwind, but not optimized for pedestrian access.
5 – The Village on Anderson Ln.
6 – The greenbelt with hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake
7 – The Triangle at Lamar and Guadalupe. Ideal. Resilient to urban decline. Resists traffic.

¾ of developers spoken to about open space in north central Austin say “No. It’s too expensive.” The developer for The Village says “Yes.” It is not a financially appealing investment unless other nearby properties do the same thing. Since there is no financial motivation to the developer currently, the city needs to act to entice developers to include open space.

Complaints expressed about the resolution as written:
(1) Above examples given are no particularly bike-friendly. (Steven pointed out that there are plans in the works to improve bicycle connectivity for the Triangle and 2nd Street.)
(2) The possibility for paved/cobble-stone plazas instead of grass is not appealing to some.
The aim is to first have the city commit to open space. Once this is done, the city typically assigns a task force to look into how such a commitment would be implemented. After a year, there is then public input allowed on the implementation process. This resolution would be just to get the city’s attention on the issue, not to propose specific details (e.g. the precise percentage of open space desired).

SNNCA intends to be involved in the city’s comprehensive planning process that kicks off in the spring.

The CNA general assembly voted to support the resolution.

The next CNA general meeting will be on the revised CNA bylaws.