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EVENING EVERYONE.[1. Call to Order.]
WELCOME TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.UM, JUNE 10TH, 2021 BRIEFING WORKSHOP.
AND LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT ALL COMMISSIONERS EXCEPT JOHN COCK COGNITION OR COSGRAVE AND COMMISSIONER, UH, HEINZ ARE PRESENT AT THIS TIME, WE WILL CONDUCT A TRAINING, THIS TRAINING WORKSHOP TO DISCUSS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
HI, MY NAME IS CAMERON GOODMAN.
I'M THE MANAGING PARTNER AT THE ECONOMIC SPELMAN DEPARTMENT.
I'VE MET MULTIPLE OF YOU BEFORE, BUT, UH, THANKS FOR HAVING ME OUT OF HERE IN THIS FORUM.
UM, YOU'RE VERY INVOLVED WITH THE CITY, SO YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY KNOW A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, BUT, UH, IT'S AN INTERNATIONAL, UH, CHANCE FOR US TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN INTERACTION TOO.
SO DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE VERY END.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, YOU CAN JUMP RIGHT IN AND ASK ABOUT ANYTHING.
SO YOU GUYS PROBABLY KNOW THAT PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME MIGHT NOT THAT WE WERE NAMED THE FASTEST GROWING CITY IN AMERICA I'LL LAST YEAR.
SO WE'VE BEEN TRACKING, UM, THE SINGLE FAMILY AND MULTIFAMILY, UM, PERMANENTE AND WHY ACTUALLY AHEAD OF WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR.
SO I ANTICIPATE US KEEPING THIS TITLE MOVING FORWARD, MAYBE EVEN MULTIPLE YEARS.
SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE ARE NOW FOR SUPPORT, WE WERE ABOUT 32,000 PEOPLE BACK IN 2015.
SO JUST IN SIX SHORT YEARS, WE'VE ALREADY REACHED 78,000 PEOPLE.
VERY SOON I COULD SEE US ECLIPSING A HUNDRED THOUSAND, SO MAYBE EVEN WITHIN TWO YEARS.
SO WE'VE JUST GROWN VERY, VERY RAPIDLY.
UM, AND YOU GUYS MAY KNOW THIS ALREADY, TOO.
WE'VE HAD THAT VERY FAST RESIDENTIAL GROWTH COMMERCIALS LIKE BEHIND THAT, BUT THAT IS FAIRLY COMMON FOR MOST CITIES JUST TO SEE A LOT OF THAT RESIDENTIAL GROWTH COME IN FIRST, AND THEN THE STORES THAT CAN SERVE THOSE PEOPLE COME IN AFTER THEY'VE HIT THOSE METRICS.
UH, AGAIN, JUST SHOWING LAST YEAR WHERE WE WERE, UH, WHEN WE WERE NAMED THE FASTEST GROWING CITY, WE HAD, UH, 2011, UH, SINGLE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL PERMITS ISSUED, UH, WE'RE ON PACE TO ECLIPSE THAT THIS YEAR.
SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO BE WELL AHEAD OF THAT.
UH, AND THIS JUST KINDA SHOWS YOU THAT AS WELL.
UH, THIS IS THROUGH MAY FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW FAR AHEAD WE ARE, WHERE WE WERE LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS STILL A RECORD.
AGAIN, YOU'RE KIND OF SEEING A TREND OF WHERE ALL THESE CHARTS ARE GOING IN ONE DIRECTION.
UH, WE HAD ABOUT $2.4 BILLION IN TAXABLE VALUE FOR OUR TAX BASE HERE IN LEANDER IN 2015.
SO JUST SIX SHORT YEARS, UH, EXPONENTIAL GROWTH.
SO ALL THE WAY UP TO $6.2 BILLION, A LOT OF THAT IS RESIDENTIAL, BUT WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF COMMERCIAL GROWTH COMING IN, WHICH WE'LL GET TO.
AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE BALANCE IN OUR DISTRIBUTION OF THE TAX BASE.
SO TOTAL APPRAISED VALUE, UM, BACK TO THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, UH, JUST COMPARED TO THE YEAR OVER YEAR FROM WHERE WE WERE ABOUT 29% IN TOTAL APPRAISED VALUE GROWTH.
SO JUST THE HOMES WERE ALREADY HERE.
IT GOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN ONES THAT ARE BEING BUILT.
WE'RE SELLING FOR MORE, UH, HOMES THAT DID SELL WERE SELLING AT ABOUT 502,000 FOR THE MEDIAN PRICE.
SO NOT AVERAGE, JUST THE MIDDLE PART 500 AND IS, UH, VERY HIGH.
UH, AND EVEN THOUGH WE'RE PERMANENT AND PERMITTING AND PERMANENT AND GETTING THESE BUILDINGS OUT, UH, WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF INVENTORY.
SO ABOUT HALF A MONTH OF INVENTORY FOR HOMES WE'RE HEALTHY, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ABOUT SIX MONTHS.
SO WE'RE VERY LOW ON INVENTORY.
THAT'S, WHAT'S CAUSING SOME OF THESE PRICES TO GO UP, UH, SALES, TAX GROWTH, UH, KIND OF AN INDICATOR FOR OUR RETAILERS COMING IN.
AND THERE'S SOME AT-HOME SHOPPING.
THAT'S MIXED IN THERE AS WELL, BUT WE'VE JUST CONTINUED TO GROW AND GROW AND GROW.
UH, LAST YEAR WE HAD ABOUT 6 MILLION, UH, SORRY, $7.8 MILLION.
WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE ON TRACK FOR ABOUT $9 MILLION THIS YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE'VE GONE IN JUST A FEW SHORT YEARS FROM $4 MILLION TO ABOUT NINE THIS YEAR.
UH, JUST PRETTY MIND BOGGLING.
UH, JUST FOR EVERYONE AT HOME.
1% IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN MOST DAYS.
UM, WE HAVE 1% THAT COMES TO THE CITY AND 1% GOES TO CAPITAL METRO.
UH, SO NOW THAT WE KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THE RESIDENTIAL GROWTH, UH, WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO SOME COMMERCIAL PROJECTS, BUT THAT RESIDENTIAL GROWTH IS KIND OF WHAT MADE A LOT OF THESE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS POSSIBLE, WHERE THEY CAME IN AND BROUGHT THE DEMAND THAT THESE COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES NEED TO SURVIVE.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS COMING IN, WHICH I THINK IS EXCITING FOR US AS A CITY.
THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, I THINK ARE GOING TO REALLY TRANSFORM THE CITY.
UH, WE'LL HAVE, UH, TWO MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE IN THE WORKS.
WE HAVE A RETAIL RESTAURANT PROJECTS ALL OVER THE CITY COMING IN OFFICE SPACE, MEDICAL MANUFACTURING PROJECTS, A LOT OF FLEX SPACE AS WELL.
AND THEN EVEN OUR OLD TALENT AREAS, SEEING SOME REDEVELOPMENT.
SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE CITY, THERE'S NOT ONE LITTLE AREA.
THAT'S SEEING A LOT OF GROWTH, WHICH IS GREAT TO SEE.
SO THERE'S A HIGH DEMAND FOR SITES IN OUR AREA, AND WE SOLVE A LOT OF LAND TO WORK WITH WHERE SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS TO THE SOUTH ARE BUILT OUT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT TO COME IN.
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UM, SO YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THIS.PEOPLE ARE HOME AND NOT NORTHLAND IS SOMETHING WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
UH, IT'S A 115 ACRE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT WITH A GOOD MIX OF OFFICE SPACE, RETAIL HOTEL, AND CONVENTION CENTER, MULTI-FAMILY TOWN HOMES.
SO I'VE REALLY A PLACE WHERE EMPLOYERS CAN COME.
THEIR EMPLOYEES CAN GO OUT TO LUNCH SHOP, UM, GET A DRINK AFTERWARDS, GO TO THE GYM.
IT'S, THAT'S BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY, UM, IN DEMAND FOR PEOPLE.
SO IF SOMEONE SAVED 10 YEARS AGO, 15 YEARS AGO USED TO SEE A, MORE OF A CAMPUS STYLE EMPLOYMENT WHERE JUST BE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FIELD WITH NOTHING AROUND IT.
NOW THEY WANT THEIR EMPLOYEES TO HAVE A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO WALK TO WORK OR BIKE, UH, GO OUT TO EAT WHILE THEY'RE THERE HAVE MEETINGS AT A FUN PLACE.
SO IT'S, UM, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE US VERY COMPETITIVE TO RECRUIT SOME OF THESE OFFICE SPACE USERS.
JUST KINDA SHOW YOU THE INFRASTRUCTURE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE.
SO YOU CAN SEE, UM, YOU CAN'T SEE THE ELECTRICAL AND GAS, UH, CONDUIT BROADBAND THAT'S BEEN GOING ON UNDERNEATH, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE ROADS GOING INTO DETENTION PONDS.
SO A LOT OF WORK HAS GONE INTO IT AND THAT'S, WHAT'S GOING TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR IT TO GO VERTICAL VERY SOON.
UH, WE ARE INTERESTED IN WITHIN THE NEXT SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS, IT COULD EVEN START VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE'LL SEE THOSE FIRST PHASES STARTING.
UH, THE FIRST RETAILER THAT ANNOUNCED GOING TO THE NORTH END IS THE HUB.
OUR WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT IT, ESPECIALLY AFTER COVID, IT'S A REALLY DYNAMIC USE WHERE THERE'S A LOT OF OUTDOOR SPACE, WHICH IS PERFECT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT RIGHT NOW.
UH, YOU'LL SEE THE OUTDOOR MOVIE THEATER.
YOU CAN ALSO HAVE COMMUNITY EVENTS, UM, KARAOKE, NIGHTS, CONCERTS, THINGS LIKE THAT OUTSIDE ON THE STAGE.
UH, PEOPLE GATHER AROUND FIRE PITS, BUT THEN ALSO HAVE ABOUT 10 RESTAURANTS WRAPPING THE ENTERTAINMENT AREA, AND IT MAY HAVE UP TO 20,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMUNITY SPACE.
SO IF YOU WANTED TO GO OUT THERE, SAY A T-BALL LEAGUE OR SOFTBALL, YOU COULD GO HAVE AN EVENT THERE FOR FREE.
UH, THE ONLY CONDITION IS THAT YOU BUY FOOD THERE.
SO YOU CAN GO OUT THERE AND HAVE A GREAT PLACE TO MEET AND GO OUT AND HAVE SOME RESTAURANTS, WATCH A MOVIE AND HAVE FUN.
SO I THINK IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT FIT FOR LEANDER CLEANER SPRINGS AND ANOTHER MIXED USE PROJECT.
UH, IT'S ABOUT 78 ACRES, SO SMALLER THAN, UH, NORTH LINE, BUT THEY DO HAVE SOME DIFFERENT AMENITIES THAT MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE.
UH, THE MAIN ONE IS THE FOUR ACRE CRYSTAL LAGOON.
UM, THAT'S ALSO GOING TO BE WRAPPED WITH ABOUT 10 ACRES OF BOARDWALKS IN THE BOARDWALK.
IF YOU'VE BEEN TO SOMEWHERE LIKE CHEMO BEFORE RESTAURANTS, RETAIL, ALONG THE BOARDWALK THAT SURROUNDS THE WATER AND EVENTUALLY EVEN HAVING, UM, MULTI-FAMILY APARTMENTS OR CONDOS AND THEN A HOTEL CONVENTION CENTER.
SO EVERYONE'S GOING TO HAVE DIFFERENT AREAS FOR, FOR USE THERE, AND IT WILL INCLUDE A PUBLIC ACCESS.
SO OUR RESIDENTS OF LANDER WILL BE ABLE TO GO THERE AND ACCESS THE LAGOON AT A DISCOUNTED PRICE.
UM, SO THE FIRST PHASE IS BEING TARGETED FOR COMPLETION BY THE END OF 2023.
UH, WE ARE REQUIRING THAT THE CRYSTAL LOGAN GOES IN FIRST BEFORE ANY MULTI-FAMILY CAN OPEN, UH, THE BOARDWALKS GOING TO HAVE TO BE THERE 35,000 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE AND ABOUT 400 UNITS, PROBABLY ONE BUILDING OF MULTI-FAMILY.
UH, ANOTHER ONE WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
I THINK I CLIPPED A LITTLE BIT OFF ON THE SIDE IS THE NEW HEB AT THE BAR W MARKETPLACE.
SO LANDER KIND OF HIT IT BIG WITH TWO HEBS COMING IN AND WHICH IS THE BIG MOVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, IT SHOWS UP WE'RE GROWING AND THAT RONALD REAGAN CORRIDOR IS REALLY A HOT PLACE RIGHT NOW.
SO YOU'RE SEEING THINGS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS AND AROUND, UH, BEING ACQUIRED FOR PROJECTS AS WELL.
AND I THINK THIS WAS THE MAIN REASON FOR IT, WHERE HEB SAID, THIS IS A REALLY BIG DESTINATION FOR US TO PLAY IN A STORE AND DO ALL THIS EXTRA DEVELOPMENT.
SO AS YOU'LL SEE MULTIPLE BUILDINGS ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS AND THEN A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET HEB CENTER, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE PAD SITES OUT FRONT THAT COULD BE USED FOR RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS OR OFFICE SPACE.
SO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY GOOD DEVELOPMENT BAR.
SHOPPING HALLS IS DEVELOPING IT, AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB WITH OTHER HUB PROJECTS IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
RONALD REAGAN CROSSINGS ANOTHER MAJOR MINE.
UM, IT'S ABOUT A $40 MILLION PROJECT, UH, THAT WE'LL HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL SPACE.
SO, UM, A LOT OF RETAIL RESTAURANTS, OFFICE SPACE, DAYCARE, UM, GOOD MIX OF USES AND THEN DRIVE THROUGH.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING WORKED WITH THE DEVELOPER ON TO INCLUDE A LITTLE BIT MORE GREEN SPACE JUST TO MAKE IT, UM, APPROPRIATE AFTER COVID TO KIND OF FIT THE COMMUNITY'S NEEDS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BRING THEIR DOG, GET TO A RESTAURANT OR HAVE THEIR KIDS PLAYING, UH, A GREEN SPACE AREA.
SO THEY INCORPORATED SOME CHANGES TO MAKE THAT FIT INTO THIS PROJECT.
UM, TH THAT'S KIND OF THE BREAKDOWN OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
SO A LARGE RETAIL AMOUNT, 30,000 THAT'S 7,000 SQUARE FEET OF OFFICE, 12,000 SQUARE FEET OF PRESCHOOL.
AND THEN THE DRIVE, THE RESTAURANT, UH, ANOTHER LARGE ONE IS PLANNED TO GO IN NORTH OF ST DAVID'S.
SO AS YOU MIGHT IMAGINE, HAVING ST DAVID'S THERE IS A DRAW FOR MEDICAL USE.
SO YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THINGS, ESPECIALLY IN NORTHLINE WE'LL HAVE A MEDICAL DISTRICT, THIS'LL HAVE, UM, SOME MEDICAL OFFICE SPACE BUILDINGS TO BE THE PRIMARY USERS, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE A HOTEL RESTAURANT SPACE, RETAIL, VETERINARY CLINIC, AND DAYCARE.
SO KIND OF HAVE A MORE MIX OF USES IN THERE WITHOUT HAVING ANY OF THE RESIDENTIAL.
SO PREDOMINANTLY COMMERCIAL USE.
UH, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS AND, UH, MET WITH THE OWNER THIS MORNING AND THEN ST DAVID'S, AS I MENTIONED, UH, YOU SEE, THEY'VE DONE THE MEDICAL OFFICE BUILDING
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THAT OPENED BACK IN 2018, UH, THAT IT OPENED WITH COVID.SO IT WAS A DIFFICULT TIME TO UP HIM, BUT THEY'VE DONE A GOOD JOB WITH THE CONSTRUCTIONS FIRST-CLASS BUILDING AND THEY DO HAVE A THIRD PHASE.
THAT'S GOING TO CALL FOR A FULL SURFACE HOTEL, HOPEFULLY WITHIN THE YEAR TWO, THREE YEARS, LIBERTY CIVIL IS ANOTHER ONE WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, THERE ARE A GREAT EMPLOYER THAT CAME INTO THE COMMUNITY WITH ABOUT 250 EMPLOYEES, SO GREAT JOBS.
THEY'RE VERY BUSY AND THEY'RE GROWING QUICKLY AS WELL.
UH, SO WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM HERE.
AND THOSE ARE THE EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF JOBS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IN.
THEY GO OUTSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY, DO PROJECTS AND BRING THAT WEALTH BACK IN, PAY PEOPLE HERE IN LANDER, WHERE THEY CAN GO AND SHOP, VISIT OUR RESTAURANTS, OUR STORES, AND HELP KIND OF CIRCULATE THAT MONEY THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY AND HELP US GROW.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AS A DIRECTOR.
IT, A CITY, UM, THE LITTLE ONES OLD TOWN WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, UM, THIRSTY CHICKEN, MAGGIE MAY'S, AND THERE'S SOME OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE THAT ARE HELPING TO REDEVELOP THIS AREA AND MAKE IT MORE OF AN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
SO I KNOW IN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, UH, ONE THING THAT PEOPLE REALLY CALLED FOR WAS HAVING MORE NIGHTTIME ACTIVITY THINGS TO DO WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
AND I THINK PEOPLE HAVE REALLY PICKED UP ON THAT AND THEY RECOGNIZE THIS AREA AS A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN COME IN AND DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A UNIQUE PROJECT INSTEAD OF GOING INTO A STRIP CENTER OR MORE TRADITIONAL BUILDING, YOU CAN GO GET A HOUSE, REDEVELOP IT AND USE IT AS SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY SPECIAL AND DIFFERENT THAN ANYWHERE YOU COULD FIND IN THIS AREA.
SO I THINK KEEP YOUR EYES ON WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND WELL, BE SOME GOOD THINGS GOING ON.
UM, SO QUICKLY ZONING, UH, WHY IT'S IMPORTANT.
WHY DO YOU GUYS DO SUCH AN IMPORTANT JOB FOR OUR PURPOSES? UH, REALLY IF THE ZONING IS NOT IN PLACE FOR A PROJECT, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO MARKET IT.
UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT A PROJECT THAT'S TRYING TO GET TO MARKET IN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
IF WE TELL THEM THERE'S GOING TO BE A TWO TO THREE MONTH PROCESS OF REZONING A PROPERTY, WE'RE NOT SURE IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
MOST LIKELY THEY'LL MOVE ON TO A PROJECT OR A LOCATION THAT HAS THAT IN PLACE.
SO TO BE COMPETITIVE, WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO BRING IN AND MAKE SURE THE ZONING IS IN TO ATTRACT THEM HERE.
UH, ALSO HELPS PROTECT THEIR INVESTMENT AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE EMPLOYERS HAVE SAID, WE WANT TO COME IN, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO BE NEXT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE'VE HAD COMPLAINTS BEFORE, WHETHER IT'S AN AUSTIN OR ANOTHER PART OF THE COUNTRY WHERE WE WERE HERE.
FIRST PEOPLE CAME IN NEXT TO US AND THEN WE ENDED UP BEING PUSHED OUT BECAUSE OF COMPLAINTS.
SO IF YOU HAVE THE ZONING IN PLACE THAT CAN PROTECT AGAINST THAT AND GIVE SOME BUFFER SPACE, THAT'S ATTRACTIVE FOR A LOT OF EMPLOYERS.
UM, ANOTHER ONE IS THAT IT HELPS ENCOURAGE THE BEST AND HIGHEST USE.
SO IF WE KNOW THAT THIS AREA IS WHERE WE SEE A FUTURE EMPLOYMENT CENTER BEING, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT ZONING IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT'S HOW IT DEVELOPS EVENTUALLY INSTEAD OF TAKING A LOWER, UM, LESS DESIRABLE USE, THAT WOULDN'T BE BEST FOR THE COMPANY IN THE LONG RUN.
SO VERY IMPORTANT, UM, REALLY FEEDS INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
THAT BEING SAID, IT'S KIND OF SPED THROUGH THAT, BUT IF YOU GUYS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY PROJECTS IN THE COMMUNITY OR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR HOW WE COULD WORK TOGETHER, UH, HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT.
SO I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS FOR YOU, UM, WHO, WHO DOES THE TEXT-BASED GROWTH PROJECTIONS AND THE SALES TYPE TAX PROJECTIONS, IS THAT YOU AND YOUR DEPARTMENT OR SO, UH, REALLY THE BUDGET OF OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
SO, UH, ROBERT POWERS IS GREAT AT DOING THAT.
WE WORK WITH HIM AND WE TRY TO TAKE A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH JUST FOR BUDGET PURPOSES.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT PROMISING SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
SALES TAX IS VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO PROJECT THIS LAST MONTH.
I THINK WE WERE UP ABOUT 45% OVER LAST YEAR, AND IT'S HARDER TO EXPECT.
USUALLY YOU'D EXPECT IN A NORMAL SITUATION, TWO TO 3% GROWTH.
SO HAVING THAT HUGE OF GROWTH WHILE WE'RE GROWING IS JUST VERY DIFFICULT TO PROJECT.
SHE'S THAT NUMBER OUT BETWEEN DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT IN THE CITY AND DOLLARS THAT ARE SPENT ONLINE, UM, THERE'S WAYS TO DO THAT.
UH, I THINK WITH COMPTROLLER REPORTS, IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT SOMETIMES THOUGH, BUT YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A MIX.
LIKE READY-MIX CONCRETE, WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT, BUT SINCE WE HAVE CONCRETE BATCHES, HERE ARE PLANTS, THAT'S A BIG GENERATOR OF SALES TAX AS WELL.
SO WHILE WE'RE BUILDING OUT, THAT'S A BIG SOURCE OF SALES TAX FOR US.
SO HOW, HOW TIED ARE YOU INTO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THE ENGINEERS, ET CETERA.
I MEAN, DO YOU, DO YOU GUYS WORK REALLY CLOSELY TOGETHER? SO AS YOU'RE MAKING YOUR PROJECTIONS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S COMING IN, I WOULD SAY ROBIN IS LIKE MY FAVORITE PERSON IN THE CITY, BECAUSE I USUALLY ASK HER LIKE THREE QUESTIONS A DAY.
UM, WITHOUT ROBIN, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE STAFF, WE HAVE AN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD GET A SINGLE PROJECT.
CAUSE IT'S USUALLY EVERY PROJECT IS DIFFERENT WITH A DIFFERENT ISSUE YOU HAVE TO WORK THROUGH AND WE RELY ON THEIR EXPERTISE TO GET THOSE THINGS SOLVED.
SO I THINK WE WORKED REALLY COLLABORATIVELY AND THEY'RE ALWAYS WILLING TO KIND OF PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND SOLVE A SITUATION THAT COMES UP.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO PROJECTIONS, WE DO WORK TOGETHER.
WE ARE WORKING ON SOME NEW SOFTWARE TOO.
THAT'LL HELP US KIND OF DO A FISCAL IMPACT ANALYSIS FOR ZONINGS.
UH, SO THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE'D LOOK AT ALTOGETHER AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
AND THAT LED ME TO MY NEXT AND IT'LL BE MY LAST ONE.
UM, SO HOW MEAN, WHAT HAS BEEN A BIG TOPIC LATELY? RIGHT.
SO HOW DOES OUR WATER CONSTRAINTS FOR OUR WATER ISSUES? HOW DOES THAT IMPACT WHAT YOU DO AND, AND, AND THE PROSPECTS
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FOR BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYERS, ET CETERA, COMING IN, DEFINITELY SOMETHING I HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT ABOUT.UM, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WOULDN'T GO AFTER AND RECRUIT A HUGE EMPLOYER THAT NEEDS 20 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER AND ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING.
SO THAT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BUT IT DOES LET US, UM, KIND OF, WE WORK WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
AND ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE LUVS, KNOWING HOW MANY WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO DO A PROJECT, WE CAN LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, THIS IS AN APPROPRIATE FIT.
THIS MEETS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A DRAIN ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE TO JUST BE SMART WITH OUR GROWTH, KNOWING THAT OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WHILE WE'RE BUILDING OUT AND DEVELOPING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, YOU CAN GET SOME HIGH VALUE THINGS THAT DON'T USE A LOT OF WATER, AND THAT MIGHT BE BETTER THAN SOMETHING THAT'S LESS VALUABLE THAT USES THE LIE.
SO IT'S KIND OF JUST BALANCING THOSE DEMANDS, GOING BACK TO THE SALES TAX THING.
UH, SO A FEW YEARS AGO THEY HAD GRAPHS AS TO, UM, SALES TAX PER CAPITA.
AND I THINK THEY WERE LOOKING AT LIKE CEDAR PARK WAS $400 PER RESIDENT.
AND LEANDRA WAS LIKE AT 100, INDICATING THAT OUR RESIDENTS WERE SPENDING IN CEDAR PARK AND NO ONE IN CEDAR PARK WAS SPENDING IN LEANDER.
I THINK THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD STILL HOLD UP MAYBE TO A LESSER EXTENT NOW, BUT AS WE'RE DEVELOPING, WE'RE HAVE SOME OF THESE COMMERCIAL PROJECTS COMING IN.
I THINK THAT LEAKAGE IS GOING TO BE STOPPED AND MAYBE WE'LL EVEN BRING IN PEOPLE FROM LIBERTY HILL LAGO VISTA JOHNSTOWN.
SO I THINK ESPECIALLY PROJECTS LIKE THE HEB, THAT'S GOING UP ON THE BOUNDARIES OF GEORGETOWN AND LIBERTY HILL AND LEANDER.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT DESTINATION OF DRAWING SOME OF THOSE THINGS INSTEAD OF US LOSING OUT ON THEM.
UM, JUST BE INTERESTING TO SEE YOU CAPTURING THAT BECAUSE, SO I KNOW WE DO DO THINGS CALLED LIKE RETAIL LEAKAGE STUDIES.
AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF ESPECIALLY RESTAURANT AND RETAIL RIGHT NOW.
THERE'S ABOUT $40 MILLION OF DEMAND.
THAT'S NOT SUPPLIED WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, SO THEY'RE GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE TO BUY THOSE THINGS.
WE USUALLY TRY TO MEET WITH RESTAURANT OPERATORS, RETAILERS AND SAY, IF YOU COME TO ATLANTA, THERE'S THIS MUCH DEMAND RIGHT NOW, WITHOUT EVEN THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE HAVING AND YOU CAN HELP FILL THAT.
SO IT'S BEEN PRETTY HELPFUL TO SHOW THEM THOSE NUMBERS.
SPEAKING OF SALES TAXES, DO WE, DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE DOWN TO THE DETAIL OF THE INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS AND HOW MUCH SALES TAX REVENUE THEY'RE BRINGING THE CITY YOU HAVE TO, UM, I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.
WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO SHARE ANY OF THAT.
CAUSE IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE.
IF THEY SIGN AN AGREEMENT, YOU CAN, BUT WE DO HAVE A WAYS TO TRACK SOME OF THAT.
IS THERE ANY PROJECTS OR ANY, UH, RETAILERS THAT ARE GOING OUT THERE OR ENCOURAGING TO COME TO LEANDER? SO, UH, THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME RETAILERS AND RESTAURANTS THAT ARE COMING IN.
AND ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS, LIKE DON'T, I'LL MAKE THEM CROSSING AND THEY'RE GETTING A LOT OF PRE-LEASING ACTIVITY.
UM, I THINK ESPECIALLY BRW W RANCHES MOST LIKELY GOING TO GET TO GET SOME GOOD TENANTS IN THERE AS WELL.
I THINK THE PROBLEM THAT WE'VE HAD UP UNTIL RECENTLY IS THEY NEED SOMEWHERE TO GO.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT AN EXISTING BUILDING TO GO IN AND LEASE INSTEAD OF PAYING THE, TO BUILD IT THEMSELF.
SO IT'S BEEN MORE OF A SUPPLY OF BUILDING ISSUE THAN THE DEMAND, BUT I SEE THAT CHANGING PRETTY QUICKLY OVER THE NEXT YEAR TO TWO YEARS AND HAVING A LOT MORE, UM, OF THOSE USERS HERE.
SO I THINK WE'RE HEADING THE RIGHT DIRECTION, WHAT WE COULD, WHAT COULD WE DO DIFFERENTLY OR ADD ON TO THAT WOULD MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER IN BRINGING THESE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT INTO TOWN.
AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THINGS THAT WOULD BE IN THE REALM OF POLITICS, BUT WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD DO THAT WOULD MAKE IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR STAFF AND FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO BRING PEOPLE IN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED THERE.
AND I AGREE WITH WHOLEHEARTEDLY IS GET THE ZONING IN PLACE BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN WE GET THESE GUYS THAT COME IN AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO DO IT AFTER THEY WANT TO COME IN, UH, IT TURNS INTO A PROBLEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, YEARS BACK, WE WERE GOING TO GET A SECOND HEB AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD TURNED OUT AND SCREAMED AND HOLLERED.
IF THE ZONING HAD BEEN IN PLACE THERE THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE.
ARE THERE WAYS THAT WE COULD HELP WITH THAT? WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE YOUR JOB MORE EFFECTIVE TO BRING COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN HERE, WHICH WE ARE SADLY LACKING.
I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING A GOOD JOB.
UM, I THINK FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE COULD DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OUTREACH AND WE SHOULD BE DOING THAT SOON, UH, MEETING WITH LANDOWNERS AND LETTING THEM KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MARKET.
IT'D BE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE TO GO THROUGH THIS ZONING PROCESS ON THE FRONT END, INSTEAD OF WAITING TO DO IT LATER, IT WOULD HELP MAKE THEIR PROPERTY EVEN MORE VALUABLE.
SO INSTEAD OF SITTING ON IT AND KEEPING IT AS AGRICULTURAL REUSE OR SINGLE FAMILY RURAL, IF SOMETHING LIKE THAT GOING OUT AND GETTING THE ZONING IN PLACE WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO THEM.
SO I THINK IT'S MORE OF AN EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT.
HOW WOULD WE DO THAT? UM, I THINK A LOT OF RELATIONSHIPS IF KNOWING THE LANDOWNER KIND OF EDUCATING THEM ON THE BENEFIT OF GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS, UM, BECAUSE I THINK THEY THINK, OH, IT'S, IT'S NOT A BIG DEAL TO GO THROUGH THE REZONING PROCESS.
WE KNOW THE CITY WANTS COMMERCIAL USES, LIKE THAT'S TRUE, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO TIME KILLS DEALS SOMETIMES.
AND THE FASTER THAT YOU CAN GET PROJECTS DONE,
[00:20:01]
THE BETTER IT IS FOR THE COMMUNITY.IS THERE A WAY WE COULD IDENTIFY THINGS THAT WE CAN START THIS BALL ROLLING? IS THERE A WAY YOU COULD COME BACK TO US LATER ON AND SAY, THESE ARE AREAS OF OUR CONCERN? WHAT CAN WE DO? OR WHAT CAN Y'ALL DO IS YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN DO THAT.
I THINK THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IS A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO USE TOO, BECAUSE YOU GUYS HAVE GONE THROUGH AND WORKED ON THAT.
THE CITY'S WORKED ON THAT AND IT LETS US KNOW WHAT WE'RE ENVISIONING FOR THOSE AREAS.
SO WE CAN USE THAT AND GO TO THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE SEE AS THE FUTURE FOR LANDER.
HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO PARTNER ON THIS? WHAT ARE WE HAVING COME IN ON A OLD TOWN ON THE EAST SIDE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.
SO NOTHING WE CAN SAY YET, BUT I DO THINK THERE, YOU MIGHT SEE SOME REZONING APPLICATIONS COMING IN SOON FOR SOME COMMERCIAL USES, WHICH IS GREAT COMING IN OVER THERE DOING NOT, UH, WE DO HAVE A, UH, HOPEFULLY THAT'LL UP THERE.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY COUNCIL TO GET APPROVAL.
I CROSSED THE RAILROAD TRACKS.
THERE IS A BIRD COMING IN THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE? UM, THERE'S SOME OFFICE SPACE THAT'S BEEN DONE OVER THERE, BUT UH, NOTHING IMMINENT FOR ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT SIDE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I MENTIONED THREE YEARS AGO, AND I'D LIKE YOUR OPINION ON IT IS THAT I HAD SUGGESTED THAT WE BRING IN THE LAND OWNERS, THE BUSINESS OWNERS, THE DEVELOPERS, AND THE STAFF TO DISCUSS THINGS THAT ARE WORKING IN THIS TOWN AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE CAUSING SOME PROBLEMS, NOT SO WE CAN HAVE A SO-CALLED BITCH SESSION WHERE EVERYBODY CAN YELL AT EACH OTHER, BUT TO COME UP WITH SOME THINGS THAT ARE LIKE, HEY, THIS REALLY WORKS BETTER.
THIS THING RIGHT HERE IS CAUSING US SOME PROBLEMS, UH, IS HOW WOULD WE GO ABOUT, I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT ROBIN'S ALREADY ON IT.
IF SHE CAN TALK TO HER, WE'RE WORKING ON SCHEDULING A DEVELOPER FORUM, BUT PREGNANT IN THE NEXT MONTH, WILL IT JUST BE DEVELOPERS OR WILL IT BE BUSINESS OWNERS? AND WE'RE GOING TO START WITH DEVELOPERS AND THEN THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN CALLS FOR HAVING A BUSINESS OWNERS GROUP.
AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THE CHAMBER ON ORGANIZING THAT.
SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE ECONOMICS BEHIND MULTIFAMILY AND LARGE DEVELOPMENTS, BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I HEAR THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS, THAT BECOMES A POLITICAL POINT, UNFORTUNATELY, SO, AND, AND I HAVE MY OWN INDIVIDUAL THOUGHTS ABOUT IT, BUT I WANTED TO HEAR YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON IT BECAUSE I HEAR FROM DEVELOPERS, WE MUST HAVE MULTIFAMILY TO BUILD XYZ.
I MEAN, WE'VE GOT IT IN NORTHLINE, WE'VE GOT IT IN, UH, LEANDER SPRINGS, YOU KNOW, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE HAD ANOTHER, ANOTHER CASE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALWAYS, THE MULTI-FAMILY COMPONENT BECOMES THE MOST CONTENTIOUS.
UM, I, I'M NOT AGAINST MULTIFAMILY JUST SO SINCE I'M ON VIDEO AND BEING RECORDED EVERYTHING, BUT, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO DO IT SMARTLY.
AND I THINK IN THE PAST, WE KIND OF GOT THINGS HAPHAZARD ACROSS THE CITY, BUT, BUT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND, AND ATTRACTING BUSINESSES AND TRY TO EMPLOYERS, UM, AND TALK ABOUT MULTI-FAMILY, BUT ALSO TALK ABOUT IT AS A ECONOMIC COMPONENT TO LARGE LEVELS.
WELL, I DO THINK, UM, FOR MIXED USE DEVELOPMENTS, PARTICULARLY, IT CAN MAKE SENSE IF IT'S DONE PROPORTIONALLY AND IT'S MORE OF A SUPPLEMENTAL USE THAN LIKE THE PREDOMINANT USE.
SO YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S SAY 5,000 OR 6,000 APARTMENTS, AND THEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL THAT JUST DOESN'T MAKE SENSE AS A MIXED USE.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT IN A LARGE EMPLOYER OR A CAMPUS, LET'S SAY A HOSPITAL OR A CAMPUS EMPLOYER, IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO HAVE SOME HOUSING NEARBY FOR THEIR WORKERS TO BE IN.
UH, BUT I DO THINK YOU JUST HAS TO BE ABOUT PROPORTIONALITY.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S A HARDER, FAST RULE ON WHAT NUMBERS THE RIGHT AMOUNT, BUT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT EACH PROJECT KIND OF INDIVIDUALLY AND SEE IF THAT MIXES THERE.
BUT THEN GOING BACK TO COMMISSIONER STYLE'S POINT, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE YOUR JOB HARDER BY SOMETHING THAT WE DO UP HERE.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY I WAS ASKING ABOUT THE MULTI-FAMILY PIECE, BECAUSE THAT USUALLY BECOMES THE BIGGEST CONTENTIOUS POINT EITHER HERE OR ON COUNCIL.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, DOES IT MAKE IT HARDER TO ATTRACT DEVELOPMENTS TO COME IN IF WE ARE ANTI MULTI-FAMILY? I THINK YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE CUMULATIVE TOTAL IN THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TOO.
SO THERE IS A MOUNT THERE YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF RATIO OF NOT TOO MANY MULTI-FAMILY UNITS, BUT KEEPING A GOOD AMOUNT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED THAT, THAT AS A PLACE TO LIVE.
UM, I DO THINK COMMERCIAL RIGHT NOW, WE'RE FORTUNATE TO BE IN A PATH OF GROWTH WHERE THIS IS LANDER'S OPPORTUNITY TO DO THINGS THE BEST WAY.
WHEREAS MAYBE 10 YEARS AGO, IT MIGHT'VE BEEN DIFFERENT, BUT WE'RE REALLY BENEFITING FROM JUST A LARGE AMOUNT OF GROWTH IN THE AUSTIN REGION RIGHT NOW.
SO WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS MUCH LAND LEFT TO KIND OF BE A LITTLE PATIENT AND HAVE GOOD PROJECTS HAPPEN.
SO I DON'T THINK THERE'S A HUNDRED PERCENT TRUTH TO THE FACT THAT THAT MULTIFAMILY HAS TO BE IN EVERY PROJECT FOR IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
BUT THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS LIKE AT MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT WHERE IT COULD MAKE SENSE WHO HAS KIND OF THE DATA ON WHAT'S THE RIGHT NUMBER, QUOTE, UNQUOTE OF MULTIFAMILY TO HAVE IN A CITY, OUR SIZE IN THE CITY THAT'S GROWING.
I'M NOT ASKING FOR YOU FOR YOU TO PROVIDE THAT FOR US NOW, BUT WHERE CAN WE GET THAT INFORMATION SO THAT WE'RE MAKING INFORMED AND SMART DECISIONS THAT'S BEST FOR THEM? I THINK IT'S AN STAFF CAN LOOK AT JUST IF MAYBE THERE'S SOME PEER CITIES THAT YOU THINK HAVE DEVELOPED IN A HEALTHY PATTERN THAT'S FISCALLY SUSTAINABLE, AND JUST USE THOSE AS EXAMPLES.
[00:25:01]
UM, YOU CAN KIND OF JUST SEE WHERE THEY WERE AT THIS POINT OF THEIR GROWTH, WHERE THEY ARE NOW AND SEE WHERE WE ARE.AND IF THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO BE.
SO ROBBINS, I'M NOT A PLANNER.
SO SHE MIGHT HAVE A BETTER IDEA THAN ME, BUT I CAN SEE THAT BEING AT LEAST THE FIRST STEP TO KIND OF BENCHMARK WHERE WE ARE.
WELL, WE DON'T WANT Y'ALL TO PUT YOUR HEAD AND HEADS IN A NOOSE AND SAY, WELL, WE THINK THIS WOULD REALLY WORK.
AND THEN EVERYBODY GOES, NOW WE HATE THAT.
AND WE'D LIKE TO KILL YOU TOO, BUT WE ALSO WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK FREELY AND SAY, WE'RE BEING ASKED ABOUT THIS SORT OF STUFF AND WE'RE LOSING STUFF OR WHATEVER.
AND I, AND I REALIZE THAT'S A TIGHT ROPE THAT Y'ALL HAVE TO WALK, BUT, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME TO SOME KIND OF A MEETING TO WHERE Y'ALL CAN AT LEAST SAY WE'RE HAVING SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH THIS AND DISCUSS IT.
THE OTHER THING I HAVE TO ASK YOU IS WE JUST HAD A, UH, THE BIGGEST TRACK OF LAND HERE AND LEANDRA COME ON THE MARKET RECENTLY DOWN HERO'S AWAY.
IS THERE ANYBODY THAT IS SNIFFING AROUND UP HERE FOR THAT? OR IS IT JUST, UM, JUST WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONVERSATIONS, WE CAN'T REALLY DISCLOSE ANYTHING, BUT, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL KEEP YOU UPDATED ON EVERYTHING.
BUT I WILL SAY, I DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS ARE SO OPEN AND I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THE SUPPORT WHERE WE WILL ALWAYS COME TO YOU GUYS AND GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO MAKE A DECISION.
WE APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL FROM YOU.
WELL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, UM, YOU CAN ALWAYS REACH ME ANY OTHER TIMES.
UH, MY CONTACT RIGHT HERE, SO FEEL FREE TO EMAIL OR CALL THEM ALWAYS AVAILABLE.
THEN WITH THAT, WE WILL CLOSE OUR WORKSHOP, ADJOURN.
AND WELCOME TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION FOR THE CITY OF LEANDER REGULAR MEETING.
UH, LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT ALL COMMISSIONERS ARE PRESENT AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.
I'M REPORTING ON ACTION TAKEN BY THE CITY COUNCIL DURING THE JUNE 3RD MEETING ON ITEMS THAT WERE PRESENTED BY THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION.
UM, THE CITY COUNCIL CONDUCTED THE SECOND READING OF THE PEC HERO WAY, SUBSTATION, PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT, AND THEY DID APPROVE IT.
THEY ALSO COMPLETED THE SECOND READING OF THE ENCLAVE AT STEWART CROSSING DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT, AND THEY ALSO APPROVED THAT AND THE LEANDER HEIGHTS, MAYA PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT WAS APPROVED AND THEY HELD THE FIRST, I GUESS THEY DID THE FIRST READING OF THE ORDINANCE FOR THE HOPE ALLIANCE PUD.
UM, THEY CHANGED IT TO ADD SETBACKS.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE A 75 FOOT SETBACK FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEN 150 FOOT SETBACK FROM HALSEY AND THEY'RE PROPOSING TO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO HOUSING.
SO, UM, THE, THE WAY THE PUDS GONNA READ IT, IT'LL SAY NO ACCESS IS REQUIRED UNLESS IT'S A FIRE CODE REQUIREMENT.
AND THEN IT WOULD BE LIKE A CRASH GATE OR AN EMERGENCY ACCESS.
HAVE YOU FOUND OUT YET WHETHER OR NOT THAT'S GOING TO BE A REQUIREMENT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT? SO THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS AGREEABLE TO MAKING IT THAT CONDITION THAT, UM, WHEN IT CAME TO, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BUILDING, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE, IT MIGHT WARRANT A DIFFERENT, UM, ACCESS, BUT THEY SAID THEY COULD DO A CRASH GATE.
SO IT'S NOT ONE THAT WOULD DISTURB THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM WAS THE LEANDER COLLECTIVE PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THEY COMPLETED THE FIRST READING AND THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THAT ONE.
UM, THEY APPROVED IT AND THEY DID ADD A CONDITION THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THE ACCOUNT THE COMMISSION HAD ALSO SUGGESTED, UM, IT WAS THE CONDITION TO REQUIRE THAT THE ROADWAY WAS CONSTRUCTED TO 180 3, UM, BEFORE THEY EXCEEDED 30 UNITS, UM, WITH CERTIFICATES OF OCCUPANCY, UM, THEY ALSO DID THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE HERO WAY PROJECT THAT INCLUDED THE COMMERCIAL ALONG HERO WAY, AND THEN TOWNHOUSES IN THE BACK.
THEY DID APPROVE IT WITH A REDUCED DENSITY.
UM, SO INSTEAD OF COTTAGE HOUSING, THEY APPROVED IT WITH TOWNHOUSE, BUT IT HAD A NINE UNIT PER ACRE LIMIT.
SO IT WAS JUST ONE UNIT MORE THAN COTTAGE HOUSING, AND THEY GET THE SAME STYLE OF DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THEY COMPLETED THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CRYSTAL FALLS VISTA.
THAT WAS THE COMMERCIAL TRACT ON CRYSTAL FALLS, CLOSE TO THE CORNER WITH RONALD REAGAN AND THEY APPROVED THAT ONE.
THEY ALSO APPROVED THE DAVIS HOUSE REZONING.
THAT'S THE OLD PLANNING DEPARTMENT BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET TO THE T FIVE DISTRICT.
UM, THEY POSTPONED ACTION ON THE 4 0 6 HAZELWOOD PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
THAT IS THE ONE THAT'S LOCATED
[00:30:01]
AT, UH, HAZELWOOD AND HORIZON PARK BOULEVARD.THEY POSTPONED ACTION BECAUSE THEY WANTED, UM, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARKING.
THEY FELT LIKE THERE WOULDN'T BE ENOUGH PARKING IF, UM, ANYONE HAD GUESTS OVER BECAUSE IN A NORMAL COTTAGE HOUSING SITUATION, YOU HAVE YOUR TWO GARAGE PARKING SPACES, YOUR DRIVEWAY SPACES AND THERE'S ROOM ON THE STREET TO PARK.
THIS IS A PRIVATE DRIVE THAT DIDN'T OFFER THAT SAME AMOUNT OF SPACE.
SO THEY WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD WORK.
I HAD A LOT OF CASES ON THE AGENDA.
I'M SORRY, I'M GOING TO KEEP GOING.
UM, WE ALSO HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE VALLEY VISTA EAST PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
THAT ONE WAS APPROVED WITH THE CHANGES THAT THE DEVELOPER MADE WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAS REVIEWED BY THE COMMISSION.
UM, ON THE REGULAR AGENDA, WE HAD THE SECOND READING OF THE QUICK TRIP PUD THAT ONE WAS APPROVED.
THAT WAS THE QUICK TRIP AT HERO WAY.
AND 180 3 A, THEY DID THE SECOND READING OF THE BONITA VERDE VILLAS.
THAT WAS, UM, THE, THE PROJECT COMPANY TO VERDE CLOSE TO BAGHDAD ROAD.
UM, THEY DID WORK OUT A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNER TO REQUIRE A EIGHT FOOT FENCE AND NO EGRESS WINDOWS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PROJECT.
SO IT HELPED WITH THE VIEW AND PRIVACY.
UM, THEY APPROVE THE SECOND READING OF THE ENCLAVE AT STEWART CROSSING ZONING CASE.
THIS IS THE ONE THAT WOULD VIEW AND RAIDER WAY, AND THAT IS, UM, IT FROM OUR REPORT.
UM, AT THIS POINT WHEN WE REVIEWED THE MEETING, PROTOCOLS WILL BE UP ON THE BOARD AND CITIZENS' COMMENTS.
WE DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT WISHES TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA, IF NOT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA AS WRITTEN I'LL MOTION TO APPROVE WITH, UH, AN AMENDMENT TO THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING ITEM NUMBER 11 SHOWED THAT IT WAS A MOTION WAS MADE BY COMMISSIONER MAY AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER HAMPTON, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY A MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER HINES AND SECONDED BY MYSELF.
UM, SO JUST WITH THAT ADJUSTMENT, ALL SET, WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER MANN SECOND BY COMMISSIONER.
COSGRAVE ALL IN FAVOR PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
NEXT WE'LL MOVE TO THE REGULAR AGENDA, DISCUSS, UH, DISCUSSION REGARDING ORDINANCE UPDATES ASSOCIATED WITH MASONRY AND PARKING STANDARDS.
LIAM'S LEANDER, WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND WILLIAMSON AND TRAVIS.
SO THIS ITEM, UM, WAS PER THE REQUEST OF THE COMMISSION DURING THE LAST MEETING.
YOU SAID THAT YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT, UM, THE ORDINANCE PROVISIONS AND MAYBE MAKE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR CHANGES.
UM, WE DO HAVE A STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING COMING UP IN JULY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS.
SO I WILL TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK AND INCLUDE THAT IN OUR LIST OF AMENDMENTS TO DISCUSS WITH THE COUNCIL.
UM, WELL I GUESS WE CAN TAKE IT IN TWO PARTS.
WE CAN START OFF WITH THE MASONRY, UM, ISSUE FIRST.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK ON THIS AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE SOMEONE HERE THAT CAN TALK TO THIS, BUT WHAT WAS THE INTENTION OF THE MASONRY DOES, I MEAN, IS IT THE LOOK, IS IT THE DURABILITY? IS IT THE RESELL VALUE, A COMBINATION THEREOF? SO IN, UM, 2005, WHEN THE COMPOSITE ZONING ORDINANCE WAS ADOPTED, UM, THERE WAS A BIG PUSH, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER HINES BROUGHT THIS UP DURING THE LAST MEETING THAT THERE WAS A PUSH FROM THE MASONRY COUNCIL TO HAVE MORE MASONRY.
AND, UM, 2005, WE DIDN'T HAVE AS SOPHISTICATED OF MATERIALS AS WE DO TODAY.
UM, SO THEY DID BEEF UP THE ORDINANCE WHERE THEY HAD, UM, MASONRY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, WE WERE REQUIRING MASONRY ON HIGH-PROFILE ROADWAYS AND WE WERE USING MASONRY AS A HIGHER STANDARD WHEN IT CAME TO PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT.
UM, WE ALSO USED IT AS A HIGHER STANDARD FOR COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, AND AS AN INCENTIVE, WHEN YOU'RE NEXT TO RESIDENTIAL, WE WOULD ALLOW BUILDINGS TO BE CLOSER TO SINGLE FAMILY IF IT WAS A NICER BUILDING.
UM, SO THE, THE RECENT HOUSE BILL THAT WAS ADOPTED, UM, BELIEVE IT WAS 2019, UM, IT FEELS SO RECENT TO ME STILL, BUT IT'S, IT'S BEEN AWHILE.
UM, THAT HOUSE BILL REMOVED OUR ABILITY TO, UM, REQUIRE MASONRY.
AND, UM, THROUGH, THROUGH THAT CHANGE, WE UPDATED ALL OF OUR ORDINANCES TO REMOVE THE MASONRY AS A REQUIREMENT, BUT WE ADDED IT AS AN INCENTIVE.
SO, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE SOME LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS, UM, SOME SETBACK REQUIREMENTS AND INCREASE DENSITY
[00:35:01]
IF THERE WAS ADDED MASONRY TO THE SITE.I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER IRONS.
I, I THINK, I MEAN LAST TIME, WHICH IS THAT I, I DON'T THINK THERE IS A, UM, CONNECTION IN THE QUALITY OF A HOME OF CLOUDING THAT PEOPLE PUT ON THE EXTERIOR, THE HOUSE, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE FACT THAT, UM, IT DOESN'T PROVIDE ANY STRUCTURAL DIFFERENCE, UH, TO THE HOUSE.
SO, YOU KNOW, USING MASONRY AS THIS SORT OF HUGILL TO, UM, YOU KNOW, CONVINCE PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, TO, I MEAN, THE WAY THAT WE'RE USING IT RIGHT NOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPT BEHIND IT.
WE SAY, OKAY, IF YOU WANT, IF YOU INCREASE YOUR DENSITY, YOU HAVE TO PUT MASON ALL OVER YOUR HOUSE.
RIGHT? SO WE SAY THE FIRST PART OF IT MAKES SENSE IF PRESUMABLY THE THINKING WE DON'T WANT AS MUCH DENSITY IN LEFT, SOMEBODY GIVES US SOMETHING BETTER.
THAT SEEMS REASONABLE, BUT STICKING ABOUT A BRICK ALL OVER THE HOUSE, DOESN'T GIVE YOU SOMETHING BETTER.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO DO BETTER THINGS, UM, IF THEY WANT TO INCREASE DENSITY AND WE'RE, UH, PRESUMABLY OKAY WITH INCREASING DENSITY BECAUSE DOING IT NOW THEN, UH, I THINK THAT THE THING THAT WE SHOULD BE ASKING FOR SHOULD PROVIDE A MORE TANGIBLE BENEFIT TO THE CITY.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE EVEN CARE WHAT PEOPLE PUT ON THE ISLAND.
ARE YOU REFERRING TO SOURCE FAMILY, RESIDENTIAL HOUSING? WELL, I BELIEVE THAT THE, UH, WHAT IS IT MRS. GRIFFIN TOWNHOMES, WE ALLOW INCREASE IN DENSITY.
IF YOU GO TO FULL, UM, MASON RECITING, IS THAT RIGHT? THAT'S NOT CORRECT.
IT'S ONLY APARTMENTS THAT IT APPLIES TO OR MULTI-FAMILY ZONING DISTRICTS.
SO JUST, JUST FOR CLARITY SAKE, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO MAKE TWO SEPARATE POINTS.
WHY DO WE CARE? WHAT PUT HARDIEPLANK IN YOUR HOUSE OR LIMESTONE OR BRICK THAT'S POINT NUMBER ONE SECOND IS THE WAY THAT WE'RE USING THE, UM, THE WAY THAT WE'RE USING THE INCENTIVE RIGHT NOW TO SAY, YOU CAN GET DENSER MULTIFAMILY.
IF YOU PUT BRICK ON YOUR MULTIFAMILY BUILDING, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT CONCEPTUALLY EITHER.
I'M SAYING THERE'S SORT OF TWO THINGS THAT WE SHOULD ATTEMPT TO FIX HERE.
ONE IS WHY MAKE ANYBODY PUT BRICK ON THE OUTSIDE OF THEIR BUILDING IF THEY DON'T WANT TO.
AND SECOND IS IF WE'RE GOING TO USE THE INCENTIVE PROGRAMS, LET'S GET SOMETHING THAT'S TANGIBLY BETTER FOR THE CITY THAN STICKING A LIMESTONE VENEER ON THE OUTSIDE OF A BUILDING.
I WAS THERE WHEN A LOT OF THIS WAS DISCUSSED AND OIL BACK IN 2005, IT WAS BASICALLY TO RAISE THE VALUES OF THE HOUSES.
THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF STARTER HOMES THAT SOME PEOPLE HAD FELT WERE NOT CONDUCIVE TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF LIVING IN LEANDER, OR THEY WANTED TO HAVE A MORE EXPENSIVE HOUSES TO BE IS BLONDE.
I'VE ALSO SAT IN ON MULTIPLE MEETINGS BECAUSE I WAS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF, UH, THE LEGAL UNITED, LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS COUNCIL HERE IN LEANDRA FOR 10 YEARS.
AND I TALKED TO MANY, MANY OF THE REPRESENTATIVES AND LULAC, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT AND THE STATE PRESIDENT.
AND IT WAS FELT THAT IT WAS DONE TO BASICALLY, AS THEY SAID, WELL, YOU CAN'T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST US BECAUSE OF COLOR, BUT YOU CAN DISCRIMINATE AGAINST US IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
SO IN ESSENCE, GREEN WAS THE COLOR THAT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT.
AND FOR YEARS, LEANDER WAS INSTILLED IS ON THE RADAR OF THE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS, BECAUSE THEY FEEL SOME OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH DISCRIMINATORY INTENT.
IF YOU SIT THERE AND SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU, UNLESS, YOU KNOW, YOU JUST DON'T HAVE ENOUGH THAT GREEN COLOR.
IT'S JUST, AS THEY SAID, KIND OF HIDDEN SPEECH TO JUSTIFY DISCRIMINATION AND BE AS BLUNT AS POSSIBLE.
I AGREE WITH THEM, THERE ARE CITIES OUT HERE THAT USED TO BRAG.
WE CAN'T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR COLOR, BUT WE CAN DISCRIMINATE AGAINST YOU BECAUSE OF YOUR FINANCIAL
[00:40:01]
STATUS, WHICH IN ESSENCE IS QUITE OFTEN THE SAME THING.I THINK THAT ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THESE MASONRY REQUIREMENTS IS, IS ALTHOUGH WE, WHAT WAS IT? AVERAGE COST OF THE HOUSE WAS A HALF MILLION DOLLARS NOW MEANS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DO THE HEAVY LIFTING CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN LEANDER.
AND AS FOR MYSELF, I'VE SEEN OTHER CITIES THAT HAD BRICK REQUIREMENTS AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED.
THESE HOUSES ARE EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.
AND AS ONE POLITICIAN HERE IN 2005, WHEN I ASKED HIM, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO DO THE HARD WORK AND HEAVY LIFTING, WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO LIVE? AND HIS RESPONSE WAS THEY CAN LIVE IN BERTRAM.
SO I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS WITH OUR MASONRY REQUIREMENTS.
THE OTHER THING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, BUT FOR MASONRY AND I DO AGREE WITH IT IS, IS SOME OF THE HOUSES THAT WERE BUILT WERE BUILT WITH CHEAPER MATERIALS.
AND THERE WAS A WORRY BECAUSE THEY WERE SET SO CLOSE TOGETHER OF FIRE HAZARDS.
SO I DO AGREE THAT SOMETHING LIKE BRICK, LIMESTONE, HARDY PLANK, AND A LOT OF OTHER THINGS AS WELL, WOULD HELP THIS CITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO FIRE CONTROL.
AND I THINK THAT WE SHOULD LOOK INTO THAT AND ADJUST OUR ORDINANCES ACCORDINGLY.
BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO SET OUR ORDINANCES TO GET AROUND THIS HOUSE BILL THAT WAS PASSED IN 2019, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE AND THE LULAC ORGANIZATION AND OTHERS THAT ARE STILL WATCHING THIS TOWN VERY, VERY CLOSELY.
THEY'VE BEEN UP HERE MULTIPLE TIMES AND I'D PROBABLY GET THEM ON THE PHONE WITH THEM ABOUT FIVE MINUTES IF I NEED TO.
AND THEY KNOW THAT SOME OF WHAT'S GOING ON IS WE'RE UTILIZING THESE REGULATIONS TO GET AROUND THIS HOUSE.
BILL 2019, LET'S JUST INCENTIVIZE IT.
LET'S MAKE IT A LITTLE DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO PUT SOMETHING IN, BUT IF YOU'LL DO THIS, THIS AND THIS AND PUT IN LIMESTONE OR BRICK, WE'LL LET YOU DO IT.
IT'S, IT'S WALKING THE LINE AND THAT'S BAD GOVERNMENT RIGHT THERE.
I THINK THAT WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THINGS THAT WILL GIVE US FIRE PROTECTION.
I THINK WE CAN DO THINGS THAT WILL GIVE US A QUALITY PRODUCT.
AND I THINK WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT RAISING THE COST SO HIGH THAT IF YOU CAN'T AFFORD A HALF MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE, YOU CAN'T LIVE IN LEANDER.
MR. HAMPTON ARE THE INCENTIVES.
IS THAT A, UM, CASE BY CASE, OR IS IT IF YOU MEET THIS REQUIREMENT, YOU AUTOMATICALLY GET IT.
IT'S UM, IF YOU MEET THE REQUIREMENT, YOU GET IT.
AND IT'S MOSTLY FOR COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY.
WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE A REQUIREMENT FOR SINGLE FAMILY TO HAVE ANY MASONRY OR ANY INCENTIVES FOR SINGLE FAMILY WHEN IT COMES TO ME.
MY ONLY THING WILL BE TO MAKE A CASE BY CASE, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
UH, THAT'S, THAT'S MY ONLY THING I HAVE SO FAR, MR. COSGROVE.
I, UM, I AM ALL FOR TRYING TO FIND SAFE WAYS TO LOWER THE COSTS OF ENTRY INTO THE MARKET HERE.
UM, WHAT I, WHAT I'M INTERESTED IN SEEING IS AN EXPANSION OF THE TERM MASONRY AS WE USE IT TO INCENTIVIZE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, I THINK OUR, OUR DEFINITION IS STILL QUITE NARROW.
A FEW YEARS AGO, THIS COMMISSION SENT A REQUEST TO, TO THE COUNCIL TO, TO CONSIDER EXPANDING THAT DEFINITION.
I CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT THAT SHOULD HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS GOOD GOVERNANCE.
UM, BECAUSE I AGREE WITH, WITH DR.
STYLES, IF YOU WANT, YOU WANT FIRE SUPPRESSION, THAT'S REASONABLE.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A REASONABLE REQUEST, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT AVAILABLE TODAY THAT AREN'T STONE, THAT AREN'T BRICK THAT CAN ACCOMPLISH THAT.
UM, AND I, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT MR. MEGAN, WHAT'S, WHAT'S OUR MASONRY REQUIREMENTS ON SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING TODAY.
WE DON'T HAVE A MASONRY REQUIREMENT ON SINGLE FAMILY.
SO WE DON'T GIVE INCENTIVES OR WE DON'T HAVE AN INCENTIVE OR ANYTHING.
UM, YOU KNOW, CAUSE TH TH THE RE
[00:45:01]
THE REASON I SAY THAT IS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN, WHEN FOLKS COME IN WITH DIFFERENT PRODUCTS, WHETHER IT BE TELLING HOMES, SMALL HOMES, COTTAGE HOMES, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE ALWAYS HEAR THAT IT'S GOING TO BE A BETTER PRODUCT.IT'S A BETTER PRODUCT, BUT REALLY IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A BETTER PRODUCT.
IT'S JUST A MORE EXPENSIVE PRODUCT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, SO DUTCH STYLES MIGHT BE MORE UP ON THIS THAN I AM.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS A $350,000 MEDIUM HOME PRICE HERE IN LEANDER.
THAT I DON'T SEE THAT AS A BADGE OF HONOR.
I SEE THAT AS A BARRIER TO ENTRY, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA, I GOTTA ASK, UM, OVER THESE LAST FEW MONTHS, WHAT DO I FEEL IS, UM, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, RIGHT? CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S LIKE THE GOVERNMENT DEFINITION AND EVERYTHING.
AND I, AND I SAID, IT'S HOUSING THAT A STARTER FAMILY, A YOUNG COUPLE CAN BUY.
THEY CAN'T DO THAT IN LEANDER.
IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND IT, EVEN, EVEN IF THE, UH, EVEN IF THE, THE, UM, INVENTORY WAS THERE, WE'VE PRICED PEOPLE OUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF I'M, I, I DO AGREE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DEFINITELY NEED TO REDEFINE WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN MAINSTREAM STANDARDS ON SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS.
BUT I THINK IF WE HAD, WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO FIND, UM, THE ABILITY OR, OR MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR NEW STARTER FAMILIES COMING INTO LEANDER.
SO THAT, UH, HONESTLY, I BELIEVE IF WE HAD MORE AFFORDABLE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE SUCH A DEMAND ON THE MULTI-FAMILY.
SO, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER COST GROVE AND WHAT COMMISSIONER HIGHS AND, AND COMMISSIONER STYLES HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, ABOUT, UH, CHANGES THE DEFINITION FOR WHAT, WHAT WE ALLOW IS MASONRY, AS YOU SAID, UM, MS. GRIFFIN, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE MATERIALS ARE MUCH DIFFERENT NOW THAN IT WAS BACK WHEN THE, THE CZO WAS, WAS CREATED.
SO YOU GUYS GOT MY SUPPORT, IF I CAN SHARE JUST A COUPLE MORE THINGS.
AND I THINK YOU RAISED A GOOD POINT, BUT YOU GO BACK TO THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT.
UM, IF THESE DEFINITIONS OF MASONRY ARE WHAT WE'RE USING TO INCENTIVIZE COMMERCIAL, WHAT WE ARE DOING IS WE'RE DRIVING THE COSTS OF PER SQUARE FOOTAGE RENT UP BECAUSE THE DEVELOPERS ARE GOING TO PASS THAT COST ALONG.
AND BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THEIR CAP RATE IS WHAT THEIR CAP RATE HAS TO BE.
AND IF WE'RE LOOKING TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE, WHERE QUALITY, BUSINESSES, QUALITY, SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, OPEN AND THRIVE IN THIS AREA, UM, THERE, ISN'T A LOT OF AFFORDABLE COMMERCIAL SPACE THAT WE DO HAVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, GO, GO LOOK FOR GOLD FOR OFFICE SPACE AND LANDER, AND, AND LET ME KNOW WHAT THE SQUARE FOOT AND DEALER SQUARE FOOTAGE COST IS.
SO, UM, IF WE'RE NOT WILLING TO, I'M GOOD WITH THE INCENTIVATION, UH, BECAUSE I THINK WE WANT QUALITY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT I THINK IF YOU WANT QUALITY SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE CITY, YOU NEED TO EXPAND THAT DEFINITION OF WHAT MASONRY ACTUALLY IS.
YEAH, I GUESS THAT GOES BACK TO MY POINT EARLIER, WHEN I WAS TALKING ABOUT HOUSING, YOU KNOW, A HIGHER QUALITY PRODUCT DOESN'T HAVE TO MEAN A MORE EXPENSIVE PRODUCT, RIGHT.
IT CAN MEAN A MORE EXPENSIVE PRODUCT, BUT DOESN'T HAVE TO MEAN, BUT I THINK WE'VE BEEN USING THAT HIGHER QUALITY AND MORE EXPENSIVE.
IT'S KIND OF, IT'S KIND OF A BUZZ WORD FOR MORE EXPENSIVE.
AND I THINK THERE'S WAY, I THINK THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN DO OR SUGGEST WE CAN'T DO IT, BUT WE CAN SUGGEST TO COUNCIL THAT'LL MAYBE REDUCE THE COST ON, UM, THE POTENTIAL BUSINESS OWNER ON THE DEVELOPER, WHICH THEN IN TURN, REDUCES THE COST TO THE, TO THE CUSTOMERS, BECAUSE THE MORE THEY PAY FOR RENT, ALL THAT MONEY JUST GETS PASSED ON ONTO THEIR CUSTOMERS.
MR. HOLLINS, I JUST WANTED TO THANK COMMISSIONER.
MEHAN HIT THE HEAD ON, I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY THE KEY THINGS, YOU KNOW, 90% OF THE COST OF HOUSES COMES FROM THE THINGS THAT WE REQUIRE THEM TO DO, WHETHER IT COMES FROM THE RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODE, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL TO ALL OF THE RULES THAT WE PUT ON HERE.
SO THERE ARE A LOT OF LEAVERS THAT WE HAVE TO PULL ON AND PUSH ON TO, TO CHANGE THOSE PRICES.
I DID WANT TO TAKE JUST THE TYPES OF SHOW, UM, WITH A POINT THAT'S BEEN SAID, AND I LOVE IT.
I MEAN, YOU DID SAY THAT WE AREN'T INCENTIVIZING RESIDENTIAL WITH, UM,
[00:50:01]
WITH, WITH MASONRY, BUT I MEAN, WE GET THESE RESIDENTIAL PUDS AND PRETTY REGULARLY WHERE WE LIST, YOU KNOW, MASON RECITING AS LIKE A HIGHER STANDARD AS IF THAT'S A NET BENEFIT COMPENSATING FOR SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.AND I MEAN, IT, WOULDN'T YOU SAY THAT THAT IS THE CASE WE DO DO THAT.
WE DO SEE THAT ON RESIDENTIAL PUDS FAIRLY FREQUENTLY.
SO THE PAD ITSELF DOESN'T INCLUDE THE MASONRY REQUIREMENT.
WE'RE USUALLY GETTING A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR THE MASONRY STANDARDS, BUT THEY ALSO OPENED THE DEFINITION UP TO ALLOW FOR THE CEMENT FIBER PLANKING AS A MAINSTREAM MATERIAL.
I'M SO SORRY, YOU'RE SAYING IN THE RESIDENTIAL CODE, IN THE RESIDENT, IN THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION OF THE COMPOSITE ZONING ORDINANCE? NO.
SO THE COMPOSITE ZONING ORDINANCE DOES NOT REQUIRE MASONRY FOR RESIDENTIAL.
WHEN WE GET A PUTT IN, THEY'RE DOING A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT GOES WITH THE PUD AND THAT AGREEMENTS, INCLUDING THE CEMENT FIBER PLANKING AS A MASONRY MATERIAL.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT ANY, I AM NOW THAT WE HAVE RESIDENTIAL PUD SAY HIGHER STINT, THIRD MASONRY RESIDING IN SOME SPORT CONSIDERED IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE CASES.
CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? YOU WERE BREAKING, I THINK THE TINIEST BIT MIXED UP.
I MEAN, BASICALLY I WOULD ANYBODY MIND IF I WENT OFF VIDEO, I THINK THERE'S A BETTER CHANCE OF YOU HEARING ME DROP MY VIDEO.
I'M GOING TO DEDICATE ALL OF MY BANDWIDTH TO THE VIDEO HERE.
UM, SO MRS. GRIFFIN, I'M SO SORRY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY WHAT IT IS.
YOU'RE SAYING MY, MY UNDERSTANDING NOW, BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THAT WHEN WE DO A POD, WHICH INCLUDES RESIDENTIAL, AND WE SAY THAT A HIGHER STANDARD THAT'S BEING PUT INTO THE POT IS MASON RECITING.
YOU'RE SAYING IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS, SOME INCHES FIBERBOARD.
SO HARDY PLANK WOULD COUNT AS MASONRY IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE CASES.
I MEAN, I'D HAVE TO GO REVIEW THE AGREEMENTS.
THERE ARE SOME SITUATIONS LIKE THE ONE YOU SAW RECENTLY, THE FOREST SIX HAZELWOOD, THEY WERE PROPOSING MASONRY AND THEY WERE USING BRICKSTONE OR STUCCO.
UM, BUT THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD ACROSS THE STREET THAT WANTED THE MASTERY.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE, ONE-OFFS, UM, WE HAVE ONE COMING UP IN JULY AND THEY HAVE A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT THAT HAS MYSTERY AND IT REFERS TO SOME INCHES FIBER PLANKING AS A MASONRY MATERIAL.
SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE AGREEMENT AND THE PRODUCT THEY'RE PROPOSING.
SO, I MEAN, YOU'RE, SO YOU'RE THINKING ON NECESSARILY THAT IN EDUCATE, GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS WERE SOME INTEREST FIBER BOARD AS AN OPTION WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING THE WORD MASONRY, GENERALLY SPEAKING, CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? I'M SORRY.
I THINK I GOT THE GIST OF WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, SO I'M JUST GONNA DROP IT THERE.
I'LL JUST KEEP LOOPING FROM HERE FORWARD.
I FOUND A LOT ON THIS AND WHILE I LIKED THE LOOK OF MASONRY AS COMPARED TO, I DON'T KNOW, SHINGLES SIDING, WHICH I DOUBT THAT DID SURVIVE HERE IN TEXAS VERY LONG.
UM, I JUST THINK, UM, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF INCENTIVE WOULD BE A LOT BETTER HERE, UH, WHICH KIND OF GETS US INTO THE SECOND TOPIC IS THE PARKING, MAYBE INCENTIVIZING THEM WITH, UH, ENHANCED PARKING VERSUS, UM, AND ALLOWING THINGS LIKE THE CEMENT BOARD AND THINGS, OTHER THINGS THAT, UM, WOULD STILL GIVE THE QUALITY PRODUCT WITHOUT THE HUGE EXPENSE OF STONE AND BRICK.
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT ENHANCED PARKING IS? I'M SORRY.
UM, RIGHT NOW AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG WERE 1.75 PARKING SPACES PER UNIT, IF IT'S A ONE BEDROOM.
SO ARE YOU, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT APARTMENTS?
SO, SO THE INCENTIVE IS FOR COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
UM, FOR APARTMENTS, I BELIEVE IT'S ONE AND A HALF SPACES PER UNIT.
[00:55:01]
A HALF SPACE PER ADDITIONAL BEDROOM.AND IF THEY WENT TO, UM, HIGHER AMOUNT OF GARAGE, IS IT, THEY HAVE TO HAVE ONE GARAGE CURRENTLY FOR MULTIFAMILY.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE, UM, ONE ENCLOSED GARAGE PER UNIT.
SO W WE EXPANDED MAYBE THAT THEY HAD EXTRAS FOR, I DON'T KNOW, VISITOR PARKING OR, UH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE OF A GREATER BENEFIT THAN SEEING LIMESTONE ON THE SIDE OF HER APARTMENT BUILDING.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THE INCENTIVE WOULD BE, THEY COULD HAVE A HIGHER DENSITY IF THEY HAD MORE PARKING GARAGES, MORE PARKING GARAGES, MORE, UM, OTHER ITEMS THAT WOULD BE OF GREATER BENEFIT TO THE CITY IS WHAT I'M THINKING.
I DON'T SEE THE MASONRY AS THE LARGEST BENEFIT TO THIS.
AND, AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT, AND I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR COMMISSIONER MAY, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S NECESSARILY ADVOCATING FOR MORE GARAGES ITSELF, BUT JUST MORE PARKING IN GENERAL AT A MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT.
SO EVEN THAT WOULD INCLUDE ADDITIONAL SURFACE PARKING.
SO IF THEY WENT TO AN X NUMBER RATIO, THEN THEY COULD GET, YOU KNOW, MORE DENSITY.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IF THEY PROVIDED MORE PARKING, THEY COULD HAVE A HIGHER DENSITY.
SO, UH, AND, AND WHAT, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE RATIO OF PARKING TO UNIT TODAY? I BELIEVE IT'S 1.5 FOR ONE BEDROOM AND 0.5 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL, RIGHT? SO, SO LET'S SAY THEY WENT TO FOUR BEDROOM AND 0.7, FIVE FOR EACH ADDITIONAL BEDROOM, THEN THEY GET TO HAVE A HIGHER DENSITY, YOU KNOW, JUST SOME, SOME BALLPARK, YOU KNOW, WEIRD EXAMPLE LIKE THAT.
I THINK THAT'S MORE, WHAT COMMISSIONER MAY IS, IS GETTING AT THEN ADDING ADDITIONAL GARAGES.
CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY PUT IN THE GARAGE SPACE AND THAT'S NOT REALLY GOING TO SAVE THEM ANY MONEY IF WE HAVE, IF WE MAKE THEM KNOW BILL MORE GARAGES, BUT MAYBE IF WE ALLOW THEM TO HAVE SOME SURFACE PARKING, THAT'LL INCREASE THE DENSITY AS WELL.
AND IT'LL RELIEVE SOME OF THE PARKING CONSTRAINTS OR THE PARKING ISSUES THAT WE HAVE AROUND MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS.
SO NEXT, I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO THE PARKING SIDE.
UM, I'VE HAD SOME PRETTY LONG DISCUSSIONS WITH PEOPLE ON THIS.
UM, HE SAID, I HAD TO SAY IT Y'ALL LIVE IN TEXAS AND WE DRIVE TRUCKS AND THE TYPICAL TRUCKS, SEVEN FEET WIDE AND 19 TO 22 FEET LONG.
SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIT A TRUCK IN A GARAGE.
SO WHEN WE SAY YOU HAVE TO HAVE A TWO CAR GARAGE AND Y'ALL ARE JUST GOING TO RATED IT AGAINST TRUCK OWNERS.
UM, AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DRIVEWAYS, UH, MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HAVING PROBLEMS PARKING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD ARE BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T EVEN PARK THEIR TRUCK IN THE DRIVEWAY BECAUSE IF THEY PUT THE BUMPER ON THE GARAGE DOOR, THERE'S A HANGOVER ONTO THE SIDEWALK.
AND SO THEY COULD GET A PARKING TICKET.
THEY WERE BREAKING THE LAW BY DOING THAT.
UM, SO THE ONLY OPTION IS FOR THEM TO PARK IN THE STREET.
SO THEY HAVE FOUR PARKING SPACES AT THEIR HOUSE, A TWO CAR GARAGE THAT'S TYPICALLY LOADED WITH BOXES BECAUSE NOTHING ELSE, THEY CAN'T PUT THE TRUCK IN THERE.
THEY CAN'T PUT THE TRUCKS IN THE DRIVEWAY AND THEY HAVE TO PUT TWO TRUCKS OUT IN THE STREET.
THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM IN OUR CITY.
UM, IT TWICE IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE CONNECTED TO A HOUSE BECAUSE OF STREET PARKING CHILDREN OFTEN CAN'T BE SEEN FROM ALL THE CARS ON THE STREET.
THEY GO IN BETWEEN THE CARS AND I I'VE BEEN AFRAID OF HITTING A CHILD WHEN IT COMES TO PARKING ENFORCEMENT, UH, FROM THE HR SIDE OF THE PARK HERE, I DON'T WANT TO ENFORCE IT.
THEY, THEY, THE ANYTIME THE HOA TRIES TO ENFORCE ANYTHING, THEY GET HUGE BACK.
UM, WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE OUR POLICE FORCE A BUNCH OF PARKING.
WHAT DO THEY CALL IT? THE, UH, PARKING ATTENDANTS OR WHATEVER, WHEREVER YOU WANT TO CALL THEM.
UM, THE BLOCKING OF SIDEWALKS, UH, WHEN THEY'RE PARKING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET, WE HAVE 22 FEET STREETS IS TYPICAL FOR A SUBDIVISION, BUT I MEAN, EVEN AT A, A SEVEN FOOT TRUCK ON BOTH SIDES AND YOU CAN PARK WITHIN 18 INCHES OF THE CURB.
SO YOU CAN ADD THREE MORE FEET.
[01:00:01]
IF YOUR VEHICLE IS A, A TRUCK AND IT'S SEVEN FEET WIDE, YOU HAVE SIX INCHES ON EITHER SIDE DEATH.UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LAYOUT, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN'T PARK IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSE BECAUSE THERE'S FIRE HYDRANTS SIDE, UM, CROSSING, WALKS, STOP SIGNS, OTHER DRIVEWAYS.
AND WHEN WE HAVE PARTIES, UM, KIDS MOVING BACK HOME, WHICH IS, UH, BECOME A LOT MORE COMMON DURING THE PANDEMIC, MULTIPLE TENANTS LIVING IN A HOME.
AND THIS HAS BEEN A SIDE EFFECT OF COVID AS WELL, WHERE PEOPLE HAVE A CHOICE OF BEING HOMELESS OR MOVING IN WITH A FRIEND.
UH, AND OFTENTIMES THERE'LL BE MORE THAN FIVE CARS TO A SINGLE HOUSE.
PEOPLE WITH WORK TRUCKS OR RUN A BUSINESS FROM THEIR HOME ARE ALSO FACING THIS SAME SITUATION.
UM, AND SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT THE ACTUAL DRIVEWAY SPACE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN WANT TO FORCE BUILDERS TO BUILD A LARGER GARAGE.
I KNOW THAT'S FOUR FEET OF EXTRA ON A GARAGE TO GET IT TO 24 FEET WOULD BE A HUGE EXPENSE, BUT THAT'D BE A REDESIGN OF THEIR PLANS.
AND WITH THE SPACING OF DRIVEWAYS, THAT THAT COMES FROM THE SMALLER LOT SIZES.
SO THAT WOULD MEAN YOU WOULDN'T BE APPROVING 40 FOOT WIDE LOTS.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT A DRIVEWAY IS MINIMUM 18 FEET WIDE.
UM, SO THERE WOULDN'T BE THAT THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THAT PROBLEM'S COMING FROM WITH THE SPACING.
SO THE SOLUTION WOULD BE NOT TO HAVE THE SMALLER LOTS.
IF YOU WANT IT ON THE STREET, IF YOU GO FROM THE SIDEWALK TO THE GARAGE, IF YOU HAD 24 FEET MINIMUM THERE, THEY COULD PARK A TRUCK IN YOUR DRIVEWAY.
THEN YOU'LL MAKE THE LOTS DEEPER.
SO THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR A LONGER DRIVEWAY.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A DRIVEWAY THAT'S AT LEAST 18 FEET DEEP TO HOLD A CAR.
SO IT'D BE UPDATING THAT KIND OF STANDARD, BUT THAT WOULD PROBABLY IMPACT, UM, THE, THE LOT ARE YOU SAYING THE MINIMUM DEPTH OF A DRIVEWAY IS BETWEEN THAT THAT'S OUR MINIMUM.
WELL, YOU CAN PARK YOUR TRUCK AND YOU CAN THINK TB FORD TRUCKS ARE 22 FEET LONG.
THE FOUR CAB, A STANDARD TRUCK IS 22 FEET LONG, AND MOST OF THEM ARE 19.6 FEET TO 22 FEET.
I HAVE, I HAVE A, I HAVE A F150.
JUST FINE, BUT I'LL SET UP YOUR, YOUR ANSWER.
UM, THOSE FOUR, MAYBE THEY CHANGED.
I DON'T, I DON'T CONSIDER THOSE FOUR CABS TO BE TRUCKS.
ANYWAY, THEY'RE JUST, THEY'RE JUST BIG CARS WITH A, YOU KNOW, AN EL CAMINO BED.
I MEAN, I THEN PERHAPS IT IS THAT IF, IF YOU'RE CORRECT CHAIR, THEN WE MAY HAVE TO ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT 18 FEET TONIGHT.
I MEAN, YOU, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GO OUT AND, UH, SET BY 180 3 FOR 15 MINUTES AND COUNT THE AMOUNT OF TRUCKS THAT GO BY AS COMPARED TO CARS.
UH, I RECENTLY BOUGHT A NEW CAR AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE CRITERIA WHEN I WAS BUYING THE CAR WAS A, WILL IT FIT IN MY GARAGE AND B WILL IT FIT MY DRIVEWAY.
UM, AND I WAS SURPRISED ON HOW LIMITED I WAS TO THE AMOUNT OF VEHICLES I COULD PURCHASE BECAUSE OF THE LENGTH OF MY DRIVEWAY AND THE SIZE OF MY GARAGE.
OH, I DEFINITELY GOT THE GARAGE.
I DON'T SEE HOW WE GET TWO CARS IN THERE, BUT THAT, UM, COMMISSIONER, MAN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD? YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S NOT THAT OUR DRIVEWAYS ARE TOO SMALL.
MAYBE OUR STREETS ARE TOO SMALL.
NO, I HAD THAT CONVERSATION WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN AND I ASKED FOR US, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, W WHEN YOU'VE GOT A 28 FOOT STREET AND YOU'VE GOT TWO CARS PARKED ON THAT, IT ESSENTIALLY BECOMES A ONE-WAY STREET.
YOU KNOW? CAUSE I ASKED ABOUT SPEED LIMITS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND HE GOES, WELL, I HOPE THAT THE PARKING SLOWS PEOPLE DOWN.
THE HOPE IS NOT A PLAN, RIGHT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT SUNNY DRIVE, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEING USED AS A THROUGH, BUT, UH, BUT SUNNY DRIVE IS HUGE, RIGHT? THAT'S PEOPLE HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE TO PARK ON THE SIDES BECAUSE YOU
[01:05:01]
STILL GOT TWO WAY TRAFFIC FLOW GOING THROUGH THERE OR MUNICIPAL.RIGHT? YOU GOT, YOU GOT A BIKE LANE AND PEOPLE FOR, UH, FOR ONE SIDE OF THE STREET, THE PARK AND TWO WAY TRAFFIC.
I THINK, I THINK MAYBE OUR RESIDENTS OR STREETS ARE JUST TOO SMALL.
GO TRY AND GET BY SOUTH BROOK, JUST DRIVE ON SOUTH BROOKE.
AND THAT'S NOTHING WE CAN RETROFIT THE CITY, BUT WE ALSO KILL A RICHARD FIT THE HOUSES THAT ARE IN THE CITY WITH IT AS WELL.
I'M JUST SAYING, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR STREETS AND, AND WHAT WE ALLOW, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS OUR ROADWAYS GO.
UM, I MEAN, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO AS FAR AS DRIVEWAYS, W WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE ROADWAYS AS WELL? WHAT'S YOUR GUYS' ROOM? I'VE GOT ALL MY, MY EDITORIAL COMMENTS OUT.
I CONCUR WITH COMMISSIONER MAY, MAN.
MY ISSUE IS THE, IN THE RESIDENTIAL STREETS, WHEN YOU HAVE THAT, UH, IT BOWS OUT AND GOES BACK IN, I THINK THAT'S USED TO SLOW PEOPLE DOWN, BUT THAT'S AS TERRIBLE.
WE HAVE EVERYBODY PARKED ALONG AND THEN YOU HAVE TWO CARS COMING.
IT'S LIKE, WHO'S GOING TO MOVE OVER.
SO THE OTHER ONE CAN GET THROUGH.
I HAVE A CLIENT THAT CAME IN ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, SHE'S DISABLED, AND SHE HAS THREE BEDROOM HOUSE AND SHE HAS THREE ROOMMATES.
SHE HAS A PERSON THAT LIVES ACROSS THE STREET FROM HER THAT HAS NINE VEHICLES.
AND QUITE OFTEN, HE PARKS WHERE THEY CAN'T GET THEIR VEHICLES IN, OR THEY CAN'T HAVE ANYBODY PARKED ON THE STREET.
AND I THINK WE, AS YOU SAID, DON'T WANT TO BE METER MAIDS, BUT I THINK THERE IS A LIMIT TO HOW MANY CARS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO POSSESS IN A HOUSE FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT IF YOU'VE GOT A THREE BEDROOM HOUSE AND YOU GOT NINE CARS, YOU'RE TAKING UP SPACE ON THE STREET FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND I THINK WE CAN CERTAINLY BE FAIRLY VAGUE ABOUT HOW MANY YOU CAN HAVE, BUT I THINK THERE'S ALSO A POINT WHERE YOU HAVE CROSSED THE BOUNDARY FROM BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR INTO KIND OF PUSHING THE LIMITS A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH.
SO I THINK WE OUGHT TO LOOK IN THAT AS WELL, OBVIOUSLY, THAT WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO GET FOUR CARS INTO THE TWO CAR GARAGES AND THE TWO ON THE DRIVEWAY WITH CERTAIN EXCEPTIONS.
BUT AFTER THAT, IF YOU'VE GOT FIVE MORE CARS TO PARK ON THE STREET, YOU'RE IMPINGING ON YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT ADJUST YOUR NEIGHBORS, BUT THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE SHOULD LOOK ON LIMITING CARS TO A REASONABLE AMOUNT.
AND THAT'S ALL I'VE GOT ON THIS FOR RIGHT NOW, MR. HOLMES, I'LL JUST PICK UP NARROWER STREETS DOWN YIELD STREET WHEN DOWN, UM, UH, WIDE STREETS MAKE FASTEST.
THIS IS STATISTICALLY SHOWN OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
UH, BIG TRUCKS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW.
DO WE WANT TO BUILD OUR ENTIRE CITY AROUND ONE PARTICULAR TYPE OF USER THAT WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE FOR IN EVERY SINGLE SITUATION? I DON'T THINK SO.
GO AHEAD, MR. DAVID QUESTION, HOW MUCH IS THE, IS THE TICKET? IF YOU, YOU KNOW, ROB SCRIPTING, I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A TICKET IN THE CITY OF LEANDER.
THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS PUT A BURDEN ON THE BUILDERS HAVING TO BUILD A 24 FOOT GARAGE OR EXTRA MONEY INTO BUILDING THE DRIVEWAYS UNNECESSARILY.
AND IF ONE OUT OF 20 PEOPLE OWNED A TRUCK, UM, I THINK WE COULD LAUGH IT OFF AND SAY, WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE HERE.
UM, BUT I, I THINK I SAW SOMETHING ON TV OR READ IT ON THE INTERNET RECENTLY THAT 44% OF THE VEHICLES IN TEXAS ARE TRUCKS AND VIRTUALLY EVERYBODY THAT, UH, WORKS, UH, WHETHER THEY'RE BUILDING HOUSES OR THEY'RE MOWN LAWNS OR WHATEVER, THEY HAVE A TRUCK.
UM, FOR ME, IT DIDN'T REALLY MATTER.
I GOT A SMALLER CAR, SO IT, BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE, BUT IT, IT HAD, IT'S BECOME AN ISSUE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN REALLY ANGRY ABOUT IT, THAT IT'S DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO GET IN AND OUT OF THEIR DRIVEWAY.
[01:10:02]
UH, I, I, I COULD GO ON FOR HOURS WITH THE STORIES OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT IT, BUT I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO ADDRESS, UM, THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO PARK THEIR VEHICLES AT THEIR HOUSE.MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF OVERFLOW PARKING AREAS FOR NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO IF THEY HAD A PARTY OR THEY HAVE EXTRA CARS WHERE, YOU KNOW, W LIKE MR. SAL SAID, IF, IF THEY HAD NINE CARS THAT MAYBE THERE'S SOME OVERFLOW PARKING, I, I'M NOT SURE OF THE ANSWER HERE.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS TURN OUR POLICE FORCE INTO PARKING ENFORCEMENT.
UM, WE, WE NEED TO DRESS MR. CHAIRMAN.
I DID NOT MEAN TO OVER YOU, BUT JUST A REALLY QUICK THING.
UM, TRUCKS HAVE GOTTEN A LOSS A LOT BIGGER IN THE LAST 20 YEARS, RIGHT.
THEY MAY CONTINUE TO GET BIGGER FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
AND I, I JUST, IT FEELS LIKE A VERY SCARY IDEA TO BE TALKING ABOUT BUILDING OUR CITY AROUND SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, NEEDS MAY CHANGE IN 15 YEARS.
I MEAN, I THINK THE AVERAGE CAR TURNS OVER IN 15 YEARS, SO IT JUST, IT FEELS LIKE A SCARY THING TO SUGGEST OVERFLOW PARKING.
THAT'S A NEAT IDEA, BUT SEE HOW MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHO DRIVE TRUCKS WOULD BE WILLING TO WALK TWO BLOCKS TO THE LITTLE POCKET OF DEEPER PARKING, UH, BEFORE THEY CAME HOME.
I'M NOT SURE HOW REALISTIC THAT IS.
I KNOW OF SEVERAL FAMILIES THAT HAVE TO PARK ON ANOTHER BLOCK BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH STREET PARKING ON THEIR BLOCK.
SO THEY GO IN AND PARK ON THE NEXT BLOCK OVER AND WALK HOME.
UM, AND AGAIN, I, I THINK THERE'S A HAPPY MEDIUM HERE.
THE, WE, WE HAVE TO ACHIEVE, UM, IF WE, UM, LIKE I SAID, UH, UH, A 40 FOOT A LOT, IT MAKES IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO PLACE A HOUSE ON IT AND HAVE A 24 FOOT DRIVEWAY, UNLESS YOU HAVE A TWO FOOT BACKYARD.
SO MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THE HOMES THAT WE'RE BUILDING THE SIZE OF THE LOTS.
UM, AND, UH, GLISI ABILITY IF A PERSON DOES HAVE A TRUCK THAT THEY CAN PARK IT ON YOUR PROPERTY.
AND I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY HAS A TRUCK.
WOULD IT BE ABLE TO RECONFIGURE THE WAY WE CAN PUT DRIVEWAYS INTO CERTAIN LOTS, OBVIOUSLY A 40 FOOT LOT.
DOESN'T LEAVE US A LOT OF ROOM, BUT WE HAVE LOTS THAT ARE NOT 40 FOOT.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO PUT A DRIVE A LOOP DRIVE THROUGH THE FRONT? I REALIZED IN A SMALL LOT, THAT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER, BUT, UH, THERE'S CERTAINLY GOT TO BE WAYS WE CAN REFIT RE CONFIGURE DRIVEWAYS.
AND FOR THAT MATTER GARAGES TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFECTIVE AND POSSIBLY HOLD MORE, ESPECIALLY ON LOTS THAT ARE BIGGER AND 40 OR 50 FEET WIDE.
IT'S CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO GET US OUT OF THIS, BUT IT'S, IT'S A STAMP.
WE DO, UM, USE THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL, AND IT DOES ALLOW FOR THAT TYPE OF DRIVEWAY.
I THINK THEY CALL IT A GOVERNOR DRIVEWAY.
UM, BUT MOST OF OUR LOTS ARE NOW FIFTIES AND FORTIES, AND IT DOESN'T WORK LIKE YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE TWO CONNECTIONS.
AND WITH THE DRIVEWAY IN TWO TREES, I THINK I HAVE LIKE LITTLE SPLOTCHES OF SIX FEET HERE AND THERE.
UH, I DON'T THINK YOU COULD FIT A GOVERNOR DRIVE WOULD BE IF YOU WANT TO COME UP TO THE MICROPHONE.
JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS.
AND CAN YOU TOUCH THE MICROPHONE BUTTON RIGHT AT THE BASE OF THE MICROPHONE? IS THAT IT? SO MY NAME IS JACOB
I LIVE ON 2,105 MAPLEWOOD DRIVE HERE IN LANDER, TEXAS.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT FOR A SMALLER LOSS.
I KNOW THAT, UH, DIVINE, LIKE PHASE ONE CONSTRUCTED A CERTAIN STYLE THAT PUT THE GARAGES IN THE BACK.
SO YOU HAVE KIND OF, IT LOOKS LIKE ALMOST LIKE A TOWNHOME IN THE FRONT.
AND YOU GOT A VERY LONG DRIVEWAY THAT ALLOWS FOR MULTIPLE CARS TO PARK ON
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THAT DRIVEWAY.THAT MAY BE A SOLUTION FOR SMALLER LOTS JUST SUGGESTED THAT WAS THE ALLEY MOVING ALONG.
NO, SO THEY, THEY STARTED WITH ALLIE AND THEN WE DID AN AMENDMENT TO THE PUD TO ALLOW THIS, BUT IT TUCKED THE GARAGE IN THE BACK OF THE HOUSE.
UM, I THINK THE CONCERN I WOULD SEE IS IF YOU HAVE A SMALLER WITH LOT, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ROOM TO PUT A DRIVEWAY NEXT TO A HOUSE.
SO IT MIGHT MAKE YOUR HOUSE NARROWER.
BUT IF IT'S A PRODUCT TYPE, WE DON'T HAVE A PROHIBITION AGAINST THAT.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THEY COULD DO.
AND I THINK DIVINE LAKE HAS SMALLER LOTS.
UH, SO DIVINE, LIKE HAS, I BELIEVE THOSE ARE 40 FOOT LOTS ON THAT PHASE ONE.
SO IT'S LIKE A DETACHED GARAGE THAT TAKES AWAY THAT FRONT.
AND YOU GOT A VERY LONG DRIVEWAY THAT LOADS OF THE HOUSE FOR MULTIPLE VEHICLES TO BE PARKED IF NECESSARY.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES HERE.
ARE YOU GONNA, ARE YOU GOING TO PUT SOMETHING TOGETHER TO COME BACK TO US TO KIND OF VOTE ON IF WE APPROVE BEFORE IT GOES TO COUNCIL? I CAN DO THAT FOR SURE.
I'M GOING TO DO IS KINDA COLLECT ALL THE POINTS YOU ALL HAVE MADE.
AND THEN AT THE NEXT MEETING, MAYBE YOU COULD KIND OF MAKE A MOTION THAT WE COULD PROVIDE.
SO IT'S NOT GIVING THE COUNCIL FIVE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS THAT AREN'T CONSISTENT.
AND, UM, YOU AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY, AND I KNOW IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT, BUT I'D LIKE FOR IT TO COME BACK AT LEAST AND TALK ABOUT, UH, CHANGING THE ORDINANCE SO THAT A VOTE BY P AND Z REQUIRES A SUPER MAJORITY TO OVERTURN WITH THE COUNCIL.
SO I I'D ASKED YOU IF THAT WAS A CHARTER THING AND YOU SAID, NO, THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ORDINANCE THING AND THAT WE COULD SUGGEST THAT TO COUNCIL.
SO I'D REALLY LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT TO COUNCIL SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE APPROVE OR DENY A REQUEST, THAT IT REQUIRES A SUPER MAJORITY TO OVERTURN WHAT P AND Z STATES, WHICH ACTUALLY WOULD GIVE US MEANING A LITTLE BIT MORE MEANING IF YOU, IF YOU'RE ASKING ME, SO, WHAT I CAN DO IS, UM, WHEN I PROVIDE THIS LIST AT THE NEXT MEETING, I'LL INCLUDE THAT.
SO THERE'LL BE AN ITEM ON AGENDA.
SO YOU COULD ACTUALLY MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION.
MA'AM IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I'D LIKE COMMISSIONER CONS GROVE WHEN Y'ALL MADE THE RECOMMENDATION FOR MASONRY AND THE OTHER THINGS? WHAT, WHAT DID IT SAY? AND I, I UNDERSTAND IF I ASK YOU TO BE SPECIFIC THAT YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT, BUT IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF SUM UP WHAT Y'ALL DID, SANDRA, WHAT WENT DOWN.
SO, SO THIS WAS BEFORE 2019, SO WE STILL HAD THE MASON AND REQUIREMENT FOR EVERYTHING.
AND, AND OUR RECOMMENDATION WAS TO, IT WAS DEFINITELY TO INCLUDE HARDY.
AND I THINK THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER PRODUCTS AND DR.
SILAS, FORGIVE ME, I DON'T REMEMBER THE SPECIFICS, BUT, BUT, BUT WE, WE WERE EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF WHAT MASONRY WAS UNDER OUR ORIGIN.
SO DIDN'T THAT LEAD TO THAT, UM, PATTERN BOOK, WHERE WE WERE GOING TO FOCUS MORE ON THE DESIGN.
SO IT SUPPORTED CRAFTSMEN STYLE HOMES AND FARMHOUSE.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO, TO PHRASE IT DIFFERENTLY.
IT WAS TO EXPAND PEOPLE, BEING ABLE TO DO, UM, DIFFERENT THINGS WITH MASONRY AND TO BURY THE LOOK OF, OF HOMES IN THE WITHIN DEVELOPMENTS.
AND, UM, AND SOMEHOW THING THAT, THAT GOT CORRUPTED INTO, UM, WE'RE DICTATING, YOU KNOW, THE STYLE OF HOUSE YOU HAVE TO BUILD.
AND, AND, AND THE INTENT WAS TO EXPAND THE RANGE OF HOUSES THAT PEOPLE COULD BUILD AND STILL DO QUALITY PRODUCTS.
WHEREAS THE BEST I GOT, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO PROBABLY COME UP WITH AFTER TWO TO THREE YEARS.
ANYTHING ELSE? THIS POINT WE WILL ADJOURN.