City Council Notes — June 2009

City Council Notes — June 2009

By Patrick Brendel Friday, 12 June 2009

Conservation easements

Land preservation agreements were authorized by Austin City Council for the acquisition of two conservation easements consisting of approximately 1,900 acres of land located in the Barton Springs Recharge Zone. The agreement, in partnership with Hays County and the Hill Country Conservancy, will protect natural areas, preserve open space and maintain or enhance water quality.

Accelerate Austin

The first two Accelerate Austin projects, a major transportation initiative aimed at not only fixing local roads but jumpstarting Austin’s economy, were launched April 23. These include a street reconstruction project in the Oak Plantation subdivision of south Austin and a road design and construction project connecting Howard Lane and Cameron Road to Toll 130 in north Austin.

Accelerate Austin will bring forward $69.1 million in road improvement projects ahead of schedule in the next 18 months.

Street closures

An amended ordinance approved by the Austin City Council April 30 requires that event coordinators communicate details of street closures to businesses and residents in the affected area. If 20 percent or more of those notified express concerns, the proposed closures will be evaluated before city council in a public hearing. The Urban Transportation Commission will now be the appeal body that will accept complaints and review rules surrounding street closures during downtown parades, festivals and events.

County Commissioners order $1.5 million downtown facilities master plan

By a vote of 4-0, the Travis County Commissioners Court approved a $1.5 million contract with Austin consultants Broaddus & Associates to develop a master plan for Travis County facilities downtown. Commissioner Ron Davis abstained from voting due to worries about the cost of the study.

The county has only appropriated money for the first of two phases of the contract, amounting to about $700,000. Phase one will begin June 1 and end by February 2010. If commissioners do not like how the study is going, they have the option not to fund phase two, which is scheduled to be finished by December 2010.

“This commitment will increase the quality of life for our employees in the Central Business District, as well as the experience of the public in seeking out services from the county,” Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt said.

Phase one will consist of a comprehensive, long-term needs assessment for the county through 2035. Phase two involves a strategic facilities master plan to meet those needs.

Christian Smith, special assistant to the Commissioners Court and former head of the county’s planning and budget department said land the county owns downtown is underutilized.

“Looking at the map of county-owned land, it is not obvious where to put what is needed,” Smith said. “And if it were obvious we would have done it a while ago.”

Brack Tract consultants: “move housing”

University of Texas consultants are recommending that UT move its two graduate student housing complexes out of the Brackenridge Tract and east of MoPac. To accommodate the increase in traffic due to tract redevelopment, the consultants also favor building two ramps to improve traffic flow onto MoPac, they announced to the public during information sessions held May 20.

The Brackenridge (315 units) and Colorado (200 units) apartments would be razed, along with the 200-unit Gateway Apartments located on 26 acres of university-owned land between Sixth and Tenth streets. An 825-unit graduate student housing complex would be built where Gateway now stands, according to the recommendations.

The future of Lions Municipal Golf Course, Austin’s oldest public golf course, was not included in the presentation.

To view the PowerPoint presentation by Cooper, Robertson and Partners (as well as video of the public session), visit www.utbracktract.com.

On June 18 consultants will present two conceptual master plans to the UT Board of Regents, who will receive the plans but take no action. The meeting is open to the public and will take place at Ashbel Smith Hall, 201 W. 7th St. The Brack Tract portion of the meeting will begin at 1 p.m.

For expanded coverage of the Brackenridge Tract, visit more.impactnews.com/2518.

Upcoming Austin City Council meetings

• June 18
• Sessions begin at 10 a.m.
• 301 W. Second St.
• Meetings are broadcast on municipal TV cable channel 6 and on 88.7 FM radio, starting at 1:30 p.m. Meetings are streamed live on the channel 6 website, www.ci.austin.tx.us/channel6. Visit www.ci.austin.tx.us/council for more information, including transcripts, schedules, agendas and archived video.

Upcoming Travis County Commissioners Court meetings

• June 16, 23, 30 and July 7
• Sessions begin at 9 a.m.
• 314 W. 11th St.
• The public is welcome in the courtroom, or may choose to watch a live broadcast of the proceedings on TCTV-17 or view streaming video on the web at www.co.travis.tx.us/commissioners_court/. Archived video files, agendas and schedules are also available online.