2005
1/5/05
The ZC heard a presentation from the architects and developers of the proposed 1400 South Congress project, which would redevelop the block bounded by South Congress, Eva Street, Elizabeth Street and Gibson Street. The ZC discussed the project and decided to further discuss and analyze the project at future ZC meetings.
1/6/05
The ZC heard a presentation about the expansion of the 7 restaurant on South Congress, including a re-striping of the parking lot behind Texas French Bread. No ZC action was required or taken.
The ZC heard a presentation about a new farm-to-market grocery in the Camera Coop space on South Congress, just south of the 7 restaurant expansion. No ZC action was required or taken.
The ZC reviewed the site plans for the proposed development at 1400 South Congress on the Guero's block, continuing the discussion from the 1/5/05 meeting. No ZC action was taken.
1/12/05
The ZC met to further discuss the 1400 South Congress project and to build a scale model of the project for presentation at the public meeting on the proposed project organized by the developers on 1/13/05.
1/27/05
The ZC heard a presentation on a request for zoning change to allow beer and wine sales in a coffee house at 909 West Mary at the intersection of South 5th Street. After discussion, the ZC recommended to the Steering Committee that the BCNA oppose the variance request at this time, that the BCNA express its support of the project to the business and property owners, that the BCNA express its concerns about late hours of operation and about alcohol sales in connection with late hours of operation, that the BCNA recommend to the business and property owners that the business operate without alcohol sales for six months to allow the neighborhood to experience the business operation, that the BCNA would reconsider the zoning variance request after the business was operating for six months of business operation and that the BCNA tell the business and property owners that this approach has been successfully used before in the neighborhood.
2/10/05
The ZC heard a presentation from the developer of the Treehouse property - southwest corner of Barton Springs and Dawson Street. The developer asked the ZC if the BCNA would consider supporting or not opposing a height variance from the Town Lake Overlay height restrictions under any set of circumstances. The ZC discussed the questions and decided to discuss the question with neighbors living closest to the proposed development.
2/17/05
The ZC met with neighbors living close to the proposed development at the corner of Barton Springs and Dawson Street to discuss the question posed by the developer at the 2/10/05 ZC meeting: Would the BCNA consider supporting or not opposing a height variance from the Town Lake Overlay restrictions under any set of circumstances. After discuss with the close-by neighbors and a report of discussion with other close-by neighbors, the ZC decided that the BCNA would oppose any height variance on the Treehouse property because of the potential precedent for other properties subject to the Town Lake Overlay requirements. The ZC also decided to make inquiry to the City of Austin regarding the approval of the site plan for the Treehouse property with specific emphasis on the interpretation of cut and fill on the site.
2/24/05
The ZC heard a presentation by Jim Witliff, agent for the owners of 801 West Oltorf, regarding a request for a change in zoning from SF-3 (residential) to MU-LO (mixed use limited office). After further discussion, the ZC voted to recommend opposition to the change in zoning because of specific BC neighborhood plan provisions calling for continued residential use on that section of Oltorf and because of opposition to the change in zoning from 15 close-by neighbors.
The ZC finalized a survey of residents in the vicinity of West Mary and South Fifth regarding beer and wine sales at Cafe Caffeine at 909 West Mary.
3/10/05
The ZC discussed the following items:
- A challenge to the site plan approval for the Treehouse project;
- Off-site parking for the 1123 South Congress project;
- Possible violations of the construction project directly behind the South Austin Cafe at 1600 South Congress; and
- Formal role and procedures for the Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Oversight Committee
No formal actions were taken by the ZC
3/17/05
The Zoning Committee met on 3/17/05 and discussed a proposal for BCNA by-law changes to provide specific guidance on the role and operation of the Zoning and Neighborhood Plan Oversight Committee. Members agreed to present a proposal to the Steering Committee with two options for membership criteria and voting rights.
The ZC also discussed the deck construction at 1600 South Congress and considered ways for the BCNA to express its concern with the project and the apparent action of the owners to ignore building code requirements.
The ZC also discussed how to express the BCNA's opposition to the interpretation of cut and fill in the approved site plan for the Treehouse site at Barton Springs and Dawson Street that allows a 38 foot starting height for a property that slopes from 0 to 38 feet.
3/24/05
The Zoning Committee heard a presentation from the owners/developers of a restaurant at 1123 South Congress, the site of the former Doc's Motorworks. ZC members asked several questions related to off-site parking for the project across South Congress at the School for the Deaf. The owners/developers described the free valet parking they plan for the TSD parking in addition to approximately 16 parking spaces on-site. The owners/ developers urged the neighborhood to let the owners know of problems that may arise and pledged to work with the neighborhood to address any problems. There was no action for the ZC to take related to this project because there is an approved site plan and no variance requests.
The ZC discussed violation enforcement on a recently-constructed deck behind the South Congress Café at 1600 South Congress.
The ZC heard a presentation by the owners/developers of the block bounded by Eva, Gibson, South Congress and Elizabeth - the Guero's project. The owners have modified the project to have parking lot entrance from South Congress and Elizabeth Street and exit onto Elizabeth Street instead of from and onto Eva Street as in the original proposal. Residential parking access remains on Eva Street. Other changes included elimination of the five story building north of Guero's, a three-story building instead of a one-story restaurant only at Gibson and South Congress, elimination of the Vulcan Video / Ecowise portion of the site from the current plan and reduction in height of the parking garage to 1 and ½ stories from the original 3 to 4 stories. With the exception of the height variance for the building eliminated in the new plan, the variance requests remain the same as for the original project - zero setbacks, change of use for greater-than-acre site and height variances for the condos. The variance hearing is set for April 11 and the ZC discussed recommendations to the BCNA Steering Committee.
3/31/05
The ZC discussed the latest proposal from the developers at 1400 South Congress. The ZC learned that the developers has made the following changes in response to neighborhood concerns:
- The vast majority of traffic - non-residential - is moved off of Eva Street
- The four-story, 40-foot height of the parking garage façade facing Eva Street is reduced to two stories facing Eva Street for ten years from project ground breaking.
- The height of the condo facing Eva Street is lowered to comply with compatibility standards.
- The elevator shaft on Eva Street is moved to the alley
The ZC voted to recommend to the SC that the BCNA support the revised project, including four variance requests:
- A zero-setback on Gibson Street for Building C
- A height variance up to 11 feet for Building C
- A zero setback on Congress for Building B
- A change of use for a lot size greater than one acre
The ZC also discussed a rezoning request at 801 West Oltorf in the Galindo neighborhood.
4/14/05
The Zoning Committee met to with the owner of South Congress Cafe at 1600 South Congress to talk about the new deck and continue discussion of how the BCNA can express its concern with the project and the apparent inaction of the owners in regards to building code requirements.
The ZC also discussed the developments at Doc's Motorworks at 1123 South Congress regarding the site plan for remote parking being reworked.
The ZC is going to working on getting more information from the city about the parking behind "7" and the new grocery store on Congress.
2006
3/29/06
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