Good Afternoon Fellow Council Members,
I wanted to provide everyone with an update on a productive conversation I had yesterday with President of Ridgelea Neighborhood Association (RNA) John Eastman regarding the RNA position statement, which includes a list of requested changes to modify the current Grove at Shoal Creek PUD proposal.
The President of RNA and I went through the Ridgelea position statement item by item to discuss each change requested by RNA so that I could gain a better understanding of the background and basis of each request. The phone conversation was both positive and constructive.
Senior Policy Advisor Taylor Smith and I are committed to pushing ARG to meet as many of the Ridgelea neighborhood requests as possible. I would like to extend my thanks the RNA Executive Committee for their positive leadership by building neighborhood consensus in drafting their position statement. Because the District 10 Office has maintained a productive working relationship with ARG, we are confident that we will be successful in effectively advocating for the surrounding neighborhoods in conversations with ARG. I will update the Council through the message board on our progress as conversations continue.
Below is a summary of the changes RNA has provided our office and believes are most needed to the current ARG proposal:
1. Traffic and safety
• Implement traffic Mitigation/Calming for Bull Creek Road, Oakmont, Allandale and Ridgelea to slow traffic and improve safety.
• Reduce allowable office space to reduce peak traffic.
• Require a comprehensive and permanent Transportation Demand Management (TOM) program that encourages residents and visitors to reduce vehicular trips.
• Complete the planned upgrades to Bull Creek & 45th intersection by Jan. 2019 instead of the proposed 2024 date.
• Limit any single retail/restaurant/commercial tenant to a maximum of 30,000 sf and focus commercial spaces on local serving scale businesses that do not generate significant amounts of non-local traffic.
2. Drainage from the Grove property
• Install and maintain an effective drainage berm(s) and swale(s) in the no build zone behind Idlewild to prevent flooding and drainage problems in the neighborhood.
3. Noise control
• Implement a Noise Mitigation Plan to minimize impact to surrounding neighbors during and after construction. The plan should address known high noise generators such as construction staging areas, construction and long-term loading/delivery areas. There should also be reasonable limits on days/hours for outdoor amplified music.
4. Parkland improvements (to address known parkland deficiencies in the surrounding neighborhoods)
• Increase usable public space at the development by adding a community pool to increase community benefits and reduce vehicle trips by providing full range of park amenities within walking and biking distance.
• Increase usable public space by approximately two (2) additional acres to accommodate an unlit level, open playing field area.
District 10 Advocates for Neighbors of The Grove
-
Sheri Gallo
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:47 pm
District 10 Advocates for Neighbors of The Grove
Sheri Gallo, Council Member District 10
-
Sheri Gallo
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:47 pm
Re: District 10 Advocates for Neighbors of The Grove
7/28/16 - Ridgelea Neighborhood Association Update
Good Afternoon Fellow Council Members,
As you may have read in my post to the Council message board on July 26, my office is working with Ridgelea Neighborhood Association (RNA) President John Eastman to make sure the requests laid out in RNA’s position statement regarding The Grove at Shoal Creek’s PUD proposal are addressed and met by ARG.
Yesterday, my Senior Policy Advisor Taylor Smith and I had a lengthy conversation with the RNA President and representatives from ARG, Garrett Martin and Jeff Howard. Together we went through the RNA position statement item by item to discuss each change requested by the Ridgelea neighborhood. I want to thank John Eastman for taking the time while on his vacation to keep these conversations moving forward in a positive way.
We made significant progress on many of RNA’s requests and will continue to work on some of the items that need my help in involving city staff to work out the details on some of our more creative ideas. My goal is to work with ARG to find solutions to the nine different items and have a written response from ARG to RNA as soon as possible.
I will update the Council through the message board on the progress of each item as conversations continue.
Below is a summary of the discussion from our conversation and the agreed upon next steps for each of the RNA items we were able to discuss during our conversation:
1. Traffic and safety
• Implement traffic Mitigation/Calming for Bull Creek Road, Oakmont, Allandale and Ridgelea to slow traffic and improve safety.
o Summary of Discussion: I believe that the city should participate in funding both immediate and long range solutions to address the traffic impact that this new development will have on adjacent neighborhoods. A proposal which we discussed would be to create a local traffic mitigation fund in which a percentage of the incremental tax generated from the Grove’s property tax is captured and used in the surrounding neighborhoods for additional traffic calming solutions, pedestrian and multimodal improvements, the long range management of a permanent Transportation Demand Management program, improved vehicle throughput, and safe routes to the assigned AISD elementary school for the Grove neighborhood. Although our conversation began with a discussion that a minimum of $3 million would be needed for immediate improvements, I proposed that we would actually need to have closer to $6 million to substantially implement the mitigation and safety measures indicated in the multimodal report and desired by the neighborhoods to address the traffic impact.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office would take the lead in working with City Staff to find a way to implement this concept and draft language for RNA and ARG to review.
_________
• Reduce allowable office space to reduce peak traffic.
o Next Steps: Discussions on this item are continuing. I support an aggressive Transportation Demand Management program which will also reduce peak traffic.
_________
• Require a comprehensive and permanent Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program that encourages residents and visitors to reduce vehicular trips.
o Summary of Discussion: Representatives from ARG shared they had already commissioned a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) study using a local TDM expert who has TDM experience from across the country. The TDM expert is developing a list of improvements and programs that will result in a percentage reduction in traffic. I will strongly encourage ARG to funding the TDM study and implement the TDM measures recommended in the study which could be implemented within the project. I believe that for a TDM program to be successful it has to be a long-range plan and must have an annual reporting and review process. I see three stages of a TDM program: (1) Development of TDM study; (2) Implementation of TDM projects and programs from the TDM; and (3) Long-range administration and reporting. To insure stable and predictable funding for the long range administration of the TDM program and the ability to implement future measures, I would support using funds from the created local traffic mitigation fund. I support developing a successful TDM program and am committed to working with ARG, RNA and City Staff to achieve this important neighborhood goal.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office would work with ARG, RNA and City Staff in developing the TDM program and draft language for RNA to review.
_________
• Complete the planned upgrades to Bull Creek & 45th intersection by Jan. 2019 instead of the proposed 2024 date.
o Summary of Discussion: Representatives from ARG expressed their concern of two risks associated with tying the intersection upgrades to a specific completion date: (1) the risk of how long it will take the City of Austin to approve a plan for the intersection once the plans have been submitted to the City; and (2) inherent market fluctuations and unforeseen changes in demand. There is already a 2,000 vehicular trip trigger that requires completion of the intersection before the remaining trips will be allowed to be used. I proposed that we (1) make sure the 2,000 vehicular trip trigger is included as a condition and (2) that we add an additional condition that would require ARG to start the construction of the planned improvements for the Bull Creek and 45th intersection no later than six months after the City of Austin has approved the final plans for the intersection.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office would take the lead in working with City Staff to develop draft language for these two conditions for RNA and ARG to review.
_________
• Limit any single retail/restaurant/commercial tenant to a maximum of 30,000 sf and focus commercial spaces on local serving scale businesses that do not generate significant amounts of non-local traffic.
o Summary of Discussion: Under staff’s recommendation any single retail/restaurant/commercial tenant space is limited to a maximum of 47,500 square feet. I agree that a local neighborhood size grocery store would be a benefit to the surrounding community and have asked ARG to provide examples of grocery stores in Austin that are similar to the size/type of the local grocer they anticipate will be included in the project.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office will continue to work with ARG and RNA to address this item. Once ARG has provided examples and the corresponding square footages of the grocery store envisioned in the project, then we will be able to have more specific conversations about maximum square footages.
_________
2. Drainage from the Grove property
• Install and maintain an effective drainage berm(s) and swale(s) in the no build zone behind Idlewild to prevent flooding and drainage problems in the neighborhood.
o Summary of Discussion: I know that this is an import issue especially for the residents along Idlewild Road. I think it is critical that ARG address this issue when constructing the new homes, and I will strongly encourage ARG to commit to putting in a swale that would slope the new residential lots towards the project’s internal streets. In addition, I will push ARG to commit to installing a storm water drain along the back of the properties that would capture the rain from the roofs of the new residential units and redirect the water back to the internal storm water system in the project. I also think it is important for the Idelwild homeowners to have protection in the future if their backyard neighbors do something to cause drainage problems in the RNA neighborhood. I believe that a public easement with language that is agreeable to both the City and ARG will give those Idlewild neighbors the future protection they are requesting. I will encourage ARG to work with RNA, my District 10 Office and City Staff to establish this easement.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office will work with City Staff and ARG to establish an easement which will address this item.
_________
3. Noise control
• Implement a Noise Mitigation Plan to minimize impact to surrounding neighbors during and after construction. The plan should address known high noise generators such as construction staging areas, construction and long-term loading/delivery areas. There should also be reasonable limits on days/hours for outdoor amplified music.
o Summary of Discussion: Representatives from ARG shared that they already have a team developing a noise control plan and hope to have a draft of the plan soon that can be reviewed by RNA and other surrounding neighborhoods. I asked ARG to look at the noise mitigation plan for the Central Market PUD, located off of North Lamar, as a possible example based on suggestions from the BCRC and other individuals. The RNA President encouraged ARG to provide a copy of their proposed noise mitigation plan to the neighborhood as soon as possible.
o Next Steps: I look forward to reviewing the draft language of the noise mitigation plan and sharing the plan with RNA as soon as possible.
_________
4. Parkland improvements (to address known parkland deficiencies in the surrounding neighborhoods)
• Increase usable public space at the development by adding a community pool to increase community benefits and reduce vehicle trips by providing full range of park amenities within walking and biking distance.
o Summary of Discussion: Due to limited public pools in this area, the RNA President indicated that the project could be enhanced by the addition of a pool facility that could be available to surrounding neighbors. I suggested that ARG look at Westover Club in Northwest Hills which is a neighborhood private club and might be a model that would work in the Grove.
o Next Steps: Discussions on this item are continuing.
_________
• Increase usable public space by approximately two (2) additional acres to accommodate an unlit level, open playing field area.
o Next Steps: I understand that this is one of the most important issues for all of the surrounding neighborhoods and discussions on this item are continuing. I will continue to push ARG to work with Parks and Recreation Department staff to achieve parkland superiority based on City Staff's requirements.
_________
Good Afternoon Fellow Council Members,
As you may have read in my post to the Council message board on July 26, my office is working with Ridgelea Neighborhood Association (RNA) President John Eastman to make sure the requests laid out in RNA’s position statement regarding The Grove at Shoal Creek’s PUD proposal are addressed and met by ARG.
Yesterday, my Senior Policy Advisor Taylor Smith and I had a lengthy conversation with the RNA President and representatives from ARG, Garrett Martin and Jeff Howard. Together we went through the RNA position statement item by item to discuss each change requested by the Ridgelea neighborhood. I want to thank John Eastman for taking the time while on his vacation to keep these conversations moving forward in a positive way.
We made significant progress on many of RNA’s requests and will continue to work on some of the items that need my help in involving city staff to work out the details on some of our more creative ideas. My goal is to work with ARG to find solutions to the nine different items and have a written response from ARG to RNA as soon as possible.
I will update the Council through the message board on the progress of each item as conversations continue.
Below is a summary of the discussion from our conversation and the agreed upon next steps for each of the RNA items we were able to discuss during our conversation:
1. Traffic and safety
• Implement traffic Mitigation/Calming for Bull Creek Road, Oakmont, Allandale and Ridgelea to slow traffic and improve safety.
o Summary of Discussion: I believe that the city should participate in funding both immediate and long range solutions to address the traffic impact that this new development will have on adjacent neighborhoods. A proposal which we discussed would be to create a local traffic mitigation fund in which a percentage of the incremental tax generated from the Grove’s property tax is captured and used in the surrounding neighborhoods for additional traffic calming solutions, pedestrian and multimodal improvements, the long range management of a permanent Transportation Demand Management program, improved vehicle throughput, and safe routes to the assigned AISD elementary school for the Grove neighborhood. Although our conversation began with a discussion that a minimum of $3 million would be needed for immediate improvements, I proposed that we would actually need to have closer to $6 million to substantially implement the mitigation and safety measures indicated in the multimodal report and desired by the neighborhoods to address the traffic impact.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office would take the lead in working with City Staff to find a way to implement this concept and draft language for RNA and ARG to review.
_________
• Reduce allowable office space to reduce peak traffic.
o Next Steps: Discussions on this item are continuing. I support an aggressive Transportation Demand Management program which will also reduce peak traffic.
_________
• Require a comprehensive and permanent Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program that encourages residents and visitors to reduce vehicular trips.
o Summary of Discussion: Representatives from ARG shared they had already commissioned a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) study using a local TDM expert who has TDM experience from across the country. The TDM expert is developing a list of improvements and programs that will result in a percentage reduction in traffic. I will strongly encourage ARG to funding the TDM study and implement the TDM measures recommended in the study which could be implemented within the project. I believe that for a TDM program to be successful it has to be a long-range plan and must have an annual reporting and review process. I see three stages of a TDM program: (1) Development of TDM study; (2) Implementation of TDM projects and programs from the TDM; and (3) Long-range administration and reporting. To insure stable and predictable funding for the long range administration of the TDM program and the ability to implement future measures, I would support using funds from the created local traffic mitigation fund. I support developing a successful TDM program and am committed to working with ARG, RNA and City Staff to achieve this important neighborhood goal.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office would work with ARG, RNA and City Staff in developing the TDM program and draft language for RNA to review.
_________
• Complete the planned upgrades to Bull Creek & 45th intersection by Jan. 2019 instead of the proposed 2024 date.
o Summary of Discussion: Representatives from ARG expressed their concern of two risks associated with tying the intersection upgrades to a specific completion date: (1) the risk of how long it will take the City of Austin to approve a plan for the intersection once the plans have been submitted to the City; and (2) inherent market fluctuations and unforeseen changes in demand. There is already a 2,000 vehicular trip trigger that requires completion of the intersection before the remaining trips will be allowed to be used. I proposed that we (1) make sure the 2,000 vehicular trip trigger is included as a condition and (2) that we add an additional condition that would require ARG to start the construction of the planned improvements for the Bull Creek and 45th intersection no later than six months after the City of Austin has approved the final plans for the intersection.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office would take the lead in working with City Staff to develop draft language for these two conditions for RNA and ARG to review.
_________
• Limit any single retail/restaurant/commercial tenant to a maximum of 30,000 sf and focus commercial spaces on local serving scale businesses that do not generate significant amounts of non-local traffic.
o Summary of Discussion: Under staff’s recommendation any single retail/restaurant/commercial tenant space is limited to a maximum of 47,500 square feet. I agree that a local neighborhood size grocery store would be a benefit to the surrounding community and have asked ARG to provide examples of grocery stores in Austin that are similar to the size/type of the local grocer they anticipate will be included in the project.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office will continue to work with ARG and RNA to address this item. Once ARG has provided examples and the corresponding square footages of the grocery store envisioned in the project, then we will be able to have more specific conversations about maximum square footages.
_________
2. Drainage from the Grove property
• Install and maintain an effective drainage berm(s) and swale(s) in the no build zone behind Idlewild to prevent flooding and drainage problems in the neighborhood.
o Summary of Discussion: I know that this is an import issue especially for the residents along Idlewild Road. I think it is critical that ARG address this issue when constructing the new homes, and I will strongly encourage ARG to commit to putting in a swale that would slope the new residential lots towards the project’s internal streets. In addition, I will push ARG to commit to installing a storm water drain along the back of the properties that would capture the rain from the roofs of the new residential units and redirect the water back to the internal storm water system in the project. I also think it is important for the Idelwild homeowners to have protection in the future if their backyard neighbors do something to cause drainage problems in the RNA neighborhood. I believe that a public easement with language that is agreeable to both the City and ARG will give those Idlewild neighbors the future protection they are requesting. I will encourage ARG to work with RNA, my District 10 Office and City Staff to establish this easement.
o Next Steps: I agreed that my District 10 Office will work with City Staff and ARG to establish an easement which will address this item.
_________
3. Noise control
• Implement a Noise Mitigation Plan to minimize impact to surrounding neighbors during and after construction. The plan should address known high noise generators such as construction staging areas, construction and long-term loading/delivery areas. There should also be reasonable limits on days/hours for outdoor amplified music.
o Summary of Discussion: Representatives from ARG shared that they already have a team developing a noise control plan and hope to have a draft of the plan soon that can be reviewed by RNA and other surrounding neighborhoods. I asked ARG to look at the noise mitigation plan for the Central Market PUD, located off of North Lamar, as a possible example based on suggestions from the BCRC and other individuals. The RNA President encouraged ARG to provide a copy of their proposed noise mitigation plan to the neighborhood as soon as possible.
o Next Steps: I look forward to reviewing the draft language of the noise mitigation plan and sharing the plan with RNA as soon as possible.
_________
4. Parkland improvements (to address known parkland deficiencies in the surrounding neighborhoods)
• Increase usable public space at the development by adding a community pool to increase community benefits and reduce vehicle trips by providing full range of park amenities within walking and biking distance.
o Summary of Discussion: Due to limited public pools in this area, the RNA President indicated that the project could be enhanced by the addition of a pool facility that could be available to surrounding neighbors. I suggested that ARG look at Westover Club in Northwest Hills which is a neighborhood private club and might be a model that would work in the Grove.
o Next Steps: Discussions on this item are continuing.
_________
• Increase usable public space by approximately two (2) additional acres to accommodate an unlit level, open playing field area.
o Next Steps: I understand that this is one of the most important issues for all of the surrounding neighborhoods and discussions on this item are continuing. I will continue to push ARG to work with Parks and Recreation Department staff to achieve parkland superiority based on City Staff's requirements.
_________
Sheri Gallo, Council Member District 10