Oakmont - District 10 Advocates for Neighbors of The Grove

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Sheri Gallo
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Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:47 pm

Oakmont - District 10 Advocates for Neighbors of The Grove

Post by Sheri Gallo »

7/29/16 – Oakmont Heights Neighborhood Association Update

Good Afternoon Fellow Council Members,

I wanted to provide everyone with an update on the conversation I had yesterday with Vice President of Oakmont Heights Neighborhood Association (OHNA) Charlie Cooper regarding the list of changes Oakmont Heights would like to see regarding the Grove at Shoal Creek PUD proposal.

The Vice President of OHNA and I discussed the list of changes Oakmont neighbors are requesting from ARG so that I could gain a better understanding of the background and basis of each item. I would like to thank Charlie Cooper for continuing to keep a positive line of communication open with my District 10 Office.

My Senior Policy Advisor Taylor Smith and I are committed to pushing ARG to meet as many of the Oakmont Heights neighborhood requests as possible. 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 items the Vice President of OHNA has provided our office. As you will see many of these requested items overlap with the requests from the Ridgelea Neighborhood Association (RNA) and the BCRC. Similar to my Ridgelea post to the Council message board on July 28th, I have included a summary of the discussion from our conversation and the agreed upon next steps for each of the Oakmont items:

1. Compatibility conditions/restrictions on the buildings to be built on Bull Creek from 42nd Street to the southern edge of the development.

• The following apply to any building on Tract D that is within 75 feet of Bull Creek Road.

1. Live-work uses are prohibited
2. Minimum building setback from Bull Creek Road ROW shall be 25 feet. Porches and patios shall be permitted to encroach into the setback up to 6 feet.
3. Maximum building height shall be 35 feet.
4. All buildings facing Bull Creek Road shall have a maximum of two attached residential units.
5. Minimum setback from Bull Creek Road ROW for a third story shall be 35 feet if the height of the building exceeds 30 feet.
6. The minimum building setback from Bull Creek Road ROW shall be increased to 28 feet for a minimum of 50% of the total frontage.
7. Garages are not permitted to face Bull Creek Road.
8. A minimum of 50% of the units along Bull Creek Road shall have a porch that faces the Bull Creek Road ROW.

• Summary of Discussion: From the very beginning of this project I have known that the compatibility of buildings along Bull Creek Road has been a significant issue for the Oakmont Heights neighborhood, particularly the residents with homes along Bull Creek Road. Since the beginning of 2016, I strongly encouraged ARG to meet with Oakmont to address their concerns. The outcome of the Oakmont Heights neighborhood meeting earlier this year in February was ARG agreeing to these eight reasonable compatibility requirements.

• Next Steps: I agreed that I would make sure these eight requirements are included in the zoning ordinance.
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2. Generally reduced scale of the development (e.g., reductions to retail and especially commercial) and increased parkland.

• It is particularly important to the Oakmont Heights neighborhood to put a larger amount of parkland on Bull Creek south of 42nd Street in the small pocket park. In addition, some of the Oakmont residents feel the pocket park is going to be completely "captured" by either condos, apartments, or the congregate care facility rather than feel welcoming to the public.

o Summary of Discussion: I understand that parkland is one of the most important issues for all of the surrounding neighborhoods. There was a concern expressed from Oakmont that the neighborhood park, because of being surrounded by buildings, will not feel “inviting” to residents of the adjoining neighborhoods.

o Next Steps: We will encourage ARG to consider designing the neighborhood park in a manner similar to the park in the Triangle where everyone feels comfortable visiting. I will continue to push ARG to work with Parks and Recreation Department staff to achieve parkland superiority based on City Staff's requirements.
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3. Concerns about traffic increases at 45th and Bull Creek, all along Jackson, along Bull Creek as it borders the Oakmont Heights neighborhood, and at Jackson and 35th.

• Summary of Discussion: I shared that I support an aggressive Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program which will also reduce peak traffic. I communicated that ARG had already informed my District 10 Office that they had already commissioned a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) study and that 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 and City Staff.

• Next Steps: Discussions on this item are continuing. I support an aggressive Transportation Demand Management program which will also reduce peak traffic. I agreed that my District 10 Office would share the draft language of the TDM program with Oakmont as soon as possible for the neighborhood’s review.
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4. Oakmont Heights has asked for ARG to set aside funds for traffic calming measures to both prevent and slow cut-through traffic in the Oakmont neighborhood.

• 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. We discussed the same proposal I shared with the Ridgelea NA President John Eastman which 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.

• 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 Oakmont and ARG to review.
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5. Oakmont Heights has requested ARG to agree not to have amplified sound at any of the commercial/retail establishments after 9pm (just like Central Market on North Lamar). The Oakmont Heights neighborhood is concerned that if it is ultimately based on a decibel allowance at a certain location, that it may not really resolve the issue.

• Summary of Discussion: I shared that during my conversation with ARG and RNA President John Eastman that ARG stated 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 the surrounding neighborhoods. I mentioned that I had 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.

• Next Steps: I look forward to reviewing the draft language of the noise mitigation plan and sharing the plan with Oakmont, Ridgelea and other surrounding neighborhoods as soon as possible.
Sheri Gallo, Council Member District 10