CM Pool's Grove Amendments

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Michael Gaudini
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:46 am

CM Pool's Grove Amendments

Post by Michael Gaudini »

Council Member Pool would like to provide a copy of the proposed amendments on which she is currently working.

These amendments are available here: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 152843.pdf.

She greatly appreciates all the hard work that has been done so far on this case by our professional city staff, her Council colleagues and their staff, the affected neighborhoods, and the applicant.

This property offers a tremendous opportunity for the City of Austin as a whole, and for the surrounding communities, as well. It offers the opportunity for a neighborhood-sized, dense, mixed-use development with plentiful affordable housing, that is consistent with the surrounding communities and with our Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan.

However, at this time, Council Member Pool is concerned that the current proposal does not meet this vision and has a number of unresolved issues with it. At the heart of these issues is the policy question of whether this area is more appropriate as a large town center (nearly a regional center) or a neighborhood center.

Council Member Pool believes that while the Imagine Austin Growth Concept Map (Imagine Austin, page 103) does not list this area as one of three types of Imagine Austin 'centers,' it is nevertheless reasonable to consider it as a center -- specifically, as a neighborhood center. This is consistent both with the area and with the public infrastructure that serves it.

Yet, in its current form, Council Member Pool believes that The Grove's entitlements actually size it more as a large town center or nearly a regional center, than as a neighborhood center. The decision to approach this development as a destination has, in her opinion, led to a number of issues that remain unresolved, including:
• An insufficient level of affordable housing;
• Too much commercial space (at the expense of residential), with entitlements that allow the applicant to build retail stores that are very large -- both of which will likely contribute greatly to congestion; and
• Stormwater management issues, among others.

Council Member Pool's amendments (in the attached document) are aimed at the policy decision of addressing these issues by re-balancing this proposal toward a dense, Imagine Austin neighborhood center.

In doing so, these amendments seek to achieve a number of important goals, including: greater affordability, a better balance of residential properties, a community-sized level of office and retail, improved mobility, less traffic congestion, increased parkland, protections for our workers, and improved stormwater management.

Again, Council Member Pool greatly appreciates the amount of time and work that has gone into this proposal and looks forward to continuing to work on this important project.

As noted above, the current version (as of September 22, 2016) of Council Member Pool's proposed amendments to re-balance The Grove at Shoal Creek are available here: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 152843.pdf.
Policy Aide
Office of Leslie Pool, District 7
Michael Gaudini
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Aug 18, 2015 10:46 am

Re: CM Pool's Grove Amendments

Post by Michael Gaudini »

The amendments document has been revised to reflect the most recent residential unit count. Please click here for the most up-to-date version: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 181429.pdf.
Policy Aide
Office of Leslie Pool, District 7
Louisa Brinsmade
Posts: 76
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 4:27 pm

Re: CM Pool's Grove Amendments

Post by Louisa Brinsmade »

Small correction on the requirements of the city's "Tier III" Bonus Density program, and SMART Housing Program. The most up to date version of CM Pool's amendments is here: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 160723.pdf
Chief of Staff
Office of Mayor Pro Tem Leslie Pool, District 7
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