Korean Church Zoning Case (Items 61 & 62)

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

Korean Church Zoning Case (Items 61 & 62)

Post by Michael Gaudini »

(Please see the following link for a PDF version of this post, which may be easier to read: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 152415.pdf)

CM Pool wanted to share some information regarding a District 7 zoning case (Items 61 and 62 on tomorrow's agenda) that is very important to her and the residents of the Crestview neighborhood (and surrounding neighborhoods):

A developer has proposed a development in Crestview that is inconsistent with the neighborhood’s character and with zoning principles.
• The Korean United Presbyterian Church on 2000 Justin Lane is planning to relocate and sell their Crestview neighborhood properties to a developer.
• The developer is requesting MF-3 zoning on roughly an acre of land in an older part the neighborhood.
• However, the Crestview Neighborhood Association and the neighborhood’s Contact Team are concerned that the proposal is inconsistent with the surrounding neighborhood and with zoning principles – and voted overwhelmingly to support MF-1 zoning with a two-story height limit instead.

The proposed project is inconsistent with the surrounding neighborhood.
• Properties surrounding this proposed project are largely:
o Single family homes, with only two low-density multi-family homes; and
o One or two stories tall, at most.
• This proposed project would be taller and denser than properties in the surrounding area.
• While the Planning Commission recommended a two-story setback. But to fit with the neighborhood, the project should be limited to two stories only.
• The densest housing in the area is a multi-family complex across the street with roughly 12 units per acre – far less than the roughly 35 units per acre that this proposed project could bring.

The proposed project is inconsistent with the Council-adopted Neighborhood Plan.
• The Neighborhood Plan for this area envisions development that offers housing options for single families and respects and complements the character of the neighborhood.
• Unfortunately, this proposed project does not meet these goals – it would not provide single-family housing and is inconsistent with the neighborhood’s character.

The proposed project is inconsistent with the city’s official zoning principles.
• Official City of Austin zoning principles recognize the need to consider the actual facts on the ground, rather than just the zoning map when deciding whether to re-zone an area.
• Technically, some of the lots in this area are zoned as MF-3 already. However, in contrast to the proposed project, the housing on these lots is consistent with the neighborhood’s character.
• This proposed project is located between the single-family areas within the Crestview neighborhood and the higher intensity uses on the Burnet Road corridor.
• The proposed MF-3 zoning is far too intense to locate next to single-family homes, whereas MF-1 zoning would be a better transition between Burnet Road and the quieter Crestview neighborhood.

The community hopes for the opportunity to work toward a development that will bring families into the area to live in homes that complement the neighborhood’s character.
• The neighborhood has proposed MF-1 zoning that would respect the neighborhood’s character and help provide quality homes for single families in Austin.
Policy Aide
Office of Leslie Pool, District 7
Amy Smith (D7)
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Jan 12, 2015 3:35 pm

Re: Korean Church Zoning Case (Items 61 & 62)

Post by Amy Smith (D7) »

An addition to yesterday’s post regarding the nearby density:

In the Crestview neighborhood near Cullen Avenue and Hardy, the existing multi-family complexes surrounding the proposed multi-family development have low density levels (12 units/acre, for instance). Those multi-family density levels gradually increase as they approach the Burnet Road commercial corridor where intense uses are appropriate.
Council Member Pool wants to make sure that proper transitional zoning is supported in the interior of the Crestview neighborhood where the developer proposes his multi-family complex, and that height compatibility with the surrounding one- and two-story structures is matched by this new complex.
Policy Advisor
Office of Leslie Pool, District 7
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