Amendments to the LDC Draft for our May 2 meeting
Posted: Tue Apr 30, 2019 5:53 pm
Colleagues,
After listening to the concerns of Flood Mitigation Task Force members and residents in District 7, I am bringing amendments that include environmental protections and floodplain regulations as stated priorities in our new code.
I salute my colleagues for their commitment to protecting Austin’s famed environment and I respect their determination to do the best job possible revising the land development code. It’s clear that every member of this Council supports flood and water quality protections. We have already tentatively agreed to language pledging that “the revised text and map should result in reduced city-wide impervious cover and improved city-wide water quality.”
This is a fine goal. We also need to guarantee the results and address the tremendous variety of drainage problems in different parts of the city and the unique nature of Austin’s watersheds. We should keep the overall goal but make it stronger and more precise to guarantee effective results.
To be certain we express the council’s intention to retain the strongest possible environmental protections, I will introduce the following amendments:
1. No provisions in the new land development code should be construed as weakening the current City of Austin floodplain regulations, drainage criteria, and water quality regulations and criteria. Methods to measure and options to reduce impervious cover in each individual watershed, and methods to measure and options to improve water quality in each individual watershed, should be developed for the new code, and the following goals incorporated:
a. Reductions in impervious cover city-wide should either decrease impervious cover for, or make no change to, each individual watershed.
b. Improvements in water quality city-wide should result in improvements in water quality for each individual watershed.
2. The Atlas 14 floodplain regulations should be approved and incorporated with the most current rainfall data as soon as possible.
3. The manager will report on how revisions to the land development code affect existing environmental regulations, understanding that the goal of the council is to preserve, or increase, our current level of environmental protections.
The language I propose in these amendments prioritizes floodplain regulations, drainage, water quality, and our overall environmental protections in the context of land development.
My amendments are in green: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 174837.pdf
I look forward to our discussions on Thursday.
Best regards,
Leslie
After listening to the concerns of Flood Mitigation Task Force members and residents in District 7, I am bringing amendments that include environmental protections and floodplain regulations as stated priorities in our new code.
I salute my colleagues for their commitment to protecting Austin’s famed environment and I respect their determination to do the best job possible revising the land development code. It’s clear that every member of this Council supports flood and water quality protections. We have already tentatively agreed to language pledging that “the revised text and map should result in reduced city-wide impervious cover and improved city-wide water quality.”
This is a fine goal. We also need to guarantee the results and address the tremendous variety of drainage problems in different parts of the city and the unique nature of Austin’s watersheds. We should keep the overall goal but make it stronger and more precise to guarantee effective results.
To be certain we express the council’s intention to retain the strongest possible environmental protections, I will introduce the following amendments:
1. No provisions in the new land development code should be construed as weakening the current City of Austin floodplain regulations, drainage criteria, and water quality regulations and criteria. Methods to measure and options to reduce impervious cover in each individual watershed, and methods to measure and options to improve water quality in each individual watershed, should be developed for the new code, and the following goals incorporated:
a. Reductions in impervious cover city-wide should either decrease impervious cover for, or make no change to, each individual watershed.
b. Improvements in water quality city-wide should result in improvements in water quality for each individual watershed.
2. The Atlas 14 floodplain regulations should be approved and incorporated with the most current rainfall data as soon as possible.
3. The manager will report on how revisions to the land development code affect existing environmental regulations, understanding that the goal of the council is to preserve, or increase, our current level of environmental protections.
The language I propose in these amendments prioritizes floodplain regulations, drainage, water quality, and our overall environmental protections in the context of land development.
My amendments are in green: http://assets.austintexas.gov/austincou ... 174837.pdf
I look forward to our discussions on Thursday.
Best regards,
Leslie