Town hall attendees argue downtown districting, density, and zoning

Views on how the northwest end of downtown should be redeveloped currently appear to break down into two camps: those of homeowners in Judges Hill and those of property owners and residents in nearby neighborhoods.

 

Those who live in the Judges Hill neighborhood – the largest intact block of single-family housing downtown – appear to have dominated early versions of the city’s downtown plan, including the downtown districts. Consultant choices regarding compatibility standards, building setbacks, and zoning categories all were intended to placate Judges Hill homeowners who feared commercial encroachment.

 

Some attendees at last night’s town hall meeting on the downtown districts, however, were the kind of owners who would like to see some density downtown. That made for some interesting back-and-forth between those owners and Urban Officer Jim Robertson and consultant Jim Adams, who facilitated a session on the parameters being set out for the Northwest and Judges Hill districts.

 

The city has much to preserve in northwest downtown. A total of 33 properties have been land-marked for preservation. Another 147 properties have been identified for further research. Three areas – the Bremond Block and portions of West Avenue and West 12^th Street – have been classified as strong candidates for local historic districts. And residential blocks along West, Rio Grande, Nueces, and San Antonio could qualify as National Register Historic Districts.

 

Some at last night’s meeting, like Albert Stowell of the Downtown Austin Neighborhood Association, wanted to preserve the character of the districts. Others, like property owners Dave Warner and Susan Harris, were concerned that their entitlements remain intact. Both groups appeared leery of some of the restrictions being proposed by city staff, although most changes were based on a baseline of the current zoning of property.

 

For instance, Adams discussed the concept of combining zoning categories to provide more flexible building use. Buildings in the Northwest District, based on current zoning, would be broken down into either DMU-40 or DMU-60. Those designations would encourage a variety of residential and commercial uses while maintaining the current character of most of the neighborhood.

 

Some homeowners were concerned about what might be prohibited and what might be allowed under that DMU zoning. Others who own property found the zoning prohibitive. For instance, Harris, who currently has a 120-foot height limit on her property, said she was not in favor of limitations.

 

“I’m a real believer in the free market,” Harris said. “I think the market is going to tell you what is acceptable going into a new development.”

 

Conditional uses under the DMU category drew mixed responses. For instance, cocktail lounges, under the current proposal, are a conditional use but only along certain major thoroughfares. Some, like Harris, believed the market should dictate use and that a cocktail lounge would be an acceptable ground-floor use in a multistory mixed-use building. Others, like Blake Tollett, wanted the flexibility to exclude that use in certain older neighborhoods where it appears incompatible.

 

And then there was the compatibility overlay around the Judges Hill neighborhood. Adams proposed certain height limits that would apply alongside the Judges Hill neighborhood. Compatibility would be limited to zoning category and not use.

 

Ted Siff wants density downtown, but he noted that his absent neighbors would be none too happy that use would not drive compatibility standards. Use of the property, rather than zoning category, was the basis of opposition to development at 800 West Avenue, Siff said. Some would clearly be opposed to proposed changes.

 

Owner Dave Warner, on the other hand, argued that a number of blocks – a certain panhandle within the Northwest District – needed to be carved out of the compatibility standards altogether and placed with another district. He argued that an eight-block area, north of 15^th Street between Nueces and Rio Grande, would be more appropriate to the commercially friendly Uptown Capitol District.

 

These blocks, it was noted, remain among the few blocks left downtown that are not encumbered by the Capitol View Corridors.

 

Stowell, playing devil’s advocate, made the case on both sides with the help of Adams. New compatibility standards and combined zoning categories would harmonize with existing buildings and encourage residential infill development, as stated by early stakeholder input.

 

On the downside, however, a project with the benefits of something like the Spring condominium tower – a footprint of 8,700 square feet with 250 families – is simply not going to occur. Strong vertical development next to historic properties is unlikely under the current scenario.

 

“You will have the opportunity, in certain areas, to go through the CBD zoning process,” Adams responded. “What we’re talking about is protecting the Judges Hill character while we’re increasing the density.”