TipSheet: Austin City Council, Zoning 8.13.15

The Austin City Council will have its monthly zoning meeting Thursday. Below is a list of items we’re watching. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda. The City Clerk’s office posts a copy on its website, here.

6. CD-2015-0009 – Approve the baseline site development standards for determining development bonuses and the trigger for affordable housing in The Grove at Shoal Creek Planned Unit Development.

Monitor’s take: As we reported Wednesday, City Council will most likely postpone a vote on the PUD going into a Bull Creek tract that was once owned by the Texas Department of Transportation.

9. Approve a resolution related to short-term rentals.

Monitor’s take: According to a City Council Message Board post from Council Member Sheri Gallo, the city manager recommendations will now be released in the form of a memo, and tomorrow’s discussion will consist of moving the resolution to next week’s Planning and Neighborhood Committee meeting, where a public hearing will be held. The item is set on Aug. 20 to return back to Council, where public comment will be limited, for a vote.

10. Approve an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 2-1 to create a Bond Oversight Commission to replace the Economic and Capital Budget Joint Committee.

Monitor’s take: Long ago, in December 2014, City Council replaced the Bond Oversight Commission with a new joint committee. Today, Council will vote on whether to bring back the Bond Oversight Commission.

45. C14-86-103(RCT) – Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church – District 1 – Conduct a public hearing and approve a restrictive covenant termination on property locally known as 1801 Pennsylvania Avenue (Boggy Creek Watershed).

Monitor’s take:Somewhat thankfully, this complicated case will be postponed at the request of both sides, which – according to the info gleaned from Tuesday’s work session – will be seeking mediation. If you would like to use the sudden free time associated with this postponement to study up, we’ve written about it in the past.

47. C14H-2015-0001 – Dedrick-Hamilton House – District 1 – Conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 25-2 by rezoning property locally known as 912 East 11th Street from general commercial services-neighborhood conservation combining district-neighborhood plan (CS-NCCD-NP) combining district zoning to general commercial services-neighborhood conservation combining district-historic landmark-neighborhood plan (CS-H-NCCD-NP) combining district zoning.

Monitor’s take: Though there is some hesitation on the dais about moving ahead with often-complicated historic zoning cases, this one is as uncontroversial as it gets. The Dedrick-Hamilton House, which was built in 1892, is the literal centerpiece of the city’s African-American Cultural & Heritage Facility. In addition, it is a commercial, city-owned property that will not benefit from the historic tax exemption.

48.C14H-2015-0006 – Lightsey-Russell House – District 5 – Conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 25-2 by rezoning property locally known as 1805 Lightsey Road from family residence (SF-3) district zoning to family residence-historic landmark (SF-3-H) combining district zoning.

Monitor’s take: This case, on the other hand, is fairly controversial. The latest in the Lightsey 2 development hurdles (following battles over heritage trees and connectivity), the preservation of this house would be against the owner’s wishes. The owner is seeking a demolition permit in order to move forward with building more housing. We’ve covered Lightsey 2 extensively in the past, as seen here.

49.C14H-2015-0007 – Clyde and Henrietta Littlefield House – District 9 – Conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 25-2 by rezoning property locally known as 903 Shoal Cliff Court from multifamily residence-moderate-high density-conditional overlay-neighborhood plan (MF-4-CO-NP) combining district zoning to multifamily residence-moderate-high density-historic landmark-conditional overlay-neighborhood plan (MF-4-H-CO-NP) combining district zoning.

Monitor’s take: Here is the backstory on this case. In short: Council will consider whether to preserve the former home of Clyde Littlefield, head track and field coach at UT from 1920 to 1961 – against the wishes of the current owner.

50. C14H-2015-0053 – Harrell-Perkins House – District 9 – Conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending City Code Chapter 25-2 by rezoning property locally known as 113 West 33rd Street from family residence-neighborhood conservation combining district-neighborhood plan (SF-3-NCCD-NP) combining district to family residence-historic landmark-neighborhood conservation combining district-neighborhood plan (SF-3-H-NCCD-NP) combining district zoning.

Monitor’s take: This historic zoning case has a slightly different slant than the previous three. We wrote about the case previously. Though it easily won the support of Planning Commissioners, there was a brief discussion about the tax abatement associated with the house, which may catch the eye of some Council members as well.