AUSTIN | Project Updates Thread Part II

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

Most of Zilker already is.

Already is what?

Zilker is almost entirely SF3, which does not allow triplexes.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I agree, but we also do still need upzoning everywhere for both new highrise areas and “missing middle” housing.

I agree, upzoning is needed, but in my opinion, without an increase in FAR (currently 40%), a reduction in parking minimums, reduced setbacks, tree regulations (I just had to get a permit and tree review to cut down a large Ligustrum - which is a "bush" NOT on our protected tree list and considered invasive), height requirements, remodeling rules that force people to bring old structures up to new code incentivize blading older homes, and lastly one that is highly overlooked, a certainty from the city that when a developer applies to subdivide a large lot into multiple lots it will be approved (now it takes a truck load of money, a blessing from God or Jeff Jack, and at least a year with no certain outcome even if all rules are followed).....upzoning won't make one bit of a difference.

If you take the average 7000 sqft lot, it doesn't make much sense to build (3) 933 sqft units. (7000/3 x 40%) Most city residential lots are less than 8000 sqft.

10 years ago, builders in Zilker would take an average lot and build 2 units and sell them for $400/ft, now it's more profitable for them to just build one large house with a pool and sell it for $800-1000/ft. As of today, there are 4 SF houses on the market in Zilker...they sell as fast as they are built. In 20 years, Zilker will be untouchable for anyone new...I predict $1500/ft in the next 10 years...can you imagine?

All of this PLUS, council would need to tell the ANC to pound sand....we all know that will never happen. ANC is happy to fight every small change, let alone sweeping changes....and they use emotional scare tactics which are highly effective. As a co-founder of Friends of Zilker in 2012, I know first hand the challenges of fighting the old Austin, self-righteous, anti-everything crowd. The city/media never took FOZ's pro urban opinions over the ZNA. Good luck...

I think if they could get around to raising the FAR to 60% for duplexes/triplexes, and keep everything else as is (and raise the building height 5 feet)....that could make a HUGE difference, but I doubt that will ever happen.

Austin "proper", though I love it so, will one day be home to ONLY very wealthy or property rich (Austin has a lot of these people...not rich with cash...some actually struggling....but sitting on a $500k-1m tear down and won't sell). It's well on its way, and its damn shame. We need to make room for the missing middle.

[dilliam]

Honestly, that's a great and level-headed approach to the issue @urbancore. It'll take a long time to overrule the entrenched old austin nimbys and implement sweeping change. Increasing the FAR and fixing parking minimums would do a good bit of good.

[urbancore]

It never ends.

https://www.kxan.com/news/neighbors-worr...hange-their-central-austin-neighborhood/

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by urbancore

It never ends.

https://www.kxan.com/news/neighbors-worr...hange-their-central-austin-neighborhood/

Fucking bike lane is going to ruin your neighborhood.

Real talk - I fucking hate Rosedale. I lived there and they are the biggest group of NIMBYs I have ever encountered and I live in Zilker.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by urbancore

It never ends.

https://www.kxan.com/news/neighbors-worr...hange-their-central-austin-neighborhood/

I will say - my street was marked to be almost doubled in width on that city website, which wouldn't even be possible without taking out houses along the route. I seriously doubt the city is going to be doing any of that. Whoever was in charge of putting this information out to the public really messed up because people are all scared their streets will be turned into 4 lane major roadways in quiet neighborhoods. The city really needs to address this. It just gives NIMBYs more power and ammo.

[migol24]

They've lived there for 40 years and they still want it to only serve them for another 40 years? Tell me you're selfish without telling me you're selfish.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

I will say - my street was marked to be almost doubled in width on that city website, which wouldn't even be possible without taking out houses along the route. I seriously doubt the city is going to be doing any of that. Whoever was in charge of putting this information out to the public really messed up because people are all scared their streets will be turned into 4 lane major roadways in quiet neighborhoods. The city really needs to address this. It just gives NIMBYs more power and ammo.

I mean, the city did address this. The diagram of a level 2 street is in the ASMP, and on the ASMP update.

This is what a Level 2 street looks like. It's even the small one on the left in ~70 RoW. It's not a 4 lane major roadway.

https://i2.wp.com/www.kxan.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2021/12/LEVEL-2-WEB.jpg

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/10f9d357b13c429495a7b764e05e550d

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by Novacek

I mean, the city did address this. The diagram of a level 2 street is in the ASMP, and on the ASMP update.

This is what a Level 2 street looks like. It's even the small one on the left in ~70 RoW. It's not a 4 lane major roadway.

https://i2.wp.com/www.kxan.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2021/12/LEVEL-2-WEB.jpg

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/10f9d357b13c429495a7b764e05e550d

Right, and my street was marked as needing to be a level 2 street. It's currently ~25 ft wide. People feel alarmed when they see the road they live on may potentially triple in width. I'm no NIMBY, but I feel like the messaging/process/whatever is not great.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Right, and my street was marked as needing to be a level 2 street. It's currently ~25 ft wide. People feel alarmed when they see the road they live on may potentially triple in width. I'm no NIMBY, but I feel like the messaging/process/whatever is not great.

The RoW, not the road.
A level 2 road is not so coincidentally 25 feet wide (pavement)

[JollyvilleJ-Rad]

“If bicycle lanes need a Level 2 street, go find a Level 2 street. This is not,” Joe said. (KXAN)

Keep your bikes outta my sight!
And get off my lawn!

[enragedcamel]

what a bunch of sad losers

[myBrain]

Originally Posted by migol24

They've lived there for 40 years and they still want it to only serve them for another 40 years? Tell me you're selfish without telling me you're selfish.

I've dealt with this a bunch of times in Highland and Crestview. It's almost always the older residents and they'll oppose any change. The worst example was that a run down pawn shop was going to be redeveloped into a restaurant, and the old folks came out of the woodwork to try and stop it -- PARKING! TRAFFIC! PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN THERE ARENT SIDEWALKS! AFFORDABILITY! (as if they care about that last one). They can't be reasoned with because they aren't there to have a conversation in good faith, and immediately escalate any conversation to life and death stakes. Unfortunately Covid killed that project and they got what they wanted.

What really frustrates me is that they're wasting all of this time and energy on a losing battle. They don't understand that the city is going to change and that while they may win some temporary delays, they're already unhappy with the way things have changed and are only going to be more unhappy with the way things are inevitably going. I do have some sympathy for people who have lived here for a long time and love their homes, especially if they are disabled or income restricted and will have trouble moving -- but on the other hand almost all of them can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars (a half mil wouldn't be uncommon). I just think these people would be happier if they left. Instead they stubbornly refuse and make us all more miserable.

[urbancore]

Originally Posted by urbancore

I agree, upzoning is needed, but in my opinion, without an increase in FAR (currently 40%), a reduction in parking minimums, reduced setbacks, tree regulations (I just had to get a permit and tree review to cut down a large Ligustrum - which is a "bush" NOT on our protected tree list and considered invasive), height requirements, remodeling rules that force people to bring old structures up to new code incentivize blading older homes, and lastly one that is highly overlooked, a certainty from the city that when a developer applies to subdivide a large lot into multiple lots it will be approved (now it takes a truck load of money, a blessing from God or Jeff Jack, and at least a year with no certain outcome even if all rules are followed).....upzoning won't make one bit of a difference.

If you take the average 7000 sqft lot, it doesn't make much sense to build (3) 933 sqft units. (7000/3 x 40%) Most city residential lots are less than 8000 sqft.

10 years ago, builders in Zilker would take an average lot and build 2 units and sell them for $400/ft, now it's more profitable for them to just build one large house with a pool and sell it for $800-1000/ft. As of today, there are 4 SF houses on the market in Zilker...they sell as fast as they are built. In 20 years, Zilker will be untouchable for anyone new...I predict $1500/ft in the next 10 years...can you imagine?

All of this PLUS, council would need to tell the ANC to pound sand....we all know that will never happen. ANC is happy to fight every small change, let alone sweeping changes....and they use emotional scare tactics which are highly effective. As a co-founder of Friends of Zilker in 2012, I know first hand the challenges of fighting the old Austin, self-righteous, anti-everything crowd. The city/media never took FOZ's pro urban opinions over the ZNA. Good luck...

I think if they could get around to raising the FAR to 60% for duplexes/triplexes, and keep everything else as is (and raise the building height 5 feet)....that could make a HUGE difference, but I doubt that will ever happen.

Austin "proper", though I love it so, will one day be home to ONLY very wealthy or property rich (Austin has a lot of these people...not rich with cash...some actually struggling....but sitting on a $500k-1m tear down and won't sell). It's well on its way, and its damn shame. We need to make room for the missing middle.

BTW, I've had a couple long conversations with Kitchen and her staff. Kitchen's eyes glaze over, no exaggeration. She has ZERO idea of the rules and how they incentivize 3000 sqft homes and skip the missing middle. I offered to drive her and staff around to look at job sites, thinking maybe if she could see what the current code gives us and changes we should support to fill in market rate housing for teachers (I'm not a fan of gov housing as it robs people of generational wealth of homeownership) and the rest of the "missing middle". Kitchen would rather do what the ZNA sign off on. The ZNA is run by the same 6 people who rotate positions. It's so gross.

This was back in 2014-2015, when she was more concerned with shutting down Uber. I don't expect our leaders to be code wonks, but they should have a high level mastery of code and what it yields. Especially since she lives in Barton Hills, she must see what is happening all around her, and wonder what could be done.

Most of all, I was disappointed by her lack of caring. She's not a leader.....she's an out of touch bureaucrat. Honestly, either she likes the results the code gives, or she is completely incompetent. Either way, it's unacceptable. Our council is a joke.

[sjk]

New Apple campus construction in northwest Austin coming together

https://www.kvue.com/article/money/econo...269-f54b17af-71e5-4983-97a3-27a2397b785c

[The ATX]

Demo was approved on consent by the HLC yesterday.

Originally Posted by The ATX

This is probably going to be another big one with no CVCs on the site. 311 & 307 E. 5th at Trinity are up for total demolition at the 1/24 HLC meeting. This includes Russia House.

[We vs us]

Did they publish a demo date?

[kingkirbythe....]

Originally Posted by sjk

New Apple campus construction in northwest Austin coming together

https://www.kvue.com/article/money/econo...269-f54b17af-71e5-4983-97a3-27a2397b785c

Its great Apple is here, but I would've loved to have some (all?) that space built downtown. That much square footage would have had a HUGE impact. Most other Big Tech companies are snapping up space downtown. Large suburban corporate campuses are such old fashioned thinking. Hell, even the domain area would work short of a downtown location. Oh, well. It ain't gonna change now.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by We vs us

Did they publish a demo date?

Things like dates and project specifics are not usually part of HLC discussions. We'll have to wait for permits to be filed.

[papertowelroll]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

Its great Apple is here, but I would've loved to have some (all?) that space built downtown. That much square footage would have had a HUGE impact. Most other Big Tech companies are snapping up space downtown. Large suburban corporate campuses are such old fashioned thinking. Hell, even the domain area would work short of a downtown location. Oh, well. It ain't gonna change now.

Going to disagree. Whether you like it or not, many people want to live in the suburbs, and getting downtown from there during rush hour is not fun. I work at a downtown tech firm, and "are we planning to open an office at the domain?" Is a really common question. I think we have pretty good balance with Meta/Google downtown, Amazon/Indeed at the domain, Apple up north, and now Tesla to the east.