North Lamar/Burnet Development Thread - Page 12

atxsnail · #**221** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 1:50 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by agsatx88

Site plan filed for multifamily development at 8440 Burnet Road. The site is currently occupied by a strip mall that includes Nosh and Bevvy, Common Interest, and Slick Willie's. I know this one is not very popular with my neighborhood's Facebook page and, while I always applaud the addition of dense housing in this part of the city, it does seem like there are other parcels more ripe for re-development that this one. Too bad the proposal does not include ground floor retail, that feels like a bit of slap in the face, not sure if that is due to zoning restrictions of what.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/public-searc...=12912970&t_selected_propertyrsn=1003437

The same neighborhood that screamed about how tearing down the old Ross and Chuck E. Cheese for housing where a gigantic Subaru dealership now sits would ruin their world? Let them cry.

Novacek · #**222** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 2:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by agsatx88

Site plan filed for multifamily development at 8440 Burnet Road. The site is currently occupied by a strip mall that includes Nosh and Bevvy, Common Interest, and Slick Willie's. I know this one is not very popular with my neighborhood's Facebook page and, while I always applaud the addition of dense housing in this part of the city, it does seem like there are other parcels more ripe for re-development that this one. Too bad the proposal does not include ground floor retail, that feels like a bit of slap in the face, not sure if that is due to zoning restrictions of what.

https://abc.austintexas.gov/public-searc...=12912970&t_selected_propertyrsn=1003437

Yeah, it's rather unfortunate. I blame council and staff.

Remember that, insanely, this section of Burnet isn't considered a "Core Transit Corridor"

https://data.austintexas.gov/Locations-and-Maps/Core-Transit-Corridors/g4jr-h8r2

and has no VMU zoning

https://austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bff1cf81f6534a0bb2f8a23988d499c2

hence the CS zoning that was here before had no residential entitlements. So they(the developers) went for MF6 zoning just last month or so.

sure the owners could have _tried_ to rezone for VMU (if that's even an option given the technical "non corridor" status) but that's not really their job. It would have added more regulations and compliance costs, and they just want a quick profitable easy to design job. It's not their job to keep street vitality, that's council and staff.

Syndic · #**223** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 2:14 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

NOOOOOOO. HELLLL NO! AND NO GROUND FLOOR RETAIL. JESUS CHRIST. This ain't even NIMBYism for me, just against a total idiotic mistake.

For those who've not been to Common Interest, it's one of the few melting pots left in Austin. Such a beautiful mix of colors, sexualities and anything in between. This would be be a fair amount of steps backwards.

Huh? It's a strip mall. And why wouldn't you want ground floor retail? Weird take.

My urbanist approach to interesting shops that happen to be in strip malls:

They can/will adjust.

Echostatic · #**224** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 2:16 PM**

This forum has taken a hard turn towards NIMBYism lately.

jkconno · #**225** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 2:36 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Echostatic

This forum has taken a hard turn towards NIMBYism lately.

Agreed

dilliam · #**226** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 2:39 PM**

Yea, there's been a weird vibe in the forum lately.

Jdawgboy · #**227** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 2:57 PM**

Maybe its because we are starting to understand that Austin's existing culture is just as important as it's growth... How we balance the two going further will determine the direction of our city for decades to come. It's time to be a little more critical of certain projects.

Jdawgboy · #**228** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 3:01 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Syndic

Huh? It's a strip mall. And why wouldn't you want ground floor retail? Weird take.

My urbanist approach to interesting shops that happen to be in strip malls:

They can/will adjust.

He said "and no retail!" in observing that the development has no ground retail.. Not that he doesn't want ground retail..

ahealy · #**229** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 3:14 PM**

I am very happy to disappoint with being a "NIMBY" folks... I think the definition has become a bit muddled on here tbh. This isn't the same as preserving a burger joint over rail. Check out any other city forum and you'll see the same arguments pop up often. It isn't yuppie Crestview panic either. We're talking a strip mall, yes, that happens to house special public activation venues. If the developer offered ground floor retail for CI Nosh & Bevvy and the others, that would be different all together. Apparently they are not. I know a lot of you care about street level interaction and I don't particularly want to see another Crestview Commons dead zone along Burnet.

I love architecture, urbanism and design. It doesn't mean I'm a yes man for anything housing oriented...and this comes from a former realtor. I'm pretty picky with what I endorse and lately a lot of announcements are bottom of the barrel for Austin. Sorry, but it is true! This is SkyscraperPage, not HousingAndHeightNoMatterWhatPage

agsatx88 · #**230** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 3:14 PM**

Let me clarify my stance. At the end of the day I still support this project because housing is housing. However, as Jdawgboy pointed out, we owe it to ourselves to look at these projects critically. Pointing out the shortcomings and missed opportunities is not NIMBYism.

East7thStreet · #**231** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 3:15 PM**

Nosh/Bevy and Common Interest are popular local bars....hopefully they find new homes. That being said the actual physical structure of this strip mall is closer to an industrial workspace....it's pretty horrible .....a nicely designed residential building(s) would be much better use of space.

agsatx88 · #**232** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 3:22 PM**

Ugh don't get me started on Burnet Rd. car dealerships and used car lots...

Quote:

Originally Posted by atxsnail

The same neighborhood that screamed about how tearing down the old Ross and Chuck E. Cheese for housing where a gigantic Subaru dealership now sits would ruin their world? Let them cry.

migol24 · #**233** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 3:33 PM**

A lot of you people rallying for redevelopment have your heart in the right place but it's sometimes misguided and doesn't see the whole picture. When I hear another redevelopment taking place just in favor of local restaurants, bars or shops I just know the retail replacing them in these developments are just a bunch of overpriced pseudo-Italian restaurants, Chipotle and another Orange Theory gym. I think some of the frustrations that come around these developments is over this basic idea. Just look at the Plaza Saltillo redevelopment. There's a Target, Whole Foods, Chipotle, Hopdoddys, some expensive Asian restaurant and some other chains. I can't think of any local shops that aren't franchises on that strip. But it's most definitely not catered to the "creative class" like it had originally been promoted.

Those frustrations are legitimate and shouldn't be ignored.

Atom_Mirny · #**234** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 4:25 PM**

I sustain that this forum is a shitshow.

migol24 · #**235** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 4:34 PM**

I'm beginning to see a pattern where people will comment that the forum is getting out of hand when people don't agree on certain points. I mean, that's why these discussions exist, to debate on issues you don't agree with. Everyone has been respectful as far as I can see. There's no 🞵🞵🞵🞵 show compared to what I've witnessed in my 25 years of experience on the internet.

ahealy · #**236** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 4:37 PM**

Such spirited reactions over retail free apartments nobody has even seen a render of. At least I can say I've spent many crowded nights at CI (including my post wedding reception). Not trying to be an 🞵🞵🞵, but that kinda fits my point here.

This isn't a 🞵🞵🞵🞵-show because we don't all agree. Perhaps we have a forum HH there....plus karaoke on stage.

enragedcamel · #**237** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 6:39 PM**

I think it's fine to have objections towards new development if said development will subtract as much as it adds. NIMBYs are a different brand entirely, and I don't think ahealy qualifies to be one. The case he makes is a reasonable one. Unlike that one guy who was complaining about a friggin' burger joint getting replaced by much-needed rail.

Maximusx1 · #**238** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 6:55 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ahealy

At least I can say I've spent many crowded nights at CI (including my post wedding reception).

See, now its Your Back Yard.

Watch, I'll try: I had my post graduation reception at Dirty Martins (see, now it's my back yard!).

Same, but different, but still same.

nixcity · #**239** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 6:59 PM**

^Except one project sees apartments who will only serve those that live there while the other project is in the way of a rail line that could capture 50,000 people in a day and serves the city at large.

Maximusx1 · #**240** Posted **Apr 11, 2022, 7:03 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by nixcity

^Except one project sees apartments who will only serve those that live there while the other project is in the way of a rail line that could capture 50,000 people in a day and serves the city at large.

Same, but different, but still same.