CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS 387A 389 NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN: Notice is hereby given that a Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Austin will be held on the 9th day of June, 1959, at the Municipal Building, Eighth and Colorado, in Austin, Texas, at 3:00 P. M. for the purpose of public hearing on the opening or closing permanently East 9th Street between Neches and Trinity Streets. (Sgd) Elsie Woosley City Clerk (Sgd) Tom Miller Mayor City of Austin, Texas ATTEST: (Sgd) Elsie Woosley City Clerk CONSENT TO MEETING We, the undersigned members of the City Council, hereby accept service of the foregoing notice, waiving any and all irregularities in such service and such notice, and consent and agree that said City Council shall meet at the time and place therein named, and for the purpose therein stated. (Sga) Hub Bechtol (Sgd) Ben White (Sgd) Lester E. Palmer (Sgd) Edgar H. Perry III ادر عست 3898 389 CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS Special Meeting June 9, 1959 3:00 Ρ.Μ. Council Chamber, City Hall The meeting was called to order with Mayor Miller presiding. Roll call: Attorney. Present: Councilmen Bechtol, Palmer, Perry, White, Mayor Miller Absent: None Present also: W. T. Williams, Jr., City Manager; Doren R. Eskew, City The Mayor announced that this was a public hearing on the opening or closing permanently East 9th Street between Neches and Trinity Streets. MR. JAY PATTERSON, representing the Austin Independent School District, was spokesman for the group advocating the closing of East 9th Street. He explained the three-way trade between the State, the School District, and the First Baptist Church, and displayed a map of the city made in 1840, pointing out the public squares of the original city, and read the Act that set out these public properties, naming the purposes for which each had been set out; and then traced the development of these public lands to their present uses. COLONEL BROWN, Chairman, Texas Employment System, pointed out the needs of the Texas Employment Commission. MR. FARMER, whose interest was in the Texas Employment Commission, reviewed the plan whereby the State would relinquish its reversion interests, if the School Board would sell its property to the Church, and the Church would have to agree to sell their land to the Texas Employment Commission for $300,000. In negotiation, Mr. Farmer stated one of the basic things was that the Church would get a block and a half without a street running through it, and this street had been closed for nearly 30 years, with no one interested in opening it as it leads no where. He pointed out the advantages of the school in having the funds, and the advantages to the city in having valuable land on the tax roll. MR. ZOLLIE STEAKLEY, Secretary of State, representing the Governor as Chairman of the Building Commission, pointed out the cooperation between the State and Austin, pointed out the millions of dollars expended for the Courts Building, the State Unemployment Building, and Texas Employment Commission Building and pointed out the cooperation in this three-way trade. He reviewed the action, agreement, and title suit. He read a letter from the Highway Engineer regarding the Interregional Highway, stating 9th Street was not planned to be a = CITY OF AUSTIN, TEXAS 3890 389 through or cross-over street when the Interregional was finished. He stated 9th Street was not asked to be closed for the Baptist Church, but to be closed for the State and School Districts, and the public. MR. IRBY CARRUTH pointed out the financial advantages to the school system in that it wanted to buy additional needed school sites, and make an addition to one of the existing high schools. MR. KUYKENDAHL, Attorney for the First Baptist Church, introduced members of the Church Planning Committee, E. B. MOODY, Chairman; DR. CLEVELAND, JOHN WINTERS, H. M. TOTLAND, JOE C. CARRINGRON, GATEWOOD NEWBERRY, WM. G. JACKSON, and CHARLES SPARENBERG. He pointed out the substantial tax benefits to be received by the City from the three-way trade. The Church was under the impression that 9th Street was permanently closed, and the Church desires an undivided tract of land. He said the Church was asked to join in this 3-way trade, and it asks that 9th Street be closed so that the State can get what it wants, the school district will get what it wants, and the Church can build a magnificant home if it so desires. MR. JOHN COFER discussed with MR. STEAKLEY other properties for the Church. A representative from the Church gave a history of the Church and its expansion, its purchase of the property at 14th and Brazos, and the development of the State Capitol Area Plan to include this location, and negotiations for the trade, and the bill passed through the Legislature authorizing the exchange, and the Church's plans to build on the Allan Junior High tract. DR. SCOTT, Pastor of the First Baptist Church, spoke in favor of the trade, as it was desired to maintain a down-town church, and this location was ideal. MR.MCADAMS, Board of Control, and member of the Building Commission, spoke for the Building Commission. MR. HARRY WHITTINGTON, one of the owners of the Vaughan Building and Parking Lot at 9th and Brazos, and Attorney for Jack Vaughan, and others, pointed out the rapid development of this one block. He pointed out that the trend would continue. He noted increase in automobiles, and he said it was not practical to abandon any street in view of the tremendous growth of automobile traffic in the down-town area. He stated 9th Street would provide a street from San Jacinto to the Expressway. He stated 9th Street would be one of the biggest assets, and they did not want to see the Council close the street. MR. ROBERT MUELLER representing his client at 900-08 Brazos, was interested in seeing the street opened to the public. Even though the Street had been closed for 30 years, Austin had grown from 50,000 to 200,000 and the down-town traffic is different. His clients had plans for commercial development and wanted 9th street opened. MR. JOHN COFER stated this proposition was being handedi to the Council by the representatives of this Church, and by public officials who were members of this Church and who have made this agreement which they are asking the Council to approve. He bitterly opposed the closing of 9th Street and asked the Council to get expert opinions from all of its sources before it acted. He stated there were only three streets between the River and 19th Street that went through from the Interregional to Lamar. He said it was so important to have a street through 3890 389 CITY OF AUSTIN. TEXAS at this location, that the City would have to condem the church property at a tremendous cost. He objected to the abandonment of the property as a public square. He stated all this three-way trade was not essential to anyone, and asked that the street not be abandoned as it was temporarily closed by the schools, but now since they ceased to use it, the street should be opened again. MR. WILLIAM BRIGHT, stating he represented almost 100% of the people who owned property on East 9th Street from Congress to the Interregional, expressed opposition to the permanent closing of this part of East 9th Street and asked that the matter be postponed until full technical studies could be made. MRS. BARTLETT complained about the price that the property was being sold for. MRS. HERBERT AARON opposed the closing of East 9th Street as not being good for the welfare of down-town Austin, the business district, and stated as many thoroughfares between the Interregional and Congress Avenue as possible should be kept open. The owner of property at 8th and Trinity stated that since the schools did not need 9th Street closed for the protection of the children any longer, it should be opened to the public. At Councilman White's suggestion, MR. KLAPPROTH, Traffic Engineer, outlined the plans for the down-town area, on which a study had been made in 1951, and on which the one-way street pattern had been recommended and put into operation. MAYOR MILLER stated the Council had called a special hearing on this matter and had listened from 3:00 to 5:40. He stated Lamar Boulevard and the Interregional Highway had been established over great protest from the people. Several streets had been closed to make way for the expansion of the State. Speedway had been closed at the request of the University of Texas. He stated Austin had grown because people came here to live; the State has helped it to grow--the churches, University and schools. MR. JAY PATTERSON thanked the Council for its consideration. There being no further business, the Council adjourned at 6:10 P.M., subject to the call of the Mayor. ATTROID Jom milla. APPROVED Mayor ATTEST: C City Clerk