Austin's Hill Country Roads: Views & New Zoning
- A public hearing was held on a proposed Hill Country Roadway Ordinance, attracting extensive community input.
- The Council decided to continue the hearing and directed staff to draft a revised ordinance by November 14th. This draft must include a one-year review provision, prioritize driveway safety, and exclude existing single-family subdivisions.
- Significant attention was given to protecting scenic vistas, with a call for careful planning. Additionally, a new "recreational services" zoning category was proposed specifically for the Loop 620 corridor to better accommodate unique local businesses like boat sales.
Full Transcript
} ) SPECIAL CALLED MEETING 4:00 Ρ.Μ. - October 30, 1985 Mayor Cooksey called to order the meeting of the Council, noting the absence of Mayor Pro Tem Trevino and Councilmember Urdy. The Mayor announced the purpose of the meeting is to have a public hearing on Hill Country Roadway Ordinance. The following people spoke at the hearing: John Lewis, Richard Halbin, Patrick McCluskey, Frank Powell, Curtis Williams, Bert Cromack, Mr. Malone, Clay Blakeway, Tom Gardner, Rudy Robinson, Gerhard Schultze, David Bodenman, John Saunders, Alex Young, Janet Klotz, Paul Linehan, Alfred Stanley, Mike Guerrero, Bill Galloway, Stan Bidderman, Mike Young, Dave Warner, Nancy Castelline, Catherin Respeth, Jimmy Gaines. Motion Attached is a transcript of the motion made by Councilmember Shipman and seconded by Councilmember Carl-Mitchell which passed on a 4-0 Vote, with Mayor Pro Tem Trevino and Councilmember Urdy absent, Mayor Cooksey and Councilmember Rose out of the room. ADJOURNMENT Council adjourned its meeting at 7:00p.m. 1 Council Meeting Transcript Page 1 October 30, 1985 Β.1. 4:00 Ρ.Μ. PUBLIC HEARING - 1. Hill Country Roadway Ordinance; and passage of Ordinance. * * * * MOTION: SHIPMAN: I would like to make the following motion. First of all is that we continue the public hearing and be posted for action on November 21 at 5:00p.m. That we ask the City Manager to direct the staff to submit a draft to the City Council and available for public perusal by November 14, that's two weeks; that that draft utilize the August 27 draft as its format, and that it include a one-year review provision in the ordinance, so that this ordinance may come up for review and public scrutiny one year after effective date; that it utilize the Loop 360 access recommendations which we have already looked into.. I am very concerned in this most recent submission that we are looking at today that there is not a provision for driveway access safety, and that's what we originally started on all of this. But the draft exclude platted single-family subdivisions, and that the following information be sent to the City Council for our points of reference as soon as possible: one, how the provisions of the northwest plan, which was unanimously adopted by the previous City Council, and It has been reaffirmed by this City Council..how those provisions would apply if we extended them down 620 and 2244 and on into the areas of Loop 360 that are excluded currently. Also that we be provided what the informations of rightof-way requirements are on these roadways that are already in our adopted roadway plan, and that the staff..I am concerned about the scenic vistas. We worked for over two-years in developing the scenic vistas for the Capitol View Protection Ordinance, and I think we might want to work with the highway department and more carefully scrutinze the scenic vistas so that the property owners and the public would be well aware of what the clearly defined scenic vistas are; and we may have to work out an unusual formula and that may take longer. We may want to continue that for another year. And finally, one of the things that struck me as interesting is 620 is a very unusual area. primarily geared to recreational type services. Boat sales and scuba place, and right now we don't have a place in our zoning category to accommodate that other than commercial highway services, and I think that is too intensive and it is not needed for these kinds of development, and it was the..real dilemma for a City Council to scrutinize the zoning, and so, I think it is appropriate that we adopt a recreational services zoning category and that it apply to.. for consideration only on 620, since that is a unique area, and I think it would offer some real positive land use for already existing businesses out there, and for future businesses it would not have to try to meet terms of commercial highway or commercial services zoning, which they couldn't meet and don't meet and probably would not be granted, and yet they would be appropriate for recreational services. It is * * * * * 2