At the last Land Use Committee meeting, representatives for the owners of 1801 East Cesar Chavez presented a proposal for the property. This item will be up for discussion at this week’s ECC NCT monthly meeting.
Community Development Commission Election March 15
The City of Austin is seeking an East Austin Representative to serve on the Community Development Commission. Election will be held promptly at 6:00 on Wednesday, March 15.
About The Commission
The Community Development Commission advises the City Council in the development and implementation of programs designed to serve the poor and the community at large with emphasis on federally funded programs (Community Development Block Grant and the Community Services Block Grant).
Candidates Must reside within the following geographic boundaries:
North—east 7th Street
South—Lady Bird Lake
West—Interstate I-35
East—Airport Blvd/Hwy 183
See the links below for more information.
Información sobre la comición/elección
Information on the commission/election
East Cesar Chavez NPCT Nomination/Communication Committee Meeting – TODAY!
Reminder that there will be a joint East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan Contact Team – Nomination & Communication Committee meeting today from 10AM-12PM at Terrazas Library, 1105 E. Cesar Chavez Street.
We will begin with the Nomination Committee work.
All in the ECC community are welcome to join and help with the work!
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATES OBJECT TO ENDEAVOR’S NEW PLAN FOR PLAZA SALTILLO
3/3/2017: Click this LINK to read an UPDATE on City Council Vote!
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATES OBJECT TO ENDEAVOR’S NEW PLAN FOR PLAZA SALTILLO
Affordability and compatibility top the list of concerns about proposed changes to Plaza Saltillo
On March 2nd, city leaders will decide the future of Plaza Saltillo. The 10.5-acre, mixed-use development is scheduled to break ground later this year. However, on February 16th, the city council voted down changes that the project’s developer, Endeavor, requested. Councilmember Leslie Poole is now trying to broker a compromise between Endeavor, local residents, and affordable housing advocates.
BACKGROUND:
This project, which will cover eight city blocks, will run through the heart of East Austin, bisecting the largely residential area between East Sixth Street and Cesar Chavez. It will run from Interstate 35 to Saltillo Plaza, along the railroad tracks, on public lands held by Capital Metro.
In early February, in an unprecedented move, Endeavor went before city council and asked for sweeping changes to plans that had already been approved by Capital Metro in 2014, with input from the public and local civic leaders. The proposed changes include:
- Affordable housing rollbacks. Endeavor is now offering 141 affordable housing units instead of the 200 that were originally promised, in exchange for developing prime public lands.
- Height Increases. During the bidding process, Endeavor representatives publicly declared that the company would not request any zoning variances. Endeavor and Capital Metro now want to add a 125-foot office tower and have requested other increased heights throughout the project. Heights in the neighborhood plan are limited to 40 feet, but the Transit Oriented Development designation allows a 60-foot height limit. Seeking to find common ground, the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan Contact Team voted on February 16th to offer a compromise with Endeavor, which would allow an 80-foot limit for the proposed office tower.
- Twice the density. The density of the proposed project has increased from 112,500 square feet to 259,000 square feet. With some local roads already well over capacity, neighbors question the wisdom of the additional 18,000+ vehicular trips per day that are projected.
- Lack of family units. In the new plan proposed by Endeavor and Capital Metro, most living spaces are one-bedroom units rather than larger family units. Affordable housing advocates are asking the developers to provide more family-friendly housing to retain the family-oriented character of the neighborhood and to help keep neighborhood school enrollment viable.
Jim Duncan, an Austin-based city planning consultant and former Austin Land Development Services director, voiced concerns about how the plan has morphed since it was selected. Speaking before the city council, he said the project had become “revenue-driven versus neighborhood-driven.”
Affordable housing advocates, community members, and the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan Contact Team all say that Endeavor’s original promise of 200 affordable units is vital to helping offset local residents’ displacement due to rapid, unprecedented growth. They are also deeply concerned that the 125-foot office tower and the resultant traffic are not compatible with the neighborhood.
MEDIA ADVISORY
CONTACT: Jose Valera, Chair,
East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Planning Team
512/547-8972, jose.8.valera@gmail.com
Working Group Meeting to Explore Neighborhood Plan Mergers – ECC & Holly
The Working Group charged with discussing the implications of merging neighborhood plan boundaries of the East Cesar Chavez neighborhood with the Holly neighborhood met on February 6 and then again on February 20 at the Camacho Rec Center, located at 34 Robert T Martinez Jr St, Austin, TX 78702.
Ana DeFrates, Holly Neighborhood Coalition Co-chair facilitated the meetings and José Valera, Chair of the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan Contact Team, also attended, along with members of the ECC and Holly neighborhoods.
Background: Last month, Ana DeFrates of the Holly Neighborhood Coalition and Bertha Delgado of the East Town Lake Citizens Neighborhood Association attended the East Cesar Chavez contact team January 2017 meeting to formally request a working group to explore the implications of merging neighborhood plans boundaries for the Holly and East Cesar Chavez neighborhoods. The East Cesar Chavez contact team unanimously approved the creation of this working group. NOTE: The approval to create a working group does not mean express approval to merge neighborhood boundaries.
The Holly Neighborhood believes “we are stronger together.” It is their position that merging neighborhood plan boundaries for the Holly and East Cesar Chavez neighborhoods is the most viable option for creating a contact team that works for the entire community.
If you are interested in contributing to this discussion, we invite you to join the next working group meeting on Monday, March 6 at 6:30 PM at the Camacho Rec Center, located at 34 Robert T Martinez Jr St, Austin, TX 78702.
For more information, please contact the meeting facilitator Ana DeFrates, Holly Neighborhood Coalition Co-chair at rodriguez.c.ana@gmail.com
Agenda for February 15, 2017 Monthly Meeting of ECCNPCT
Our next meeting will be held this Wednesday, February 15, at 6:00pm in the Terrazas Library meeting room, 1105 E. Cesar Chavez St.
Here is the agenda: Agenda for February 15, 2017 Monthly Meeting
Everyone is welcome to attend, hope to see you there!
DRAFT minutes from the ECCNPCT January 18, 2017 meeting
ECC Land Use and Design Committee meeting – tonight, Feb 7th
The Land Use and Design Committee will be meeting tonight, Tuesday, February 7th from 6:00-7:30 pm at the Terrazas Library meeting room.
This meeting occurs each first Tuesday of the month at the same time and location.
We will be discussing:
1. 905 E. Cesar Chavez Street – property zoned VMU
2. CodeNext – exploring the new code, working session
All are welcome to attend.
Two Openings for Representatives on the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan Contact Team
Current openings
Updated February 5, 2017
- Non-Profit Representative: Our team has an opening for a Leaderhip Team Representative for Non-profits. If you operate a non-profit within the East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan Area and would like to get involved, please email the Nominations Committee Chairperson and she will send you the Leadership Team Representative Application Packet.
- Sector 5 Representative: Our team has an opening for a Leadership Team Representative for Sector 5 (see map). If you live within this sector and would like to get involved, please email the Nominations Committee Chairperson and she will send you the Leadership Team Representative Application Packet.
Nominations Committee & Communications Committee: Meetings on Saturday, Feb 4
The Nominations Committee will be meeting Saturday, February 4th from 10:30-11:15am and the Communications Committee will be meeting from 11:15am-12:30pm at the Terrazas Library meeting room.
We will be discussing guidelines for nominations of representatives to the ECC Team and updates to the ECC Team website and procedures for posting information.
All are welcome to attend.
Martin Middle School: Petition to the FABPAC of Austin ISD to Stay at Current Location
Martin Middle School Austin, Texas: Modernization Required / Stay at Current Location
The Campus Advisory Committee of Matin Middle School has an online petition to the FABPAC (Facilities and Bond Planning Advisory Committee) for Austin ISD that supports Martin Middle School being fully modernized and maintain its current capacity of 804 at it’s present location.
Here is the link to the petition which includes updates, comments, and links to documents regarding this process. Please sign the online version if you have not signed a paper version of petition. LINK TO PETITION
Plan to Attend Jan. 31st FABPAC Meeting, at 5:30pm, Martin Middle School Cafeteria
Martin Middle School 1601 Haskell, Austin, Texas 78702
JAN 15, 2017 — Thank you to all that have signed this petition.
The messages left and reasons for signing, especially from Alumni, have been no less than inspiring. Please continue to forward this petition to neighbors, community members/ leaders, concerned citizens, as well as former students and classmates.
If you would like to help pick up petition signatures, please email FABPACpetition@gmail.com
Respectfully,
Martin CAC, (Campus Advisory Committee)