Planned vote on Zoning Change for height variance at Plaza Saltillo development in ECC

NOTE:  Consideration of this agenda item was postponed to the next Planning Commission meeting on January 12, 2017.

Endeavor Real Estate is requesting a vote at Planning Commission tomorrow, Tuesday, December 13, 6pm at City Hall, for a Zoning Change at the Plaza Saltillo development to allow an increase in the height allowance of three buildings between I-35 and Waller Street, from 4th to 5th Street (from 60 to 68 feet, 60 to 70 feet, and 60 to 125 feet).

It is unknown at this time if the 60 to 125-foot office building height increase, if approved, could open the door to upzoning the adjacent single-family (SF) residential areas to central business district (CBD), or a similarly intensive zoning designation.

They also will ask for an adjustment in the affordable housing allowance, most of which would be located on one small tract of the development, on 4th Street between Navasota and Onion Streets (a range of Median Family Income-MFI levels up to 60% MFI, including 30%, 50% and 60% MFI).

The Endeavor developers’ plan for Saltillo Plaza was introduced at an East Cesar Chavez Neighborhood Plan Contact Team (ECCNPCT) meeting in June 2016 with the understanding that future updates would be made prior to submitting the request to the Planning Commission.  Endeavor did not return to the Team for a vote before taking the issue to the Planning Commission, however.

Therefore, ECCNPCT has not yet sought community input about the Zoning Change request that may be voted on tomorrow, Tuesday, December 13, 6pm at City Hall and no letter of community support has been written.

For more information about this development, please read the attached document for details as well as this article in Austin Towers, online journal.

At this point, if you want your voice to be heard, please email members of the Planning Commission directly and also notify your ECCNPCT representative.

Contact information for the Planning Commission is as follows:

Chair, Steven Oliver: bc-Stephen.Oliver@austintexas.gov
James Shieh: bc-James.Shieh@austintexas.gov
Fayez Kazi: bc-Fayez.Kazi@austintexas.gov
Jayme Mathias: bc-Jayme.Mathias@austintexas.gov
Karen McGraw: bc-Karen.McGraw@austintexas.gov
Tom Nuckols: bc-Tom.Nuckols@austintexas.gov
Angela Pineyro De Hoyos: bc-Angela.PineyroDeHoyos@austintexas.gov
Patricia Seeger: bc-Patricia.Seeger@austintexas.gov
Jeff Thompson: bc-Jeffrey.Thompson@austintexas.gov
Jose Vela: bc-Jose.Vela@austintexas.gov
Trinity White: bc-Trinity.White@austintexas.gov
Michael Wilson: bc-Michael.Wilson@austintexas.gov
Nuria Zaragoza: bc-nuria.zaragoza@austintexas.gov

If you do email the PC, please also CC our District 3 rep, Sabino Renteria, and his land use policy aide, Nicholas Solorzano, on your email message:

Sabino.Renteria@austintexas.gov
Nicholas.Solorzano@austintexas.gov