Monthly Meeting – June 13, 2017 – 6pm
fibercove – 1700 S Lamar Blvd, Suite 338, Austin, TX [ RSVP HERE ]
If you would like to suggest an amendment to the meeting notes please email contact@friendsofzilker.com . Thanks.
Q&A with C3 and the City –
Q&A with Lindsey Sokol (Festival Director of ACL at C3 Presents), Frances Hargrove (Special Events Manager CoA), and Jason Maurer (Event Sales Manager CoA/PARD).
- Lindsey talked about ACL by the numbers. ACL brings 2802 full time jobs that pay a total of $99m. ACL related jobs bring down Austin’s unemployment rate by .5%
- Parks foundation receives a % of revenue from ACL.
- Discussed initiates ACL has take to reduce waste, reuse water bottles, and offset carbon dioxide
- Jason Maurer discussed what the office of special events does relating to permits, events happening in in parks, and how they coordinate before / during and after.
- Frances Hargrove discussed how her department works to mitigate impact from events from a transportation perspective.
Q&A from Audience –
- Discussed possibility of moving events to other parks which is tricky because not many parks have the correct infrastructure to handle large events.
- Some FoZ members voiced that they wanted to keep event days at 29 in Zilker and did not feel the Parklands Taskforce had done enough to collect input from the community and they disagree with the recommendation to reduce event days to 24.
- Emergency vehicle discussion – per Frances Hargrove there are no reports of emergency vehicles not being able to arrive at their destination because of parking issues.
- Toomey Road discussion – Toomey is one way during events. It is likely it will be the same way this year. Also discussed concerns about trail next to Barton Place being used for auto traffic during ACL.
- Barton Springs Road discussion – discussed the issues of why it is difficult to resolve traffic issues during events. Someone suggested another pedestrian bridge maybe helpful.
- Lyft / Uber question about what plans are in place to increase ease of TNC at event. For ACL the Austin High lot will be used as a pick up / drop off point. Zilker residents requested a location on the south side of the lake as well.
- Cell Service Concerns – during large events it is difficult for those who live near the park to get cell service. Recommendation to request carriers boost additional service beyond what is calculated for just fest goers.
- Rapid Response System – for large events 311 calls get routed to a trailer on sight where City employees from multiple departments are working together. This allows for maximum interdepartmental cooperation.
- Austin Parks Foundation and ACL impact grants. This is a tool neighborhoods can use to bring money to improve their neighborhood parks.
- Sidewalks to / from Zilker improvements were requested by many attendees.
- The Stafford Field – discussion of the landfill at Zilker Park under the bridge and an explanation of the limitations placed on that property by TCEQ.
Summer Social Event
Proposed July 4 Watermelon Social and Parade around Little Zilker Park. There was interest in doing a small event at the park. Low key with watermelon, cookies and maybe the fire truck. FoZ will be inviting ZNA to co-sponsor the event since watermelon social is a long standing neighborhood tradition.
BOA case about Garage Door
Discussion of BOA variance scheduled July 11 for 2005 Bluebonnet Lane A . The family would like to add a garage door to their carport.
Board decided to have membership vote on a FoZ resolution supporting the family.
Proposed Draft resolution language (still awaiting approval before being sent as a vote) :
Friends of Zilker supports Zilker residence seeking Board of Adjustment variances to increase FAR to allow for the addition of a garage door(s) on one of the two open sides of a carport.
Adding a garage door to a carport that is still 80% open on one side does not add heated / cooled living space to the home. The addition of a garage door should not change the FAR, but because Austin has a quirky way of calculating FAR it does. The FoZ support neighbors who seek an upwards adjustment of their homes FAR to allow for the addition of a garage door on an open carport. Furthermore, the distance of a carport from an open porch should not impact how the FAR is calculated if both the porch and the carport are not heated / cooled.
Allowing neighbors to add garage doors to their homes is very much in keeping with the character of the Zilker neighborhood.
Information about McMansion Carport Exemption – LDC 25-2, Subchapter F, 3.3.2 . More of a high level over of the McMansion Ordinance.
Information about 904 Jessie Board of Adjustment Code Interpretation regarding required distance between open carport and porch: Austin Monitor Story about 904 Jessie and 904 Jessie Board of Adjustment Documents
Previous Council (in)Action on resolving carport exemption issue generally in the code which is why BOA variances are needed to add garage doors. October 6, 2016 – City Council Item 55 (1 of 2) 65:20
Council Item Regarding Limiting Event days in Zilker Park
Item # 23 on City of Austin Council Agenda for 6/15/2017 is an ordinance that would limit the number of special event days in Zilker Park from 29 (current) to 24 (loss by attrition).
Members discussed general displeasure at Parkland Taskforce recommendation to limit event days in Zilker Park. Members were concerned they were never asked for input. Some members said if any event days are lost it should maybe be from the Trail of Lights.
Because the item is on the Thursday council agenda there is not time for FoZ to take a formal stance on the matter, but members where encouraged to email Ann Kitchen if they do not want the proposed ordinance to pass.
Special Event Parking Permits –
Discussion of Austin Monitors story from June 13 about SEPP in Zilker. The story discusses David King (and another Parklands Taskforce members) opinion that because people parking on the streets is a safety issue Zilker residence should not get input on if they want to have SEPP on their street. Previously, King’s communication with the City (as seen in open records) and as discussions with neighbors focused on the noise, litter, nuance of having strangers parking in the ‘hood. Flipping the script to health / life / safety is a new tactic, and seems to be aimed at undoing Ann Kitchen’s promise in her May 17 press released titled – “Gmail – Voluntary Special Event Residential Parking Permits” that “The program has always been intended to be “opt in” modeled off the existing permanent Residential Parking Permit program. 60% of a street would need to want SERPP for installation. ”
No one spoke in support of SEPP.
City staff says a meeting to provide public input will be scheduled, eventually. We will forward the notice to members.
FoZ board is in the process of formulating language to be voted on as the formal position of FoZ regarding SEPP.
Meeting Adjourned. Rowdy conversation lasted till late in the night. Pizza and beer were enjoyed.