April 2025 ECC Neighborhood Meeting

Hello Neighbors,

We kicked Spring off with a wonderful block party on Willow Street — a huge thanks to everyone who worked to bring the community together! Now, we’re turning our attention to key issues like pedestrian safety, noise compatibility, and planning for our community’s future. Keep reading for important updates and ways to get involved.

Table of Contents

• Announcements

  • Hybrid Parking Survey & Community Meeting

  • New Pedestrian Crossing

• Neighborhood Initiatives

  • Angel House / Homeless Neighborhood Initiative

  • 🚨Fund the Caps!🚨

• Events

  • Holly Neighborhood Yard Sale

  • Preservation Austin’s 2025 Homes Tour: Tickets & V …

  • Holly Shores Community Engagement Events

• Outdoor Music Venue Permits

  • The Scoot Inn Permit Renewal

  • Chalmers ATX Permit Application

• Land Use Updates

  • 1301-1309 E 4th Street Rezoning Request

Announcements

Hybrid Parking Survey & Community Meeting

Please share your opinion about parking in our neighborhood!

The City is considering expanding paid parking into additional areas of the East Cesar Chavez neighborhood to improve street parking availability. This expansion would primarily include hybrid zones that would allow residents to park free through the Residential Permit Parking (RPP) program while requiring members of the public to pay.

To share your feedback on this proposal, you can take this short survey until April 28.

You can also attend the community update meeting:

Location: Christ Church, 112 Medina St
Date: April 29, 2025 , 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

New Pedestrian Crossing

Thanks to the advocacy of one neighbor and ECC team member, there’s a new pedestrian crossing at East Cesar Chavez and Lynn Street! It’s a testament to the power of each participant to make a difference in our neighborhood.

Council Member Velasquez plans to join a ribbon cutting ceremony tentatively on May 3 at 8am. Look for the official announcement soon!

Neighborhood Initiatives

Angel House / Homeless Neighborhood Initiative

Update: Following our meeting in January, APD has shared the following updates related to the requests in our letter:

• HALO cameras east of I-35 have been restored!

• Rather than expand “George” sector eastward to improve police presence here it’s needed most, APD decided to expand the sector west. It’s still unclear why this decision was made, and we’re working to get some answers.

• There are no additional substantive updates on improved staffing or enforcement in our neighborhood at this time.

Background: Our community collectively sent a detailed letter to Mayor Watson, City Manager Broadnax, and City Council outlining shared concerns and requesting immediate support for the ECC neighborhood. The letter was endorsed by a broad cross-section of our community, including members from 25 small business and non-profit organizations, and included 50 impact statements. Our team is now meeting regularly with APD and David Gray, Homeless Strategy Office, to discuss progress and share feedback.

🚨Fund the Caps!🚨

Update: There was interesting discussion about the caps during the City Council’s work session on April 7th. Perhaps the most impactful presentation included renderings of what our City will look like without caps. It’s scary to say the least. Please share with anyone who is unsure or ambivalent about whether Austin should fund the caps.

Background: The City of Austin originally unveiled a vision to cap I-35, reclaiming up to ~26 acres of land. However, City Staff has since recommended a substantially smaller caps project of only 12.5 acres, cutting the highway covered in our neighborhood by over three acres and eliminating the Holly Street portion. Read our neighborhood’s initial response to this proposal here.

On May 31, Austin City Council will vote on whether to fund the Roadway Elements. These foundational, structural, and fire-prevention components must be funded now to preserve the opportunity for caps in the future. If they are not funded, we will not have an opportunity to cover the highway again for the next 90+ years.

This project is vital to connecting East Austin, mitigating environmental harm, and ensuring green space and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure for our community.

Here’s how you can help:
✅ Visit Fundthecaps.com
✅ Email City Council members—let them know you support this project (email link in the website)
✅ Request a FREE yard sign (just reply to this email).
✅ Encourage neighbors to take action before the May 31 vote

Events

Preservation Austin’s 2025 Homes Tour: Tickets & Volunteer Opportunity

Holly Shores Community Engagement Events

Outdoor Music Venue Permits

The Scoot Inn Permit Renewal

Background: In 2023, the Scoot Inn requested to extend the hours for their outdoor music two hours, Sunday-Thursday until 10:00 PM, and one hour Friday & Saturday until 11:00 pm. The neighborhood voted to permit the extended hours subject to special conditions to mitigate local disturbances. You can read the 2023 agreement here.

The Scoot Inn’s Outdoor Music Venue Permit is now up for renewal and is requesting to renew the terms of the 2023 agreement.

Update: At the March meeting, the ECCNPCT voted against extended hours. The team also voted to give a three month extension to allow time for the Scoot to make adjustments to its business model or submit a new proposal.

Shangra La Permit Renewal

Please see the agenda for details

Chalmers ATX Permit Application

Please see the agenda for details

Land Use Updates

1301-1309 E 4th Street Rezoning Request

UPDATE: This proposal is for the remaining three lots, 1301, 1303, 1305 E. 4th Street. The applicant has updated the proposal with a more comprehensive site plan with a 45’/60’ split elevation and a 20’ setback from residents across the alley.

Background:

• The applicant seeks to change the zoning from Live/Work Flex to TOD Mixed Use with a maximum height of 60 feet. 15% of the square footage is dedicated to affordable housing. The applicant updated the proposal with a more comprehensive plan for the block and two different height elevation options at 50’ or split at 45’/60’.

• The adjacent neighbors prepared a presentation and initiated a valid zoning petition in opposition. City Staff validated the neighbor’s zoning petition in opposition.

There’s a lot at stake for our neighborhood this year, and your participation makes a difference!

See you at a future meeting! -ep

Eric Pace, Chair
ECCNA/NPCT