Imagine Adding 5.3 Acres to the ECC Neighborhood

Hello Neighbors,

Did anyone else have unexpected visitors escaping the Houston power outage? Share your Texas power grid story at our next community meeting!

To welcome and support in-person participation, this month’s meeting will again feature free foodandice cream on Wednesday, July 17 @ 6 pm at KMFA Studio located at 41 Navasota St, OR join via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85746914611

The meeting agenda, which includes a special presentation from the City about the future of our neighborhood, is available here.

Table of Contents

• Imagine Adding 5.3 Acres to the ECC Neighborhood

  • Swag, Ice Cream, and City Surveys

• Neighborhood Initiatives

  • Angel House Letter to City Leaders

  • 1515 East Cesar Chavez Noise Survey

  • Hybrid Parking Initiative Update

• Announcements & Events

  • District 3 Budget Town Hall

  • Best Art Gallery in Austin: Women & Their Work

  • Pan Am Hillside Concert Series 2024

• Land Use Updates

  • 1307 & 1309 E 4th Street Rezoning Request

Imagine Adding 5.3 Acres to the ECC Neighborhood

Our neighborhood has broad and diverse views about the planned I-35 expansion. Whether you support, oppose, or feel ambivalent about it, the expansion has the potential to significantly impact our neighborhood and homes. Specifically, if TxDOT proceeds as planned, there’s an opportunity for the City to build a 5.3-acre cap between I-35 East Cesar Chavez and 4th Street.

Imagine you were given an opportunity to add 5.3 acres of additional space to our long-existing, historic neighborhood. What would you wish for? What would you not want to see? To put 5.3 acres into context, here’s the size of the most visited urban parks per acre across the United States:¹

The City of Austin has already obtained federal funding and begun planning for this potentially transformational change to our neighborhood. Now’s the time to start working to ensure our neighborhood’s interests are included in the City’s plans.

Swag, Ice Cream, and City Surveys

At this month’s meeting, the City’s OurFuture35 team will work to elicit community feedback on cap and stitch designs. They will provide a short presentation and hand out surveys, swag, and ice cream.

Call to Action

The City’s cap designs will be created based on community input. Even for those who strongly oppose I-35 expansion and are actively working to stop TxDOT, it’s in our community's best interests to influence the City’s plans for this 5.3-acre transformational cap and “stitch” across Holly Street.

If you can’t attend this month’s meeting, please take the Our Future 35 2024 Visioning Surveyby August 2nd.

Neighborhood Initiatives

Angel House Letter to City Leaders

We collectively sent a detailed letter to Mayor Watson, City Manager Broadnax, and City Council outlining our concerns and requesting immediate support. 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. Below is a breakout chart of community member participants.

Thanks to all who contributed to this significant undertaking! 🙏🙏 We will continue to share updates as they become available from the City.

1515 East Cesar Chavez Noise Survey

Update: We have received 24 survey responses from those who live near 1515 E. Cesar Chavez. Here’s a Google Map of the nearby residences that have completed the survey.

Background: Many residents living behind 1515 E. Cesar Chavez are experiencing noise disruption due to recently activated roof-top HVAC systems. To help address this issue effectively, we're gathering detailed information from impacted residents. If you live near 1515 E. Cesar Chavez, please take a few minutes to complete this survey and let us know whether you've been impacted.

Hybrid Parking Initiative Update

Update: Work is underway to submit a neighborhood parking plan to the City this Fall. Please join us during monthly meetings this summer to contribute to planning for your block or contact your Sector Representative.

Background: The ECC Team is working with the City to develop a “hybrid” parking zone to help alleviate parking challenges across the ECC neighborhood. For more details on the initiative, pleasesee the presentation here and share your feedback here.

Announcements & Events

District 3 Budget Town Hall

Best Art Gallery in Austin: Women & Their Work

Pan Am Hillside Concert Series 2024

Land Use Updates

1307 & 1309 E 4th Street Rezoning Request

UPDATE: Our team will vote on the topic on July 17 before the case reaches the City Council on July 18.

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 zoning case was approved by the Planning Commission on June 11. The adjacent neighbors prepared a great presentation, and the video of the presentation and discussion is available here starting at the 1:57 mark: https://austintx.new.swagit.com/videos/307699

Thanks for participating in our community, and I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow! -ep

Eric Pace, Chair
ECCNA/NPCT

1  Park data sourced from The Park Catalog.