March 2025 ECC Neighborhood Meeting

Hello Neighbors,

I hope everyone enjoyed (or survived) Spring Break and SXSW! This month we will primarily focus on striking a balance between supporting businesses with residential quality of life and continuing work on planning for a new ECC Vision Plan and Fall community event. Please read below for more details!

Table of Contents

• Announcements

  • 🚨 Fund the Caps! Call to Action 🚨

• Neighborhood Initiatives

  • Angel House / Homeless Neighborhood Initiative

  • Hybrid Parking Initiative Update

• Events

  • RSVP to Willow St Block Party & Potluck Banquet 20 …

  • 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

🚨 Fund the Caps! Call to Action 🚨

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 March 27 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.

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 to learn more
✅ Email City Council members—let them know you support this project (email link in the website)
✅ Reply to this email to request a FREE yard sign (see image below) or add a neighborhood group or organization to the FundtheCaps website.
✅ Encourage neighbors to email City Council or attend the meeting on March 27.

Neighborhood Initiatives

Angel House / Homeless Neighborhood Initiative

Update: No updates to report. Austin Police Department has scheduled time for an update next week.

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.

Hybrid Parking Initiative Update

Update: City Staff will send out a neighborhood survey within the next few weeks.

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, please see the presentation here.

Events

RSVP to Willow St Block Party & Potluck Banquet 2025!

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 December meeting, the ECCNPCT voted to delay the decision on the neighborhood agreement until after the sound equipment is installed per the 2023 agreement. If you have an opinion on the application or Scoot Inn’s presence in our neighborhood, please take a few minutes to share your perspective by completing this short survey. Your input will help inform ECC’s consideration. (This is the same survey sent out in 2023; all are welcome to submit inputs or resubmit their current perspective.)

Whislers 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.

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