September 2024 ECC Neighborhood Meeting

Hello Neighbors,

Where does the time go? It’s officially Fall this Sunday, and there are only three neighborhood meetings remaining for the year. Our newest ECC resident, Elio Lucien Pace, is four weeks old and already weighs 10 lbs!

Join us to discuss Fall community events this Wednesday, September 18 @ 6 pm at KMFA Studio located at 41 Navasota St, OR join via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85746914611

The meeting agenda is available here.

Table of Contents

• Neighborhood Initiatives

  • Angel House / Homeless Neighborhood Initiative

  • 1515 East Cesar Chavez Noise Pollution

  • Hybrid Parking Initiative Update

• Announcements & Events

  • Our Future 35 Open House

• The Trail Conservancy Updates

  • The Trail Conservancy Updates

    • Events and Programs

    • Volunteer Opportunities

• Land Use Updates

  • Christ Church Rezoning Request

  • 1307 & 1309 E 4th Street Rezoning Request

Neighborhood Initiatives

Angel House / Homeless Neighborhood Initiative

Update: We met with the Homeless Strategy Officer, David Gray, on September 5 and discussed promising progress. Once we have confirmed the next steps, specifics will be shared here and in a detailed community update. Additionally, we will have monthly check-ins with Mr. Gray to continue tracking progress.

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.

1515 East Cesar Chavez Noise Pollution

Update: ECC’s Land Use Chair, Michael Waddell, presented at City Council in August, and we’re making progress on initiating a City Staff review of the changes to the code to improve noise compatibility for our neighborhood and across Austin. You can read more about Michael Waddell’s presentation here.

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. Here’s a Google Map of the nearby residences that have completed the survey.

Hybrid Parking Initiative Update

Update: No updates to report just yet.

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 and/or share your feedback here. Work is underway to submit a neighborhood parking plan to the City this Fall. Please reach out or join us during monthly meetings this summer to contribute to planning for your block.

Announcements & Events

Our Future 35 Open House

Our Future 35 is a community-centered initiative to create public spaces along the I-35 corridor in Central Austin and connect East and West Austin.

Because TxDOT)’s I-35 Capital Express Central project will lower the highway’s main lanes between Lady Bird Lake and Airport Boulevard, the City of Austin has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to construct “caps” and “stitches” over the highway, reconnecting the two sides of I-35 and creating new public space. Combined, these opportunities could create up to 30 acres of new public space in the middle of Central Austin.

The City will showcase revised concept sketches shaped by the feedback received from Austin residents who completed our survey over the summer. You'll have the opportunity to see how we've transformed your public input into new concepts. 

September 28th from 10:00am - 2:00pm at Canopy Austin (916 Springdale Road).

Festival Beach Food Forest

The Trail Conservancy Updates

Events and Programs

• Fall Music on the Trail Series: September 18th kicks off the Fall Music on the Trail series! This six-week series will be held at the new Rainey Street Trailhead on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Bring a blanket, relax on the lawn, and enjoy live performances by local Austin musicians.

  

• Open House: Holly Shores/Edward Rendon St at Festival Beach Vision Plan; The Trail Conservancy team is hosting three open house events:

  • September 21st from 9 - 11 AM  at Camacho Activity Center. Come share your thoughts over some breakfast tacos on how the concepts meet the feedback you shared during the first Community Engagement. Click here for tickets.

  • September 25 from 6:30-7:30 PM: Online/Zoom Register Here

  • October 7 from 6-8 PM @ Rodolfo “Rudy” Mendez Recreation Center. Click here for tickets.

Volunteer Opportunities

• Plant Workdays: September 18th from 9 AM to 11 AM (Register Here)

  • Join The Trail Conservancy for a Bi-weekly plant workday at the plant staging area next to the Holly baseball fields, where volunteers will learn horticulture skills by pruning, watering, and repotting native plants on plants for the upcoming planting season.

• Shoreline Stewardship - September 21st and September 28th from 9 AM to 11 AM (Registration will open soon). 

  • The Trail Conservancy's Shoreline Stewardship program aims to educate, train, and empower community members to become trail stewards through our volunteer program. Tools and gloves are provided. The program is open to all ages (Minors should be accompanied by adults). No experience is needed, so join us on the Trail this September!

Land Use Updates

Christ Church Rezoning Request

UPDATE: The Planning Commission approved the application on August 20, 8-4. The application will be reach City Council on October 10. ECCNPCT will review the request at tomorrow’s meeting. You can read more about the Planning Commission vote here in the Austin Monitor.

Background: Christ Church is proposing to rezone both the Church lot and parking lot across the street to create more space for their congregation and the community. After initially requesting DB90 zoning, the Church changed the parking lot to commercial mixed-use. The requested zoning for the Church’s lot remains DB90. The application details are available here in the Church’s presentation.

1307 & 1309 E 4th Street Rezoning Request

UPDATE: CM Jose Valasquez will support the neighbors in opposing the proposed zoning change. The applicant requested a postponement of the City Council agenda item and is evaluating options before updating the neighborhood.

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