Yet another developer brought yet another big downtown-ish project to the planning commission for a rezoning on July 8, this time at West 6th and Walsh streets in West Austin. The commission recommended this one, too.
The proposed zoning change would see a cluster of addresses on that corner currently developed under commercial mixed-use zoning updated to a zoning of LI-PDA, or “limited industrial service-planned development area” zoning, in service of a development slated to consist of around 297 units and 21,000 square feet of retail space.
Not to be confused with the PUD zoning
discussed in a recent story
, the PDA district type allows for a range of modifications to the conditions of the base commercial zoning. In this case it would allow for a mixed-use residential development.
City staff had recommended against the zoning, arguing that the LI-PDA zoning wasn’t merited by the needs of the site and would be inappropriate. They instead proposed a rezoning plan that would make use of the city’s controversial DB90 district. Tyler Grooms, who identified himself as one of the applicants for the rezoning, said that wasn’t ideal because it conflicted with a deal developers had made with the neighborhood.
As part of that deal, the broad latitude for development offered by the zoning would be tempered by a private restrictive covenant between the developer and the Old West Austin Neighborhood Association. The agreement imposes requirements for either 10 percent of units at 50 percent of the
Median Family Income
or 12 percent at 60 percent MFI and a number of other conditions related to the design and use of any resulting development.
City staff noted that the provisions of that covenant would not be directly enforceable by the city, so the neighborhood would have to make sure they got what they bargained for.
“I think for us what was important is that we started with the neighborhood process. I think we got a great project out of it, and what we’re doing right now is trying to follow the precedent of other projects in the neighborhood while respecting what the neighborhood needs to see in a project like this,” Grooms said.
Several representatives of the neighborhood association showed up at the meeting to speak in favor of the rezoning, including president Steve Amos, who said the neighborhood would oppose any other rezoning and urged the commission to recommend the rezoning to move the project forward.
“It’s a shovel-ready, for-rent multifamily development,” Amos said. “And if you’re wondering if we’ll be on it… Well, I shouldn’t say this, but we’ll be on it like a tick on a dog when it comes to enforcing that restrictive covenant.”
Commissioner Greg Anderson moved to recommend the applicant’s request, seconded by commissioner Casey Haney. That motion passed 9-1, with commissioner Felicity Maxwell voting against. Maxwell had earlier introduced a substitute motion to instead recommend a more traditional zoning, which failed 6-4.
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