[VERY IMPORTANT]
Austin City Council ITEM: “Activity Corridor on Guadalupe Street from 29th Street to 51st Street”
Thursday, September 1st
Austin City Hall
301 W. 2nd Street
Austin, TX
4:00 PM
Staff has proposed an amendment to the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan that states Guadalupe St. from 29th to 51st should be designated an “activity corridor”. In addition to zoning, traffic (multi-modal), & density impacts, this designation would allow some homeowners within a certain distance of the activity corridor to build an ADU - an exemption from the HPNCCD: http://austin.siretechnologies.com/sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&itemid=62541
Significance: Denial of this amendment could impact CodeNEXT implementation in this area (& similar corridors).
What to do: If you can, please attend and/or send comments to Austin City Council in SUPPORT of Item 51, CPA-2016-0003 to:
Friends of Hyde Park sent the following email in support:
Dear Planning Commission,
The Neighborhood Association Friends of Hyde Park board supports the staff recommendation to add a new activity corridor on Guadalupe from 29th Street to 51st Street. Hyde Park residents want greater access to more walkable amenities including restaurants, grocery stores, and small businesses and to provide more needed housing in central Austin.
A Guadalupe activity corridor would also align with the bylaws and goals of Friends of Hyde Park:
To promote a more walkable, bikeable, and transit friendly neighborhood.
To encourage people to live in Hyde Park.
To help existing local businesses and bring new local businesses into the neighborhood.
This designation would allow more homeowners within .25 miles of the activity corridor to build an accessory dwelling unit by further reducing the current restrictive parking requirements. Our membership supports easing restrictions on accessory dwelling units.
In a recent vote of the Friends of Hyde Park membership, 88 Hyde Park residents total voted and 73% of them voted to support and encourage the responsible development of the Austin State Hospital site in keeping with the urban core, with housing of all types (including “Missing Middle” housing and Vertical Mixed Use buildings). With the possible redevelopment of the Austin State Hospital in the near future the designation would allow for more much needed housing along one of the last undeveloped tracts in central Austin. For more information on our membership’s vote on the Austin State Hospital please visit http://friendsofhydepark.atxfriends.org/record-of-votes/.
Please consider supporting this change that will benefit our neighborhood and its residents. This statement is the opinion of the Friends of Hyde Park board, made due to its alignment to our bylaws, goals, and previous membership votes.
Friends of Hyde Park Board
Pete Gilcrease
Alejandro Puyana
Ricky Hennessy
Teresa Griffin
Matt Desloge
Tommy Ates
Robert Prentiss