TOD and the future of Crestview - article from newsletter

TOD and the future of Crestview

Last month when the Crestview community met, Mike Blizzard and Sonya Lopez presented information about the development on the old huntsman site and the changes that Transit Oriented Development (TOD) will bring to the Crestview Neighborhood. Mike Blizzard represents the developer of the old huntsman site and Sonya Lopez is the city's principal planner for the Transit Oriented Development (TOD). Please see last month's newsletter and our web site for more information (http://www.crestviewna.org/)

To continue this discussion, over the past month there have been many new developments regarding land around the huntsman site and how influential TOD is to Crestview's future. Below I included a few of these new developments:

First – The Planning Commission (http://www.cityofaustin.org/smartgrowth/pc.htm) voted to recommend Mixed Use interim zoning on 6909 Ryan Drive to the City Council. This will allow TOD style development on property adjacent to single family homes. Several Crestview residents (including a petition from residents around the Ryan property) presented evidence and support to tone down the development as it encroaches into the interior of the neighborhood. Some on the commission realized this and tried to find ways to lessen the impact. However words from Cid Galindo reminded the commission that density was the number 1 priority for this land predominately because of its closeness to the rail stop. Cid Galindo was nominated by Will Wynn and is an executive with the Galindo Group, real estate developers from Bryan College Station (http://www.galindogroup.com/). In the end, TOD's recommendation will influence the permanent zoning for the Ryan Drive property.

Second – The Planning Commission (http://www.cityofaustin.org/smartgrowth/pc.htm) showed great concern after learning that Crestview had NO PARKLAND in its boundaries. Even commissioner Jay Reddy made a proposal to turn the 6909 Ryan Drive property into park land (with an inventive way for the City of Austin Utilities to purchase the land they needed rather than swapping it with the land on Ryan)! Jay Reddy was nominated by Betty Dunkerley and appears to work for or be associated with Dell in Austin. However Jay's proposal only received 2 votes.

Third – The neighborhood association found out that CAMPETRO and the developers for the old huntsman site do not want a road to connect the huntsman development with Justin Lane. HOWEVER the TOD is still recommending the option to bring a road called “Alligator” across the tracks connecting it to Justin Lane.

Fourth – The neighborhood association found out the TOD is not recommending a parkland trail between the huntsman development and the rail track in the Crestview neighborhood. Instead the TOD wants to recommend that all pedestrian traffic and bicycle traffic be carried on one or more of the roads in the development.

TOD will bring more development and density along Lamar. Crestview will be the first to see and experience this change, because of the Crestview Station development. An example of the type of issues Crestview will face is related to what happened with the Ryan Drive property. The property at 6909 Ryan Drive is capped at 2,000 car trips per day. Ryan Drive connects to Justin. Add that information to the recent traffic numbers showing Justin has around 5,000 to 6,000 car trips per day. Yes, this is a large increase to traffic on Justin. How are we going to handle this situation? One tool is to influence the TOD.

TOD has the power to recommend that parts of the Crestview Neighborhood be re-written/over-written or supported/emphasized. Thus TOD is very influential to Crestview's future. It is important that TOD hear Crestview's voices clearly and with presence - be there and be heard.

A summary list of general issues and concerns I am hearing are
1) Increased traffic with Crestview Station and TOD development,

2) Traffic flow of Cars, Trucks, and Buses around and in TOD (especially in the Crestview Station area and Justin Lane),

3) Parking in and around the Crestview Station and in TOD development,

4) Parkland and preserving the existing Open Space that the Optimist Club manages,

5) Infrastructure strain because of intense development,
Parkland – No parkland exists in Crestview today.
Drainage – Water will flow south to south west on the old huntsman site.
Sewer – Do we have capacity?
Water – Do we have capacity?
Electricity – Do we have capacity?

6) Intense development creeping into Crestview's interior, and

7) walkable and bikable community.

What do you have to say about these issues? Do you have other concerns? Please voice them at our next Crestview General meeting AND at the next TOD meeting. Please stay tuned to the Crestview newsletters or our web site (http://www.crestviewna.org/) for more information.