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.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Transit Oriented Development (TOD) - article from newsletter
Transit Oriented Development (TOD)
Many residents have asked where is TOD, how will TOD affect Crestview, what issues does this pose for Crestview, and how do I get involved?
Where is TOD?
TOD covers all commercial property along Lamar starting at Morrow and going south to Densen. It includes the Crestview Station and all development on the old Huntsman site. It also includes the entire shopping mall on the north east corner of Lamar and Airport. To see a map of the area go to the http://crestviewna-transit.blogspot.com/ to find a link to a google map (called “Crestview Neighborhood Map with TOD area added”) of the TOD area.
How will TOD and Crestview Station affect Crestview?
First, there will be an increase of 1472 housing units or an 77% increase to Crestview's existing 1898 housing units. The types of housing will range from apartment/condo type homes mixed in with “commercial use” along Lamar and in the Crestview Station area (southern portion of huntsman site). The northern interior of the huntsman site will be a mix of single family and row homes. This is an impressive density achievement compared to other Austin neighborhoods.
Second, TOD can recommend and has proposed changes to the roads in Crestview. There have been proposals at the TOD to extend Justin to Airport either directly or by connecting up to Canion Street. There have also been proposals to allow left turns from Lamar onto Morrow.
Third, there will be a CAPMETRO rail station inside the southern tip of the Huntsman site (called Crestview Station). Those of you wanting to ride the commuter rail into east downtown can use this station. However there will be NO parking at the rail station. You must walk or have someone drop you off. There may also be a trail along the rail line from Morrow to Lamar.
Fourth, there will be more commercial. There is no way of knowing what businesses will open in the TOD area. However we all know that there will be more commercial representation. Maybe a new grocery or doctor's office will open in the TOD area.
Fifth, the TOD is supposed to bring Crestview neighborhood into the modern environmentally respectful world with pedestrian/bicycle friendly trails and streets, commercial space within walking/biking distance, and a more residentially and commercially dense lifestyle.
What issues does this pose for Crestview?
I can't list off every issue that a Crestview resident may have. However here are a few of the top issues that have been discussed at neighborhood meetings and steering committee meetings.
There will be increased traffic in general TOD area, on Justin Lane, and on Morrow. With all the new commercial and residential, there will be more traffic in the general area. This is just a fact of dense development. However it does concern many residents that any TOD decisions to change the Lamar/Justin and Lamar/Morrow intersections would bring intense cut-through traffic on these roads.
Will we really get a walkable and bikable community from TOD? The TOD ideal makes a lot of promises about walkable and bikable communities. However when the rubber mets the road, it is the Crestview residents who will have to enforce this requirement. It is too easy for projects to cut corners for a higher profit than address these concerns especially when no one is looking.
Reduced parking requirements and no parking for rail station will spill parking into neighborhood. Much of the TOD development can take advantage of reduced parking requirements, since the commercial development is supposed to serve just the surrounding community. In addition to this, CAPMETRO will not provide any parking for the rail stop at Crestview Station for similar reasons. Thus as this development grows many residents predict that people wanting to go to the commercial services or rail station will park along residential streets. TOD has proposed some solutions to this using signs and/or parking permits for the street. What do you think?
Increased strain on infrastructure including utilities and open park space. We hope that the city is doing the detail planning needed to support the dense development. Will we experience a drop in water pressure? Will we get gray outs? The Crestview steering committee requested but has not heard what and how the city is planning for infrastructure in this dense development. Infrastructure needs also extends to park land. Where do we in Crestview go for a neighborhood park? Where will 1472 new households go for a neighborhood park? We cannot use the Optimist ball fields located in the northern portion of the huntsman site, since it is a gated and controlled entry park and not open to the general public.
How do you get involved?
If any of these issues concern you, the only way to influence the process is to participate in the TOD and Crestview neighborhood association meetings. Please stay tuned to the Crestview calendar on http://www.crestviewna.org/ , mailings, or the Crestview newsletter for the next TOD and neighborhood meeting dates.
Many residents have asked where is TOD, how will TOD affect Crestview, what issues does this pose for Crestview, and how do I get involved?
Where is TOD?
TOD covers all commercial property along Lamar starting at Morrow and going south to Densen. It includes the Crestview Station and all development on the old Huntsman site. It also includes the entire shopping mall on the north east corner of Lamar and Airport. To see a map of the area go to the http://crestviewna-transit.blogspot.com/ to find a link to a google map (called “Crestview Neighborhood Map with TOD area added”) of the TOD area.
How will TOD and Crestview Station affect Crestview?
First, there will be an increase of 1472 housing units or an 77% increase to Crestview's existing 1898 housing units. The types of housing will range from apartment/condo type homes mixed in with “commercial use” along Lamar and in the Crestview Station area (southern portion of huntsman site). The northern interior of the huntsman site will be a mix of single family and row homes. This is an impressive density achievement compared to other Austin neighborhoods.
Second, TOD can recommend and has proposed changes to the roads in Crestview. There have been proposals at the TOD to extend Justin to Airport either directly or by connecting up to Canion Street. There have also been proposals to allow left turns from Lamar onto Morrow.
Third, there will be a CAPMETRO rail station inside the southern tip of the Huntsman site (called Crestview Station). Those of you wanting to ride the commuter rail into east downtown can use this station. However there will be NO parking at the rail station. You must walk or have someone drop you off. There may also be a trail along the rail line from Morrow to Lamar.
Fourth, there will be more commercial. There is no way of knowing what businesses will open in the TOD area. However we all know that there will be more commercial representation. Maybe a new grocery or doctor's office will open in the TOD area.
Fifth, the TOD is supposed to bring Crestview neighborhood into the modern environmentally respectful world with pedestrian/bicycle friendly trails and streets, commercial space within walking/biking distance, and a more residentially and commercially dense lifestyle.
What issues does this pose for Crestview?
I can't list off every issue that a Crestview resident may have. However here are a few of the top issues that have been discussed at neighborhood meetings and steering committee meetings.
There will be increased traffic in general TOD area, on Justin Lane, and on Morrow. With all the new commercial and residential, there will be more traffic in the general area. This is just a fact of dense development. However it does concern many residents that any TOD decisions to change the Lamar/Justin and Lamar/Morrow intersections would bring intense cut-through traffic on these roads.
Will we really get a walkable and bikable community from TOD? The TOD ideal makes a lot of promises about walkable and bikable communities. However when the rubber mets the road, it is the Crestview residents who will have to enforce this requirement. It is too easy for projects to cut corners for a higher profit than address these concerns especially when no one is looking.
Reduced parking requirements and no parking for rail station will spill parking into neighborhood. Much of the TOD development can take advantage of reduced parking requirements, since the commercial development is supposed to serve just the surrounding community. In addition to this, CAPMETRO will not provide any parking for the rail stop at Crestview Station for similar reasons. Thus as this development grows many residents predict that people wanting to go to the commercial services or rail station will park along residential streets. TOD has proposed some solutions to this using signs and/or parking permits for the street. What do you think?
Increased strain on infrastructure including utilities and open park space. We hope that the city is doing the detail planning needed to support the dense development. Will we experience a drop in water pressure? Will we get gray outs? The Crestview steering committee requested but has not heard what and how the city is planning for infrastructure in this dense development. Infrastructure needs also extends to park land. Where do we in Crestview go for a neighborhood park? Where will 1472 new households go for a neighborhood park? We cannot use the Optimist ball fields located in the northern portion of the huntsman site, since it is a gated and controlled entry park and not open to the general public.
How do you get involved?
If any of these issues concern you, the only way to influence the process is to participate in the TOD and Crestview neighborhood association meetings. Please stay tuned to the Crestview calendar on http://www.crestviewna.org/ , mailings, or the Crestview newsletter for the next TOD and neighborhood meeting dates.
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