The Champions Tract case, a controversial proposed 280-apartment development
at the corner of City Park Road and RM 2222, is scheduled to remain under city
analysis for at least another few weeks.

Austin City Council originally proposed zoning change, paired with a handful
of environmental variances in November 2016. However, nearby residents said the
city did not correctly post the details of the meeting to the public, and successfully
sued the city. The lawsuit brought the case back to City Council in December, and
was sent to the city’s Environmental Commission for further analysis.

On Jan. 3 the Environmental Commission heard testimony from city staff, developer
representatives and nearby neighbors regarding the environmental variances that
were granted in the original case.

Residents voiced concern over the project’s impact on the environmental health of
the land, a densely-wooded, hilly area that is home to the golden-cheeked warbler,
an endangered bird species. Although the zoning change from general office to
multi-family was not in question—only the environmental variances—neighbors
urged the commissioners to recommend against the zoning change.

Chuck Lezniak, the city’s environmental officer, told commissioners that the
proposed development is better than what was allowed on the tract under its
previous zoning. Lezniak said it puts less concrete into the area, cuts down fewer
trees and conserves three-quarters of the tract as a nature preserve for the
endangered bird species.

Richard Suttle, an attorney representing the project’s developer, told commissioners
that the proposal was a compromise and though the project comes with a price on
the environment, it was lower than what was possible.

Lezniak said that although council was not considering changing the zoning back to
general office, the commissioners had the power to recommend it.

Commissioners said they needed to see further analysis on the environmental
impact of the variances and a clearer comparison between the proposed project and
what sort of development could be built should no zoning change or environmental
variance be approved.