Photo by Kelli WeldonResidents used pushpins to designate areas of interest in the South Austin Combined neighborhood planning area at the yearlong project's kickoff meeting.
At a meeting Aug. 29, members of the Austin City Council heard feedback from several residents about the South Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan, a neighborhood planning document that the council is considering whether to adopt.
The council postponed discussion to Sept. 25, at which time it will again hear comment from additional residents and stakeholders before taking possible action on approval of the plan.
The SACNP, a document outlining land-use options for the South Manchaca, Garrison Park and Westgate neighborhoods, would take effect 10 days after adoption. In addition to the plan, city staff presented council with recommendations for infill options that would result in rezoning several lots in the planning area.
During public comment, Westgate neighborhood resident Tony Slagle said he originally was against the plan, but changed his mind because of city staff's effort to talk with all affected residents and make adjustments as needed so that the plan reflects what the community wants.
Leann Land, Western Trails Neighborhood Association president, said she lives close to the South Manchaca part of the planning area. She said most residents of the planning area are in favor of the plan itself; contention regarding the plan has been related to the infill options. Some residents have suggested implementation of the plan or infill options should be delayed until the implementation of CodeNext, the city of Austin's comprehensive rewrite effort for its land development code.
"It's best to err on the side of no infills, and if someone wants to have infills, then I think there will be mechanisms in the future with CodeNext and maybe there will be better tools coming out of that. But at this point I think [we should] protect our neighborhood character as is," Land said.
She said she agreed with other speakers who said the proposed infill options would negatively affect neighborhoods.
Henrietta Cameron-Mann, who said she has been a homeowner in the eastern part of the Garrison Park neighborhood for nearly 30 years, said she hopes the council will approve the plan with the associated staff recommendations for infill options.
"[The plan] has a lot of really creative ideas on redeveloping some of the commercial areas when it's the time to do that. And it also decreases dependence on cars and preserves the greenery that we really love about our neighborhood," she said.
In Austin, growth is inevitable, she said.
"This is happening, plan or no plan, so it's better if we have a plan," she said.
