Minutes
SRCC GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING (www.srccatx.org)
Monday, September 3, 2018 7:15 PM
LIFE IN THE CITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH (formerly Grace UMC)
205 E. MONROE, AUSTIN, TEXAS
AGENDA
To be sure you get a vote, become a member. You can join or renew online www.srccatx.org. Not sure if you are current? Email membership@srccatx.org and we’ll let you know.
CALL TO ORDER/APPROVAL OF MINUTES
1. 7:15 Meeting procedures, etiquette, welcome newcomers. Verification of quorum. Reminder: state your name when presenting or seconding a motion. If an acronym is stated during the meeting and you don’t know what it means, please feel free to raise your hand and ask.*
Presenter throughout: Dan Fredine, SRCC Co-Vice President, vicepresident@srccatx.org, unless otherwise noted. (10 min)
Meeting called to order at 7:15 p.m.
2. 7:25 Membership and voting. Pay multiple years in advance and get a discount. Single membership: 1-yr $20; 2-yr $35; 3-yr $50 / Family membership: 1-yr $35; 2-yr $65; 3-yr $95 NOTE: In order to vote or make motions, dues must be paid a month in advance, with the exception that if a former member’s dues have lapsed no more than 2 years, they may renew at the meeting and be eligible to vote. (2 min)
3. 7:27 Approve minutes from August 6, 2018 monthly general meeting (available at www.srccatx.org). (3 min)
Vote postponed due to lack of quorum
4. 7:30 Treasurer’s Report – All reports available upon request to the Treasurer treasurer@srccatx.org
Presenter: Oliver Caruso (Treasurer) (5 min)
Oliver shared that $500 was donated to Travis Heights Elementary School. The Austin Parks Foundation balance is lower because $2500 was transferred to the Blunn Preserve.
SRCC FINANCE KEY DATES
· August: Finance Committee complete Mid-year review – Pending
· September: Annual donation $100 to public schools within SRCC boundaries – Pending
Account reconciliation, Profit & Loss and Balance reports available upon request from treasurer@srccatx.org or financecommittee@srccatx.org
5. 7:35 Committee Chairs reports
1) Planning and Zoning; 2) Historic Preservation; 3) Finance; 4) Mobility (chair needed); 5) Public Safety; 6) Parks and Environment; 7) Schools; 8) Communications; 9) Executive Committee; 10) CodeNEXT ad hoc committee
Representatives: 11) ANC*; 12) SCC*; 13) South Central Waterfront; 14) St. Edward’s (10 min)
Planning and Zoning: Nothing new to report. Sarah Campbell is joining the P&Z committee. Marc Davis shared that his involvement has reduced, so Sarah’s return is welcome.
Historic Preservation: No one present to report
Mobility: A new chair is being sought, and a volunteer has come forward.
Public Safety: Tom Groce has started the neighborhood watch program anew. Contact him if you can help out.
Parks and Environment: Later in the fall there will be more planting going on at Blunn Creek Preserve with the funds previously donated by SRCC.
Schools: Gretchen introduced herself as the SRCC Schools Chair and Travis Heights Elementary PTA President. She announced the names of the new principal: Michelle Navarro, and new assistant principal: Dinorah De La Torre. Back-to-School night is this coming Thursday and next week the PTA is having a membership drive. You do not need to be a parent to participate. You can join the PTA on the school website: travisheightselementary.com. There also information there about volunteering. Gretchen also shared that Fulmore has a new principal, Stacie Holiday. The returning principal for Travis H.S. is Ty Davidson.
Communication: Articles are being collected for the next newsletter, due by the end of September. Contact Betty Weed communications@srccatx.org or Gretchen Otto if you have an idea for an article. newsletter@srccatx.org
Executive Committee: The EC has not met since our last General Membership Meeting
CodeNEXT ad hoc committee: Since CodeNEXT is not moving forward, the committee has not met. This committee may disband, as there is no longer a need.
ANC: No news to report
SCC: No news to report
South Central Waterfront: No news to report
St.Edwards: No news to report
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
6. 7:45 The Magdalena Hotel and Music Lane developments planned on South Congress are in proximity to the Texas School for the Deaf, requiring waivers to be granted in order to serve alcohol at restaurants on site. We will get a refresher on the details of this issue, in anticipation of a vote on the waivers at the upcoming October SRCC meeting. This item was previously discussed at the October 2, 2017 meeting, and there is some good, detailed information in the meeting minutes.
Link to minutes of October 2, 2017 SRCC meeting (see item 10).
Presenter/Guest: Clark Lyda, Developer and SRCC Member, clarklyda@gmail.com (10 min + 10 min Q&A)
Marc Davis recapped the development in discussion: Location of the Magdalena Hotel is Academy and Music Lane; All along Congress Avenue from Music Lane to Twomey Automotive is also being developed (this part of the project is called The Music Lane Project). Both parts will share a parking garage. Due to proximity to the School for the Deaf, a waiver would be necessary in order to serve alcohol at the restaurants on the site. A vote on this waver is likely to occur at the October SRCC General Membership Meeting. Marc introduced Clark Lyda who presented information about the project. The Music Lane project includes 500 parking spaces below level, and three levels of office/retail space above that. The top two floors are designed to be office space area, with retail space on ground level. The upper floors have been leased by the Soho House, which would make it a private club that includes rooms, a private restaurant, and a rooftop pool. The Magdalena Hotel is arranged with rooms around a pool. It would include a full-service restaurant in a space facing the pool, with a “speakeasy†bar underneath. (This space is across from the main lobby of the hotel and along a pedestrian plaza that is being constructed in the center of the whole project.)
The alcohol ordinance has always stipulated that a business cannot sell alcohol “within 300 feet of a church, public school, or public hospital†but how to measure that distance has been interpreted differently by the City over time. In the past, it has been interpreted as walking distance from door to door and, by that method, the bars/restaurants in these developments are well over 300 feet away. However, since the conception of this project, the City has begun interpreting the rule as “as the crow flies†between property lines which puts these bars/restaurants within the 300 foot distance and requires them to obtain a waiver in order to sell alcohol.
Clark made the case that these bars and restaurants should be considered for a waiver because their location and relationship to TSD are unique for several reasons. In both cases, for the restaurant and the “speakeasy†bar, the doors are not facing Congress Avenue and not visible to the School for the Deaf and thus students will not be exposed to adult alcohol consumption in open public areas. In both developments (Soho House and the Magdalena) the restaurants/bars are sit-down, server-oriented establishments that children cannot easily access without adult supervision. In addition, TSD is not like a public school with students coming and going as they please – the majority of students live on campus, elementary and M.S. students must be escorted to leave campus, and only H.S. students can earn the privilege to do so in groups of 3. Clark shared maps, illustrations, and aerial views showing the distances and locations of the school and the project to clarify all these points. TSD will no longer write letters of support for waivers, but is not opposed to the waivers for these businesses. The waivers for consideration at this time are only for the restaurant in the Soho House, the restaurant in the Magdalena Hotel, and the bar that is part of the Magdalena. Any future entities in the retail areas would need to seek a separate waiver.
If anyone is concerned about this waiver, they are encouraged to contact Marc Davis or Clark Lyda before the October General Membership Meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
None.
8:05 GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
â— VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! We need volunteers for several open positions including
PRESIDENT
AREA COORDINATOR – AREA 7
MOBILITY CHAIR
â— SRCC is restarting the NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH program, and are looking for participants. Anyone interested should contact Tom Groce, SRCC Public Safety Chair attgroce71@gmail.com to get involved!
â— Greater South River City Neighborhood Planning Contact Team members are stewards of our 2005 Neighborhood Plan. To join or for information, visit this page:
https://www.srccatx.org/about/greater-south-river-city-neighborhood-plan/
Contact Terry Franz if interested: tmfranz@airmail.net
Meeting adjourned at 8:33 p.m.
*Frequently used acronyms: ACF: Austin Community Fund; ANC: Austin Neighborhood Council; SF: Single Family zoning category; FLUM: Future Land Use Map; GSRC NPCT: Greater South River City Neighborhood Planning Contact Team, NCCD: Neighborhood Conservation Combining District; SCC: South Central Coalition of NAs
Agenda Prepared by Dan Fredine, vicepresident@srccatx.org
Minutes Prepared by Mary Friedman, secretary@srccatx.org.
