 "Photo: Jordy Wagoner/The Daily Texan")
A segment of Airport Boulevard could become a testing ground for a new type of zoning that would allow for a more pedestrian and bike-friendly area.
City Councilman Chris Riley was invited to the Sustainable Neighborhood Association meeting Tuesday night to talk about improvements to transit corridors and to discuss future plans for Airport Boulevard. He said that he expects to propose a resolution to City Council on Dec. 10 to further the conversation and details regarding the corridor.
Riley introduced and discussed form-based zoning, an alternative to the use-based zoning currently in use.
The codes would apply to the section of Airport Boulevard between Lamar Boulevard and the Mueller Development, which measures approximately one mile, according to Damon Howze, president of the Highland Neighborhood Association.
“This zoning has the potential to up property value, which would allow infrastructure redevelopment and make the whole area a more bicycle and traffic-friendly street,” Howze said.
Howze said a grocery store doesn’t exist in their neighborhood, and as a result, residents have to drive to Rundberg Lane or Red River Street to pick up groceries. Form-based zoning will create a more mixed-use space.
“The zoning would basically allow for a more livable and attractive area,” he said.
Steven Zettner, a member of Sustainable Neighborhood Association, said he’s heard a wide variety of opinions on the issue from landowners and Austin residents who have lived in the area for years.
Zettner met one man at a planning meeting last week who was a committed environmentalist and proponent of the “24-hour” downtown. On a comment card, the man wrote, “Urban sprawl is bad” three times, and underlined it.
On the other end of the spectrum is a man who, in a letter to Zettner, expressed how he didn’t want to live in New York, Philadelphia or Miami. He wanted to live in Austin. The man listed reasons why sprawl works and talked about how children can be raised safely in suburban settings.
Zettner identified himself as a “middle man of modern interest” who identified with both viewpoints.
“These are legitimate and heart felt concerns that come from both individuals,” Zettner said. “How do you create truly family and senior-friendly urban town centers that are attractive and safe for kids? That’s the challenge.”
Riley suggested that neighborhood associations and business owners collectively visualize an “appealing place” and graphically paint what is seen.
“We can radically simplify the whole development process if everyone agrees in advance as to what type of form we want to see in an area,” he said.
He said that urban design is a concern that faces the entire country.
“We have to start thinking about ways to structure cities so that we don’t have to get in a car to do everything we need to do,” Riley said. “If certain corridors could be transformed to accommodate population growth, you could achieve a lot of things.”
By living in close proximity with one another, residents get a chance to know their neighbors and business owners, Riley said.
Some who attended the meeting said that many areas of Austin have the potential for redevelopment and growth.
“If you look at the north end of [Highway] 183, it’s not exactly an area that warms
my heart,” Riley said. “I’ve heard from people [who] live there that they don’t feel that they live in the ‘Live Music Capital of the World.’”
Airport Boulevard is another area that’s not necessarily inviting, he said, and many neighborhood residents have been dissatisfied for a long time.
“It’s not really on par with South Congress, for example,” Riley said. “When you have relatives come to town, you’re not likely to take them to Airport. But there’s some interesting possibilities there.”
Improvements for infrastructure could be financed through various options, including turning the area into a tax increment finance district.
A portion of the increase in property values could be captured to channel money back into the corridor and fund road improvements, Riley said.
Such efforts also have the potential to accommodate affordable housing, he said.
Carol Huntsberger, owner of the seafood market/restaurant Quality Seafood, first heard of the new zoning proposal for Airport Boulevard at an informational meeting at City Hall.
Business owners, neighborhood associations and landowners in the area were invited to the meeting to give input and hear about the future of Airport Boulevard.
“It’s wonderful to see so many groups working together and discussing options that are beneficial to business owners and residents,” she said. “There is a lot of room in Austin available to us to upgrade and update, and that’s very appealing.”
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