[The ATX]

Last week in the Update Thread I posted a Streetview shot and some information about a street vacation along 48 East Ave. that was item C23 on the Planning Commission's 04/14/15 meeting agenda. I thought the vacation might be related to the 48 East residential tower, but it turns out to be an entirely new residential tower across the street between East Ave. and I-35.

Perry Lorenz is one of the developers, and although the project is in it's very early stages, it's planned to have 200 residential units on top of an above ground parking garage with ground floor retail. Included in the retail will be a 12,000+ Sq. Ft. full service grocery store.

The reason for the vacation of the city's easement around the site is so the F.A.R. can be increased for a taller tower. The city's extensive easement around East Ave. is left over from the days before I-35 was built, and East Ave. was the main thoroughfare through Austin. This is the last remnant of the easement that hasn't been vacated for development.

All this information can be found in an hour long discussion of item C23 during the 03/24/15 Planning Commission meeting on the Planning Commissions website:

http://www.austintexas.gov/cityclerk...tings/40_1.htm

There was of course opposition to the project, and surprisingly enough (not) it is a group of residents living in the Towers of Town Lake condos whose views will be blocked. But of course the blocked views were not presented as the issue. Among other things, the speaker for the residents wants the surface parking lot currently on the site to remain. Another Tower of Town Lake resident mentioned that he doesn't want to have to walk to Cedar Park to see his grand kid because the traffic created from this project will block his exit from the Rainey St. area. Wow. Just SMH.

Here are some screen shots of the project. The quality is not very good as they came from a poor quality online video of the Planning Commission meeting.

This view is looking south. The shaded upper portion of the tower massing is the additional height that would be allowed from the increased F.A.R. that the developers would get from the vacation.




This next view looking north is awesome because it includes all of the U/C and proposed towers in that area. (I really hope the Waller Park Place towers get built as currently proposed.)