This was discussed at the design commission meeting this month after getting flagged last time.
Design commission still really doesn't like the project but City Planning and Zoning Staff looked at it and developer met the minimum requirements for density bonus. Staff admits it's not the kind of development they would like but it still meets requirements and they have to be fair to applicants. It leads to a discussion about if the density bonus code needs to be changed.
Creating Dense Development
Design Commission: 13 stories of parking and only 12 stories of habitable space is not increasing density as intended by the Urban Design Guidelines (UDG) of the Density Bonus Program. This section specifically encourages walkability and reduces reliance on cars. Less parking and more habitable space is preferred. The Working Group does not believe that this project complies with this section.
City Staff: The project will create a 25 story development on a site that is currently a parking lot. The applicant could have just built the parking garage without the offices. The project increases density and meets the guideline.
Guideline B2: Provide Multi-Tenant, Pedestrian-Oriented Development at Street Level
Design Commission: Project lacks pedestrian-oriented development as envisioned in UDG. Refer to previous comments-Project does not comply
City Staff: The ground floor includes a restaurant space, lobby, and coffee stand. Although the lobby is large, the applicant did incorporate suggestions from the Design Commission to improve the activation of this space.
Here is the discussion:
http://austintx.swagit.com/play/01222018-1373