A developer is planning a 14-story condo tower on Barton Springs Road, at the former site of the Filling Station diner.
Click on the link below to see the map.
http://www.statesman.com/business/co...ngstation.html
Quote:
[b]REAL ESTATE
Developers want to build 14-story project on Filling Station site
Bouldin Creek neighbors oppose request for height variance.
By Shonda Novak
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, March 09, 2007
A landmark restaurant on Barton Springs Road where burgers and brews were once served could be replaced by a 14-story building with diners, office workers and condo dwellers.
The project, planned at the site of the former Filling Station restaurant, has stirred opposition from some nearby Bouldin Creek neighborhood residents who say it will be too tall for the area. The prime real estate near Town Lake and Zilker Park has attracted developers' interest since the restaurant closed in 2004.
Texas American Resources Co., an Austin-based energy company, bought the site last summer. The company wants to raze the restaurant and start construction late this year on a mid-rise building with stepped height. But it would need a variance to build up to 180 feet on the tallest part closest to Barton Springs Road, said James Cormier, consultant and project manager.
Current zoning caps height on the site at 60 feet.
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Again, to the NIMBYS, (Not-in-my-backyard/folks who are opposed to it), who might be reading this: there are other buildings in the area of comparable height. One Texas Center, a 15-story office building at 505 Barton Springs Road, just a quarter mile east, (1,169 feet away), is also 180 feet tall. And the Hyatt Regency Town Lake which is at 208 Barton Springs Road, is 1,883 feet away and is 182 feet tall. Also the site is extremely narrow. The widest the building could possibly be is probably in the area of 90 to 100 feet wide. Not much, only about the width of a downtown street. Also, the article mentions the site is flanked by two other fairly tall buildings, (both of which are taller than the 60 foot height limit for the area) - those two buildings are each less than 60 feet away from this building, basically the width of a three lane street.