photo by Bruno Morlan

Despite the protests of neighbors and other Austin activists, Austin City Council passed, on first read, a developer’s plan for a 20-acre construction project along Lady Bird Lake Thursday night.

The development, proposed by Grayco Partners, a Houston-based real estate firm, could be the first to be approved by the City Council as an exception to the height building limitations near the water, causing concern among local activist groups such as Save Town Lake and the East Riverside/Oltorf Connection Neighborhood.

The project will include a water treatment facility, a police substation, space for non-profits and day cares, 1,200 apartments and a minimum of 30,000 square feet for commercial use, among other features. The company will also offer $25,000 to Capital Metro to refurbish bus stops in the area and participation in Austin CarShare.

“This is an area where we should have density,” said John Dosini, an attorney for Grayco. “It will bring the needed spark of revitalization to the area.”

Concerned citizens took issue with the height exception, explaining how this would set a precedent for future planned-unit developments. Patty Sprinkle, member of the Glendale Elementary Neighborhood Association, said even though Grayco has offered an array of community benefits, the city needs to be respected.

“I feel that it’s very critical for the future of Austin,” she said. “The lake belongs to all of us, the view belongs to all of us. It sets a precedent. It opens a door, a foothold, if you will.”

The Waterfront Overlay ordinance places multiple limitations on developments in certain zones along the lake, including height restrictions, to protect the lake and increase accessibility. The Grayco development will include three buildings that exceeded the area’s restrictions.

Councilwoman Laura Morrison said the council has recently decided to grant Planned Unit Development exceptions to the Waterfront Overlay Ordinance on a case-by-case basis. If passed, the Grayco development will be the first to override the ordinance. The Council will go through two more readings before the development is approved.

Steve Drenner, another attorney for Grayco, said at the meeting, the proposed 90-foot buildings should not be an issue, despite the 60-foot restriction.

“We do not think that given our particular facts that the 90 feet in height creates a problem for the water overlay,” he said. “This project meets the very goals of the Waterfront Overlay particularly in regard to access of the lake.”

Austin resident Ed Alexander, a local activist with the Riverside Farms Neighborhood, said he was upset by the lack of public input earlier in the approval process. He said long before Thursday’s vote, there was a general understanding that city staff recommended an approval of Grayco’s proposal.

“Clearly they have ignored the planning process,” he said. “I would almost call it criminal. It’s certainly not democratic.”