183 and Duval Redevelopment
(Former 3M Property)
Letter Requesting Alternative Compliance for 183 and Duval Bldg. 1 & 5
2022_03_18 183andDuval Alt Equiv Compliance Letter.pdf183 & Duval Pond Plan - Master Comment Report
Update U2 - March 2022
183&Duval PondPlan-MasterComment Update March 2022SP-2021-0108D.pdfDistrict 6 Office and City Staff 3M Property Town Hall
The program included a presentation by city staff and Q & A on the proposed redevelopment of the 3M Property at Duval and US 183. Participants were asked to submit questions through the Webex chat feature. Council Member McKenzie moderated the one hour meeting.
Link to video recording of AUG 23 District 6 Town Hall meeting.
https://austintexas.webex.com/austintexas/lsr.php?RCID=1d016386b1204ca08281bba63a89034d
The PDF contains written responses to the questions that were not answered live during the one hour meeting. The City Staff is doing their best to put a positive spin on this project, but the actual traffic mitigation that will be done, is vague or not planned yet. There is no way to know for sure what the impact will be.
3M Meeting Questions_Answers.pdfWho To Contact With Concerns Over the 3M Property Redevelopment
The AVANA 3M Committee (and other volunteers) are working hard advocating for the neighborhood. Note that two site plans for the redevelopment have been filed and are currently under review by the city staff. By this point, everyone should understand that the redevelopment of the property at US 183 & Duval will certainly happen. But the city staff has a good deal of discretion in overseeing the development and making sure it is done properly, according to best practices, and city and state laws.
Neighbors should be looking at the site plans (links below) and contacting the city reviewers listed for the areas about which you are concerned.
Renee Johns is the case manager for both cases, and she should be able to tell you who to call for various concerns such as trees, flooding, environmental, traffic, compatibility, etc.:
Renee Johns Contact: (512-974-2711) renee.johns@austintexas.gov
Project Name: 183 & Duval Bldg. 1 & 5
Project Location: 11755 Research Blvd. SVRD NB
Project Description: The applicant is proposing the construction of 2 office buildings along with associated improvements.
The case link above is to the 183 & Duval Bldg. 1 & 5 case where you will see a long list of city reviewers. Please note that there will be NO PUBLIC HEARING related to this site plan. This site plan is currently under review and only needs administrative approval to move forward. It is important that we all contact city reviewers and ask hard-hitting questions. The more people with professional knowledge who take time to really dig in and interact with city reviewers the better.
Project Name: 183 & Duval Pond Plans
Project Location: 11904 ½ West Cow Path
Project Description: The applicant is proposing construction of a wet pond and future improvements.
The case link above is to the 183 & Duval Pond site plans where you will see a long list of city reviewers. The only way we can influence this development is through the city reviewers on this and related site plans. The more direct contact with them from concerned neighbors, the better!
This is the site from City Watershed Dept. on topic of drainage and flooding: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/whispering-valley-and-west-cow-path-flood-risk-reduction
If you have questions, contact Rupali Sabnis, P.E. 512-974-3375 (A link to his email is at bottom of above site).
More City Staff Contact Info
Mayor Steve Adler
Ph: 512-978-2100
Email: steve.adler@austintexas.gov
Mailing address: 301 W. 2nd Street, Austin, TX, 78701
District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly
Email: District6@austintexas.gov
Thomas McGregor, District 6 Chief of Staff
Email: Thomas.McGregor@austintexas.gov
Ph: 512-978-2106
Spencer Cronk, City Manager
Ph: 512-974-2428
Email: spencer.cronk@austintexas.gov
Rosemarie Martinez is Cronk’s Assistant
CC: Rosemarie.Martinez@austintexas.gov
Mailing address: P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78701
Gina Fiandaca, Assistant City Manager
Ph: 512-974-6070
Email: gina.fiandaca@austintexas.gov
CC: Claudia.Quiroz@austintexas.gov
Claudia Quiroz from ATD, Advisor (filling in as Fiandaca’s assistant)
Robert Spillar, Director of Austin Transportation Dept.
Ph: 512-974-248
Email: rob.spillar@austintexas.gov
CC: Gilda.Powers@austintexas.gov
Gilda Powers is Spillar’s Assistant
Ph: 512-974-7092
P.O. Box 1088, Austin, TX 78767-1088
Upal Barua, Acting Assistant Director Austin Transportation Department
Ph: 512-974-7110
Email: Upal.Barua@austintexas.gov
Developer Responses to Questions From the Neighborhoods
This PDF contains very detailed specific questions AVANA and SONA (Summit Oaks Neighborhood Association) jointly submitted to the developer a week prior to meeting with them a few weeks ago. Only a couple of the questions were addressed in the meeting we attended, but we now have received some of their responses.
Questions on 3M Zoning and Site Development - Responses (2021.08.18).pdfAre You Ready For Some Traffic?
The redevelopment of the 57-acre 3M site with 1.5 million sq ft of bldgs. will put 16,000+ average daily car trips on Duval Road and US 183.
Such an increased traffic load will substantially impact this area. All residents, businesses & commuters must let the City of Austin know this level of traffic is UNACCEPTABLE
Download this PDF flyer to give your neighbors.
3m Property Traffic flyer 11 Aug.pdfVideo of Traffic Around Davis Elementary
Approximately 700 students attend Davis Elementary. At drop-off and pickup times Duval and Bull Run (behind the school) are congested. In addition to this school, there is a private school, two nursing homes and a fire station, all in the same immediate area on Duval Road. The expected increase in traffic volume from the proposed development will further exacerbate the situation.
The AVANA Board's 3M Property Committee put these slides together. It provides a comprehensive look at the impact of the proposed Duval Office Park on the neighborhood.
Kudos to Ed for hiding a few "Easter Eggs" in the stack. Cylcone, Bill Lumbergh, what else?
Duval Office Park Dev with AVANA Notes v5.pdfAustin Transportation Department Response
Here is a letter from the Austin Transportation Department that is sent to residents that have raised concerns. This copy provided by an AVANA resident who emailed multiple City of Austin Staff. Below are some of the main points in the letter.
Austin Strategic Mobility Plan (ASMP) Is referenced as the overall plan.
The ASMP is meant to align programs, plans, policies; create more travel choices; and improve existing systems.The developer is required to mitigate the transportation impacts created by their development. The COA signs off on those requirements.
There are three categories of required impovements. The specific items in each category will be determined once the TIA is finalized and accepted by ATD.
Fee-in-lieu: this represents a monetary payment to ATD to pay for improvements that are off-site from the development If the site plan and TIA remain unchanged the fee-in-lieu payment would be $300k-$350k.
Construction: Items required to be constructed by the developer The required improvements at the Duval Rd/Cow Path intersection including the new continuous green-T traffic signal. The cost is still being estimated. This design was evaluated to ensure that this signal will not negatively impact the signal operation at Duval Road/ US 183 Frontage Road.
Street impact Fee (SIF): Developers pay a transportation impact fee if they obtain building permits after June 2022. This proposed development could be subject to a SIF assessment of $5-6 million dollars less any offsets and credits (e.g., the cost of the constructed items described above.) Duval Road is not currently eligible for this money, but might be included in the future.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) controls US 183 and its frontage roads. TxDOT is NOT requiring any constructed improvements, additional ROW dedication, or fee-in-lieu from the applicant.
In summary, the proposed development at the former 3M case will likely generate additional traffic on US 183 and Duval Road. ATD acknowledges that this additional traffic will have a noticeable impact on congestion but should not be unanticipated, based on the location.
Bottom Line - Yes the traffic is going to be worse, but they hope this new traffic signal at Duval and West Cow Path will somehow solve the problem.
Duval - 3M Redevelopment COA Constituents Letter.pdfUS 183 and Duval Office Project
Transportation Impact Analysis
Draft Submitted March 2021
Currently going through City of Austin review and approval process.
DRAFT TIA Report (US 183_Duval) 03.10.2021.pdfMemo to Neighborhood from AVANA Board
August 2021
AVANA has created a volunteer team of board and community members that has been working tirelessly on our behalf to gather information on this very complicated process: the redevelopment of the 3M site. There are a hundred different ways that the neighborhood might mitigate its concerns related to the 3M site, and we have seen many suggestions on the ListServ. All suggestions are good. However, all suggestions might not be successful. Many ideas have already been processed through the 3M team to try and determine the best chance for success, for the most good, for the most people.
Please know that everyone is free to consult their own experts or to find their own source of information. It is not our intent for you to solely rely on our team. But our team of volunteers will relay information to you as they are able to obtain it, and you can make your own informed decision. If you are a subject matter expert in any area related to land development, please participate by helping our team or contacting the City yourself.
Also, we ask that you share information you think would be relevant or helpful to us as well. Email staceypeterson@juno.com who will forward to the 3M Committee. When possible, include a phone number for easy follow up.
Below is a good example of how a really good suggestion, for a situation that we are all very concerned about, might not have as high of a probability of success as one might first think. We are not saying that it couldn’t ultimately succeed; but in our opinion, a lot of time, political capital, energy, and money would need to be invested for it to have even a slim chance of success.
Question: As a neighborhood can we sue to close the driveways from the 3M site to West Cow Path?
It is our understanding that the driveways associated with the 3M site and West Cow Path are existing real property rights. They are one of the bundle of rights that make up fee title ownership of a piece of real property and have a value ($) associated with them. They are considered access rights. One of the things that makes this site complicated is that it is an existing commercial site. It is not a new development. Most new developments, on raw pieces of land, make a request for access (aka driveway permit) from the Municipality or County during the development process. The developers are not. They don’t have to. They already have this right.
In order to close the driveways from the 3M site to West Cow Path, the City of Austin would have to be involved. Not the neighborhood, but the City of Austin. The City of Austin is the adjacent landowner (in the form of the roadway right of way) and the grantee of the access rights across their property to the public roadway network. The City would have to extinguish those rights (the right to access the public roadway is powerful subject and often sited in Local Government Code). If the City cannot purchase the access rights back from 3M, because there is not a willing seller and a willing buyer (and there is not any indication that the developer will easily part with these driveways), then the City would have to use its condemnation authority to extinguish the access rights (and this would still be considered a compensable action). Even if we could muster the political willpower to get the City to use its condemnation authority, there are laws associated with condemnation practices that protect real property owners (like us) from misuse of that authority and work against forcing the real property owner of the 3M site to extinguish their legal and exiting rights.
AVANA Special Board Meeting - Monday, August 2, 2021 @ 7:00PM on Zoom
The Angus Valley Area Neighborhood Association held a special-called board meeting on Monday, August 2, at 7:00 PM, on the Zoom virtual platform. The topic of the meeting is the proposed redevelopment of the 3M property located at US 183 & Duval Road and several related issues including AVANA’s plans going forward. Angus Valley Area residents are welcome to attend this special-called board meeting.
Minutes of the Special Called Board Meeting on the 3M Property Development
August 2, 2021
2021_08_Board Meeting Special 3M Property.pdf3M Neighborhood Input
A compilation of concerns and suggestions from AVANA residents. August 2021
AVANA - 3M Property Neighbor Input Aug2020.pdfZoning Hearing July 6, 2021
Watch a recording of the July 6th Zoning Meeting
Neighbors – Several of you have asked for a summary of the public hearing from Tuesday, July 6, in which the Zoning and Platting Commission heard the applicant’s request to rezone the 5.6- acre portion of the 3M property located next 183 and the Summit Oaks neighborhood (Case C14-2020-0146 - 11705 Research Boulevard).
Many neighbors from AVANA and Summit Oaks spoke at the hearing. After much discussion, the vote to deny the change in zoning was 5 in favor of denial, 2 opposed, and 1 abstention. At least 6 votes are needed to forward a case to city council with a recommendation. Therefore, the zoning case will be forwarded to the city council with “no recommendation” from the Zoning and Platting Commission.
Additionally, the Commissioners recommended that the developer talk with the neighborhoods before the case is heard at the City Council. To that end, I am writing to let you know that our 3M Committee is looking at ways to gather and consolidate input from the neighborhood. You will soon be hearing from them directly. Committees members are Dan Wittliff, Edward Wells, and Kevin “Beau” Perry. We will also schedule an AVANA board meeting in the coming weeks.
Stacey Peterson, President
Angus Valley Area Neighborhood Association
AVANA Board Special Called Meeting
April 18, 2021
An online meeting to discuss the proposed zoning changes to the 5.6-acre parcel of land located on the far west side of the 3M property next to 183 and the Summit Oaks Neighborhood.
2021_04_Board Meeting Special.pdf