By LYNETTE HAALAND

Four Points News

Austin City Council proposed to cap development at 11400 Zimmerman Lane to 32 housing units. The undeveloped, 7.63-acre site is located down the quiet street next to Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q in Four Points.  

The owners Udaya and Uma Kumar originally wanted the zoning to change to multifamily (MF-3) zoning in order to construct a 150-unit complex.

“Originally the applicant was asking for 150 units so this is quite a shift,” said Randy Lawson, board member of Canyon Creek HOA and 2222 Coalition of Neighborhood Associations. Canyon Creek is about a mile away and 2222 CONA represents 10 neighborhoods and more than 5,000 homes.

“Basically at the November 3 city council hearing, they approved the rezoning of 11400 Zimmerman Lane to MF 2 with a conditional overlay with a 32 unit cap,” Lawson said.

The Canyon Creek HOA and 2222 CONA support the MF-2 zoning with 32 unit cap on multi-family homes at 11400 Zimmerman Lane.  

“We have no problem with a 32 unit cap which is a major improvement that allows us to support this,” Lawson said. “If it was a significantly higher cap, the majority (of the neighborhoods around it) would not support it.”

“All parties have tentatively agreed to this, the applicant and the neighborhoods,” he added.

In July, the Austin Zoning and Platting Commission voted 7-4 to recommend SF-6 zoning with a cap of 32 units on the site. City Council was supposed to have a hearing on the case later that month but District 10 councilmember Alison Alter requested its postponement.

The Mayor Pro Tem postponed the item because she had only recently started representing the Zimmerman Lane area since the district realignment.

“This part of the district has recently become part of District 10 and I wanted to hear from my new constituents about this,” Alter shared in an earlier report. 

Alter did meet with members of surrounding communities. There was concern about traffic safety and wildfire evacuations implications, she said. 

Then earlier this month the case was heard by Council on November 3 where Alter motioned to approve the rezoning of 11400 Zimmerman Lane from development reserve (DR) district to multifamily residence-low density-conditional overlay (MF-2-CO) combining district. She also added the following language to the conditional overlay:

“Development of the property is limited to 32 dwelling units and the site development regulations for townhouse and condominium residence (SF-6) district shall apply, unless a site plan approved by the City of Austin permits vehicular access from the property to a TxDOT authorized access point on FM 620 through an adjacent property or a connecting street other than Zimmerman Lane, with access to Zimmerman Lane prohibited except for emergency vehicle access if required by the City of Austin.”

That motion passed 11-0.

On November 15, item #55 was recommended for action, getting the zoning one step closer to final. 

“This rezoning case was approved (on November 15) by city council vote (on 2nd reading). The 3rd reading and final approval is scheduled for the Dec. 1 Council meeting,” Lawson said. “This will be the final document that is slated to be voted upon and approved on the 1st. This property (near Rudy’s Bar-B-Q) will be rezoned to MF-2 (low density multifamily housing) and capped at 32 units. This is good news and a positive improvement over the 150 units originally proposed by the applicant.”

The posting language stated: The Zimmerman – Approve second and third readings of an ordinance amending City Code Title 25 by rezoning property locally known as 11400 Zimmerman Lane (Bull Creek Watershed). Applicant Request: To rezone from development reserve (DR) district zoning to multifamily residence-medium density (MF-3) district zoning. 

SIDEBAR

Two more Zimmerman Lane sites There are two adjacent properties to 11400 Zimmerman Lane where housing projects are being considered: The 4.99 acre 11300 Zimmerman Lane site and the 6.3 acre 11301 Zimmerman Lane site.  “(But) they are not near as far along and they have not had a hearing date set,” said Randy Lawson, who represents Canyon Creek HOA board of directors and 2222 Coalition of Neighborhood Associations.   A notice to file was issued (#c14-2022-0145) on the 4.99 acre site by 33 Degrees Smith Tract North proposing DR to a SF- 6 townhome, condo district but that is it, Lawson said.