Winding, narrow Thornton Road to get more housing

After two unsuccessful attempts to update the zoning on some commercial property on a narrow South Austin street, the owners succeeded in getting City Council approval to rezone the property at 2313, 2315, 2401 and 2413 Thornton Road at the Nov. 7 Council meeting. The new zoning will be MF-6 (Multifamily-Highest Density) with a conditional overlay and a maximum height of 60 feet. Only Council Member Alison Alter voted against the change.

Thornton Road runs south from Oltorf Street, sandwiched between a railroad track and South Lamar Boulevard. The street includes some single-family houses, some multifamily units and a variety of commercial businesses, including artist galleries and workshops.

Staff had recommended the less-intense General Commercial Services-Vertical Mixed Use (CS-V) zoning instead. According to the staff report, there were concerns about granting the “intense” MF-6 zoning on this road.

“This street is a level one with two lanes for approximately 350 units,” it reads. “Granting such zoning would result in a 57.51 percent traffic increase for Thornton Road. (T)his street is ‘currently operating at an undesirable level’ and the proposed values will further this issue.”

However, the Planning Commission recommended allowing a height of 90 feet. In an earlier incarnation, the developer would have been able to build to that height.

Neighbors to the properties being rezoned asked District 5 Council Member Ryan Alter for help in reducing the intensity of the developer’s plans. Some of those neighbors expressed their appreciation for his help at the meeting.

Dana Lasman, president of the homeowners’ association of the condo property called Carriage Park, which is on Thornton Road, thanked Alter for taking neighbors’ concerns seriously. She added, “We do oppose the level of this zoning,” and presented a map showing the difficulties people living on Thornton Road already have with traffic on a regular basis.

“This left-hand turn from Thornton onto Oltorf is really challenging because of the traffic flow,” she said. “Also, turning onto Thornton is a disaster and can be really difficult. It compounds when there’s a train. The train is just about 200 feet from there. When there is a train, we get backed up all the way down Oltorf all the way around South Lamar, and then also along our little street, Thornton. We have heard that the applicant has committed to potentially putting a light in, which we are very grateful for.”

Michael Whellan of Armbrust & Brown pointed out that the property has been a commercial site with CS zoning and 60 feet in allowable height. The staff recommendation and the Planning Commission both recommended higher levels of development.

“A compromise was facilitated through Council Member Ryan Alter. So by right, we have 60 feet today and 95 percent impervious cover. The compromise will keep the 60 feet, but reduce the intensity down to 80 percent impervious cover and 70 percent building coverage. That’s a 20 percent reduction in terms of the building coverage. The current zoning has a variety of commercial uses, including car repair.”

He noted that, “The one thing though that is not allowed and that we need in the city, is residential,” which is not allowed under the current zoning.

Whellan said, “This site is a 10-minute walk from four bus stops. There is a sidewalk, a complete sidewalk from this site all the way to those four bus stops. Two of them are MetroRapids. There’s a Night Owl bus, one of only five Night Owl buses and a high-frequency bus route: No. 300.”

Ryan Alter told his colleagues, ”This has been one of the tougher zoning cases that I have dealt with in District 5 – in really trying to balance what they can already do – that we heard from the applicant could be a very intensive commercial site.”

He said they had to recognize the economics of that commercial zoning “versus trying to get residential. We do want to promote more housing in an area of the city that is connected.” However, he said he had driven and walked the road and he understood the neighbors’ concerns.

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Posted In: Zoning, District 5