Groups gather forces to protest dairy plant redevelopment

A group of organizations led by the Govalle/Johnston Terrace Neighborhood Contact Team and PODER that includes Sierra Club, Save Our Springs and the Austin Neighborhoods Council will hold a press conference today to address the proposed redevelopment of the Borden Dairy Plant on Austin’s east side. “This project, as proposed at 120 feet with up to 95 percent impervious cover, will instantly overwhelm the bottleneck transportation access infrastructure, from 500 trips to over 21,000 trips per day, and the proposed impervious cover will contribute to acceleration of flooding runoff and contribute to the heat island effect,” said Daniel Llanes, chair of the Govalle/Johnston Terrace Neighborhood Contact Team. “Further, seven new development projects within 3/4 mile of this site, including two slated riverfront developments, have all developed within the existing 60-feet development criteria.” The organizations are calling for more environmental review and consideration, including Dark Skies standards to protect the nearby wildlife, restricted access to the wildlife sanctuary and an extension of the city’s Waterfront Overlay. If the project moves forward without more extensive review, they ask that it move forward with protections consistent with the Waterfront Overlay, including setbacks from the river and parkland and height and impervious cover consistent with “what normal commercial zoning would permit.” City Council is slated to take up the proposed redevelopment Thursday.