Environmental Commission recommends variance to allow 8–15-foot driveway fill at Clovis at McKinney Falls

The Environmental Commission on Sept. 3 recommended approval of a variance allowing 8 to 15 feet of fill for a driveway at the Clovis at McKinney Falls affordable housing project at 6507 McKinney Falls Parkway.

The commission's recommendation, adopted unanimously, follows staff presentations explaining that the driveway fill is required to meet Travis County and fire access grades and to provide two access points required for buildings over 30 feet. The commission attached conditions including an engineered and structural retaining wall to contain the fill, parking-lot trees, a five-year tree-management plan, native blackland prairie seed mix plantings and “dark sky” downcast lighting, and a request that the applicant incorporate pedestrian, bike and multimodal design into the property driveways to improve nonmotorized access.

Mohammed Blucader, an environmental review specialist senior in the City of Austin Development Services (DSD), summarized the request as a variance from LDC 25-8-342 to allow driveway fill in the Cottonmouth Creek watershed, a suburban-classified desired…