Planning Commission backs Manor Road rezoning but denies developer waiver for ground-floor retail

The City of Austin Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended rezoning and a future-land-use map change for the 2967 Manor Road property but denied the applicant's request to waive the DB-90 ground-floor commercial requirement.

The commission voted to forward the staff recommendation on plan amendment MPA-2024-008 and rezoning case C14-2024-017 (2967 Manor Road) while specifically withholding approval of the applicant's requested waiver of the ground-floor commercial requirement. Commissioner Anderson moved the staff recommendation with that modification; Commissioner Haney seconded the motion, which passed unanimously, 9-0.

The property is about 0.68 acres at the Manor Road/Airport Boulevard area and sits inside the MLK-Jr. Boulevard TOD regulating plan boundary. City planner Jonathan Tomko told the commission staff recommended granting CS-DB-90-NP zoning and removing the tract from the MLK TOD plan, and noted staff had been asked to consider the applicant's waiver request for ground-floor commercial. Applicant representative Victoria Hossy of Thrower Design said the site is constrained by a 30-foot drainage easement and existing topography and argued the DB-90 overlay would permit enough height and structured parking to make the site financially feasible; she told commissioners the project now appears likely to produce roughly 80 dwelling units with 10 required income-restricted units under DB-90, and that earlier paperwork submitted for a traffic worksheet had used a rough 30-unit figure.

Neighbors and community groups opposed the rezoning in its current form. Daniella Valle, who said she is an avid transit user and works in architecture, told the commission the parcel has a single egress on Manor Road opposite a rapid bus stop and argued that the additional traffic from the development would worsen an already dangerous intersection where a pedestrian fatality occurred recently. Jenny Grayson, representing nearby residents, urged the commission to keep the parcel in the MLK TOD because, she said, the TOD's rules yield a higher proportion of affordable housing. Several speakers raised flooding and drainage concerns and requested independent assessment of the drainage channel and the watershed infrastructure serving Rowntree Drive.

The applicant and staff told the commission redevelopment would replace auto-related uses and be subject to current watershed regulations, which proponents said should improve drainage on-site compared with current conditions. Hossy said the triangular strip of land owned by the city north of the site reduces visibility for ground-floor commercial and so the applicant sought flexibility on requiring retail there.

The commission's action leaves the rezoning and plan amendment recommendation intact but instructs City Council not to grant the applicant's waiver request for mandatory ground-floor commercial.

Commissioners and staff said they expect the applicant to continue neighborhood outreach before the case moves to council.

What the commission decided: The motion forwarded the staff recommendation on the plan amendment and rezoning request but denied the applicant's waiver of the DB-90 ground-floor commercial requirement (motion by Commissioner Anderson; second by Commissioner Haney; outcome: approved; tally reported as unanimous 9-0).