Council Unanimously approves VMU project on Burnet Rd

submitted by Tom Linehan

A group of Allandale Neighborhood Association (ANA) representatives and affected neighbors spoke before the City Council Thursday night in opposition to a proposed variance request by Ardent Properties regarding the 5350 Burnet Rd (Antique Marketplace) property for an expanded vertical mixed use (VMU) development. We were unsuccessful.

Instead of opposing a VMU development at the site Allandale expressed concern about the increased density of the project and the resulting traffic it would generate on Burnet Rd. Steven Zettner presented a variation of the project that would make it more pedestrian friendly and become the start of a pedestrian walkway leading down to the Yarborough library. The variance was granted by a unanimous vote of the Council. Council member Lee Leffingwell added two friendly amendments at our request which placed a cap on the number of residential units allowed at this site to 175, and prohibited a driveway onto Lawnmont.

By way of background, Carr Development came to ANA two years ago asking support for a height variance on a mixed use development at this site which ANA supported. What was presented to ANA at the time was a mixed use development that consisted of retail and 88 owner-occupied units. Mr. Carr received the height variance allowing him to go to 60 feet on his proposed development.

In July Allandale learned that Ardent Properties was given an option to buy the property from Carr and wanted to do something very different. Instead of 88 (2-bedroom) owner-occupied units, Ardent proposed to nearly double the number of units, essentially going to 165 plus (1-2 bedroom) rental units.

The outcome of the vote came as no surprise to those of us in attendance. Preliminary meetings with council members and council member staff made it clear that VMU is the city mantra and Burnet Rd is the poster child for it. This is how council member Brewster McCracken referred to Burnet Rd when expounding on the City’s intentions with VMU zoning.

What follows is the agenda item for the variance request for Thursday’s meeting.  Click here for all of the back up detail.

Conduct a public hearing and approve an ordinance amending Chapter 25-2 of the Austin City Code by rezoning property locally known as 5350 Burnet Road (Shoal Creek watershed) from general commercial services-mixed use-conditional overlay (CS-MU-CO) combining district zoning to general commercial services-mixed use-conditional overlay (CS-MU-CO)combining district zoning to permit vertical mixed use on the site.