City Council Sides with Vina Plaza Development – Ignores Concerns from the Community
By a vote of 5 to 1, with 1 abstention, the City Council of Austin decided to side with the developers of the Vina Plaza located at the corner of Parmer Lane and Harris Ridge Blvd.
A group of about twenty homeowners led by Dolores Price and Bob McAndrew attempted to fight the plans of the Vina Plaza group stating that their plans did not provide an adequate buffer space between the residential neighborhoods of Harris Ridge and Harrisglenn and would remove the requirement for Josh Ridge to be connected to Harris Ridge Blvd.
On October 16, 2007 the group attended the Zoning and Platting Commission meeting. Vina Plaza’s group was striving to change the 3+ acres of land adjoining the Harris Ridge neighborhood from RR (Rural Residential) to GR (General Retail). In 1995 this same 3+ acres was zoned RR as a buffer between the Harris Ridge neighborhood and any commercial property that would be placed on the property between the Josh Ridge extension and Parmer Lane. It was the recommendation of city staff that these 3+ acres remain a lower density zoning such as LO (Limited Office). However, the Zoning and Platting Commission failed to put forth any recommendation to City Council.
At the November 1st City Council Meeting our group put forth our concerns to the City Council. The group of neighbors had conceded that a zoning of LO would be acceptable. The Council responded by passing a motion that the 3+ acres should be zoned GR as Vina Plaza had asked. At the next City Council meeting on November 8th the council reversed itself and changed the zoning to LR-CO (Light Retail with Conditional Overlay) which although is a lesser-density zoning than GR, still allowed Vina Plaza to proceed with their original plans and use the neighboring 3+ acres for development.
The neighborhood groups’ other concern was the completion of Josh Ridge to Harris Ridge Blvd. As part of the Restricted Covenant on the Vina Plaza property, they are required to complete this segment of Josh Ridge. The second part of their request to the City Council was to remove this requirement. The Josh Ridge connector would severely restrict the size of their planned development. The neighbors felt that this connector was absolutely necessary to reduce the amount of traffic cutting through on Weatherford Dr. and Briargate Dr. Despite City Traffic’s recommendations that Josh Ridge be completed, the City Council overwhelmingly supported Vina Plaza and has removed this restriction.
Josh Ridge will not be completed to Harris Ridge as a four-lane divided road. Instead, Vina Plaza’s plans are to split the road into 2 two-lane roads that make 90 degree turns around one of their main buildings. This arrangement will not reduce the amount of cut-through traffic in Harris Ridge.
It has become clear to the group of neighbors who fought hard to protect the interests of all of Harris Ridge and Harrisglenn that the Austin City Council does not care about the concerns of regular tax-payers and homeowners.
The following council members sided with the Vina Plaza developers: Council members Sheryl Cole, Brewster McCracken, Betty Dunkerly, Jennifer Kim, Mike Martinez, and Mayor Will Wynn. The only council member to side with the neighborhood was Council member Lee Leffingwell.
