City to discuss large downtown apartment
A public hearing on a proposed purpose-built student housing project that would take up an entire block on Guadalupe Street is part of tonight’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.
The commission will hold a public hearing and consider a request for a conditional use permit for the 75 Sylvan Street project, a proposed five- to seven-story development that would be located on Guadalupe Street between San Antonio Street and Martin Luther King Drive. Current businesses located on the property under contract for the development include the Street Eats food truck lot, the Kyndall office building, Rooftop on the Square and Buzzmill. The project would include 545 bedrooms, retail and a parking garage.
City staff is recommending approval of the development with numerous conditions, including the mitigation of noise and light nuisances associated with the parking garage, a third-party review of plans for compliance with the city’s fire codes, full repair of perimeter roadways after construction, a prohibition on double occupancy of bedrooms, the inclusion of at least one operable building entrance or exit every 100 feet on the street frontage and the meeting of Green Building Standard Silver Program criteria.
Staff’s chief concern with the proposed development is its inconsistency with the criterion that purpose-built student housing have the ability to transition to accommodate “a more diverse population.” The staff analysis notes that the applicant is proposing a rent-by-the-room project with multiple rooms per unit.
“This type of development does not allow for an easy transition for a more diverse population,” the analysis reads.
A paragraph in the developer’s application reads, “A diverse housing stock should be inclusive of all housing products. There are currently several projects in the site permitting phase near the project site that are constructing conventional multifamily and will be meeting the needs of that segment of the housing market. However, there is still a need for housing designed for students and this project will help in meeting that need.”
The application also says that rent-by-the-room purpose-built student housing “also can be utilized by young professionals who are accustom[ed] to the social interactions and lifestyle offerings provided by student housing developments that are often missing in conventional multifamily housing.”
The city has already received one letter in opposition to the development.
In other business, P&Z will hold a public hearing and consider a zoning change request for nearly 400 acres at the corner of Centerpoint Road and Old Bastrop Highway. The applicant, La Kings LLC, is requesting a change from SmartCode to Light Industrial.
The commission is also slated to hear a staff presentation and hold a discussion on the SMTX 4 All Housing Initiative.
The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins St. P&Z meetings are also streamed online.
