Draft MINUTES
SRCC GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Tuesday, February 17, 2026, 7:00 p.m.
AGENDA
Sign up or renew your membership at www.srccatx.org. There is a 28-day waiting period before new members can make/second motions or vote. For more information: membership@srccatx.org
1. 7:00 Welcome and Announcements
Welcome, All, and especially to our new members and tonight’s honored guests.
Elections will be held in April and we are in need of volunteers for the following positions:
- SRCC Secretary
- Finance Committee Chair
- Planning & Zoning Committee Chair
- *Area Coordinator(s) 4a
- *Area Coordinator(s) 7
*Two individuals serving as Area Coordinator is preferred, with at least one attending Executive Committee Meetings to represent your area.
Presenter, Mary Fealkoff, President (10 min)
2. 7:10 Approve Minutes from previous General Membership meeting, January 20, 2026. Meeting minutes available at www.srcctax.org
Presenter, Mary Fealkoff, President (5 min)
Minutes approved by unanimous consent.
3. 7:15 Sign Ordinance
Discuss resolution opposing proposed revision of Austin City Code Ch. 25-10. Primary concerns are encapsulated below and proposed resolution is available for review here: Proposed Resolution related to Item 64 on the January 22, 2026 Austin City Council Age
[VOTE ANTICIPATED]
The proposed ordinance change would allow larger signs in the public right-of-way that include electronic images, lights, and off-premise advertising. Specifically, the proposed ordinance would allow 58’ “way-finding” kiosks downtown and electronic advertising at bus stops and bike kiosks. Smartphones, which are almost universally used, provide more information than any kiosk could. Moreover, Austin’s streetscape is already full of distracting and messy elements, and the proposed kiosks are almost certain to be vandalized.
Presenter: Planning & Zoning Chair Anita Tschurr (5 min)
Anita Tschurr shared details about the proposal coming before the City Council regarding electronic signage in the city.
Motion made by Anita Tschurr and seconded by Barbara Cilley:
SRCC will oppose the city’s plan to install electronic signs on major thoroughfares.
Vote Count: Support the motion (to oppose the signs): 26, Do not support the motion (to oppose the signs): 1; Abstaining: 2.
MOTION Passes
4. 7:20 Rowan Vale Development
Discuss resolution opposing Affordable Housing Development at 206 E. Annie, on the northeast corner of Annie and Nickerson. The neighbors’ primary complaints about the development are: 1) totally out of scale with neighborhood of residential houses (and residential zoning) 2) no knowledge of neighborhood and parking and traffic issues, both of which this will exacerbate 3) too close to edges of property, especially along north side and 4) ignores both the goals of the Greater South River Combined Neighborhood Plan and the stated principles of the City of Austin’s Zoning Guide. Notably, this project is firmly inside the residential neighborhood core, rather than on its periphery.
Proposed resolution language is available for review here: Proposed Resolution: SSRC-Rowan-Vale-Development
[VOTE ANTICIPATED]
Presenter: Planning & Zoning Chair Anita Tschurr (5 min)
Anita Tschurr presented information about a proposed 5-story building near Milton Street. The developer agreed to reduce the number of units, but members raised concerns about traffic and its impact on the neighborhood.
Concerns were expressed about the fact that this development is proposed for an area of single-family homes. The height of the development would shadow those homes.
Members discussed the importance of submitting their opinion on the tax-related development proposal by February 27th to maintain their ability to influence the project’s design.The group debated whether to vote now or postpone until more information is available, with some members expressing concerns about the rushed process and lack of a full developer presentation.
Motion made by Gretchen Otto and seconded by Mary Friedman: SRCC will postpone the vote on whether to oppose the development at 206 E. Annie, known as the Rowan Vale.
Vote Count: Support the motion: 2, Do not support the motion: 34; Abstaining:1.
Motion not Passed.
Motion made by Anita Tschurr and seconded by Ruth Casarez: SRCC will oppose the development known at 206 E. Annie, known as the Rowan Vale.
Vote Count: Support the motion: 34; Do not support the motion: 0, Abstaining: 1.
Motion Passes
5. 7:25 Focus on Zoning
Presentation about anticipated developments and land-use changes in and around SRCC boundaries, including current status, expected impact and options for action.
Visual overview of proposed (or already approved) developments: Proposed Building in the East Riverside/Lady Bird Lake Corridor
- 206 East Annie (Rowan Vale)
- 311-315 South Congress
- 1307, 1405A, 1405B, 1507
- Austin American Statesman
- Ego’s
- 200 East Riverside
- 222 East Riverside
- 600 East Riverside
- 1404 East Riverside
- 1705 South Lakeshore
- Additional pr0perties:
- Twin Oaks
- Hyatt
- Holiday Inn Floating Dock
Presenter: Planning & Zoning Chair Anita Tschurr (10 min)
Anita presented a Google map (link above) created by a friend showing multiple developments planned in the neighborhood, including tall buildings and a pedestrian bridge. She expressed concern about the rapid development and lack of community input, noting high vacancy rates in Austin’s apartment and office spaces. The group discussed the need to work with city council members and consider covenants with neighbors to the east, but acknowledged a lack of support from city officials.
7:35 Summary of impacts on our neighborhood and the community:
Presenter: Longtime resident and former SRCC VP Barbara Cilley(10 min)
South Central Waterfront Development Concerns–This portion of the meeting focused on discussing the South Central Waterfront Plan and its impact on the community. Barbara Cilley presented data showing that the plan’s promises of affordable housing and equitable development were not being met, with actual outcomes including increased demolitions, gentrification, and loss of local businesses. The Council’s urban design is not creating spaces that families desire. Visual presentation
7:45 Density’s impact on global warming in urban environment; recommendations for moving forward:
Presenter: Longtime activist and proponent of alternative to Project Connet, Larry Akers (5 min)
Larry Akers provided historical context, noting that the community had successfully opposed high-rise development proposals in the 1980s but now faces similar threats.
In his response to an email after the meeting, these are the comments he shared:
I think you are interested in the section on the Town Lake Corridor Study (there’s a link to it in the Table of Contents). That section contains links to the entire study document, which IMO is the foundational historical piece supporting your desires as I understand them.
https://austinfriendsoftheparks.wordpress.com/tlpa-history/
https://austinfriendsoftheparks.wordpress.com/tlpa-history/#the-town-lake-corridor-study
The study led to the creation of the Waterfront Overlay District, which established the development regs for the private lands within the corridor, and its implementation and review mechanism, the Waterfront Planning Advisory Board.
Further resource Waterfront Overlay District: https://services.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=185641
We are seeing now is the result of 40 years of the development community’s crusade to unwind the land use goals and protections of the lakefront corridor.
7:50 Rezoning has not meaningfully improved affordability; data on HOME I and HOME II show minimal results:
Presenter: Dr. Richard Heyman (5 min)
Rich Heyman presented data on the HOME initiative, showing that it had not achieved its goals of increasing affordable housing supply or preserving existing affordable housing. The group discussed the need for continued opposition to proposed developments and the importance of community involvement in shaping future plans. Visual Presentation
7:55 Member Q & A (as time allows)
6. 8:15 Membership Report
Members must pay dues to participate in SRCC business and actions, such as voting and making motions. Try the subscription option for automatic annual renewals. We are delighted to have grown membership considerably over the last year (55 new members over the course of the last year!) and we welcome new members’ participation as Area Coordinators, Committee Chairs and Officers. Also, if you have special technological /graphic expertise, we can put you to work on any number of projects!
Presenter: SRCC Membership, Mary Janecek-Friedman (5 min)
Mary Janecek-Friedman expressed delight that the membership has grown. Our membership at this point is 75 members above this time last year. This includes new members and members who have renewed their dues.
7. 8:20 Treasurer’s Report
All reports available upon request: treasurer@ancPresenter: Treasurer, Will Andrews (5 min)
Will Andrews reported on the January financial status, including contributions and administrative expenses.
8. 8:25 Reports from Standing Committee Chairs
a) Planning and Zoning; b) Historic Preservation; c) Finance; d) Mobility; e) Public Safety; f) Parks and Environment; g) Schools; h) Communications (10 min)
Mobility: Mark Thompson shared details about the upcoming Academy sidewalk dedication ceremony and efforts to restore a traffic signal at Woodland.
Schools: Susan Armstrong Fisher announced the start of a bike bus at Travis Heights Elementary and a triathlon partnership with schools for the deaf and blind.
Communication: Ruth Casarez discussed the spring newsletter. The deadline for article submissions is March 15.
Historic Preservation: Clif Ladd shared information about upcoming Historic Preservation Committee meetings. The meetings are normally on the last Thursday of the month in order to prepare for the City of Austin Historic Landmark Commission meetings, which are normally on the first Wednesday of the month. The next meeting of the Historic Preservation committee will be on February 26.
Parks: David Todd highlighted the upcoming It’s My Park Day volunteer event on Saturday, 3/7/3026, at Blunn Creek Nature Preserve and the Amplify Austin campaign that is doubling gifts to the Blunn Creek Partnership through 3/5/2026..
9. 8:35 Reports from Area Coordinators and Group Representatives
a) Area Coordinators; b) TECHS CAT; c) ANC; d) SCC; e) EROC; f) GSRC NPCT; g) SCWAB; h) St. Edward’s(10 min)
There were no reports from Area Coordinators.
The next Executive Committee meeting is March 3, 2026
The nextGeneral Membership meeting is March 17, 2026
Q-1 and Q-2 2026 Meetings (Zoom unless otherwise noted):
GM March 17 (Happy St. Patty’s!), April 21, May 19, June 16
EC March 3, April 7, May 5, June 2
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: contact Tom Groce, SRCC Public Safety Chair at: tgroce71@gmail.com
If you have questions about using the Neighborhood ListServ: https://groups.io/g/SouthRiverAustin
Check crime reports and statistics here: https://www.krimelabb.com/_basic/view/v_welcome.php
Frequently used acronyms: ACF-Austin Community Fund; ANC-Austin Neighborhood Council; BoA-Board of Adjustment; CDC-Community Development Corporation; EROC-East Riverside/Oltorf Combined Contact Team; FLUM-Future Land Use Map; GSRC NPCT-Greater South River City Neighborhood Planning Contact Team; NCCD-Neighborhood Conservation Combining District; NHPA-National Historic Preservation Act; NPCT– Neighborhood Planning Contact Team; PC-Planning Commission; PUD-Planned Unit Development; SCC-South Central Coalition of neighborhood associations; SF-Single Family zoning category; TECHS CAT-Travis Early College High School Campus Architectural Team; ZAP– Zoning and Platting
Minutes prepared by Mary Janecek-Friedman. These minutes are not official until excepted at the next GM meeting.
