[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6615985,"mediaKeyId","2857657-08f76e8e195550a060cac98fb34d1c56","parentId",2857657,"title","Environmental commission backs land‑code changes for Walnut Creek wastewater plant expansion with conditions","audioSeconds",7689,"startMs",693000,"endMs",8382000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2857657-08f76e8e195550a060cac98fb34d1c56&start=693&end=8382","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2857657-08f76e8e195550a060cac98fb34d1c56/thumbnail_693000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6615985/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Environmental-commission-backs-landcode-changes-for-Walnut-Creek-wastewater-plant-expansion-with-conditions","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615985-4c5f4850ad0bfba300dccce496f35312/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445955&Signature=jlhaclRQ9ODl9WmMl24xrJCNKdP3OlNrTpnjgHKWDeHv-GQ5klhwQMrRV9-B46lnl~4oF4qmjvAMRGL-eRXNTvP5SeXQ34XhWYLxZhnR~bCV9wcxCSaNuCFuJS~TPmm3~8~a9u6908vCUR2u~piiyUTlgDthPNNUpz6wu8eK0Y3BWk0fXQgjSwEIoO3ZwjsuyXAU6gOCJdAk6ixsHCeZpgKbSdWxok65qToGcPMz4B2yIDxFcMOAjjJ~3SiYl64~feC5S3Qc5LmNXbTxASavyPhywOa-yTYxS6BZuBylXHuVcOcKzB4ve5mWexcZrYs8717pEL-yy0CiJ-Zl-4dErA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","article","The City of Austin’s Environmental Commission on April 2 recommended that the City Council approve site‑specific amendments to the Land Development Code needed to allow the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Enhancement and Expansion Project, but the commission attached conditions addressing environmental mitigation, tree preservation, energy, public access and ongoing monitoring.

Watershed Protection staff and Austin Water officials told the commission the project would expand the plant’s permitted capacity by 25 million gallons per day — from 75 million to 100 million gallons per day — and convert existing treatment processes to biological nutrient removal. Charles Solaro, assistant director with Austin Water, said the upgrades aim to reduce nutrient discharges and modernize aging infrastructure. “We will reduce phosphorus at a minimum of about 60% from current discharge levels and substantially increase nitrogen removal,” Solaro said during the presentation.

The commission’s recommendation follows Council Resolution No. 20250327‑062 initiating the code amendments and is tied to Capital Improvement Project No. 203023046. City staff described multiple land‑use exceptions they say are “minimally required” for construction: allowing a flood wall into the Critical Water Quality Zone (CWQZ), administrative approval of variances for cut‑and‑fill and slopes, administrative handling of potential heritage‑tree removals, and flexibility for multiple site plans and floodplain variance procedures during project delivery.

Why it matters: Austin Water says the plant has approached operational limits in recent years and modeling and flow data indicate the city could exceed the plant’s current permitted capacity within the next decade unless upgrades proceed. The expansion is a large capital project (city staff stated the estimated cost is about $1 billion) and affects waterways that feed the Colorado River and local creek corridors. Commissioners and members of the public focused on protecting downstream water quality, preserving tree canopy, floodplain impacts and public access to nearby trails and riverfront.

What the commission recommended: The Environmental Commission’s motion — adopted with one opposing vote — asks City Council to amend multiple sections of the Land Development Code to enable the project, and it attaches 15 conditions. Key staff‑recommended conditions that the commission retained or expanded include:
- Require administrative variances for construction on slopes, cut and fill in excess of code limits, and potential heritage tree removal, with the stipulation that the applicant must demonstrate no feasible code‑compliant alternatives.
- Design the new outfall and effluent conveyance by boring/tunneling under Walnut Creek (not open‑cut) to minimize tree removal and surface disturbance.
- Extend the CWQZ downstream by dedicating additional CWQZ land at a ratio the motion set at 150% (the commission adopted an amendment asking staff to explore increasing that to 200%).
- Commit to relocating impacted heritage trees where feasible, with required feasibility analyses and five‑year care plans for any transplanted trees.

Commissioners added conditions during debate that the project team must report back annually to the Environmental Commission on progress, and that staff pursue additional environmental and community measures including: increased public outreach and interpretation about the facility and trails, both a requirement for low‑carbon (\"green\") concrete on the project and exploration of on‑site or adjacent solar generation where feasible, expanded downstream nutrient monitoring beyond TCEQ minimums, testing plans for PFAS once accepted testing methods and regulatory guidance are available, and exploration of transferring up to 50 acres of underused property for public open space or park use where feasible.

Project details and constraints presented by staff: Leslie Lilly, environmental conservation program manager with Watershed Protection, said the plant sits inside city limits north of the Colorado River and is partially in the 100‑year floodplain and CWQZ. The flood wall is proposed to protect the plant from flood damage; staff said wall height will be informed by hydraulic modeling (Watershed/Atlas 14 data) and could vary across the site. Austin Water said the wall will likely require deep foundations to prevent underflow and that tunneling for the outfall better preserves the riparian trees than an open cut would.

Public comment and concerns: Bobby Levinsky of the Save Our Springs Alliance urged commissioners to delay endorsements until more detail was available on the variances, critiqued the project’s transparency in agenda backup, and said more emphasis on demand management and conservation could reduce the need for large capacity expansions. Commissioners asked staff about operational phasing — so expansion capacity can be brought online while existing trains are converted — potential environmental effects of adding treated flow, noise and trail access, tree‑relocation feasibility, endangered‑species and permit review steps, and energy use implications of the new biological nutrient removal process.

Votes and next steps: The commission voted to recommend the code amendments to council with the full set of staff conditions and the additional amendments the commission adopted (annual reporting to the commission; low‑carbon concrete; exploring on‑site solar and parkland transfer; exploring expanded CWQZ dedication; and PFAS testing guidance). The recommendation is advisory; final authority to change the Land Development Code and approve variances rests with City Council. Austin Water and Watershed staff said site plans and environmental reviews will continue and that administrative variances would be considered during site‑plan review in keeping with the conditions the commission requested.

Ending: Austin Water and Watershed staff said they will return with further details in site plan reviews and that technical studies (hydraulic, ecological, tree‑relocation feasibility and nutrient modeling) are ongoing. The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to City Council as part of the council ordinance and code‑amendment process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Environmental Commission - Apr 02, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The City of Austin’s Environmental Commission on April 2 recommended that the City Council approve site‑specific Land Development Code amendments to allow expansion and upgrades at the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, while attaching multiple conditions addressing water quality mitigation, heritage trees, energy, public access and ongoing monitoring.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6615976,"Votes at a glance: Environmental Commission minute approval, Walnut Creek recommendation, officer elections and committee assignments",9392,288000,9680000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2857657-08f76e8e195550a060cac98fb34d1c56&start=288&end=9680","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2857657-08f76e8e195550a060cac98fb34d1c56/thumbnail_288000.jpg","/articles/6615976/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Votes-at-a-glance-Environmental-Commission-minute-approval-Walnut-Creek-recommendation-officer-elections-and-committee-assignments","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615976-7431978d98c2303dc6f16220306fed07/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445955&Signature=KAFIeok8-yks8r~A7kuDUKCT3yvc6BL5so-fSTS9Age98R8txaVVsEI2kWw5WOV2~yzndtrtNLoBhGi~YcxjQGS~7A5QYXrJv7PHSmnEpuBsSrw1a10d1hxXZyo9VHY2Sp6dtvJgILItKOWHlxq1R4n88xuLemiyM9Jx-~plnhpqirdCJjUFnkIbJM6vlpvXDRdnsApmpB3p2x7b2D0OnBhb~FyvTGfG7kSB5kjZbb9LYBI~IT5JuwMXrbWMiazhChXWYqjIiYVHuKseMJo~rKmwl1rPfedmPVvIEgZy~TaQV9pkzkTFSd89S-OAvoZTpL30k-YRdLD1EUJ-~9nN2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At its April 2 regular meeting the Environmental Commission took several formal actions: approval of minutes from the March 19 meeting; an advisory recommendation to City Council regarding the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant expansion (see separate article); election of officers for the 2025–26 term; and committee appointments.

Minutes: The commission approved the March 19, 2025 meeting minutes by voice vote with no substantive changes recorded.

Walnut Creek recommendation: See the longer staff presentation and the commission’s advisory recommendation (detailed in the meeting). The commission adopted the recommendation with conditions by a vote of 9 yes, 1 no.

Officer elections: Commissioners elected leadership for the April 2025–April 2026 term by voice votes at the meeting:
- Chair: Commissioner Jennifer Bristol — unanimous
- Vice Chair: Commissioner Mariana Kruger — unanimous
- Secretary: Commissioner Cofer — unanimous

Committee appointments and attendance: The commission filled vacancies on advisory committees and internal committees; highlights included confirmations and volunteers for the Urban Forestry Committee and a commitment to add representation to a joint sustainability committee and other boards. The commission also asked staff to circulate committee rosters and to place committee membership on a future agenda for any outstanding appointments.

Ending: All votes were recorded in the meeting minutes and will be transmitted to the City Clerk as part of the official record.","The environmental commission approved meeting minutes, recommended code changes and conditions for the Walnut Creek expansion, elected officers for 2025–26 and made committee appointments.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6615981,"Public commenter urges Environmental Commission to press CAMPO for environmental mitigation and better modeling",146,121000,267000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2857657-08f76e8e195550a060cac98fb34d1c56&start=121&end=267","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2857657-08f76e8e195550a060cac98fb34d1c56/thumbnail_121000.jpg","/articles/6615981/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Public-commenter-urges-Environmental-Commission-to-press-CAMPO-for-environmental-mitigation-and-better-modeling","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6615981-2f35b67a9265cc78f8de20741032a60c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445955&Signature=YzhhDkfLkCBSLyCZ1tHcqJKtji4MikKgQe52pT-M-KRX1ElowHO9AoQ89LNhK9q27zjVmtyT13WhS9TKztNs2MozQr2Lh6Gmd9sDjw4J3z6HohiLAe6xUuGLyp-iaIhLUbzz2oe34xuAAB2rI57ya4TxbABBUP4W24swm~Qod721wpNr3qqj2gOU1DBsB3Qtl~ZGX9ov8gE7Vm2qvvKmcYvSaFdHW4HoySZZWBs-meokXRaLLHFJovDherTXsz2iFSrKV-9XC7vi7IpG~BMH6DHKtjLJqEW0nNAGly9EoadEv6phWZMaipqjrcdfG6TU7E65gd70wL1OboNnDHbnFQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the April 2 meeting the Environmental Commission heard public comment from Bobby Levinsky of the Save Our Springs Alliance, who urged commissioners to act on regional transportation planning at the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO).

Levinsky told commissioners the CAMPO open‑house and public comment period (closing April 15) and CAMPO’s April 14 public hearing require community engagement and stronger environmental protections. He said the current draft plan lacks the type of environmental mitigation language required under federal statute and highlighted projects of concern including Mopac South, expansion of U.S. 620 and RM 1826. Levinsky urged the commission to join the Urban Transportation Commission’s recent resolution calling for model changes and a return to scenario‑based planning rather than project lists driven only by baseline projections.

Why it matters: regional transportation plans guide project selection and federal funding in the Austin area. Public commenters asked the Environmental Commission to weigh in because transportation choices affect water quality, habitat and greenhouse‑gas emissions. The commission did not take a formal action on the CAMPO plan during the meeting; Levinsky offered to follow up with commissioners outside the meeting.

Ending: Commissioners thanked Levinsky for the information and discussion moved to the meeting’s agenda items.","A representative of Save Our Springs Alliance urged commissioners to weigh in on the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s regional transportation plan, saying the CAMPO plan lacks required environmental mitigation and relies on dated traffic modeling.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Environmental commission backs land‑code changes for Walnut Creek wastewater plant expansion with conditions

Votes at a glance: Environmental Commission minute approval, Walnut Creek recommendation, officer elections and committee assignments

Public commenter urges Environmental Commission to press CAMPO for environmental mitigation and better modeling