The City of Austin's Housing Department is moving ahead with the development of a new supportive multifamily building at 400 West Stassney Lane despite its placement in a designated floodplain area; the building aims to provide affordable housing units for those earning below the Area Median Income (AMI), revealed in an official notice from the city government. The Bailey at Stassney project, as named, is set to feature a five-story building with 104 apartment units dedicated to families making 30, 50, and 60 percent or less of the AMI, stated in a public notice from the City of Austin Housing Department.
Amid critiques about responsible development in environmentally sensitive zones, the Housing Department has justified the initiative as owing to the property's urban location, which favors its candidacy for low-income housing tax credits and was carried out under the Floodplain Management Executive Orders. According to the notice, part of the property falls within the 500-year floodplain of an unnamed tributary of Williamson Creek, and the project will reportedly affect about 0.04 acres of this floodplain, however, the building itself will avoid the FEMA 100-year floodplain, and no wetlands are expected to be impacted. The site, spanning approximately 2.38 acres is qualitatively distant from historic sites and does not provide habitat for federally or state-listed species, the notice emphasized.
Alternatives to the planned construction site were evaluated, including the no-action alternative and relocating to a non-floodplain area, but these were passed over in favor of raising the property with fill to keep the finished floor elevation above the base flood level. The city assures that all state and local water quality protection standards will be associated with the construction plans.
While the Housing Department claims that the development's environmental considerations are thorough, ensuring compliance with various regulations and that the project has no practicable alternative to floodplain development, concerns persist for the community that might be affected. The establishment of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for surface water runoff, installed prior to the construction phase, is intended to mitigate ecological concern—these methods and their efficacy will yet be seen. The three-fold purpose of the public notice is to inform, educate, and foster dialogue about the delicate intersection of housing needs and environmental stewardship.
Public comments on the proposed activity are welcome until November 13. The City of Austin Housing Department invites those interested in expressing their views or garnering more details on the project to review the full project description at the Streets-Jones Building or submit comments via mail or email to Dawn Perkins.
