Austin F1 Permits: I Don't Understand by Flood1

 

To those of us not familiar with Texas politics and government, the permit process has been a bit confusing. Generally speaking, the project has been in phases and several different local governmental bodies have been involved. The obvious players are the State of Texas, Travis County, and the City of Austin. But, there have also been rulings by others including the Austin Environmental Board. Rather than trying to understand, much less explain, all of the maneuverings necessary to get permission to proceed, I will instead defer to one of the officials involved.

Joseph P. Gieselman is the Executive Manager of the Travis County Transportation and Natural Resources Department. In a December 8^th, 2010 memo to the Commissioner's Court, he explained the permit process:

In order to meet the developer's deadlines, they have requested that a series of permits be issued for this project. The first permits in the series were for the pipeline relocation and the overhead utility relocation necessary for the project. TNR has already issued these relocation permits. The permit that is currently under review is for site grading. The site grading permit includes temporary erosion controls, site grading, installation of public water and wastewater mains, installation of drainage conveyance structures to route the upstream drainage to the water quality/detention features and installation of water quality and detention structures. The developer is seeking a variance to the County's requirement that a Conditional Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR) be obtained from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prior to this issuance of the site grading permit application.

The December Commissioner's meeting had agenda item 9.B that considered the CLOMR variance. The variance was accepted by a 4 to 1 vote, thus clearing the way for the issuance of the site grading permit. What is unclear to me is whether or not the permit has actually been issued. I could not find this permit information listed in either the County's permit database or the City's. Perhaps someone more familiar with local government documents could help me out. I would greatly appreciate any help I could get.

One of the remaining hurdles to be crossed between the F1 developers and the AHJ (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) is the traffic plan. Everyone understands the need to move all competitors, vendors and attendees to and from the site safely and in a timely manner. It is also understood that the site must be prepared for a major incident that impacts the group as a whole. A plan must be in place that satisfies these concerns and has a reasonable chance of managing any conceivable probability. The plan must also insure that the event will not be a commercial failure due to undue delays that may sour the attendee’s personal experience and impact the future attendance at the event.

The Travis County Commissioners Court took no action on agenda item 9.A scheduled for the Dec. 14^th meeting, an item that was meant to address the F1 traffic plans. The item was moved into the New Year, but the exact date has not been determined. Regarding the traffic plan, Mr. Gieselman said in his December 8^th memo:

The last development permit that will be required for the site will include track paving and details, vertical building construction, driveway and parking lot paving, and private water, wastewater and electric services. Prior to issuance of the final site development permit it is expected that a Roadway Agreement will be brought to Commissioners Court that will require the developer to improve Elroy Road to a four lane road and widen and raise the existing bridge in order to accommodate the volume of traffic to and from events at the track.

 

 

The AHJ needs to have proposals mooted to them that can be approved without taking any gigantic risks. The traffic proposal previously submitted by FTP did not satisfy the staff of the AHJs, did not make anyone in Government comfortable, and basically was a “do nothing much to the roads” plan. The plan suggested that traffic management, mainly done via shuttle buses, contra flow, bicycle access, on-site camping, etc. would be all that is necessary.

It is clear, to anyone who is reasonably well informed, that this will not work. Instead, the real issue is who will pay for the necessary improvements. Will the developer pay for the improvements, or will the public pay for the improvements? It is clear that the County Commissioner's Court expects the improvements to be paid for by the developer.

I do not intend to get into a discussion about the philosophies regarding public funding for private development, but instead will look at the issue from a practical point of view regardless of who pays the freight.

In my opinion the roads that immediately surround the F1 site are inadequate for the demands of a major racing series. I cannot cite any studies, but I have been to racing events in six countries and more than 25 locations in the US. I have driven around the site, looked at the existing roads, and I recognize that the road infrastructure is inadequate. It barely satisfies the current daily demands. Improvements are needed and the Commissioner's Court has some demands.

In another memo to the Commission dated December 8^th, Mr. Gieselman addressed agenda item 9.A:

Overall, Travis County agrees with the basic assumptions, routing of vehicles, and the use of contra-flow lanes included in the report. The one issue that Travis County does not agree on is the mixing of shuttle traffic with vehicular traffic on Elroy Road. We believe that the shuttle operations will not be successful unless shuttle vehicles have a dedicated lane of travel. Furthermore, Elroy Road will need an additional travel lane for emergency operations access. Currently Elroy Road from McAngus Road to the northern access point of the site is only two lanes with no shoulders and the submitted traffic plan proposes using both lanes as contra-flow operations with no lanes available for shuttle services or emergency operations access. Thus, Travis County believes Elroy Road from McAngus Road to the northern access of the site needs to be widened to a minimum of 4 lanes. This work would include the widening of the existing bridge structure on Elroy Road that spans Dry Creek.

 

The approximate cost for widening Elroy Road from a 2-lane roadway to a 4-lane roadway is $6 million. Travis County staff believes the cost associated with widening Elroy Road should be born by the developer.

It would appear that acceptance of this demand is a requirement to gain approval to proceed.

It was also revealed in the transcripts of the December 14^th Commissioner's meeting that the TxDOT already has a project in place that will effectively make FM 812 a usable 4 lane road. Here is the quote from the transcript from staff member David Greer:

TxDOT was going to already repave FM 812 on the southern side of the site, and we've talked with TxDOT and TxDOT has agreed to re-stripe that road, which is a two-lane road, two nice wide lanes with shoulders to re-stripe it to where we can actually use it as a four-lane roadway when we need to. It will be striped as a two-lane road with wide shoulders, but when you need to for the site, for the race, we can actually use all four lanes.

That bit of information makes a great deal of impact on the feasibility of the entire traffic plan. If the developer does agree to widen Elroy Road, and TxDOT executes their existing plans for FM 812, many of the traffic concerns will be solved.

The Commission also agreed to consider any of the public funding solutions available including public improvement districts and public sports authorities. But, the immediate response required is for the developer to assume the costs of improvement to Elroy Road. Maybe he can recover the costs, maybe not. But, in order to keep this project going a decision much be taken very soon.

To summarize all this bureaucratic fog, I would just say this: if the developer agrees to the improvements to Elroy Road the permission process would be complete. I suggest they accept the Commission's recommendations and get the construction moving.

Comments

[sportsman]

"bureaucratic fog" is exactly the right description.I am not sure if I am not more confused now than I was before.According Statesman construction work on the site has already begun and the organisers have a permit for the grading works.But this seems to be in some doubt if was ever issued.If it was not then the works in progress are being undertaken without a permit.Very odd.
I am also a little confused about FM 812.
TxDOT say that they intend to repave it and restripe it with hard shoulders.It makes no mention of widening FM 812 to accomodate the hard shoulders.

[Airhog111]

I agree, the impression I had from reading what was in the public was that the grading permit had been issued.

4 lanes on 812 (even with contra-flow) isn't enough, especially when you have to "cheat" to get to the 4 lanes. Also, McAngus is the obvious and natural emergency road.

Thanks for the explaination

[Flood1]

I guess the next question is how long does it take between the Commission's approval and issuance of the permit? The staff has a lot to do, I'm sure, but I don't know exactly what.

[Foran]

I have no major concerns about the permit process. Everything has been done on a reasonable timeline and site work started as planned. A couple of agencies you mentioned, such as the Environmental Board, are subdivisions of the city of Austin, and they were involved because some minor variances to the local construction code were identified by the consultants. Both city and county elected officials are well aware of the financial implications of Formula 1 in Austin, and are unlikely to do anything that would jeopardize the timely completion of the track.

Widening Elroy Road to four lanes to get a dedicated shuttle lane is a staff recommendation by the county Transportation and Natural Resources department, which the Commissioners may accept, modify, or disregard. I agree it needs to be done, but the general public benefits from the road improvements, and I can't believe that roads never get improved in the county's jurisdiction unless they can push all costs onto a developer. I think the county should split the Elroy road costs with the promoter, and I have written to all the commissioners and the County judge with that recommendation.

Whether the county can adjust its budget to fund that work is another question - it might have to wait until the next fiscal year - and I don't know if that's the same as the calendar year for Travis County. But I see no problem even if the work isn't done until early 2012. The commissioners know their deliberations and decision on the traffic management plan will be heard around the world, and it will send a clear signal to business interests - is Travis County a good place for investment?

Regarding the comment that McAngus Road (on the west site boundary) being the obvious and natural emergency road, that's unlikely. McAngus does not connect to the tollway TX 130, and it provides track parking access only to the west side, on the other side of the creek, with only pedestrian access from there. And on TX DOT re-striping FM 812 to define four lanes - it already has paved shoulders.

[Flood1]

Thanks Foran.

First, I agree that McAngus is a no-go emergency route because it has no access to the circuit except by intersecting Elroy. It has no connection to 812 and has no way to cross Dry Creek to the main circuit plot. I agree on that point.

The grading plan was submitted in August, is six months old, and has not yet been permitted even though the City and the County had agreed to the variances.

The permit is in the staff's control and approval for grading, sewer, water, and site surface water control, collection ponds, and silt fences has not been issued. No permit has been released regarding site grading, etc.

Please see the thread at our forum to see the complex nature of the process. It is a bit more complex than one might imagine.

Flood

http://wheelnuts.invisionzone.com/index.php?showtopic=35904

[sportsman]

I am interested to see what work has been started.
Core sampling is a due diigence task.That should not be considered as start of construction.
Some silt fences have been built.The pipelines are being relocated.That is all.
This is a long way from start of construction.
The simple fact is that the grading permit has not been issued.When this permit is issued construction can begin. And the application for the grading permit was submitted in August and expires on 21st February.

[Artstrada Magazine]

Agreed, we need a 4 lane rd, we need a race track, we need a shuttle and we need everyone on board to make it happen. Let's do this. Bring next drama please

[Flood1]

And we need innovative Austin peeps like you to benefit from the increased world exposure that F1 will bring to Austin and to your art, lifestyle, and attitude.

Nice website, interesting stuff.