The Zoning and Platting Commission on March 21 recommended a rezoning that would allow “missing middle” housing to be built on a property in the Matthews Lane neighborhood in South Austin.
The request would change the zoning on a 3-acre site at 7605 Albert Road, currently developed with a single-family home, from Development Reserve (DR) to Townhouse and Condominium Residence (SF-6).
The commission recommended the change with the condition that only nine housing units per acre could be built, yielding a maximum of 27 units on the site. Without the unit cap, zoning would allow 37 units, according to Victoria Haase, who represents the owner of the property.
Four neighbors spoke in opposition to the zoning change. They argued that the area can’t handle the requested level of density and the car traffic it would bring, especially since the property sits where Albert Road – a narrow street without sidewalks – takes a sharp, blind curve.
“We absolutely support more development, but what we’re looking for is something a little bit more modest – 10 to 12 units on lots of this size,” neighbor Carmen Wehmeier said.
Neighbors oppose rezoning the property to anything other than Single-Family – Standard Lot (SF-2). They have just enough signatures for a valid petition, which will force a supermajority vote of nine City Council members for the rezoning to be approved.
Haase said that SF-6 would allow more flexible development than other single-family zoning categories such as SF-2 because a developer would not have to divide the property into smaller lots.
“We can work around trees and other environmental features when you don’t have to carve up the land,” she said.
Not having to subdivide the property also means property owners would be responsible for road maintenance on the property instead of the city – i.e., taxpayers – footing the bill.
Haase added that the new housing types allowed under SF-6, such as duplexes and townhouses and smaller single-family homes, would enable elderly residents to downsize while still remaining in their neighborhood.
Commissioners all supported SF-6, but they debated how many units to allow on the site, given the poor street conditions and no certainty about when improvements from the city could come.
Commissioner Jolene Kiolbassa said the area has experienced a big influx of recent development and does not have the infrastructure to support it. She motioned to recommend SF-6 with a cap of six units per acre. Commissioner Ryan Johnson motioned instead for a cap of nine units per acre.
“I like the flexibility that (SF-6) gives. I like the design standards,” Johnson said. “I’m not a hundred percent sure that this is the best site for 37 units, on a substandard road.”
The commission voted 7-2 to recommend Council approve Johnson’s motion for SF-6 with a cap of nine units per acre. Commissioners Jolene Kiolbassa and Betsy Greenberg voted against.
Johnson argued that SF-6 should be allowed in many more places around the city to produce more missing middle housing.
“I think this is part of a larger planning and zoning issue in that, we have this district that allows for missing middle housing, sort of transition from denser to less dense areas – it was only really seen on the fringes of the city. I think that really highlights a failure in planning, to zone the city appropriately,” he said.
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City of Austin Zoning and Platting Commission: The City of Austin's Zoning and Platting Commission addresses issues of land use as assigned to it by Austin's City Code. It has sovereign authority, or the right to make final decisions on certain cases.
