Less than a week out from the release of the latest version of CodeNEXT, city commissions are weighing in on what they’d like to see in this latest draft of Austin’s Land Development Code.
The Zoning and Platting Commission laid out its plan Tuesday for gathering public feedback on the new rules, which would regulate everything from parking requirements to the types of housing that can be built in Austin. Commissioners want to hold at least two public meetings in different parts of town, possibly holding a combined hearing with the city’s Planning Commission.
ZAP Commissioner David King also stressed the need for enough time to review the new rules.
“Once we get this in place, it’s going to be here for decades, for the next generation,” King said. “So I don’t see a problem in allowing the commissions another month or two, whatever it might take … to go through our process.”
Jerry Rusthoven, assistant director of the Planning and Zoning Department, told commissioners the city wants to ensure as much public participation as possible.
“We are planning on mailing out a postcard to every renter, every utility account holder, every property owner in the city, notifying them of this public hearing,” he said.
Zoning and Platting commissioners also got a rare opportunity to speak directly with consultants from Opticos Design Inc., the firm hired by the city to lead the code rewrite. Consultants parsed through technical questions on everything from affordable housing programs to how the proposed rules could affect flood risks to properties in Austin.
John Miki, a senior associate with Opticos, said the new code would serve as a good foundation for Austin’s future growth and will provide room for more specific planning efforts down the road.
“Many people put all their hopes and dreams in CodeNEXT thinking that in one fell swoop, it would solve all the world’s problems, including world peace,” Miki said. “And we’re not going to make it in one big leap.”
City Council will have the final say on whether the new rules get adopted, but recommendations made by city commissions will ultimately influence the final plan. While Tuesday may have been the last go-around with this CodeNEXT draft for Zoning and Platting, the Planning Commission had another chance during its meeting Wednesday.
The third and final draft of the code will be released Monday.
This story was produced as part of the Austin Monitor’s reporting partnership with KUT. Photo by Martin do Nascimento/KUT.
Curious about how we got here? Check out the Austin Monitor’s CodeNEXT Timeline.
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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.
CodeNEXT: CodeNEXT is the name given to the land development code rewrite process undertaken in the early 2010s by the City of Austin.
