Amid a housing crisis some say is exacerbated by the city’s Land Development Code, Planning commissioners decided to take matters into their own hands by creating working groups tasked with studying and proposing changes that might help lower the cost of housing. “(The Land Development Code) was bad 10 years ago, and now it’s just […]
Jonathan Lee
Posted inAustin
Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites are eager to vote and disenchanted with local government
Most Austinites disapprove of City Council and think local government isn’t responsive to their concerns, according to a June survey of 507 likely voters conducted by Change Research and commissioned by Notley for the Austin Monitor. Fifty-six percent of respondents disapprove of the job Council is doing, and only a quarter (26 percent) approve. Eighteen […]
Posted inAustin
Notley/Monitor Poll: Most Austinites think the city is headed in the wrong direction
Earlier this summer, the Austin Monitor set out to poll Austinites’ opinions on the most important issues facing the city and how well local government is addressing them. Over the course of this week, we’ll highlight what residents have told us about the city’s growth, challenges, governance and public safety. The survey, commissioned by Notley and […]
Posted inLand Development Code
City considers changes to floodplain redevelopment
Owners of businesses in the city’s floodplain will soon be able to make changes to their buildings or rebuild entirely so flash floods pose less of a threat – to structures as well as employees and customers. The tweak to city code, currently working its way through boards and commissions, will allow commercial buildings within […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Council approves new mixed-use development rules and launches separate corridor proposal
In response to Austin’s housing crisis, City Council passed two policies Thursday to allow more housing along major streets. “I think it’s more critical now than it has ever been to increase density and housing on these corridors,” Mayor Steve Adler said. “And I think that’s our existential challenge.” Though housing advocates have urged more […]
Posted inHousing
Council approves permanent supportive housing in Hancock
City Council Thursday unanimously approved a rezoning for Cady Lofts, a project that will bring 100 homes for people experiencing homelessness to 1004-1008 E. 39th St. in the Hancock neighborhood. The project includes studio units in a 3- and 4-story building complete with on-site services for residents in a setup called permanent supportive housing. The […]
Posted inTransportation
Fate of the Crestview Gate could be decided today
A decadelong debate over a notorious gate in the Crestview neighborhood is likely to reach its conclusion today, with City Council set to vote on a zoning change that would get rid of the gate at Easy Wind Drive and Morrow Street once and for all. In 2011, the Crestview Neighborhood Association pushed to add […]
Posted inHousing
New report dives into the details of housing in Austin
HousingWorks Austin has released its latest annual report on Austin’s housing market and supply of affordable housing, underscoring not only the drastic increases in home prices and rents many have experienced but also disparities in affordable housing supply across the city. “The high cost of housing and short supply of affordable housing in certain parts […]
Posted inWhispers
Mayoral candidate Israel shares housing platform
Mayoral candidate and state Rep. Celia Israel released her plan to make housing more affordable at a press conference Thursday, saying, “This election is about who can afford to live in Austin, and who gets to decide.” Israel, who throughout her speech referred to rising housing costs as a “crisis,” has six overarching goals: expedite […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Council to consider new ADU policies, ditch preapproved blueprints
City Council shifted priorities this week on policies related to accessory dwelling units, with members showing little interest in creating preapproved ADU blueprints and instead considering a new measure aimed at making ADUs easier to build. At Tuesday’s Housing and Planning Committee, members soured on preapproved ADU plans – an idea floated for years to […]
Posted inZoning
Planning Commission supports first phase of East Austin development
The Planning Commission OK’d a rezoning on May 24 for the first phase of a larger development planned along Hudson Street in East Austin. Ledgestone Development Group plans 97 units in a mix of single-family homes and attached townhomes on several properties spanning 5711 to 5909 Hudson St. To build the project, the developer requests a […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Ahead of Council vote, committee sculpts VMU2 proposal
City Council members at Tuesday’s Housing and Planning Committee meeting shared their latest thinking on proposed changes to Vertical Mixed-Use (VMU) zoning ahead of a vote on June 9. Council Member Chito Vela outlined a new compromise to reduce compatibility and parking requirements for VMU properties along Project Connect light rail lines to allow more […]