CodeNEXT might be dead, but most members of the Planning Commission seem to agree that they can’t give up on making big changes to the Land Development Code. For over a year, discussion of CodeNEXT has been a standing item on the commission’s agenda. Although the commission did not always exercise its right to take […]
Land Development Code
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Reagan going to court over sign rule secrecy
Billy Reagan, the owner of Reagan Signs, the best-known billboard company in the city of Austin, is looking forward to going to court later this month to try to find out why the city won’t let him see communications between CodeNEXT consultants and members of the city’s Law Department. And more importantly, what’s in those […]
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Council votes unanimously to scrap CodeNEXT
City Council voted unanimously today to scrap CodeNEXT, the controversial overhaul of the city’s Land Development Code. In a resolution, Council said “due to a combination of significant disruptions to the process, CodeNEXT is no longer a suitable mechanism to achieve its stated goals or address the critical challenges currently facing our City.” It directed […]
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‘Something has gone horribly wrong’: Adler calls for a reset on CodeNEXT process
Mayor Steve Adler wants the city to scrap CodeNEXT and start over. In a post to the City Council Message Board Wednesday, Adler asked that the city manager come up with a new process for updating the city’s 34-year-old Land Development Code. The mayor bemoaned “misinformation” surrounding the yearslong discussion. “When a long-time resident says […]
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For CodeNEXT, signs of changes to come
CodeNEXT, Austin’s attempt to reform and simplify its Land Development Code, has been a lightning rod for controversy. Activists see the code, which controls everything from how high buildings can be built, how far back their foundations must be from the street and how much parking is legally required, as the solution to myriad big-city […]
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CodeNEXT testing: What to look for
Depending on who you ask, the testing of CodeNEXT, the rewrite of the city’s Land Development Code, is either an important exercise in moving the city toward more efficient construction or just an obscure game being played at City Hall. Members of the development community, represented by the Real Estate Council of Austin, and members […]
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So, what happens to CodeNEXT now?
Last month, a majority of City Council members, including Mayor Steve Adler, said they did not believe that a ballot initiative proposed by anti-CodeNEXT activists could be put before voters this November. While the initiative had received more than enough signatures to qualify to be on the ballot, city attorneys and outside legal experts that […]
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Some areas of the city care a lot more about CodeNEXT
What do Austinites think about CodeNEXT? It’s hard to say. A poll conducted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, which supports CodeNEXT, found 45 percent in favor, 36 percent opposed and 19 percent unsure. When City Council recently held two public hearings for residents to voice their opinions on the proposed overhaul of the Land […]
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Council votes to ‘test’ CodeNEXT
City Council has asked the city manager to convene a group of development and design experts who will “test” the new regulations proposed in CodeNEXT. The idea is to have a group of building professionals – architects, engineers, urban planners – go through the process of crafting a number of fictional projects based on the […]
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CodeNEXT targets major obstacle to density: Compatibility standards
One of the major divisions over CodeNEXT was brought into sharp relief during a Wednesday City Council special called meeting. The issue: compatibility standards and transition zones. Currently, what one can build on a property is based not just on how the lot is zoned, but whether it is within a certain distance of a […]
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Zoning and Platting remains unhappy with PUD ordinance
With Draft 3 of CodeNEXT currently under review, the Zoning and Platting Commission voted to send a letter to the mayor and City Council concerning the code’s failure to address problems with the city’s current system of planned unit developments. Commissioner Jim Duncan was the most outspoken about his frustrations regarding the revisions. “I was […]
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Four Council members urge for new direction on CodeNEXT
Four City Council members signaled their discontent with the current direction of CodeNEXT process and announced an effort to develop a new code that is “equitable, sustainable, accessible, vibrant and community-driven.” Surrounded by supporters at a City Hall press conference Tuesday morning, Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo and Council members Alison Alter, Ora Houston and […]