Texas courts have ruled that “zoning is a subject that is outside the scope of the initiative and referendum process.” Therefore, the city is neither required nor authorized to call an election on the petition currently being circulated by opponents of the new land development regulations known as CodeNEXT. That is one of the conclusions […]
Land Development Code
Posted inLand Development Code
Music proponents continue push for venues in CodeNEXT
Proponents of Austin music and the health of clubs and music venues are still pushing to make the final version of CodeNEXT more favorable to those businesses, after failing to win over the planners who contributed to the third draft of the plan. At Monday’s meeting of the Music Commission, members were informed that the […]
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CodeNEXT Draft 3 makes significant changes to water-quality and drainage regulations
After months of waiting, last month the third and final staff draft of CodeNEXT was released. After allowing adequate reading time, on Feb. 21, Matt Hollon, the manager of the Watershed Protection Department Planning Division, gave the Environmental Commission an overview of the relevant changes between drafts two and three. “Spoiler alert, there are almost […]
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Newest CodeNEXT draft gets criticism from all sides
CodeNEXT has plenty of critics, but they’re far from united in their criticism. The third draft of the proposed Land Development Code is being attacked from both sides of the perennial debate over growth. Neighborhood preservationists say it will lead to the destruction of single-family home neighborhoods and displacement, while urbanists and some housing advocates […]
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Land use commissions skeptical about CodeNEXT 3.0 promises
The third draft of CodeNEXT made its long-awaited debut last Monday, presented to the public at an open house that evening in the flattering light of the golden hour – but by the next night, at the joint land use commission meeting, the congeniality of first impressions had given way to sober deliberation. Consultants and […]
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CodeNEXT draft boosts housing capacity
A day after the third version of CodeNEXT was unveiled, City Council members expressed cautious optimism about the proposed overhaul of Austin’s land development rules. Notably, Council members were happy to see that the new version dramatically increased the amount of housing capacity. The second draft would have allowed for 145,000 new units to be […]
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Neighborhood density dialed back in new CodeNEXT draft
The city of Austin has released its third draft of CodeNEXT, the ongoing overhaul of the rules governing what can be built where. At City Hall Monday evening, staff held an open house on the proposed Land Development Code, inviting residents to view the new zoning maps and ask questions. Draft 2 of CodeNEXT was […]
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Commission vice chair calls density bonus programs a failure
At the Zoning and Platting Commission’s Feb. 6 meeting, Vice Chair Jim Duncan continued his series of CodeNEXT presentations with an indictment of the city’s density bonus programs, one of the city’s main approaches to facilitating housing for households making less than 80 percent of the median family income. He charged city staff with being “blind” […]
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What policies would create the most housing in CodeNEXT?
As the city of Austin has learned over and over again in recent years, allowing something to be built doesn’t mean that it will be. Hence, density bonuses that offer developers the opportunity to build bigger buildings in exchange for on-site affordable units don’t necessarily lead to additional income-restricted housing. Similarly, most single-family homeowners who […]
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Days away from new draft, city commissions give their last word on CodeNEXT (for now)
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 […]
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City demographer smashes assumptions about growth at CodeNEXT meeting
For the past year, the land use commissions have been reviewing the drafts of CodeNEXT, and the discussions have primarily revolved around how to accommodate the incredible population growth the city has experienced for the past few decades. About two weeks before the third and final iteration of the proposed Land Development Code rewrite debuts […]
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In Hyde Park, urbanists say they’re the ones defending neighborhood character
In Austin’s ongoing battle over development, it’s generally the traditional neighborhood associations that talk about defending “neighborhood character” and developers and urbanist activists who argue that a growing city needs to accept change, whether that is taller buildings or reduced parking. In Hyde Park, however, urbanists are trying out the neighborhood character narrative to push […]