Waiting for the release of the third and final draft of CodeNEXT has not stopped the Zoning and Platting Commission from continuing to criticize the second draft, even after the commission submitted its formal recommendation last October. One of the main issues of contention discussed at its Jan. 2 meeting was the current system of […]
Land Development Code
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Commission: Add music venues in CodeNEXT to help clubs spread through city
The push is on to make live music venues a distinct business use case in the city’s building code, a move that music industry proponents hope will make it easier for music hot spots to emerge in neighborhoods throughout the city. By a 7-0 vote, the Austin Music Commission approved a resolution Monday recommending that […]
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CodeNEXT: City says few environmental surprises in store
Conversations today about the city run like clockwork: You can guarantee that at some point CodeNEXT will be mentioned. However, although it is spoken about with regularity, there are so many varying opinions, stances and regulatory improvements being presented that it becomes difficult to track, let alone understand, the changes that are being made in […]
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Historic commission rejects CodeNEXT draft
“CodeNEXT continues to enable the demolition and replacement of existing housing stock with new construction. Consequently, the Commission cannot recommend the adoption of CodeNEXT as written.” That’s the consensus of the Historic Landmark Commission, according to a resolution about the second draft of CodeNEXT. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the resolution, which was drafted […]
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Commission wants live music venues specified in CodeNEXT
Austin city staff and live music industry stakeholders are working to add a “live music venue” use case designation to CodeNEXT, the city’s in-process building code that will determine how Austin grows over the next two-plus decades. If approved for the final draft of CodeNEXT next year, the change could make it easier to open […]
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Commission demands more precision in CodeNEXT land uses
It’s easy to get lost in the new CodeNEXT zoning categories and their form-based considerations without keeping in mind their underlying purpose: setting the standards for how properties in Austin can be used. At the Nov. 28 joint meeting of the land use commissions, the CodeNEXT team explained how the list of uses had been […]
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CodeNEXT may separate land use commissions from connectivity oversight role
If it seems like there hasn’t been much talk about how CodeNEXT deals with connectivity, it’s because the latest draft has largely sidelined the land use commissions’ participation in that process. Uncomfortable being benched, some commissioners at their Nov. 20 joint meeting called for staff to go back to the drawing board and figure out […]
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Barton Hills fence can’t stay
Dogs, hills and swimming holes might be the foundation of a good life in Central Texas, but they aren’t a good reason for a tall fence in Barton Hills, according to the city’s Board of Adjustment. Bruce Moseley was asking for a variance that would allow him to maintain a 9-foot 1-inch fence at his […]
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Building heights, regulations among CodeNEXT concerns at RECA lunch
Builders and other leaders in the Austin housing industry hope the release of the third draft of the city’s CodeNEXT planning document later this month will alleviate the confusion and contradictory objectives they say have plagued the first two drafts. That was one of the consensus points Tuesday at a luncheon hosted by the Real […]
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Environmental Commission defers CodeNEXT 2.0 recommendation
With the third draft of CodeNEXT slated to be presented to the public on Nov. 28, Watershed Protection Department staff hoped to receive a recommendation of approval from the Environmental Commission for the completed second draft on Nov. 1. However, after a long and contentious debate, the Environmental Commission voted unanimously to recommend that “the […]
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Commissioners question right of appeal under CodeNEXT
In a presentation at the joint land use commission meeting on Nov. 7, city staff claimed that clarifications made to the right to appeal under CodeNEXT draft two would improve the process for the city and appellants alike, but some commissioners contradicted that characterization and said the changes would actually narrow the power of appeal. […]
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Austin wants to make it easier to build garage apartments
City Council took a step yesterday to streamline the process of building and remodeling homes by approving the Family Homestead Initiative. The resolution calls for the city to identify all the regulations and costs associated with the process. Council Member Delia Garza, who sponsored the measure, said she wants to create a separate permitting process […]