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Land Development Code
Austin to allow more homes on one plot of land in the pursuit of cheaper housing
In an attempt to encourage the construction of middle-class housing, Austin voted Thursday to amend land use rules to let property owners build more homes in neighborhoods restricted to one family living in one house on one plot of land. City Council…
Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Dec 8, 2023
Amendments, memos point to finer steps for implementing HOME initiative
With City Council slated to decide the fate of the HOME initiative today, a last bit of analysis from city staff appears to back the intent and approach of the push to add more housing stock throughout the city. In…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 7, 2023
HOME proponents, opponents speak out
City Council Member Leslie Pool led the charge in talking about the HOME initiative at a City Hall press conference Tuesday. Joining her in promoting the plan to reconfigure Austin’s single-family zoning rules were several Council members as well as…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Dec 6, 2023
Staff, City Council continue to work on HOME initiative
At Tuesday’s work session, City Council heard from the city’s planning staff as well as two architects from the local American Institute of Architects housing committee on various aspects of the HOME initiative, a proposal to make changes to the…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Nov 29, 2023
Planning Commission wants more teeth in HOME proposal
After 12 hours of listening to citizens’ suggestions and complaints about the proposed changes to the Land Development Code, known as the HOME initiative, the Planning Commission last week came up with a number of technical recommendations for City Council…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Nov 21, 2023
Environmental Commission ponders HOME initiative
Dave Sullivan, a longtime advocate for environmental causes and a member of the city’s Environmental Commission, offered his colleagues a motion supporting City Council’s proposed HOME initiative at this week’s meeting. According to Sullivan’s motion, last month the commission heard…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Nov 17, 2023
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City loses second suit over development rules
A group of citizens who sued the city over four ordinances designed to make it easier to develop new housing projects have apparently prevailed on three of the four laws. That means the city will have to go back to…
Courts • By Jo Clifton • Nov 14, 2023
Council votes to eliminate off-street parking requirements
City Council voted Thursday to eliminate requirements for minimum amounts of off-street parking on new construction projects, marking a shift in the city’s push to increase the amount of housing stock while decreasing development costs. The amendments to the city’s…
Land Development Code • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 3, 2023
HOME proposal draws a crowd of speakers, both pro and con
A total of 297 interested citizens signed up to address a joint meeting of City Council and the Planning Commission on Thursday about proposed changes to the city’s zoning regulations intended to increase the amount of housing available to middle-income…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Oct 27, 2023
Council’s plans to change housing rules upset some neighborhood advocates
Austin’s “single-family neighborhoods are in jeopardy of losing big” with the proposed changes to the city’s zoning regulations, according to Ana Aguirre, president of the Austin Neighborhoods Council. While housing advocates have praised City Council Member Leslie Pool’s HOME initiative,…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Oct 25, 2023
Austin policy lets builders forgo red tape. The result? More affordable housing, less public input.
Tomás Ramírez moistens a reed, puts in his teeth, gulps down the last of his coffee and begins to play. The sound that comes from his alto saxophone is a mournful riff. “I just sort of make things up when…
Land Development Code • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Sep 25, 2023
Council to consider joint hearing with Planning Commission on code amendments
Mayor Kirk Watson wants everyone in Austin to know that City Council will be holding a hearing on changes to the Land Development Code. Specifically, Council will be considering comments on proposals to allow three units per lot in single-family…
