A debate over development standards for charter schools is close to being resolved, but reaching a final agreement hinges on finding a solution to a dispute over environmental regulations. The city has been working to close a loophole that effectively means that charter schools built in Austin haven’t had to follow the same development guidelines […]
Land Development Code
Posted inLand Development Code
Austin Monitor Radio: Jim Duncan on CodeNEXT
CodeNEXT Advisory Group co-chair Jim Duncan joins Monitor publisher Mike Kanin and editor Liz Pagano to talk about the status of the city’s land development code rewrite. Sponsored by Austin Water. Program is embedded below: [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/269885526″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /]
Posted inLand Development Code
Coalition asks to keep CodeNEXT on track
A coalition of eight Austin organizations got together to ask the city to honor a January 2017 deadline for the new land development code draft on Wednesday. Pointing out that four years have passed since the rewrite was laid out in the Imagine Austin comprehensive plan, representatives from AURA, the Austin Apartment Association, the Austin Board of Realtors, […]
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Planning Commission and AISD back charter school code change
Last week, City Hall was filled with people hoping to speak to the Planning Commission about proposed changes to how charter schools are built. And, though there are still details to be worked out, those amendments will be moving on to City Council. Both the Planning Commission and the Austin Independent School District Board of […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Density bonus program raises doubts in commission
A change to the Land Development Code that would include multifamily zoning in the city’s density bonus programs hit a stumbling block at last week’s Planning Commission meeting. Commissioners voted overwhelmingly to pass the proposal on to City Council without a recommendation and expressed doubt that the change would ultimately do much at all. Essentially, […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Tanks tank in Old West Austin variance case
To find proof that the opinions of neighbors hold sway at the city’s boards and commissions, look no further than the Board of Adjustment. At its recent meeting, board members voted unanimously to deny a variance that may have looked OK on paper but didn’t pass muster once fleshed out by neighborhood concerns. William Van […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Planning Commission launches measured approach to CodeNEXT study
At its most recent meeting, the Planning Commission worked to establish how it would stay up to date on what’s going on with CodeNEXT, the ongoing effort to rewrite the city’s Land Development Code. “There’s a certain amount of effort we need to do so it’s not like a presentation on every product you do,” […]
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ZAP calls for CodeNEXT process change
With a Land Development Code rewrite well underway and a draft version expected early next year, the city’s land-use commissions are weighing in on how they would like more input. If the Zoning and Platting Commission has its way, there might be some big changes made to the rewrite process, which is known as CodeNEXT. […]
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BoA awaits better hardship for east side development
A project that could bring three-story homes to the east side may be on track for getting some of the variances it needs – but developers are going to have to strengthen their hardship claim first. At their most recent meeting, Board of Adjustment members voted unanimously to postpone two variance requests for the property […]
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Planning Commission OKs changes to garage rules
In a situation similar to the one surrounding the small-lot amnesty tool, Austin’s garage placement standards are currently being used in a way that differs from how they were originally presented to neighborhoods when established nearly a decade ago. This time, the infill tool in question requires a garage to be farther from a property’s […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Steck House case returns to BoA one last time
The development surrounding the Steck House was once again in question at the Board of Adjustment for just under an hour last week. Although the board voted to reconsider the case, in the end, board members did not change their position from last month. Once again they voted to support staff’s interpretation. However, they did […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Steck House compatibility will stay waived
The question of whether the city correctly interpreted city code may have divided Board of Adjustment members at their last meeting, but the panel seemed much more united on the topic of the code language, which will allow new construction in a setback due to historic zoning. In short: The board wasn’t too happy with […]