After yet another postponement at the Board of Adjustment, the fate of the Griffin School remains unclear. Board members warned that this postponement would be the last. The school, which is located at 5000 Martin Ave. in Hyde Park, is seeking an adjustment to a variance granted in 2010. That variance decreased the minimum street […]
Land Development Code
Posted inAustin, City Charter, Development, Land Development Code
Casar proposes ADU policy revision timeline
Amid a public outcry for more available housing, City Council is reconsidering restrictions on accessory dwelling units such as granny flats and garage apartments. Council Member Greg Casar has proposed an approach to that review that considers related issues, including short-term rental regulations and parking requirements. Casar suggested Wednesday that the Planning and Neighborhoods Committee, […]
Posted inLand Development Code
New BoA reverses ADU decision
Though the city’s new accessory dwelling unit ordinance is expected to remain in committee until fall, one North Hyde Park homeowner will be able to proceed with an ADU after a second chance with a new board worked out in his favor last week. John Walewski owns a house at 4514 Avenue B. He would […]
Posted inCity Council, Land Development Code
Code advisory group to get new east side members
The City Council Planning and Neighborhoods Committee decided at last week’s meeting to add four new members to the group of citizens putting together recommendations for a new Land Development Code, known as the Code Advisory Group, or CAG. Since its appointment in 2013, CAG has been working to overhaul the city’s complicated regulatory rules. It […]
Posted inLand Development Code
ADUs headed back to Codes and Ordinances
After nearly three hours of discussion Tuesday, the city’s Planning Commission opted to send a proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit, or ADU, code amendment back to its Codes and Ordinances subcommittee for a second time. Almost one year ago, City Council approved a resolution to create an Accessory Dwelling Unit ordinance designed to make it easier […]
Posted inLand Development Code
BoA approves variance and chides HOA
Rules may be rules, but this week one northwest homeowners association learned that it takes more than dogma to get the Board of Adjustment on board with nudging a backyard shed and foundation. Homeowners Yaguo Wang and her husband, Jian Ku, were seeking a variance that would allow them to reduce the rear setback at […]
Posted inCity Hall, Development, Land Development Code
City works to build trust in wake of Zucker Report
On Wednesday, Austinites had a chance to address the Zucker Report publicly for the first time. Developers, neighborhood advocates and other stakeholders offered their feedback on the report and the development process in two meetings, and heard from Zucker Systems President Paul Zucker about his analysis. Though most who spoke did so to reiterate their […]
Posted inAustin, City Council, Development, Land Development Code, Zoning
Adler promises to change building permit process
Speaking to a receptive audience at the Real Estate Council of Austin on Wednesday, Mayor Steve Adler said he and his colleagues intend to make sure that they fix problems in the city’s development and permitting process sooner rather than later. In response to the highly critical Zucker Report on the city’s slow, complicated and […]
Posted inDevelopment, Land Development Code
BOA denies variances for Lake Austin tram
The Board of Adjustment rejected a request last week from a Lake Austin homeowner seeking to build a tram to a boat dock. Chris Pacitti was seeking variances from the Land Development Code that would have allowed him to construct the tram to a proposed boat dock at his 70 Pascal Lane home. Board members […]
Posted inAustin, Development, Housing, Land Development Code, Planning, Zoning
Ott splits Planning & Development Review Dept.
Like the couple that marries and divorces but marries again only to divorce a few years later, the Planning and Development Review Department is once again being broken into a neighborhood planning department and a development review department. In a memo to Mayor and Council released this afternoon, City Manager Marc Ott said that in […]
Posted inLand Development Code, Zoning
Board summarily rejects Lake Austin variances
The Board of Adjustment pulled no punches Monday night, but it did knock out a pair of questionable variance requests. Board members swiftly denied two Lake Austin impervious cover requests and brushed off a last-minute withdrawal request that could have allowed similar variance wishes to return to the board in the near future. David Cancialosi was […]
Posted inLand Development Code, Planning, The Code
Commission drops secrecy, shares legal opinion
After some deliberation, the Planning Commission has released the legal interpretation that clarifies how much discretion it must deny subdivisions that include required connections to streets, if the commission disagrees with the connections. The city’s legal opinion, according to a memo written by Assistant City Attorney Brent Lloyd, is that the land use commission does […]