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Land Development Code
Planning Commission says Council’s compatibility reforms don’t go far enough
The Planning Commission last Tuesday recommended broader changes to compatibility standards than what City Council proposed earlier this year, setting the stage for a Council discussion on Dec. 1 over how much to relax the rule. Compatibility, a rule limiting…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Nov 22, 2022
City staffers push back on proposed changes to compatibility
A proposal by City Council to reduce compatibility along major streets would make the city’s Land Development Code more complicated while doing little to increase housing supply, city staffers told the Planning Commission last Tuesday. “We’re very supportive of the direction…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Nov 16, 2022
Planning Commission recommends allowing housing in commercial zoning
The Planning Commission recommended a code change Tuesday to allow housing in more parts of the city. The change, if approved by City Council, would allow housing on 7,474 commercially zoned properties, boosting the city’s housing capacity by up to…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Nov 10, 2022
Council adopts new stormwater rules
After considerable delay and discussion, City Council finally approved new environmental regulations related to drainage, landscaping and green stormwater infrastructure on Thursday. Mackenzie Kelly was the only Council member to vote no, and Natasha Harper-Madison was off the dais. Last…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Nov 1, 2022
Code change to allow housing on commercial properties
A code change that would allow housing on commercial properties got an initial hearing at the Planning Commission Tuesday. After some discussion, the commission postponed the item until Nov. 8 amid concern over a recommendation by city staffers to not allow…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Oct 27, 2022
Council puts off making environmental code changes
City Council opted Thursday to postpone a decision on changes to the city’s environmental regulations related to drainage, landscape and site plan requirements. Staff and environmentalists argue the changes are important updates to regulations related to stormwater drainage, wastewater infrastructure,…
Land Development Code • By Jo Clifton • Oct 14, 2022
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Planning Commission recommends enviro code updates with caveats
The Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously recommended that City Council approve only certain elements of a package of code updates aimed at making new development more environmentally friendly, and suggested Council retool or delay adoption of other elements. The complex…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Oct 13, 2022
As affordability concerns linger, Planning Commission postpones enviro code changes
The Planning Commission postponed a vote Tuesday on a complex package of environmental and water quality code amendments. Commissioners say much work remains to understand the full impact of the changes, especially as they relate to housing affordability. While many…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Oct 3, 2022
To improve connectivity, ZAP recommends prohibiting culs-de-sac in most cases
The Zoning and Platting Commission recommended changes to city code on Tuesday to improve street connectivity in new subdivisions. “I look at culs-de-sac as kind of destroying the grid,” said Commissioner Lonny Stern, who initially proposed the changes. He explained…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Sep 23, 2022
Because of compatibility, mini storage units block 10 homes in South Austin
The Board of Adjustment failed last Monday to approve a compatibility waiver that would have allowed 10 townhomes at 1609 Matthews Lane in South Austin. In order to build the units, the owner of the half-acre property requested a variance to…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Sep 20, 2022
Planning Commission worries new environmental regulations could make housing more expensive
After expressing concerns over the impact of new water quality and drainage regulations on housing affordability, members of the Planning Commission voted Tuesday to form a working group to tackle the code changes before giving a final recommendation to City…
Land Development Code • By Jonathan Lee • Aug 29, 2022
New water quality rules aim to promote green infrastructure
In a presentation to the Environmental Commission last Wednesday, staffers from the Watershed Protection Department presented a bundle of code updates aimed at improving water quality and making drainage infrastructure more environmentally friendly. “We couldn’t be more excited about the…
