A city incentive program intended to produce “Safe, Mixed-use, Accessible, Reasonably-priced and Transit-oriented” housing may be getting a little smarter with changes working their way towards City Council. The Housing Department is proposing four amendments to improve the “operation and functionality” of the program, per a presentation on the amendments given to the Planning Commission […]
Development
Posted inHousing
Roughly 3,200 people experience homelessness in Austin on any given night
Just over 3,200 people in Austin and Travis County slept in tents, shelters or cars on one night in January. That’s about 800 more people, or a 36% increase, compared to 2023, the last time a homeless count was done. Cities and towns that want to qualify for certain grants are required by the federal […]
Posted inPlanning
Density bonus programs under review to address affordability needs, market conditions
The city is moving forward with reforms to several of its density bonus programs, following the recommendations from an analysis completed earlier this year. A recent presentation to City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee outlined several modifications underway or in the planning stages that will better align with the changing economics of development and construction, […]
Posted inPlanning
Developer appeals denial of right-of-way vacation
The Urban Transportation Commission has rejected a request by the owner of one Old West Austin property to vacate right-of-way after hearing objections from the owners of a neighboring property that would be harmed by the street vacation. Commissioners voted 9-0 with one abstention and one absent to reject the street vacation request. The street […]
Posted inZoning
Geology takes center stage in Judge’s Hill zoning case
Some Judges’ Hill neighbors are spooked about a proposed redevelopment near 15th and Lamar and very near a geologic feature implicated in several landslides along Shoal Creek in recent years. But so far, the city seems to think they’re just seeing ghosts. In a unanimous vote, the Planning Commission recommended rezonings at 1501, 1507, 1509, […]
Posted inPlanning
Future land use plans for CapMetro sites pick up a recommendation from Planning Commission
A bundle of subtle planning changes around two Capital Metro park-and-rides in North and South Austin may lay the groundwork for a major redevelopment on the sites, and some residents still aren’t happy about it. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve nearly a dozen related items during their regular meeting on April 22, as […]
Posted inPlanning
Council committee briefed on proposed LDC amendments for wastewater treatment plant expansion
Austin City Council’s environmental committee received an update Wednesday on the $1 billion expansion of the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will require several site-specific variances or amendments to the Land Development Code. The Council last month directed staff to identify the amendments necessary to facilitate construction of the project, which will increase the […]
Posted inPlanning
Panelists look at the airport’s future of ‘perpetual’ construction
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is expected to remain in a near-perpetual state of construction for the next several decades, as city officials and regional leaders prepare for sustained, long-term growth in air travel demand and economic activity across the Central Texas region. That projection, shared during a recent Urban Land Institute of Austin panel, helped the […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning staff spells out steps for preservation and coordination in 78702 and beyond
The city is preparing to move forward with a long-term planning effort that would coordinate public and cultural investments in a portion of East Austin seen as under threat of gentrification and other growth pressures. A new memo from the Planning Department issued last week responds to a 2024 City Council resolution directing staff to […]
Posted inHousing
City eyes strategy shifts to address affordable housing shortfalls
City staff members are evaluating the idea of investing more in housing as well as other strategies to address shortfalls in key areas of the Strategic Housing Blueprint, including deeply affordable housing and permanent supportive housing. A memo released this week looks at progress related to the 2023 Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint Scorecard and shows […]
Posted inHousing
Facing displacement, Acacia Cliffs apartment tenants mobilize at City Hall
Plans to redevelop an apartment complex in Northwest Austin are off to a rocky start, drawing a crowd to City Hall last week with demands for more concessions to displaced tenants. Acacia Cliffs residents and their neighbors took to the podium on Thursday to request time for more robust negotiations with owner Price Realty Corporation, […]
Posted inPlanning
West Campus zoning program set for changes as city plans density-focused upgrade
Austin’s West Campus neighborhood may be about to enter a new era of development, as city staff plan to update a special zoning overlay that has guided new building in the area since the early aughts, according to a presentation delivered by city staff to the Planning Commission during a meeting on April 8. Under […]