City housing staff say a publicly-funded program to help homeowners build accessory dwelling units would likely see limited uptake and may fall short of the city’s affordability goals, particularly for households most at risk of displacement. In a recent memo responding to a 2023 resolution from City Council, Interim Housing Director Mandy DeMayo outlined findings […]
accessory dwelling units
This term refers to smaller, secondary units built on the property of a primary residence. Also known as ADUs, mother-in-law suites, granny flats, or garden apartments, among other things.
Posted inLand Development Code
Council considering allowing tiny homes, RVs as accessory dwelling units
City Council seems poised to initiate changes to city zoning regulations that will allow tiny homes and recreational vehicles to be used as accessory dwelling units in single-family neighborhoods. Council Member Leslie Pool is sponsoring a resolution on today’s Council agenda that notes that back in 2014, staff identified zoning as the largest obstacle to […]
Posted inLand Development Code
City staffers provide ADU, “site plan lite” updates
City staffers updated the Planning Commission last week on efforts to make accessory dwelling units easier to build and to create a “site plan lite” to streamline permitting for small multifamily developments. City Council initiated the efforts through multiple resolutions over the past two years in hopes of encouraging more housing supply, especially “missing middle” […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Planning Commission considers working group to tackle ‘archaic’ land use code
Austin’s Planning Commission is once more dipping its toes into turbulent waters, with plans to form a working group that would tackle small-scale reforms to the 38-year-old Land Development Code. On Tuesday commissioners opted to postpone action for another two weeks to iron out differing opinions over approach. Commissioners aim to reconvene next Tuesday with […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Council to consider new ADU policies, ditch preapproved blueprints
City Council shifted priorities this week on policies related to accessory dwelling units, with members showing little interest in creating preapproved ADU blueprints and instead considering a new measure aimed at making ADUs easier to build. At Tuesday’s Housing and Planning Committee, members soured on preapproved ADU plans – an idea floated for years to […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Creating preapproved ADU plans could take 2-3 years, produce few units
With City Council seeking to make it easier to build accessory dwelling units, city staffers provided an update on Feb. 16 about a key part of Council’s ADU strategy: creating a menu of preapproved, publicly available ADU plans. In a memo, staffers said such a program would take between 20 and 30 months and nearly […]
Posted inPlanning
ZAP members OK ‘spot zoning’ for ADU
Last Tuesday, the Zoning and Platting Commission heard what may be one of the last requests to build an accessory dwelling unit on a Single Family Residence-Standard (SF-2) lot after City Council resolved to allow ADUs in such spots in December. When Cody Carr, founding partner of Carr Residential, requested a rezoning to build an ADU […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Council to allow ADUs in more places
In response to rising housing costs, last Thursday City Council proposed several changes to allow accessory dwelling units in more neighborhoods and to make them easier to build. ADUs are set to become legal in Single Family Residence-Large Lot (SF-1) and Single Family Residence-Standard Lot (SF-2) zones – but only if the existing home is […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Housing and Planning Committee examines barriers to ADU construction
The city’s Housing and Planning Committee met Tuesday to discuss the regulations for accessory dwelling units, secondary housing units located somewhere on a residential lot. As Austin’s housing crisis persists and the median sale price of homes continues to rise, ADUs can sometimes provide a more affordable housing option. But cumbersome local policies regulating ADUs can […]
Posted inLand Development Code
BoA holds off on approval for ‘flipped’ ADU plan
While a request to build an accessory dwelling unit larger than the existing home was not a sticking point, the lack of a preservation plan for a variance that hinged on preservation did present a problem for the Board of Adjustment at its most recent meeting. Matthew Satter, one of the owners of the home […]
Posted inHousing
Council pushes for financing, streamlined planning to encourage accessory dwellings
A resolution passed by City Council earlier this month may make it easier and less expensive for homeowners to construct accessory dwelling units on their property. City staff has been instructed to look for funding to provide low-cost loans to residents who need help borrowing to cover the construction costs of the units, which some […]
Posted inPlanning
Board of Adjustment does not approve variance to ‘preserve neighborhood character’
The desire to build a house is not a sufficient reason to receive a variance, in the eyes of the Board of Adjustment. After having his case postponed at the February meeting of the Board of Adjustment, Joshua Inscoe, who was representing the homeowner of 7309 Bennett Ave. in the St. Johns neighborhood, returned before […]