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 […]
City of Austin Board of Adjustment
The city’s Board of Adjustment is a quasi-judicial body that decides on variances, special exceptions and can issue interpretations of code.
Posted inLand Development Code
Environmental benefits fail to win Board of Adjustment dock variance
The Board of Adjustment has made it clear that “the greater good” isn’t enough when it comes to getting an exception from the city to build a boat dock. The requested variance would allow the owner of 3002 Scenic Drive to replace an existing, noncompliant boat dock built by the prior owners of the house. […]
Posted inPlanning
Board of Adjustment debates the value of maintaining area character
Swapping primary and secondary residences is an approach to creating larger living spaces for homeowners that has become a popular tactic for preserving homes that contribute to area character. However, at the Sept. 14 meeting of the Board of Adjustment, members debated whether preservation of area character was a disingenuous “get-out-of-jail-free card” for those looking […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment offers free advice, grants lot size variance
Small lots are not uncommon in East Austin, so the Board of Adjustment regularly grants variances to allow homeowners to maximize such properties. On Sept. 14, the board once again unanimously granted a variance for small lot amnesty to allow for the construction of two residences at 1209 Taylor St. The lot is 103 square […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Parking requirements jam up decision at the Board of Adjustment
In Austin, the subject of parking has a way of striking a nerve. So when a proposal for an office project at 43 N. Interstate 35 came before the Board of Adjustment on Aug. 10, board members struggled to come to a consensus as to whether reduced parking constituted enough parking. James Schissler, representing the […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment considers neighboring trees grounds for variance
Last month, the Board of Adjustment postponed the case for the property at 1711 Waterston Ave. in order for the property owners to cobble together a case presenting a valid hardship. This month, the owners of the Clarksville bungalow returned before the board on Aug. 10 and brought their neighbors as a basis for their […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment denies sign variance, says it came too early in development process
The north MoPac Expressway by the old Hewlett Packard campus may not appear to be very scenic at first glance. Yet this section of highway is identified as a Scenic Roadway under city regulations, so all road signs must adhere to the corresponding regulations. In the future, the site at 14231 Tandem Blvd. will become a […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment says maintaining area character is not sufficient hardship
While neighborhood character is an important aspect of design in a historic neighborhood, it is not the only thing the Board of Adjustment takes into account when considering a variance request to modify a home. Architect Ryan Bollom proposed adding a 450-square-foot, one-story addition to a 768-square-foot home in the historically Black neighborhood of Clarksville. At […]
Posted inPlanning
Applicant contests the math of supermajority at Board of Adjustment vote
After several postponements and a design adjustment for the home at 71 Julius St., the Board of Adjustment narrowly failed to approve a motion to grant a variance to allow the Holly neighborhood house to be built within the waterfront overlay setback. Board members Melissa Hawthorne and Darryl Pruett voted against a motion to approve […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment debates request to sacrifice heritage tree or waterfront overlay
The Board of Adjustment exists to help residents achieve variances from the Land Development Code’s building regulations, but only if an applicant is willing to provide information and evidence of a valid hardship. Dan Coops, the owner of 71 Julius St., has appeared before the board several times in an effort to gain a variance […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment calls retroactive variance request a ‘cluster’
Although the structure at 1401 E. Third St. is already completed, it cannot pass final inspection due to encroachment into the property’s side setback. In an effort to avoid reconstructing the entire building, the applicant came before the Board of Adjustment on June 8 to seek a retroactive variance to decrease the minimum interior side […]
Posted inLand Development Code
BoA: We don’t ‘pre-clear’ cases
Obtaining a variance from city code is a multi-step process that can require applicants to visit various boards or commissions that weigh in with their expertise on aspects of a development project. In other cases, an applicant only comes before the Board of Adjustment to make their case for a variance. This process caused concern […]