In North Central Austin, developers are working with Central Health and the Housing Authority of the City of Austin to combine nine lots to create an affordable housing complex. The 258-unit complex, located at 411 and 601 E. Powell Lane and seven addresses on East Wonsley Drive, will offer 90 percent of the units to […]
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
BoA debates fences and pool safety
Barring a handful of exceptions, fences in Austin are generally 6 feet tall. A fence may exceed that standardized height, however, if “a structure, including a telephone junction box, exists that is reasonably likely to enable a child to climb over a 6-foot fence and gain access to a hazardous situation, including a swimming pool,” […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment grants unpermitted carport permission to stay parked
After a bitter neighborhood battle took place last month over a carport, the owner of the unpermitted car shelter was given a verdict to take down the structure that had stood for 16 years. However, the owner gave it one more fighting chance, presenting the Board of Adjustment with new evidence at its April 8 […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment searches for the line between ‘fraternizing’ and ‘frat’
After purchasing former Texas Governor Ann Richards’ home on 2311 Shoal Creek Boulevard in 2017, the Texas Beta Students Aid Fund, which is the nonprofit arm of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, retained single-family zoning on the property. Yet neighbors reported that there was an unusually high level of activity occurring in the house – […]
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 […]
Posted inPlanning
BoA grants boat dock variance, swayed by trees
After being denied a variance to reconstruct an existing dock to 44 feet instead of the code-compliant 30 feet, the case of 1515 Manana St. returned before the Board of Adjustment at its March 11 meeting. Based on a “substantial” amount of new information that Board Member Michael Von Ohlen noted was “critical to the […]
Posted inPlanning
Debate over rezone gets in the way of voluntary annexation deal
A decision by the Zoning and Platting Commission Tuesday to push a zoning case hearing back to April could jeopardize an opportunity for the city to annex a 42-acre lot south of FM 2222. The heavily wooded property, east of Lake Travis at the end of Milky Way Drive, is located within the boundary of […]
Posted inDevelopment
BoA OKs wellness project on third try
While the Board of Adjustment has twice denied variance requests required to construct an integrated acupuncture clinic and multifamily residence at 1800 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, members approved variances for the third iteration of the project at their March 11 meeting. Dan Lowe, the project’s new architect, presented the board with two options: […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Neighbor takes out grievances over ADU at the Board of Adjustment
Although the Board of Adjustment prefers not to take neighborhood disputes into account when members consider variance requests, sometimes these conflicts can be difficult to ignore. Before hearing any cases at its March 11 meeting, the Board of Adjustment warned those who were going to testify that personal quarrels have no place in any case. […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Catholic school cites safety concerns for fence; BoA thinks fence will cause more
Most people would agree that when it comes to schools, safety is sacrosanct. In today’s climate, parents, educators and the community alike may consider a campus that is wide open to public access to be, at the least, worrisome. Under city code, however, not all schools are treated equally. Private schools are required to provide […]
Posted inLand Development Code
BoA ponders historically zoned multifamily
For the owner of 608 Elmwood Place in the Hancock neighborhood, perhaps the third time in front of the Board of Adjustment will be the charm. After being postponed last month to allow for more discussion with the neighborhood about the proposed multifamily project, the board once again postponed the project in the face of […]
Posted inPlanning
Board of Adjustment seeks neighborly consent for variance
There are occasions when even though the Board of Adjustment deems a request reasonable, procedure dictates that it is unable to approve the request. Such a petition came before the BoA at its Feb. 11 meeting, when the homeowner of 7309 Bennett Ave. in the St. Johns neighborhood requested to convert the home into an […]