There are occasions when, regardless of how a homeowner may redesign, reorient or reimagine a site, there is simply no option to make a project code-compliant. That still doesn’t mean that the request for a variance will be supported. This scenario came up at the Feb. 11 meeting of the Board of Adjustment, pertaining 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 inPlanning
Scraped lots are not entitled to variances because of tree placement
Generally, when trees are the cause of a variance request, the Board of Adjustment is quite accommodating. After all, considering all the good trees do for the environment and the city’s stringent protections for them, it can be difficult for homeowners simply to remove them. Still, despite this historical pattern, the Board of Adjustment does not […]
Posted inCity Hall
Board of Adjustment changes rules for those seeking appeal
After postponing the vote last month in an effort to ensure that a fair and open appeals process is available to the public, the Board of Adjustment made a decision Monday night that may prove contentious. In a 6-5 vote at its Feb. 11 meeting, the board approved a revision of its rules that includes […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Historic precedent prompts Board of Adjustment to grant setback variance
With rising rents in Austin, folks looking for an affordable place to live are becoming creative with their housing configurations. Even some who already have homes are looking to subdivide their lots to ease the burden and maybe even benefit from their new neighbors. For Susan Hays, the benefit she was seeking from refurbishing her […]
Posted inCity Hall
Board of Adjustment rules rewrite is postponed, again
For over a year the Board of Adjustment has been discussing how to amend its rules in order to ensure that a fair and open appeals process is available to the public. This exercise came about as the board searched for a solution to avoid another episode like that of the LifeAustin Church in 2008. […]
Posted inLand Development Code
City-approved wellness center project not OK’d by BOA for second time
Sometimes, one commission’s idea of a good project is not supported by another commission, which seemed to be the case for the project at 1800 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Sharon Shuppert, who owns the property and is a licensed acupuncturist, returned to the Board of Adjustment on Jan. 14 for a reconsideration of […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Board of Adjustment rules: A private boat dock may not block public waters
Houses along Lake Austin are coveted pieces of property whose main focal point is the water. Some homes are even lucky enough to have inlet coves creep into their properties for their near-private use. However, when a home has a boat dock spanning the neck of the channel leading into a backyard cove, that brings […]
Posted inPlanning
To light or not to light, that is the question
While no one wants to light West Campus up like the Las Vegas Strip, with such density comes a need for signage that can be seen both night and day. “We think that (not having signage) may be a safety concern if people are too busy looking at their phone to see where they’re going,” […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Red-tape mishap causes frustrations at the BoA
For six years, a dock has been jutting out into Lake Austin without technically having the proper permitting to do so in its current form. Since October, Kathleen Huff of 3117 Westlake Drive has been appearing monthly before the Board of Adjustment to plead her case to keep her ornamental cupola and chimney-like raised skylights […]
Posted inDevelopment
A ‘dire need’ for student housing convinces Board of Adjustment to approve variance
This month the Board of Adjustment approved a variance request for a multifamily unit located just behind the Drag, after postponing it in September for being “ugly.” At its Nov. 8 meeting, the Board of Adjustment reevaluated whether the lot at 2713 Hemphill Park, which is 237 square feet smaller than the required 8,000 square feet […]
Posted inPlanning
Board of Adjustment postpones setback request with no site plan
The Board of Adjustment needs a good reason to grant a request for reducing the setback from the waterfront. If a case from its most recent meeting is any indication, asking for an arbitrary number of feet without having a site plan in place will meet with its disapproval. David Cancialosi, who was representing the […]
Posted inPlanning
Reporter’s Notebook: Dark arts
Manchaca, continued… An Austin business group plans to file a lawsuit against the city over the recent decision by City Council to rename Manchaca Road. An announcement from attorney Roger Borgelt, also a board member for the Republican Club of Austin, said the Manchaca Business Association is scheduled to file its lawsuit today (Nov. 13) […]