Parking was a major sticking point at the July 9 Board of Adjustment meeting, where board members tackled the lack of parking at one particular North Loop property, exposing a rift in Austin’s current transportation thinking. Lauren and Joe Cunningham are seeking to turn a derelict building at 101 E. North Loop into a cooperative […]
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
Board of Adjustment wants in on CodeNEXT
The Board of Adjustment thinks that it was not given enough say in the code rewrites that are going to make up CodeNEXT, considering that it is the board that rules on variances to the city’s zoning regulations. At its June 11 meeting, even though the board had posted a request for a presentation on sign regulation on the […]
Posted inPlanning
Board of Adjustment determines the price of a view is a variance
Given fierce opposition from a neighbor and unclear stories from an architect, a homeowner and an agent about how a home along the shores of Lake Austin was designed, 6705 Pixie Cove was once again shuffled back into the deck and postponed for another month. After six months of postponements at the Board of Adjustment, […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Overheard, signs of the times
And on and on… Last week brought a tentative update to the ongoing labor negotiations with the Austin Police Association. Those negotiations resumed after City Council voted against a proposed contract in December. Since then, police have been operating without a contract. In a memo to Council members and Mayor Steve Adler, City Manager Spencer […]
Posted inPlanning
BoA puts Bouldin variance on hold
There’s no use being coy at the Board of Adjustment. That’s the lesson one Bouldin Creek homeowner learned at its most recent meeting. Architect David Webber spoke on behalf of homeowners William Mass and Nancy Hellman. Webber was seeking a variance to decrease the minimum front yard setback from the existing 25 feet to 15 […]
Posted inPlanning
East Austin ADU stalled at BoA
Over the past few years, the city has worked to make it easier to build accessory dwelling units. But, despite a chorus of those who tout the addition of a small secondary home as a way for homeowners to capitalize on development pressures and increase density without destroying “neighborhood character,” it’s not always simple to […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Barton Hills fence can’t stay
Dogs, hills and swimming holes might be the foundation of a good life in Central Texas, but they aren’t a good reason for a tall fence in Barton Hills, according to the city’s Board of Adjustment. Bruce Moseley was asking for a variance that would allow him to maintain a 9-foot 1-inch fence at his […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Commissioners question right of appeal under CodeNEXT
In a presentation at the joint land use commission meeting on Nov. 7, city staff claimed that clarifications made to the right to appeal under CodeNEXT draft two would improve the process for the city and appellants alike, but some commissioners contradicted that characterization and said the changes would actually narrow the power of appeal. […]
Posted inThe Code
BoA denies digital billboard end run
Another attempt to legalize digital billboards in Austin was shot down last week. This time, the Board of Adjustment was the arena for a battle that has been going on in Austin for years. Under current city regulations, billboards are not allowed, though existing billboards can remain in place as nonconforming signs. Over the years, […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Hyde Park variance no-show flops at BoA
Though there are no guarantees for getting a variance at the Board of Adjustment, a recent Hyde Park case proved one thing for sure: You might want to show up. David Rudick, the owner of 4008 Ave. C, was not present at the meeting. However, he was requesting a variance to decrease the minimum lot […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Sticking with what we know
Such a tease… Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion’s recent appointment to the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors was probably all but guaranteed given the circumstances – his avowed interest in transit on top of the need to politically defuse his predecessor Beverly Silas’ comments about not wanting an African-American man to serve as […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Misgivings clear the way for an East Austin ADU
Doubts about CodeNEXT and a belief in the capricious nature of city staff added up to a win for the future of an East Austin accessory dwelling unit at the most recent meeting of the Board of Adjustment. Jim Wittliff spoke on the behalf of Guillermo Sach Sanchez, who owns the property at 2017 E. […]