Coffee and cafes are on the City Council menu this week. This Thursday’s meeting will include a resolution that directs city staff to study how small hospitality businesses can open in residential neighborhoods more easily. The proposal from District 5 Council Member Ryan Alter asks the city manager to conduct review of existing city codes […]
City of Austin Land Development Code
The city’s Land Development Code regulates building and development in the city of Austin.
Posted inPlanning
Commission approves permit for Austin Resource Recovery center near Colony Park after misgivings, postponement
A conditional use permit requested by the city was approved by the Zoning and Platting Commission during their Sept. 2 meeting. The permit was nearly rejected, and eventually postponed, during an earlier meeting of the commission. The approval will allow redevelopment of 8301 Johnny Morris Road in Northeast Austin into a 131-acre, $253.5 million hub […]
Posted inDevelopment
Texas lawmakers finalize bill limiting property owners’ right to protest new homes nearby
Property owners in Texas hoping to stop or stall new housing next door will soon find it harder to do so. Texas lawmakers finalized a bill last week that loosens a little-known state law guaranteeing homeowners the right to protest zoning changes in their neighborhoods. A zoning change is when a landowner asks for the […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Focused on real affordability, City Council moves to improve density bonus programs
City Council voted Thursday to initiate a review and potential overhaul of the city’s density bonus programs, signaling a shift toward more flexible and customized incentives to promote affordable housing and community benefits across different parts of the city. The resolution was supported by all of City Council but Council Member Krista Laine, who abstained. […]
Posted inLand Development Code
City plans navigator expansion, financing tools for HOME initiative
City housing leaders have found that efforts to expand and improve access to Austin’s HOME initiative are progressing on multiple fronts, with program refinements, interdepartmental coordination and new support strategies underway. A recent memo from the Housing Department outlines these developments, which focus on helping low- and moderate-income residents stay in their homes, build additional […]
Posted inPlanning
Council committee briefed on proposed LDC amendments for wastewater treatment plant expansion
Austin City Council’s environmental committee received an update Wednesday on the $1 billion expansion of the Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, which will require several site-specific variances or amendments to the Land Development Code. The Council last month directed staff to identify the amendments necessary to facilitate construction of the project, which will increase the […]
Posted inPlanning
Neighbors push back on city plan to direct future land use around Cap Metro sites
A hearing at the Planning Commission on a proposal by city staff to change land use plans around two Capital Metro park-and-ride sites in North and South Austin was postponed during a March 25 meeting after neighborhood advocates raised alarm. The postponed plan revolves around the North Lamar and South Congress transit centers, which Capital […]
Posted inWater
$1 billion expansion of wastewater treatment plant poised to break ground
With a major expansion on the horizon for Austin’s Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, Mayor Kirk Watson is working with city staff to ensure the $1 billion project goes off without a hitch. The project, which City Council approved last May, would expand the site’s processing capacity from 75 million to 100 million gallons of […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Commercial EV station moves forward despite opposition
After the Planning Commission denied the request for a commercial electric-vehicle charging lot in East Austin last April, the project is moving forward based on an ordinance passed by City Council. Last April, the Planning Commission voted 7-3-3 to deny the request for the commercial fleet EV charging station that would not be open to […]
Posted inLand Development Code
A streamlined approach to infill housing is set for Council action
City Council members received a preview Tuesday of a proposed infill ordinance, or “site plan lite,” aimed at streamlining the approval process for small-scale residential projects. The proposed ordinance on Thursday’s agenda would apply to developments of five to 16 housing units and would allow for flexibility on drainage calculations and greater reliance on private […]
Posted inDevelopment
Density proponents encouraged by HOME six-month progress report
The city of Austin’s Development Services Department has released its six-month report on the early outcomes of the Home Options for Mobility and Equity (HOME) Phase 1 initiative. A memo released last month by José G. Roig, director of DSD, analyzed the early results of the initiative, which took effect in February 2024 and was […]
Posted inDevelopment
Housing and Planning Committee discusses sustainable building design, Land Development Code amendments, and Northeast Planning District
City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee held its final meeting of the year on Tuesday, when members heard updates from city staff on proposed amendments to the Land Development Code, the Northeast Planning District, the city’s Comprehensive Density Bonus analysis and the Planning Department’s long-range planning efforts. Committee Chair Natasha Harper-Madison also invited several local […]