As the owner of two popular honky-tonk bars – the White Horse in East Austin and Sagebrush in South Austin – Denis O’Donnell knows that safe rides are key to a flourishing nightlife. And he would love to see more efforts by the city to encourage nighttime commuters to leave their cars at home. Last week, […]
City of Austin Land Development Code
The city’s Land Development Code regulates building and development in the city of Austin.
Posted inLand Development Code
City Council to consider reducing parking spots for bars
At today’s meeting, City Council will consider directing staff to amend the city’s land use regulations to reduce the parking requirements for bars and cocktail lounges. According to the resolution, Texas has seen an increase in arrests for driving while intoxicated, with a total of 2,554 in Austin last year. And in Travis County there […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Austin tried and failed to rewrite its land code. Republican lawmakers might do it for them.
In Austin, 5,750 square feet is a magic number. It’s one-tenth of a football field. Half of an Olympic standard swimming pool. And precisely the size of the American dream. “If you’re driving around urban Austin, through Hyde Park, Clarksville, Crestview,” said Scott Turner, a local homebuilder, “then most of (these lots) are going to […]
Posted inZoning
Zoning case at Planning Commission highlights ‘broken’ Land Development Code, prompts fixes from Council
A zoning case heard by the Planning Commission on Tuesday called attention to what commissioners called the city’s “broken” Land Development Code, which they said in effect forced them to recommend industrial zoning on an East Austin property in order to allow housing. “The code is broken,” Commissioner João Paulo Connolly said. “We’re given broken […]
Posted inCity Council
Council approves rule to allow more use of small lots
In 2016, City Council voted to close a loophole that allowed houses to be built on smaller lots than intended when the Land Development Code was adopted. At the time, some North Austin neighbors were complaining that they had been fooled into agreeing to small-lot amnesty. They did not anticipate that developers would “exploit this […]
Posted inCourts
Group again sues city over changes to development rules
A group that stopped the city’s rewrite of the Land Development Code has filed a motion in Travis County District Court to undo changes City Council made to the code after that ruling. Led by Francisca Acuña, the group contends the city violated the order when Council approved the Vertical Mixed Use 2 (VMU2) Ordinance, […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Architects, builders suggest ‘low-hanging fruit’ land use code changes
The Planning Commission shared the findings Tuesday of a housing policy working group formed last summer to identify potential Land Development Code changes that could make housing more affordable. The working group gathered recommendations from three industry groups: American Institute of Architects Austin, Preservation Austin and Austin Infill Coalition. “We talked with them about trying […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites divided on parking requirements, compatibility and other housing policies
Austinites remain divided on housing issues, including what the city should do to reach its affordable housing goals and whether to change compatibility and parking requirements, according to a January/February poll of 429 voters commissioned by Notley and conducted by national pollster Change Research for the Austin Monitor. Questions about how Austin should grow and […]
Posted inLand Development Code
City stalled on land use changes intended to preserve creative spaces
Six months after a pair of unanimous City Council votes, the city has made little progress in adopting changes to the land use code intended to incentivize the creation of music venues and other creative spaces at risk for displacement due to rising land prices. In recent communications with Council members, staff from the Economic […]
Posted inCity Council
Council to make zoning variances more accessible to low-income homeowners
City Council passed a resolution Thursday to make it easier for low-income Austinites to seek zoning variances from the Board of Adjustment. The proposed program would help low-income and other qualifying residents put together an application and pay application fees. Jessica Cohen, chair of the Board of Adjustment, said low-income homeowners rarely seek variances. “I […]
Posted inHousing
Council relaxes compatibility requirements along selected corridors
City Council has approved changes to building compatibility standards that will allow for some increases in housing density along a handful of transit corridors. The ordinance amending City Code Title 25 was approved Friday, modifying parking requirements and allowing for increased building heights closer to single-family homes located on the targeted corridors, with some entitlements […]
Posted inEnvironment
Lengthy delay predicted for some environmental rules
Environmentalists looking forward to changes in city regulations requiring new developments to include more green infrastructure may be disappointed to hear that the final piece in that project may be delayed until mid-2024. City Council adopted some of the rules needed to make developments more environmentally friendly on Oct. 27, but the final phase may […]