“CodeNEXT continues to enable the demolition and replacement of existing housing stock with new construction. Consequently, the Commission cannot recommend the adoption of CodeNEXT as written.” That’s the consensus of the Historic Landmark Commission, according to a resolution about the second draft of CodeNEXT. Commissioners voted unanimously in favor of the resolution, which was drafted […]
CodeNEXT
CodeNEXT is the name given to the land development code rewrite process undertaken in the early 2010s by the City of Austin.
Posted inZoning
How a 91-year-old Supreme Court case from Ohio echoes in Austin’s zoning plan
Austin Mayor Steve Adler sat in front of nearly 200 people gathered at the Covenant Presbyterian Church in early November. He’d been invited by the Allandale Neighborhood Association in Northwest Austin to answer questions about CodeNEXT, the city’s rewrite of its Land Development Code. Adler began by hyping the city. “(Austin) is a, uh, a […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Commission wants live music venues specified in CodeNEXT
Austin city staff and live music industry stakeholders are working to add a “live music venue” use case designation to CodeNEXT, the city’s in-process building code that will determine how Austin grows over the next two-plus decades. If approved for the final draft of CodeNEXT next year, the change could make it easier to open […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Let the games begin
He’s running… The 2018 election cycle has gotten off to a painfully slow start on the local level, but we finally have our first big – and thoroughly unsurprising – candidate to take the field. An eagle-eyed reader tipped us off on Sunday to the new look of www.adlerforaustin.com, the campaign website of Mayor Steve […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Commission demands more precision in CodeNEXT land uses
It’s easy to get lost in the new CodeNEXT zoning categories and their form-based considerations without keeping in mind their underlying purpose: setting the standards for how properties in Austin can be used. At the Nov. 28 joint meeting of the land use commissions, the CodeNEXT team explained how the list of uses had been […]
Posted inLand Development Code
CodeNEXT may separate land use commissions from connectivity oversight role
If it seems like there hasn’t been much talk about how CodeNEXT deals with connectivity, it’s because the latest draft has largely sidelined the land use commissions’ participation in that process. Uncomfortable being benched, some commissioners at their Nov. 20 joint meeting called for staff to go back to the drawing board and figure out […]
Posted inUncategorized
Building heights, regulations among CodeNEXT concerns at RECA lunch
Builders and other leaders in the Austin housing industry hope the release of the third draft of the city’s CodeNEXT planning document later this month will alleviate the confusion and contradictory objectives they say have plagued the first two drafts. That was one of the consensus points Tuesday at a luncheon hosted by the Real […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Environmental Commission defers CodeNEXT 2.0 recommendation
With the third draft of CodeNEXT slated to be presented to the public on Nov. 28, Watershed Protection Department staff hoped to receive a recommendation of approval from the Environmental Commission for the completed second draft on Nov. 1. However, after a long and contentious debate, the Environmental Commission voted unanimously to recommend that “the […]
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 inLand Development Code
Commission embraces ADUs in CodeNEXT
After months of debate, the Planning Commission at its Nov. 1 meeting directed staff and consultants to make the building of accessory dwelling units less constrained in the final draft of CodeNEXT. The current code places several restrictions on the construction of ADUs, and the second draft of the new code has dropped some of […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Land use commissions diverge ahead of CodeNEXT third draft
Differences of opinion between the Planning Commission and Zoning and Platting Commission are becoming more distinct. The Zoning and Platting Commission managed to submit an official recommendation on Monday, whereas the Planning Commission passed a less formal resolution on Wednesday, but both commissions made their positions known to staff this week close to the Oct. […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Water quality groups wade carefully into CodeNEXT debate
While the Austin environmental community appears divided on what to do about CodeNEXT, three green groups say the proposed overhaul of the Land Development Code will strengthen water quality protections in a number of key ways. In a statement released Tuesday, the Save Barton Creek Association, Clean Water Action and Environment Texas highlight some of […]