In the wake of last year’s court ruling invalidating the city’s Vertical Mixed Use 2 ordinance, a proposed remedy is now primed for a public hearing and consideration at Thursday’s City Council meeting. Council heard a preview of the revised land use ordinance at Tuesday’s work session. The new version – drafted to resemble the […]
density bonus
Posted inPublic Safety
Council to consider public safety stations as community benefit eligible for density bonuses
City Council will consider adding public safety space – like fire, police and EMS stations – as a community benefit eligible for density bonus programs and planned unit developments (PUD) at its meeting on Thursday. District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly sponsored the resolution, which would direct the city manager “to explore, as part of […]
Posted inHousing
City planning revision of density bonus programs
Members of the city’s Housing and Planning Department say they will be hiring a consultant with expertise in creating and using incentives known as density bonuses to help them untangle the city’s myriad, often competing, development programs. Most of those programs aim to increase affordable housing in the city but have had mixed results. The […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission OKs height boost for Rainey tower amid resident pushback
The Planning Commission on April 11 recommended approval of a density bonus that would allow a new tower to rise in the Rainey Street neighborhood. The proposed 215-unit condominium tower at 62 East Ave. will rise 57 floors and 684 feet. But before the project can break ground, it needs City Council approval to increase […]
Posted inHousing
Want to know how the city enforces density bonus agreements? Read on.
This week, the Community Development Commission learned more about how the city ensures the reduced-rent housing units created through its density bonus programs go to people who meet the income eligibility requirements. At the commission’s Jan. 10 meeting, Commissioner Karen Paup said she asked staff from the Housing and Planning Department to help them better […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Fee changes to Downtown Density Bonus Program delayed until November
City Council and boards and commissions will have to wait until November to see the latest proposal on adjustments to the costs developers will have to pay to avoid adding affordable housing units to downtown development projects. Staff members were expecting an update to the fee-in-lieu schedule for the city’s Downtown Density Bonus Program by […]
Posted inDevelopment
Design Commission wants to remove downtown FAR caps, cut Council out of density bonus program
Following a City Council discussion earlier this year about updating the Downtown Density Bonus Program, the Design Commission last week recommended several changes for Council to mull, including removing Council’s discretion over allowing extra-dense towers and removing floor area ratio limits. Council’s discussion and the commission’s recommendations centered around one aspect of the program: the […]
Posted inPlanning
Council postpones vote on Rainey towers, Tovo pushes density bonus changes
Council Member Kathie Tovo previewed her upcoming push to change the downtown density bonus rules as part of her opposition to three new residential towers planned for the Rainey Street District. “I believe we need to have a policy conversation that was deferred from 2014 about what benefits should be embedded within our density bonus […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Affordability Unlocked gets ZAP approval, with concerns
With a $250 million bond geared toward affordable housing, a goal to preserve 10,000 affordable units over the next 10 years and a City Council resolution seeking ways to increase the number of affordable units, city staff members brought forward a draft ordinance outlining plans for increasing the quantity of affordable housing within the city. […]
Posted inPlanning
Streamlined housing plan comes to Council
In keeping with its commitment to increase Austin’s affordable housing stock, Council will consider an ordinance Thursday which will eliminate certain requirements that currently apply to all new housing, affordable as well as market rate. Under a new program called Affordability Unlocked, affordable housing developments would be able to add more units by eliminating requirements […]
Posted inCity Council
Casar seeks to reduce parking, compatibility requirements for subsidized housing
City Council Member Greg Casar is proposing a measure aimed at maximizing the impact of low-income housing developments in Austin. The measure, which was unveiled Tuesday and will be on Council’s agenda Feb. 21, directs city staff to craft an ordinance that will allow subsidized housing developments to forgo many of the city’s land use […]