On Oct. 1 of this year, the Development Services Department enacted a new set of fees for those looking to come before the Board of Adjustment to have the board hear their applications for a code variance. Although increases are to be expected as Austin grows, this year’s fees associated with appearing before the board […]
Development Services Department
A city department that reviews development and inspection services.
Posted inDevelopment
Many, but not all, development fees to climb
Last year, Rodney Gonzales, director of Austin’s Development Services Department, asked Council to fund an additional 50 employees to increase his department’s efficiency in dealing with a multitude of permits, reviews and inspections. Council killed the plan by postponing it. However, this year Gonzales proposed adding 50 new full-time positions as part of a $63.6 […]
Posted inDevelopment
Development Services preliminary budget asks for 50 new employees
According to the 2017 customer satisfaction poll by the Development Services Department, the time it takes to complete the inspection process was ranked as the most important component but had the lowest satisfaction rating. In an effort to change that perception, the department is asking for 50 new employees. The cost of this new staff […]
Posted inDevelopment
Despite progress, builders complain of long waits for permits
Among the many factors blamed for Austin’s affordability crisis are the city’s notoriously complicated development regulations. The development review process is so cumbersome, critics say, that builders have to hire agents to get their permits approved, creating a cost that is invariably passed on to those purchasing or renting the housing that gets built. For […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Communication
They don’t want to talk to you… Staff from the Development Services Department repeatedly told members of the Zoning and Platting Commission at their Tuesday meeting that they were legally obligated to approve a site plan for the controversial Champion project. A few of the commissioners were unconvinced that the advice they were receiving from […]
Posted inHousing
City proposes ways to reduce permitting costs for homeowners
In November of last year, City Council approved a resolution aimed at making it easier and cheaper for homeowners to repair or renovate their houses. The resolution asked the Development Services Department to consider setting up a separate, simpler permitting process for homeowners, including a dedicated team of city staff that could help property owners […]
Posted inPlanning
Austin could change the way it issues demolition permits
As the number of demolitions soars in Austin, the city is considering changing the way it issues permits to make sure teardowns are done safely and people affected are properly notified. Since 2010, the number of demolition permits issued in Austin has gone up an average of 13 percent each year. In the midst of […]
Posted inCity Hall
City to lease Ben White space for DSD, AE
Last week, City Council authorized negotiation and execution of a seven-year lease for a little less than 60,000 square feet at 5202 E. Ben White Blvd. The building will house about 100 employees from Austin Energy and 93 employees from the Development Services Department. During the Sept. 26 work session, Council Member Alison Alter wanted […]
Posted inDevelopment
Plan for new development services staff on hold
Along the way to passing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, City Council voted Tuesday to derail the Development Services Department’s plan to hire 51 new employees beginning in either January or March. The department has said it needed the new employees in order to keep up with the demands of a growing city. […]
Posted inHousing
Council members concerned about fees for ADUs
Council Member Delia Garza is worried that proposed increases in building fees are going to hit middle-income homeowners who are seeking to build accessory dwelling units the hardest. At a Thursday City Council meeting over the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, Garza pressed the head of the Development Services Department on the fee […]
Posted inDevelopment
Audit shows big problems with demo permitting
The Office of the City Auditor has found that the city’s demolition permitting process is not designed efficiently and contains gaps that allow unsafe practices during demolition. According to an audit approved by the City Council Audit and Finance Committee Tuesday, the two departments in charge of demolition permitting, Development Services and Planning and Zoning, […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Lessons learned
A parking pittance… Members of City Council listening to a lengthy presentation on the Development Services Department budget Wednesday didn’t suggest any major changes to the way the department is running or spending its money. But a number of Council members were bothered by the parking policies the department has implemented at One Texas Center, […]