Last fall, City Council Member Ann Kitchen asked Planning and Zoning Department Director Greg Guernsey to remove the staff member who had been overseeing the formation of one of the South Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan’s contact teams because she did not like what that staff member had said to a community newspaper about the status […]
Planning and Zoning Department
Planning, preservation and design services are under the purview of this department.
Posted inZoning
Council taps into zoning relief for South Austin beer store
A South Austin boutique beer shop looking to sell growlers to go got a boost from City Council on Thursday, but it’s not out of the woods yet. Council approved on first reading a measure to change WhichCraft Beer Store’s zoning to allow it to continue to operate at 2110 South Lamar Blvd. The vote […]
Posted inHousing
East Austin zoning mess fix moves forward, for now
A fix for a mistake made two years ago is headed to City Council, and nine east side properties once owned by the city hang in the balance, as does a deal struck for affordable housing as a condition of the 2014 sale of those properties. City of Austin Planning and Zoning Department Manager Jerry […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Density bonus program raises doubts in commission
A change to the Land Development Code that would include multifamily zoning in the city’s density bonus programs hit a stumbling block at last week’s Planning Commission meeting. Commissioners voted overwhelmingly to pass the proposal on to City Council without a recommendation and expressed doubt that the change would ultimately do much at all. Essentially, […]
Posted inLand Development Code
ZAP calls for CodeNEXT process change
With a Land Development Code rewrite well underway and a draft version expected early next year, the city’s land-use commissions are weighing in on how they would like more input. If the Zoning and Platting Commission has its way, there might be some big changes made to the rewrite process, which is known as CodeNEXT. […]
Posted inPlanning
City looks to change neighborhood plan process
The Planning Commission has unanimously endorsed a new approach to the development of neighborhood plans that could shrink the process to six months, down from two to three years. Mark Walters, who is with the city’s Planning and Zoning Department, explained to the commission on Tuesday that the new approach is intended to address Zucker […]
Posted inDevelopment, Planning
South Lamar zoning error may have fix on the way
A costly mistake by the city may soon be fixed for one South Lamar business owner, but if the most recent Planning Commission meeting is any indication, the rezoning might not go down without a fight. Planning and Zoning Department senior planner Andy Moore explained that in 2014, WhichCraft Beer Store applied for a site […]
Posted inPlanning
Contact-team changes sail toward Council
This past fall, City Council asked for some uniformity and oversight for the city’s neighborhood-planning contact teams. And now, after hearing from stakeholders, those proposed changes are refined and on the way to becoming a reality. The Planning and Zoning Department is now recommending that the city clarify the role of the contact-team bylaws template […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Games and old friends
Convention center “Ping-Pong”… City Council voted to delay adoption of a proposed master plan for the Austin Convention Center on Thursday, but not before having a discussion on the merits of the potential expansion with some interesting similes. “It’s kind of like a Ping-Pong match,” said Council Member Don Zimmerman. “The hotels say … ‘We […]
Posted inZoning
Mt. Zion rezoning finally moves on to Council
It may have taken the most circuitous route imaginable to get there, but the the Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church rezoning case is moving on to City Council after bouncing around the Planning Commission since June. This time, the church had the support of the neighborhood in seeking a zoning change from General Office (GO) […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Murky CodeNEXT process raises eyebrows at Planning Commission
This month, the city will hold events designed to test aspects of the ongoing CodeNEXT Land Development Code rewrite, and last week some Planning commissioners were concerned that they were unprepared for the exercise. The events, called “Sound Check,” will take place Nov. 16-21 and feature open studio hours, speakers and even live music, with […]
Posted inThe Code
PUD proposal could impact Grove application
Since it was announced in April, the proposed Grove at Shoal Creek Planned Unit Development has provoked a critical response from neighbors. Now, City Council is mulling over a policy change that could make it more difficult for that project’s zoning request and others like it to get approval. The code amendments that Council will […]