Burnet Road tract gets new zoning

After eight months, the project at 8528 Burnet Road is moving forward. City Council voted Thursday to grant developer Sackman Enterprises MF-6 zoning, with a conditional overlay that limits the height of the building to 60 feet and the number of units to 300. That’s more than was approved on second reading, which limited the units to 225. Council Member Greg Casar presented the prevailing motion with the 300-unit cap. That motion also had an increase in affordable units. Instead of the planned 34 affordable units, the project will now include 45, which will be available at 80 percent of the Median Family Income. The new agreement also stipulates a mix of units, unlike the terms of the second reading. The developer agreed to create 20 studio, 15 one-bedroom, seven two-bedroom and three three-bedroom affordable units. Council voted 7-4 to approve the change, with Council Members Leslie Pool, Ann Kitchen, Kathie Tovo and Ora Houston opposed. A last-ditch effort by Pool to change the zoning to CS-V was not successful. Though that zoning change had not been discussed before, Pool suggested the switch as a way to ensure affordable housing. Though the developer in this case agreed to affordable housing under multifamily zoning, under state law Council cannot require affordable housing in that zoning category.