Proposed changes to development rules will be the focus this Thursday

This Thursday at 2 p.m., Austin City Council and the Planning Commission will combine to form City Hall’s most anticipated supergroup in an attempt to shepherd changes to the Land Development Code through the normal process with an abnormal amount of haste. A post from Mayor Kirk Watson lays out what the meeting will look like. “We have worked with City Staff and we will bring in infrastructure to create a second temporary dais that will be set up in front of the permanent dais. The Planning Commission will be seated on the newly constructed temporary dais and Council Members will sit in their current seats on the permanent dais,” he writes. In information more germane to the general public, Watson also notes that anyone wanting to speak at the meeting can sign up online until noon Wednesday – or in person at City Hall until 1:15. “Each speaker will have two minutes to speak. People signed up to speak will be able to donate time. Time may be donated to a person so that the speaker will have up to 6 minutes total time to address the joint bodies. People wishing to donate time must coordinate with the city clerk prior to being called. All parties (speakers and donors) must be present in person to be eligible for donation of time,” Watson continues. At the meeting, Planning commissioners and City Council members will hear public comment on proposed amendments to the city code that would allow up to three housing units on single-family lots, remove occupancy-limit restrictions and revise regulations that apply to properties with two housing units. Though all of these resolutions were easily approved by City Council previously, Austin Neighborhoods Council, GAVA and Community Not Commodity are holding a press conference Tuesday to protest the “HOME” initiative, which would allow multiple housing units on properties.