A multi-family rezoning at the rugged edge of Northwest Austin

Way out in Austin’s northwest corner, where the city bleeds into undeveloped wildland, two people are trying to build a homestead. To do that, they’re asking the city of Austin for an upzoning to a district type meant for building small apartment, townhouse and condo complexes.

The Zoning and Platting Commission voted to recommend the rezoning during a meeting on June 3 after some discussion. The change would see the property at 12015 Buckner Road rezoned from developmental reserve (basically land the city hasn’t zoned yet) to MF-1, or multifamily residence.

Jim Wittliff, speaking on behalf of the owners, said that the request was prompted by an arcane detail of the Comprehensive Watershed Ordinance. The lot sits in the Lake Travis Watershed, and specifically in a “water supply rural watershed,” according to environmental information assembled by city staff. Wittliff explained that the applicants wanted to develop a home and a guest house on the property and “would have been happy” with SF-1, or single-family large lot. However, the ordinance requires at least two acres of land suitable for development in order to build under SF-1 for properties in a sensitive watershed area. The lot in question is 1.31 acres. Meanwhile, MF-1 allows for building on a flat 20 percent of developable land under the same ordinance, which Wittliff said would give them around 11,000 square feet to work with rather than zero. They further proposed a conditional overlay limiting development to four units, rather than the 17 per acre possible under MF-1.

“It’s four houses or it’s nothing… thanks, Comprehensive Watershed Ordinance,” Whitliff said.

It may, however, actually be one or two houses or nothing. Commissioner Stern made the motion to recommend the zoning with a lower unit cap under the conditional overlay, which ultimately passed unanimously after Wittliff said the owners “could live with” the lower limit. Seconded by vice chair Betsy Greenberg, that motion passed unanimously, sending the fate of the homestead to City Council.

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Posted In: Zoning, District 6