Tag Archives: City of Austin Board of Adjustment
BoA debates fences and pool safety
Barring a handful of exceptions, fences in Austin are generally 6 feet tall. A fence may exceed that standardized height, however, if “a structure, including a telephone junction box, exists that is reasonably likely to enable a child to climb…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • May 1, 2019
Board of Adjustment grants unpermitted carport permission to stay parked
After a bitter neighborhood battle took place last month over a carport, the owner of the unpermitted car shelter was given a verdict to take down the structure that had stood for 16 years. However, the owner gave it one…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Apr 16, 2019
Board of Adjustment searches for the line between 'fraternizing' and 'frat'
After purchasing former Texas Governor Ann Richards’ home on 2311 Shoal Creek Boulevard in 2017, the Texas Beta Students Aid Fund, which is the nonprofit arm of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, retained single-family zoning on the property. Yet neighbors…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Apr 10, 2019
Board of Adjustment does not approve variance to 'preserve neighborhood character'
The desire to build a house is not a sufficient reason to receive a variance, in the eyes of the Board of Adjustment. After having his case postponed at the February meeting of the Board of Adjustment, Joshua Inscoe, who…
Planning • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 25, 2019
BoA grants boat dock variance, swayed by trees
After being denied a variance to reconstruct an existing dock to 44 feet instead of the code-compliant 30 feet, the case of 1515 Manana St. returned before the Board of Adjustment at its March 11 meeting. Based on a “substantial”…
Planning • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 22, 2019
Debate over rezone gets in the way of voluntary annexation deal
A decision by the Zoning and Platting Commission Tuesday to push a zoning case hearing back to April could jeopardize an opportunity for the city to annex a 42-acre lot south of FM 2222. The heavily wooded property, east of…
Planning • By Ryan Thornton • Mar 21, 2019
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BoA OKs wellness project on third try
While the Board of Adjustment has twice denied variance requests required to construct an integrated acupuncture clinic and multifamily residence at 1800 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, members approved variances for the third iteration of the project at their…
Development • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 21, 2019
Neighbor takes out grievances over ADU at the Board of Adjustment
Although the Board of Adjustment prefers not to take neighborhood disputes into account when members consider variance requests, sometimes these conflicts can be difficult to ignore. Before hearing any cases at its March 11 meeting, the Board of Adjustment warned…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 20, 2019
Catholic school cites safety concerns for fence; BoA thinks fence will cause more
Most people would agree that when it comes to schools, safety is sacrosanct. In today’s climate, parents, educators and the community alike may consider a campus that is wide open to public access to be, at the least, worrisome. Under…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 19, 2019
BoA ponders historically zoned multifamily
For the owner of 608 Elmwood Place in the Hancock neighborhood, perhaps the third time in front of the Board of Adjustment will be the charm. After being postponed last month to allow for more discussion with the neighborhood about…
Land Development Code • By Jessi Devenyns • Mar 14, 2019
Board of Adjustment seeks neighborly consent for variance
There are occasions when even though the Board of Adjustment deems a request reasonable, procedure dictates that it is unable to approve the request. Such a petition came before the BoA at its Feb. 11 meeting, when the homeowner of…
Planning • By Jessi Devenyns • Feb 21, 2019
Boat dock variance dredges up concerns at the Board of Adjustment
There are occasions when, regardless of how a homeowner may redesign, reorient or reimagine a site, there is simply no option to make a project code-compliant. That still doesn’t mean that the request for a variance will be supported. This…
