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Tag Archives: City of Austin Land Development Code

Buildings over 400 feet tall now allowed around Q2 Stadium

The view from Austin FC’s Q2 Stadium could soon be filled with tall buildings. City Council approved a zoning change on Oct. 27 to allow buildings up to 420 feet in height – about 40 stories – on some properties…

Council adopts new stormwater rules

After considerable delay and discussion, City Council finally approved new environmental regulations related to drainage, landscaping and green stormwater infrastructure on Thursday. Mackenzie Kelly was the only Council member to vote no, and Natasha Harper-Madison was off the dais. Last…

Code change to allow housing on commercial properties

A code change that would allow housing on commercial properties got an initial hearing at the Planning Commission Tuesday. After some discussion, the commission postponed the item until Nov. 8 amid concern over a recommendation by city staffers to not allow…

Council opts to make Austin a friendlier place for backyard chickens

Chicken enthusiasts have cause for celebration, as a proposal to loosen setback regulations for chicken coops passed last week on City Council’s consent agenda. The move stems from a collaboration between the Public Health Department and the Office of Sustainability,…

Council puts off making environmental code changes

City Council opted Thursday to postpone a decision on changes to the city’s environmental regulations related to drainage, landscape and site plan requirements. Staff and environmentalists argue the changes are important updates to regulations related to stormwater drainage, wastewater infrastructure,…

Planning Commission recommends enviro code updates with caveats

The Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously recommended that City Council approve only certain elements of a package of code updates aimed at making new development more environmentally friendly, and suggested Council retool or delay adoption of other elements. The complex…

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As affordability concerns linger, Planning Commission postpones enviro code changes

The Planning Commission postponed a vote Tuesday on a complex package of environmental and water quality code amendments. Commissioners say much work remains to understand the full impact of the changes, especially as they relate to housing affordability.  While many…

To improve connectivity, ZAP recommends prohibiting culs-de-sac in most cases

The Zoning and Platting Commission recommended changes to city code on Tuesday to improve street connectivity in new subdivisions. “I look at culs-de-sac as kind of destroying the grid,” said Commissioner Lonny Stern, who initially proposed the changes. He explained…

Planning Commission worries new environmental regulations could make housing more expensive

After expressing concerns over the impact of new water quality and drainage regulations on housing affordability, members of the Planning Commission voted Tuesday to form a working group to tackle the code changes before giving a final recommendation to City…

Mayoral candidates outline plans to make housing more affordable

Since the pandemic began, most Austinites have felt the effects of increased rent, higher property taxes, or home prices growing increasingly out of reach. With rising costs forcing people out of their neighborhoods (or out of the city entirely), candidates…

How tall should buildings be when they're near single-family homes?

There’s a building on South Lamar that looks like a stepladder. Well, maybe a stepladder if you laid it on the ground. Or, maybe just a set of stairs – for a giant. “As you move across Lamar, you’re literally…

Public divided over proposed development rules

Members of the public weighed in Thursday on changes to Vertical Mixed-Use (VMU) zoning and the potential for relaxed development rules along busy streets as City Council continued discussions on the proposals.  Opinions were split among those who spoke at…

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