A vote on a long-debated plan to allow taller buildings and expanded development in the University Neighborhood Overlay district has been postponed until the fall, pushing back the move to add student housing capacity near the University of Texas. The postponement request was outlined in a pair of May 30 memos from Planning Director Lauren […]
City of Austin University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO)
A set of design guidelines for a portion of the City of Austin that includes the West Campus, North University, and Hancock neighborhood areas.
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commissioners and public weigh in on West Campus zoning updates with support… and some reservations
Planning Commissioners and the public weighed in on planned changes to a West Campus zoning plan during a marathon public comment session on May 13. Conducted as part of a hearing at the Planning Commission about the updates, the comments were mostly supportive. It was capped off by commissioners’ unanimous votes to recommend the plan […]
Posted inPlanning
West Campus zoning program set for changes as city plans density-focused upgrade
Austin’s West Campus neighborhood may be about to enter a new era of development, as city staff plan to update a special zoning overlay that has guided new building in the area since the early aughts, according to a presentation delivered by city staff to the Planning Commission during a meeting on April 8. Under […]
Posted inPlanning
Planning Commission reverses city rejection of university-area site plan in an unusual case
The Planning Commission voted unanimously last week to reverse a decision by city planning staff to reject a site plan for a 142-unit student-oriented development at 2610 Hume Place, on appeal from the applicant, marking a rare use of the commission’s sovereign authority. Usually, city commissions have the power only to make recommendations to City […]
Posted inPlanning
Student housing union advocates for renters ahead of city’s UNO update
The University Tenants Union student group at the University of Texas has launched a new housing toolkit aimed at helping student renters better navigate the housing market in West Campus and surrounding areas. The organization, which advocates for tenant rights and policy reforms affecting student housing, developed the resource to centralize legal and practical guidance […]
Posted inHousing
City eyes code amendments to increase affordable housing for UT students
City Council members hope that a series of amendments to a planning tool can increase housing affordability and the quality of life for University of Texas students, with the possibility of bringing a much-needed grocery store to the West Campus area. On Thursday, Council will consider a resolution that calls for a series of changes […]
Posted inHousing
Qadri sets sights on closing ‘windowless-apartment loophole’
District 9 City Council Member Zo Qadri will sponsor a resolution “kick(ing) off the process to close the windowless-apartment loophole,” which in recent years has surfaced as a problem for students at the University of Texas at Austin and residents in West Campus. Qadri announced his plan during the Housing and Planning Committee’s meeting on […]
Posted inLand Development Code
BoA approves variance for illuminated sign on the Drag
The Board of Adjustment granted the Church of Scientology a variance request for a change to the church’s logo on its sign facing the street. Mike McHone, who represented the Church of Scientology at the BoA meeting that took place Feb. 13, said in an interview that the approval was among the last technical hurdles […]
Posted inHousing
Council sets its sights on affordable student housing
City Council newcomer Ryan Alter is making headway, kicking off his tenure with a call for more robust housing in the increasingly unaffordable neighborhoods around Austin’s college campuses. Alter’s resolution, which passed unanimously, directs city staff to explore partnerships and policy solutions to ramp up affordable unit production for students at UT, ACC, Huston-Tillotson, and […]
Posted inEnvironment
Environmental Commission recommends removal of two West Campus heritage trees
The Environmental Commission has recommended the conditional removal of two heritage trees from a property near UT Austin that is being developed as student housing. The 32-inch red oak, in “fair” condition, and a 25-inch pecan tree in poor condition stand on a property at the intersection of Nueces and West 24th Street, a couple […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Shocking none, BoA OKs illuminated sign on the Drag
The Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a variance that will allow a new lighted sign on Guadalupe Street. Most of the questions at the meeting Monday were directed at the city code itself, which apparently prohibits illuminated signs despite their well-established proliferation. The request came from the national salad chain Sweetgreen, which opened its first […]
Posted inPlanning
West Campus overlay grows without Planning Commission expansion
The 2004 University Neighborhood Overlay district has made West Campus a strong contender for the most urban neighborhood in the city. City Council passed an amendment to the district Thursday that will help generate even more growth, but some of the residents who live there say it doesn’t go far enough. Rylan Maksoud, West Campus […]