Small-lot amnesty loophole closed

After a Thursday City Council vote, the small-lot amnesty infill tool adopted by some Austin neighborhoods will no longer allow the disaggregation of lots. When the neighborhoods adopted the tool, neither they nor city staff understood that it would allow larger lots to be subdivided into smaller, previously platted lots for development. As a consequence, staff recommended the change that was then implemented by Council on Thursday. Although Council voted 7-4 in favor of the code amendment, that doesn’t mean the practice of disaggregating and building on small lots will never be seen again. Council Member Greg Casar made it clear that he will be bringing forward a resolution to codify that infill tool in the near future, though he is still working out the details of how to accomplish that. Casar joined Council members Sheri Gallo, Delia Garza, Ellen Troxclair and Don Zimmerman in voting against the code amendment Thursday.