Government
BY BEN THOMPSON
Council OKs smaller minimum lot size
Development near transit
Also of note
The impact
Austin leaders will allow more housing to be built on smaller lots through a two-part plan. HOME initiative
Updates will encourage denser residential projects and walkable communities near Austin’s planned transit route.
Council also cleared the way for new zoning plans to encourage more residential development along the proposed Project Connect light rail. Austin’s equitable transit-oriented development, or ETOD, goals were shaped over several years. The new ETOD zoning will go into place within a half- mile of Project Connect’s first phase. The ETOD overlay will allow more residences and taller buildings, incentivize affordable housing and discourage the addition of spaces deemed not to be “transit-supportive” like auto shops and warehouses. Council edits may delay ETOD’s rollout and make its allowances more gradual near the rail route. Staff have said it would be key to pass tran- sit-forward land-use changes as Austin bids for federal funding to support Project Connect construction costs. The ETOD additions will likely be followed by further planning around Project Connect rail and bus routes.
The land-use items have been billed as affordability strategies, and as long-overdue revisions to Austin regulations that reverse inequitable trends. Supporters contend that smaller properties and smaller homes created under HOME rules will eventually sell for lower prices, while denser housing citywide will help address demand and reduce prices. The city code revisions received strong pushback from many individuals and community groups concerned about the city’s process and timeline, and the impacts of the changes on longtime residents— particularly in areas where residents are susceptible to displacement. Some also said the changes were designed to benefit developers, rather than residents.
Austin Light Rail (proposed)
Affected property ETOD area (0.5-mile from light rail)
HOME Phase 1 allowed up to three housing units on single- family properties.
Another change that reduces the influence of single-family homes on new construction, like apartment buildings, was approved alongside HOME Phase 2. The reach of Austin’s compatibility standards—rules governing building characteristics such as height within a certain distance of existing homes—was cut by more than 86%, moving Austin more in line with other cities with similar policies. Now, new construction more than 75 feet away from single-family housing won’t be limited by compatibility; the limits previously stretched up to 540 feet from homes. City staff found compatibility, created to ensure new development fit in established areas, has effectively blocked tens of thousands of potential housing units.
City Council approved a series of land-use reforms May 17, closing out weeks of public debate about proposals that some officials said are intended to create housing options that are more affordable. Council voted to cut the city’s minimum residential lot size by more than two-thirds through the second phase of the HOME, or Housing Options for Middle-Income Empowerment, plan. The change will reduce the amount of land needed to build a single house in Austin from 5,750 square feet down to 1,800 square feet as of Aug. 15. HOME Phase 2 passed with council members asking staff to look into how the new policy will impact lower-income residents in areas vulnerable to gentrification, a top concern of many residents. An “equity/antidisplacement overlay” could be added to the HOME regulations in the future.
HOME Phase 2 will reduce the amount of land needed to build one housing unit in Austin’s single-family areas.
290
Previous
SF-1: 10,000 square feet minimum SF-2 and -3: 5,750 square feet minimum
Lot size for one residential unit
35
MOPAC
183
New
SF-1, -2 and -3: 1,800 square feet minimum
SF-1, -2 AND -3 ARE AUSTIN'S MOST COMMON RESIDENTIAL ZONING AREAS.
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN/COMMUNITY IMPACT
N
71
BRODIE LANE 4970 Hwy 290 W (512) 366-8260 BEE CAVE 13015 Shops Pkwy (512) 263-9981
SOUTHPARK MEADOWS 9900 IH-35 Service Road S (512) 280-7400 DRIPPING SPRINGS
166 Hargraves (512) 432-0186
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