1. LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REVISION Austin City Council Work Session
August 20, 2019

2. Austin City Council Work Session
Council Direction focused around: Housing Capacity, Missing Middle, Compatibility, Parking
Review of past Boards, Commissions, & Equity-Focused Recommendations (i.e ZAP, PC, Uprooted Study, Anti-displacement Task Force, etc.)
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

3. Austin City Council Work Session
Agenda
Re-cap of the Housing and Planning Committee meeting
General Approach to Housing Capacity
Next Steps
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

4. Re-cap of housing and planning committee
Zoning Categories
Residential Uses Along Corridors
Preservation Incentive
Accessory Dwelling Units/Duplexes
Single Family in Multifamily zones
Compliant Residential Use
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

5. INCREASING HOUSING CAPACITY
Council Direction
“In general, within activity centers, along activity corridors, along the transit priority network, and in transition areas, additional entitlements beyond current zoning should only be provided: i. to increase the supply of missing middle housing, which shall include an affordable housing bonus program where economically viable or, ii. through a density bonus that requires some measure of affordable housing.”
“The granting of new entitlements in areas currently or susceptible to gentrification should be limited so as to reduce displacement and dis-incentivize the redevelopment of multi-family residential development, unless substantial increases in long-term affordable housing will be otherwise achieved. Existing market rate affordable multifamily shall not be mapped to be upzoned.”
Current Code
Draft 3
Potential Revisions
Effect of Change
Does not provide sufficient housing capacity
Increasing housing capacity requires time- consuming and complicated by-lot rezoning
Approach to Increase housing capacity did not include transition zones
Lacked the benefit of recent in-depth gentrification data and studies
Maintain current base zoning capacity except in transition zones
Create transition zones specifically to provide missing middle housing
Apply zones in areas susceptible to displacement, guided by the Uprooted study
Increased housing capacity to improve: a) jobs/housing balance and b) tools to provide more affordable housing opportunities
More housing close to transit corridors; more types of housing
Cc DIRECTION – QUESTION 2, 1, A, B, C
As part of the code development process to date we have been looking at the DT as well as the whole city note: we are not increasing housing capacity DT in line with council direction -
Mention “including downtown” with “maintain nearest equivalent…”
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

6. HOUSING CAPACITY & Yield
Council Direction
“The new code and map should allow for housing capacity equivalent to at least three times the Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint (ASHB) goal of 135,000 new housing units, as well as for ASHB goals of 60,000 affordable housing units, preservation of 10,000 affordable housing units, production of sufficient numbers of Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units each year sufficient to address needs and 30% Missing Middle Housing, and be achieved in a manner consistent with direction provided throughout this document.”
Current Code
Draft 3
Potential Revisions
Effect of Change
Yield goal: 135k and with 60k units affordable at 80% MFI
Capacity: 145k (~1x)
Capacity: 287k (2x)
Capacity – Council goal: 405k (3x)
By planning for 3x capacity we’re more likely to reach our yield goal
Greater yield of market-rate units will facilitate more affordable units
Cc DIRECTION – QUESTION 2, 1, A, B, C
Bend the trend – if we stay on trend we remain unaffordable and sprawl development pattern.
You have to have more market rate units to get more affordable units
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

7. Austin City Council Work Session
Next STEPS
City Council Mobility Committee – August 20th
Comprehensive Transportation Review processes
City Council Work Session – August 28th
Approach to Transition Zones
Parking
Non-zoning regulations
Approach to downtown
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

8. Austin City Council Work Session
QUESTIONS
Today’s focus is how modification and changes to zoning regulations and districts are being developed in service to the May 2nd Council Direction.
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

9. Austin City Council Work Session
THE FOLLOWING SLIDES WERE PROVIDED AT THE COUNCIL HOUSING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE
Today’s focus is how modification and changes to zoning regulations and districts are being developed in service to the May 2nd Council Direction.
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

10. Austin City Council Work Session
Zone Categories
Residential House-Scale
Allows house scale buildings with varying amounts of residential units
Residential Multi-Unit
Provides transition between residential and mixed-use zones
Mixed-Use
Designed to provide range of uses: housing, office, employment
Main Street
In centers served by transit, this use connects housing with jobs and amenities
Commercial & Industrial
Other (Public, etc.)
Categories staying the same as previous work – working to refine them and reducing the number of zones to be simple. There will be nomenclature related to these categories.
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

11. Austin City Council Work Session
Zone Categories
Council Direction
“The new LDC should focus on the size and scale of the built environment and regulate uses through context-sensitive policies that are clearly identified in the code and apply equitably throughout the City instead of through by-lot zoning regulations.”
Current Code
Draft 3
Potential Revisions
Effect of Change
Zone categories based on separating uses
Overlays used to create mixed-use options
Zone categories promote mixed-use and context sensitive development
Carry forward Draft 3 zone categories
Fewer zone districts within zone categories
More intuitive, context sensitive, and consistent
Less reliance on by-lot zoning regulations
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

12. RESIDENTIAL uses Along Corridors
Council Direction
“The new code should prioritize all types of homes for all kinds of people in all parts of town… and a development pattern that supports 50/50 Transportation Mode share by 2039…”
“Propose options for prohibiting uses along corridors that displace potential housing opportunities, such as self-storage facilities, or other uses that do not contribute to overall policy goals.”
Current Code
Draft 3
Potential Revisions
Effect of Change
Many base zone districts do not allow residential on corridors
Commercial zones allow uses that impair housing and multi-modal goals
Zoning districts developed to restrict uses that were commonly prohibited through conditional overlays
Prioritize uses that support complete communities and policy goals
Promotes more residential on corridors
The approach to d3 included CO research and analysis – reviewed approximately 4K CO’ and found themes and patterns that informed permitted and not permitted uses for the district in V3 – the processes continues per the new Council direction, for example reducing auto-oriented uses or self storage.
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

13. Preservation Incentive
Council Direction
“Preservation incentives should be expanded City-wide, so that an additional unit, beyond what would otherwise be allowed, is allowed with the preservation of an existing structure. …If an existing affordable home is preserved, the balance of the lot’s entitlements can be used to add more dwelling units.”
“Identifying and implementing opportunities throughout the code to encourage preservation of existing housing, especially market affordable housing.”
Current Code
Draft 3
Potential Revisions
Effect of Change
None
ADU does not count as FAR if house 10 years or older is preserved
Expanding incentive to more zones and multifamily development
Can exceed FAR limit to achieve additional units
Expanded preservation incentive
Preserve existing structures while providing more housing capacity and diversity
Read Council Direction
Does not exist in cc, previous work (read), in current work (read), ….if you maintain your existing building
We believe this expansion will
It acts as an FAR bonus, therefore in order to achieve this goal throughout the City we extended limits on FAR to more zones
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

14. Accessory Dwelling Units/DUPLEXES
Council Direction
“Allowing accessory dwelling units (ADUs), both external and internal/attached, to be permitted and more easily developed in all residential zones.”
“Measures to dis-incentivize the demolition and replacement of an existing housing unit(s) with a single, larger housing unit.”
Current Code
Draft 3
Potential Revisions
Effect of Change
ADUs allowed in most residential zones but are difficult to construct with restrictions on use and location
Duplex and ADU narrowly defined
Simplifies and clarifies ADU regulations
Increased flexibility for configuration of duplexes and ADUs
Allow at least two dwelling units in every Residential House-Scale zone
Allow ADUs and duplexes in every Residential House-Scale zone
Simplify regulations and increase flexibility
Allow more units in more places
Current code: read slide,
Previous work: read slide, ADUs were permitted both internal, external, and attached. And duplex constructability has been simplified
Building off that flexibility we are allowing(read slide) that includes maximum for R2 is two units. Talk about R2 truth in advertising and combination of units; duplex or SF house and an ADU
Explain thought process on getting to duplexes; include 1100 sq ft.; R1s become R2
Because the building form of an internal ADU is similar to a duplex, so we are allowing duplexes where we are allowing ADUs
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

15. single family in Multifamily zones
Council Direction
“To the greatest extent possible, include code restrictions that provide properties zoned for multi-family to develop with multi-family and not single-family structures.“
Current Code
Draft 3
Potential Revisions
Effect of Change
Single family allowed in all residential zones
Single family restricted in some Residential Multi-unit & Mixed-Use zones, and all Main Street & Regional Center zones
Prohibit new single family in more zones
Existing single family uses will not become non-conforming
Support more units in zones that allow multifamily development
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session

16. Austin City Council Work Session
Compliant RESIDENTIAL use
Council Direction
“Remodeling or adding units should be very simple, so it is much easier to preserve an existing home than to tear down and replace it with another larger structure.”
“Make allowances for existing single- family structures that become non-conforming to be maintained, remodeled, and potentially expanded, so long as they are not demolished or substantially rebuilt.”
Current Code
Draft 3
Potential Revisions
Effect of Change
Non-conforming use can continue with limitations on expansion and remodeling
General changes to rules for non-conforming uses but no special category for single family
Use can continue
Generous allowance for expansion/modification
ADU can be added
Existing single family will not become non-conforming
8/20/19
Austin City Council Work Session